I just hope the guys feel the same way. Determined not to waste another second, I pull on a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt and follow the voices into the kitchen.
“I appreciate you pulling some strings. I owe you one. Send the courier to apartment 11C. And when you decide to buy the new office space, give me a call,” Dean says scribbling some notes on a legal pad. He laughs and shakes his head. “Unfortunately, my brother is off the market, so the best I can do is offer you our real estate expertise. Thanks again.” He hangs up the phone and shoots a look over to Tyler who’s busy making breakfast.
“Did Leslie Mason try to use this as a way to get a date with me?” Tyler asks.
“She’s had a thing for you since college.”
“Even if I wasn’t head-over-heels in love with Brenna, I would be afraid to date that woman. I’ve heard too many stories.”
Neither one of them looks as though they’ve slept. Dean is hunched over the table, and his dark hair is standing on end as if he’s been raking his hands through it all night. His sexy five o’clock shadow has morphed into a short beard. Tyler has dark circles under his eyes and is still wearing the clothes from last night.
Tyler turns around and catches a glimpse of me in the door. His lips curl into a sexy smile, and my insides go liquid.
“Good morning,” I say, smiling back like an idiot.
There are a million things that should be stressing me out, but one look and everything else fades into the background like so much unimportant noise. I know, without a doubt, that everything is going to work out.
I stroll into the kitchen and kiss Tyler, and then head over to the table and kiss Dean. “I was awfully lonely in bed last night. I thought we agreed that we all needed sleep.” I make sure to emphasize the all.
Tyler sets down a plate of scrambled eggs and shrugs. “We didn’t want to go home in case you needed us.”
“And there was work we could get done while you slept,” Dean added.
“I know I don’t have a monster bed like Dean, but we could have made it work,” I say, plucking a piece of sausage out of the eggs.
“You were dead to the world by the time I got you in bed, and with Landon down the hall, we didn’t think it was a good idea,” Tyler says.
“We thought it would be better if everyone assumes that you’re just dating me,” Dean adds. “At least for now.”
I nod my understanding and try to settle the butterflies that have taken up residence in my stomach. I didn’t think they’d want to keep our relationship a secret. Can I live with that? Dating one brother in public while secretly sleeping with both of them?
I look back and forth between the two men I love, and my heart starts to race. No. I couldn’t live that way. Not only would I hate it, no one would believe it. The truth would be written all over my face.
I steal Dean’s cup of coffee and drain the cup, hoping the shot of caffeine will give me some much-needed courage.
“I don’t want to hide,” I confess.
Tyler tilts his head to the side and looks at me funny. “What do you mean hide? You’re not still thinking about fleeing the country, are you? I thought we talked about that last night.”
“I mean us,” I say. “I don’t want to hide our relationship.”
“Are you sure you’re ready?” Dean asks. “People will judge us, judge you.”
“We don’t have to take out a full-page announcement in the Times, but I do want to tell Landon and my friends.”
“Are you sure? Not everyone will understand,” Dean says, shooting a pointed glance at his brother.
“I want to be with you both. And we can’t do that if we’re lying to people close to us.” I look between the two of them, trying to gauge their feeling. And damn it all to hell, they are both stone-faced. I hope I’m not screwing this up. “I know I’m asking a lot from both of you. You have family and a whole life here. I only have Landon. We can be discrete, but—”
“God, I love you,” Dean says. He grabs my hand and brings it up to his lips. “We’ll tell whoever you want. I would even take out that announcement if you’d have asked.”
“Really?” I look over to Tyler who’s been quiet this whole time. “If you’re worried about your father, we don’t have to tell him.”
“The only person I care about is you.”
Tyler kisses my temple and then trails kisses down my jaw until he reaches my lips. His kiss is so tender and soft it steals my breath. My eyes drift shut, and I kiss him back.
“What’s going on? Why is everyone still here?”
Landon’s voice breaks into the moment, and I pull back. Heat floods to my cheeks. I feel like the proverbial girl caught stealing kisses behind the bleachers.
“Do you mind giving us a minute?” I say, looking between the guys. I take a deep breath and prepare myself for the talk we’re about to have. But before anyone can move, there’s a knock at the door.
“That’s probably my courier,” Dean says and squeezes my hand. “I need to fax those document to the school, so I’m going to head upstairs to my office.”
“I’m going to jump in the shower and get a change of clothes. If you need me, call,” he says getting up and following Dean’s lead. “I’ll come right down.”
“What’s going on?” Landon asks. “You guys are acting weirder than normal. What’s Dean doing with the school? Are you shipping me off to boarding school? I knew you didn’t want to be here. Please just let me stay. I promise I’ll be good.”
Landon goes from a cocky teen to a scared kid in an instant. He wraps his arms around his middle and slumps in on himself. I swear, he looks as if he’s on the verge of tears.
“Of course, I want to be here. I’m not shipping you away. Why would you even think that?”
“That’s what they were planning on doing.” A few fat tears spill down his cheeks, and it guts me.
He doesn’t have to tell me who they are. The neglect Landon has faced over the years is unforgivable. I stand up and cross the kitchen. And for the first time since Landon was a toddler, I engulf him in a hug. He tries to push me away, but I hold on.
“I’m sorry,” I say, trying to keep my own tears at bay. “I’m sorry I let my anger at our mother drive me away from you. I’m a terrible sister. Can you ever forgive me?”
“You don’t owe me anything. Just please don’t send me to boarding school.”
“You don’t get it do you?” I ask. I let him go so I can look him in the eyes when I say my next words. “We’re family. Family sticks together. You’re not going anywhere, and neither am I.”
He doesn’t say anything. The silence in the kitchen stretched out into an eternity. Finally, he nods. “Okay.”
It isn’t exactly the Hallmark moment I was expecting, but from him, it’s practically a soliloquy of Shakespearean proportions.
“What about Dean and Tyler?” he asks. “I’m not a kid. I know there’s something going on between the three of you. I saw you kissing Tyler in front of Dean while holding his hand.”
I lick my lips. Trying to figure out exactly what to tell him, when he surprises me.
“Are you dating both of them? Is that what you want? They’re not being douchebags and making you do something you don’t want, are they?” He looks at me, face stony with seriousness. “Because I’ll kick their asses.”
I press my lips together to hold back the smile. Despite his normal teenage indifference, the fact that he still feels the brotherly need to protect my honor warms my heart. Maybe there’s hope for us yet.
“We’re still figuring things out,” I say. “But everything between us is consensual. I know we don’t exactly have a normal relationship. Does it weird you out? “
“Nah, it’s cool,” Landon says and pours himself a cup of coffee as if we’re talking about something mundane.
“I didn’t want to keep our relationship from you, but we don’t have to let anyone else know. I don’t want your friends to make fun of you.”
“It’s not the Fifties anymore. No one cares,” he says, casually. “This isn’t even the strangest relationship at my school. Ricky’s dad divorced his mom and is now a woman. Hector’s parents run this private club. Everyone at school knows it’s some kind of sex dungeon. And Liz has two moms and a dad, and they all come to school functions together. So, I don’t really care if people know. I just want to know if this means we’re going to be moving into the penthouse?”
“This is your home. I’d never make you leave.”
“No,” he says, flatly. “This was mom and dad’s home.” He leans back against the cold marble counter and stares down into his cup. “I hate it here. When they died, I secretly hoped Dean and Tyler would adopt me, and I could leave this place.”
“We aren’t quite to the moving in stage of our relationship,” I say. But in the back of my mind, I add call a realtor to my mental to-do list. “I don’t like this place either, so maybe we can look for a new place that can be ours. Until then, let focus on getting things fixed with your school.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
DEAN
It doesn’t take me long to finish up my work. I’m dying to go back downstairs. I know Brenna wants to come out to our close family and friends, but I’m worried it’s too soon. This thing between the three of us is still new, raw. I’m afraid that inviting outside opinions will add pressure that we’re not ready to face.
Tyler is out, walking the dog, so I’m left to stew on my own. I pace my office like a caged predator. Exhaustion is finally catching up with me and the movement not only helps soothe my anxious nerves, but it also helps me stay awake.
Is it too soon to go back down? Should I just wait on Brenna to come up when they are done with their talk? What if she needs me for support? What if Landon doesn’t accept us and she talks herself out of being with the two of us?
This mental tennis game goes back and forth for a few minutes and then thankfully, I’m interrupted by a phone call.
“It wasn’t easy, but I talked the school into a three-day suspension, instead of expulsion,” Leslie tells me.
“They’re lucky we’re not suing them. They’re the ones that let Landon wander off in Washington fucking D. C. in the middle of the night.”
“I’m sure that played a big part in their decision. It’s not a bad outcome. It might be best for all parties involved if we take their offer and move forward. Especially, if you were serious about the other thing you wanted me to look into,” she says, gentling her tone.
My stomach knots at her tone and I brace myself for bad news. I called Leslie back after I got back to the penthouse to ask her opinion on our triad. I know Brenna wants to be out in the open, but the last thing I want to do is hurt her or Landon.
“So what’s your legal advice? Is there a chance the courts will revoke custody?”
“After looking into Landon’s case, I found a clear pattern of neglect, but that was with the parents. Since Brenna’s had custody, she’s been involved at the school and taken an active role in his life. You don’t have to worry. Family Services is going to rubber stamp this,” she says, and I relax a little. “I also don’t see an issue with them moving in. She’s the legal guardian and can make those decisions without anyone’s approval. But you have to be careful with your—” Leslie pauses as if searching for the right word. “—with your alternative relationship. A judge could see it as harmful to the minor in the home. The standards are vague. ‘The best interests of the child’ is subjective and open to interpretation.”
“So, if she moves in, they’ll take Landon away?” The words twist in my stomach like a knife. This is all my fault. I’m the one who started this. I’m the one who’ll be to blame when she loses custody. Stunned, I fall back into my office chair. Even with years of law school and public speaking, I don’t know how I’m going to tell her.
“What are you talking about?” Leslie asks. “No one’s taking away anyone. And even if they did, we’d have grounds to appeal the decision. I have a few friends that specialize in this kind of thing. The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom has legal resources to help families like yours. But honestly, that is worst case scenario type situation. No one else is suing for custody. If you keep Landon out of trouble and you’ll be fine.”
“Really? Even if people know?” I ask, thinking about the conversation happening right now downstairs.
“I can’t guarantee anything,” she said just like any lawyer worth their salt would, “but from where I’m standing, it’s easy to see that Landon’s life has improved since his sister became his guardian. It’s in the best interests of the child to stay with her, no matter who she’s sleeping with.”
Hearing those word makes me feel a lot better. “Thanks, Leslie. I really do owe you.”
“It’s my job,” she says. “But if that whole triad thing doesn’t work out for your brother, slip him my number and let him know I still think about that night our junior year.”
I’m laughing when Tyler opens the door.
“Good news?” he asks.
“I just got off the phone with Leslie. The school is handled, and she doesn’t think we have to worry about family services.”
“Thank fuck this nightmare is almost over. I talked to my friend a city hall. She said in these kinds of cases, they’d just do a phone follow up,” Tyler says rubbing the back of his neck. “We should let Brenna know, and then I’m going to crash for a few hours.”
“Were you serious earlier?” I ask him. The change in his posture tells me he knows exactly what I’m talking about. “This is still new for all of us. Are you sure we’re ready?”
“Yes,” he says without hesitation. “This might be new for you, but I’ve been in love with Brenna since I was eighteen. I don’t want to spend another day without her. I want us to be a family. All of us. If she agrees, I want them to live with us.”
“I talked to Leslie, and she doesn’t think that will be an issue with Brenna’s custody.”
“Great. Now we just need to convince her to move in. Maybe we should have that particular conversation in the bedroom.”
Tyler's face lights up with a smile, and it’s contagious. I turn off the office light and follow him to the elevator. Even though I’m still concerned we’re moving too fast, I’m already redesigning the penthouse to accommodate our growing family.
When we arrive downstairs, it’s immediately evident that something has changed. There’s music and laughing coming from the kitchen. Landon and Brenna are in there together prepping food for lunch. The mood is definitely lighter than this morning.
“You guys are back just in time. Landon and I disagree, and we’re at an impasse,” Brenna says, trying to sound serious, but she can’t keep the smile off her face. She comes around from behind the island and kisses me. Then plants a kiss on Tyler’s cheek. “So it’s up to you guys. Do you like tomatoes in your stew or not?”
I shoot a questioning look to Tyler. He just shrugs and hesitantly says, “Not.”
“See I told you, you’re a weirdo,” Landon says, triumphantly. “Who puts tomatoes in their stew?”
“That’s the way my mom makes it,” I say, still confused over the sudden change between the two of them. We were only gone for a couple of hours.
“Hey, Landon, why don’t you let us finish up here, and you can head upstairs to play on the Xbox.” Tyler tosses him the keys to the penthouse. “We need to talk to your sister for a minute.”
“Sure thing,” he says and strolls out of the kitchen as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.
“Is everything okay?” Brenna asks, her brow creased with worry.
“Everything’s fine,” I say and kiss the crease away. “Actually, everything is great. “
“So, the school’s not going to expel him?” she asked.
“No. And no social worker visit,” Tyler adds. “Someone will do a follow-up call with the school in about a month, and that should be the end of it.”
“I don’t know what I would have done without you,” she says and turns to take Tyler’s hand. “Without both of you.”
Tyler pulls her hand up to his lips and kisses it gently. “You can always count on us,” he says.
“You don’t know what that means to me,” she says. “I feel like I’ve been on my own for years.”
I couldn’t have asked for a better segue. I glance over to Tyler, who’s still holding her in his arms, and he nods.
“We don’t ever want you to feel that way again,” I say, tracing the gentle slope of her jaw with my finger. “Move in with us. You and Landon. Let us take care of you.”
Her eyes go wide. “Are you serious? I don’t need you to take care of me, but—”
“I know you don’t, sweetheart,” I say, regretting my words. I can’t let her turn us down. I won’t. “We just want to help you. You’re still in charge. Tyler and I are here for you.”
My words garner a quick smile, but then her look turns pensive. “This is moving really fast. I just told Landon about us this morning. But I think—”
“I know it’s fast,” Tyler says, looking as worried as I feel. “And if you’re worried about how it will look, we can keep separate bedrooms.”
“I’m not worried about that, “she says. “It’s just Landon—”
“You don’t have to worry about Landon,” I interrupt, trying to assuage her worry. “I already asked Leslie about your guardianship. She assures me our relationship won’t be a problem.”
“I glad to hear that, but—”
“If you don’t like the penthouse, we can sell it,” Tyler says, almost desperately. “We have properties all over town. Or we can buy something new. We’ll find a place that’s perfect. Just don’t say no.”
“I’m not,” she says and steps away from us. “If you two would let me finish a sentence, you would know my answer is yes. Yes, we’ll move in with you. I think it’s a great idea. Landon even confessed that he wanted to live with you guys.”
Brothers Next Door Page 13