by C. M. Owens
“I’m glad I grew up an only child on days like this, because I might have killed you if we’d had to share a house,” I say dryly as they both laugh.
“I’m glad you were an only child, too. You had a stepsister for two seconds before you were screwing her,” Corbin says quickly.
I stop on the middle of the sidewalk just to glare at him, as he and Jax both laugh.
“You really want me to bring up your relationship hitches involving sisters?” I ask the two of them. That kills the laughter.
Maverick for the win.
“Didn’t think so,” I chirp.
Tossing my bag into my car, I walk around to the driver’s side, waving dismissively when they both tell me bye. My phone lights up with Dad’s name, and I answer as I start driving toward Salem’s.
“If this is about the Jordan estate I just bought, don’t bother. I saw it first,” I say grinning; he wanted it too.
“That’s okay. I bought the old grocery store outside of town with all that parking lot. Once Sterling Shore expands, that will be an excellent parking garage. Far better investment, if you ask me.”
“Dick,” I grumble as he laughs.
“I’m actually calling for a favor.”
“I stopped hosting belated bachelor parties. Seemed a little desperate and just sad to call in strippers for an already married man. Guess you should have asked me before the wedding,” I tell him, smirking when he laughs.
“It’s actually about Kelly’s birthday coming up in a few days. I bought her some jewelry, but it seemed impersonal. You have more female friends than any man I’ve ever known. Surely you can tell me what a woman wants.”
A cheeky grin spreads over my lips. “Well, a woman wants—”
“Maverick,” he interrupts, already knowing the direction I was taking with that.
Laughing, I tell him, “Something sentimental is the best way to go. It’s easier when you know the person’s past a little. Things that meant something then and now.”
“Any chance you could ask Salem? I’m sure she’d know.”
Here’s my dilemma: Dad, for whatever reason, is really in love with Kelly. Kelly, for whatever reason, is determined not to love anyone. Hell, I’m not even convinced she loves her kids. And telling him that Salem likely doesn’t know or care what her mother would find sentimental value in, would just hurt him.
I’m not ready to take away his moment.
“I’ll ask her, but you would probably know if you thought about it.”
“I can’t think of anything or I wouldn’t be asking you.”
“I’m sure Kelly has mentioned something by now that would give you an idea of what would mean something. It wouldn’t be something she told you directly to get. But it’d be something she mentioned while talking about the past.”
He hesitates for a minute.
“I think I know what I’m getting her. Gotta make some phone calls. Bye.”
He hangs up on me, and I shrug. I’m damn good at this boyfriend thing. Even my dad is calling me for advice these days.
I park at Salem’s and walk in, past the point of having to knock anymore, but I end up stepping into the middle of a war zone, it seems.
“Because you’re too young! And I already told you this, but you went behind my back and did it anyway!” Salem is yelling, pointing an accusatory finger at Sean and wagging it like he’s in for it.
I cross my arms over my chest, and lean against the door, taking in the show.
“I’m not too young for bikinis!” Sean argues, confusing the hell out of me. “And I won them. I didn’t buy them. It’s not breaking the rules.”
Is Sean wanting to wear bikinis? When did this happen?
“You won them because you mooned an entire bus of other kids. Which is why your principal called me at work. You’re lucky they’re not taking disciplinary action, since your friends are lying for you and saying you didn’t moon anyone.”
“It was a bet. I won the bet,” Sean states firmly.
Fascinating stuff right here.
“The magazines, Sean. Bring the rest to me, or so help me, your phone will be mine for two months.”
He narrows his eyes, but then sees me.
“Maverick, tell her I’m not too young for Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.”
Ahhhhh. Bikinis makes sense now. I was really dreading seeing him try to make his skinny little body hold up a bikini. Takes some ass to keep those bottoms up.
“Maverick will agree with me,” Salem seethes.
Challenge accepted.
“Actually—” She levels me with a glare when I grin. “Actually,” I start again, ignoring her adorable little attempt at intimidation, “I think swimsuits are fine. You see worse on the beach, which is right outside the door there.” I point to the door on the other end of the house as if they need a visual reminder of its proximity.
Salem doesn’t look away from me.
“The mooning was definitely over the top, though,” I say, supporting her on that much.
Sean just grins. “I’m sorry for mooning the other bus. But does that mean I can keep the magazines?”
From what I can deduce, mooning someone won him a bet and scored him someone else’s magazines. Yep. Sounds like a typical kid in Sterling Shore. He fits right in nowadays.
“No,” Salem growls, facing him again. “You’re too young.”
“So you’re never wearing a bikini again? Because I’m forced to get sick every time I have to see that and endure guys talking about my sister’s butt and boobs. How’s that fair? I’m too young for that!”
My eyebrows go up.
“Ignore what people say, but right now, this isn’t about me, Sean,” Salem says, still furious.
“I’m with the kid on the bikini. I think you should never wear one in front of other men again,” I chime in, causing her lips to twitch even as she fights to keep her scowl in place and her attention on her brother.
Sean holds his ground. “Please? I won’t even look at them. I just want to keep them because I won that bet, and it will shut them up.”
“No,” Salem says immediately.
“Surely the kid can keep them as long as he doesn’t look at them,” I say, butting in and getting another death glare from the saucy vixen across the room. “I mean, he’s not hurting anyone by showing them his little ass either. It’s highly unlikely they even knew for sure what they were looking at—might have thought it was the inside of a folded elbow or something.”
“They knew it was my ass. Got a girl’s number after that. She was two grades older, so it can’t work out,” he says, deadpan.
“Older girls are only fun if they know what they’re doing, and you are too young for that conversation, so I’ll shut up now.”
Sean snorts, but Salem is totally not amused. Bananas just licks her paw, watching the action from a safe distance. Even she seems content to just be entertained.
“Do not team up on me,” Salem states, gesturing between me and Sean. “That’s not how this works. No magazines. And a written apology needs to be finished by dinner.”
“Then you need to throw away your bikinis. If I can’t have my bikini magazine, then I don’t have to listen to what other guys say about my sister in her bikini.”
“I’m still one hundred percent with the kid on that last bit,” I pipe up.
“Pie. Moment,” Salem bites out, glowering over at me.
I just grin, of course. It’s fun as hell to rile her up. But in all seriousness, no one else needs to see her in a bikini. Ever. Just me.
“I’ve had five pie moments since we’ve been in here, because they’re just bikinis! No different from what you wear. Some even cover more than what you wear,” Sean continues.
“Why have I not seen these elusive bikinis?” I ask.
A sound of frustration leaves her as Salem whirls around, stalking into the kitchen. Laughing as Sean grins, I follow, turning the corner just as she rounds it again. Some sort o
f yelp leaves me just as something soft slams into my face and explodes, forcing my eyes to screw shut or get shit in them.
A choked laugh from Salem is smothered, and then Sean’s riotous laughter carries around the entire room as I wipe the—I lick my lips, tasting my suspicion and am proven correct—lemon pie away from my eyes.
When I can open my eyes, managing to view the world through a funnel of creamy filling, I see Salem’s eyes wide with horrified humor, her hands covering her mouth as her body shakes with suppressed laughter.
I lick my lips again, getting dessert before dinner.
“No fair,” Sean says through his guffaws, clutching his side as tears of laughter slip out of his eyes. “You actually got to have a literal pie moment.”
“I’m so sorry,” Salem says with zero fucking sincerity. I lick more of the pie. “I didn’t actually mean to do it. I didn’t know you were right there. I was just going to threaten you with it, but…reflexes. However, I’ll be honest; that was so much more satisfying than I ever imagined it would be.”
I lick my lips again, then lunge without warning. Salem screams as she tries to dodge me, but I get her around the waist and cage her against the wall, kissing her all over her face as she tries to turn her head.
She laughs hysterically, as I rub the pie everywhere.
“Stop,” she begs, still laughing. “I said I was sorry!”
“Lie.”
She only laughs harder.
“Well, that escalated to gross quickly,” Sean pipes in.
Salem and I both turn our attention on him, and matching evil grins light up our faces. Sean takes a cautious step back.
“Don’t even think about it,” he warns, narrowing his eyes as Salem and I both start slowly stalking toward him, pie all over our fucking faces.
“I mean it,” Sean says, slinking backwards, scared to turn his back on us as he inches toward his door.
As if we timed it, Salem and I both dive for him, and he squeals while running toward the door. I leap completely over the couch, landing in front of him, and snatching him up.
The night goes on with wild giggles and threats.
Pretty perfect night, if you ask me.
Even the Devil Cat seems to have found her harmony.
Pie moment takes on a different meaning.
Chapter 32
MAVERICK
Family dinners are a little weird when your dad is kissing on your girlfriend’s mom, because your girlfriend is also your stepsister.
Just sayin’.
When dad finally stops making us all uncomfortable, tearing his lips away from Kelly’s, she actually blushes, eyelashes fluttering as she smiles at him.
It’s moments when I see her look at him that way that I have a problem believing it’s really all about the Benjamins.
Salem leans into my side, not particularly thrilled to be celebrating her mother’s birthday. Sean acts like he doesn’t care, but I can tell he wanted to be here. He even wrapped his mother’s present that I took him to buy.
Salem brought her a pie.
I think she’s secretly hoping to shove it in her face.
“Thank you. The ring is beautiful,” Kelly says, smiling once again at Dad as she turns to open Sean’s present.
Sean’s such a wannabe badass, feigning aloofness, when he’s secretly nervous about if she likes it or not. Of course she barely grins when she opens it and sees the two diamond, rose-shaped earrings—real fucking diamonds, by the way. I didn’t tell him what it cost, since he only gave me forty bucks as a budget after picking them out. And then I snuck his forty bucks back into his room when he wasn’t looking.
Sean said Kelly loves roses.
Which means Salem probably hates roses, and I need a new flower to buy her when I fuck up. Explains why those first ones never even got mentioned.
“Thank you, Sean,” Kelly tells him, about as much warmth in her tone as a scoop of ice cream.
She also thanks me for my pen set—yeah, I’m impersonal when I don’t particularly like you.
“I got you the pie,” Salem says, a cold smile on her lips as she pushes the pie forward.
Kelly rolls her eyes.
“One more gift,” Dad says, grinning as he stands and grabs a present and returns.
Kelly just smiles up at him, and then opens the necklace case. It’s when her breath catches, her lips part, and her eyes glisten that Dad knows he hit the mark dead-on. It looks like just a simple diamond pendant necklace to me, so I don’t understand the significance. That ring he just gave her easily has more carats than that necklace does.
“It’s perfect,” Kelly says on a shaky whisper, clearing her throat and blinking rapidly as though she’s trying to compose herself.
Dad just grins like he’s proud of himself.
“I had to go based on your description, so I’m glad I got it right.”
She just nods, her smile turning a little tighter.
She pats his hand, leaning over to kiss him briefly this time. “I need to go to the restroom for a minute,” she says as she stands. “Go ahead and start on the pie without me.”
Salem and Sean need not be told twice. For once, I skip the fucking pie. My abs are trying to disappear. I blame her.
I’m not sure how she doesn’t weigh five hundred pounds. Same for that little shit brother of hers. He eats more than I do on a daily basis and is so skinny that it’s hard to find clothes to fit him.
Don’t even ask how he conned me into taking him clothes shopping.
A lot has happened in three months.
My arm falls around Salem’s shoulders, and she grins up at me before leaning over and kissing the side of my jaw. Dad winks at me when he sees it, grinning like he couldn’t be happier.
I just wish Kelly was as genuine as Salem.
“So, Sean, I heard your other two brothers are pretty athletic. You thinking of playing any sports?” Dad asks him.
Sean shakes his head as Salem snorts.
I roll my eyes.
“I hate sports,” Sean says. “Unless I’m watching my brothers play. Then I don’t mind them.”
Dad just grins.
“He’s just mimicking Salem, because she hates sports,” I say, gesturing at the girl still grinning beside me.
“Am not. I tried to like sports,” Sean says dismissively. “Ball goes in hole. Ball misses hole. Puck hits net. Puck misses net. Seems redundant and I don’t understand who wants to get punched in the face or taken out at the knees just to score points for no real reason. At least in dance no one is gunning for your face.” He pauses and gestures to his face. “I’m going to need this to look good in a few years.
Unbelievable.
Dad chuckles. “Good point. Maverick played a lot of sports and did dance as well.”
Salem’s head whips toward me, and I wink at her.
“Overachiever,” Sean mutters, smirking.
“My face is still fucking flawless despite the sports,” I point out, causing Sean to roll his eyes dramatically. “I also had straight A’s—always—and did some recreational rowing on occasion. And—”
“Just curious,” Sean interrupts, looking toward Dad, “has he always talked so much about himself? Because I know more about him than I know about Salem, and I’ve known her all my life.”
I glare at the kid, and Dad bursts out laughing, almost strangling on his drink.
“But did you wear tights?” Salem finally asks. “Back when you danced.”
“Only when he took ballet,” Dad says immediately, and I drop my head back, groaning, as Salem and Sean burst out laughing.
Dad fake winces, then gives me a taunting wink. Jackass did that on purpose.
My head comes back down as Sean unleashes a legion of ‘men in tights’ jokes that he’s been apparently hoarding for a while. But I notice Kelly leaned against the hallway wall, standing in the shadows as she looks on at us.
Salem throws her head back, laughing at something Sean has just sa
id, and Dad slaps the table, laughing so hard he can hardly breathe. All the while, Kelly just barely smiles, watching her children like she can’t look away, and looking more human and less like an ice queen for the first time ever.
The second she realizes I’ve spotted her, she puts on her poker face, her forced smile, and comes back to the table, pretending to only be mildly interested in the conversations going on around her.
But I just saw something.
She’s not as hardened as she wants the world to think.
I’m just not sure I understand why anyone would rather be hated than loved.
My phone chimes in my pocket, and I pull it out, looking at the screen.
DALE: Bella is having the baby!
I scramble up from my seat, juggling my phone like a cartoon comic strip of hot-potato before finally getting it under control.
“What’s wrong?” Salem asks, looking up at me.
“Bella’s having her baby!” I say on one rushed breath, pulling my keys out.
“I have a present at the house from us,” Salem tells me as I lace our fingers together.
“Baby? You’re on your own. I’ll just stay here,” Sean says.
Salem looks to her mother, confirming that’s good with her.
“Just swing by tomorrow if you want to pick him up,” Kelly says.
Salem and I leave, rushing out to my car. We quickly swing by her house, grabbing the little bag that says BABY in yellow letters.
I like that I never have to ask her to be a part of things. She knows I want her with me, and she’s always prepared to be there. My fingers lace with hers, and she leans over, propping her head on my shoulder.
She talks about her moments from time to time. But this? For some reason, this is one of mine.
Chapter 33
SALEM
@MavSterling: @SalemWithNoWitch did you really have to post that selfie of you in a bikini? #TooFarBaby
@SalemWithNoWitch: @MavSterling next time maybe you’ll side with me. ^_^ #PieFace
@BellaHasABigBun: @SalemWithNoWitch @MavSterling Bikini selfie was hawt. #StepUpThatGameSterling