by Abby Brooks
“Kara benefited a lot from Dad’s generosity.”
The answer pacified Harlow’s curiosity. Undoubtedly, she assumed I was connected to one of Burke’s many charities. Wyatt politely finished our conversation as if I was little more than a stranger, then walked away with his sister, leaving me to deal with my grief alone. It felt like I lost two people that day. Two of the most important men in my life. Burke, and then Wyatt. Brooke had been right. Staying out of Wyatt’s life had been a mistake. Wiping my eyes as I trudged up a hill toward my car, I found myself wondering if it was too late for us. The only thing I knew for sure was that I had to find out.
Chapter Fifteen
Wyatt
Since Dad’s death, my siblings had been staying at The Hut. Mom hoped they would each find a way to contribute and then move home so her family could be whole again, working toward the unified goal of running the family business. The only one who had found anything resembling work was Lucas, and the work he found—helping with the accounting and paperwork—made me extremely nervous. I hadn’t had an opportunity to look through the last several years of bookwork, and didn’t know what kind of mess Dad left behind. The rest of them did little more than disrupt my routines, though I could admit I was just as pleased to have everyone home as Mom.
That particular morning, I had an interview lined up for a new masseuse, but Caleb caught me in the kitchen. After listening to one of his fishing stories for as long as I could, I finally untangled myself and hurried toward the office to find a cute redhead staring into the room where Lucas sat behind the desk.
“You must be Catherine.” I grinned as the woman turned, because there was no denying her attraction to my brother. “I’m Wyatt Hutton. That there is my older brother Lucas.” I jerked my chin his way as I offered her my hand.
“Please,” she said, swallowing hard as she glanced back into the office. “Call me Cat.”
I nodded, doing my best not to laugh at how obviously flustered she was. I could only guess she had a thing for brooding Marines. “Cat it is. Normally I do my interviews in the office, but Lucas is busy doing…” I leaned through the doorway and stared at my brother. “Just what are you doing in there again?”
He leaned back and folded his hands behind his head. “Pretty sure I’m doing your job, aren’t I?” He cocked an eyebrow and I laughed.
“Only because I couldn’t trust you with Cat, here.” I gave my attention back to her. “You and I can talk in the other room so the big bad wolf can finish pretending to do my job.”
Lucas rolled his eyes at me, then gave the poor woman his full attention again. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he growled in that overly intense way of his.
I led Cat into the sitting room and started the interview while bits and pieces of guitar music floated through the air, courtesy of Harlow. Cat took it in stride, and as she answered each of my questions, I realized how much I liked her. She would be a good fit here, though her obvious attraction to my older brother could be a potential problem.
“Wyatt?” Lucas stepped into the room. “Mom needs you in the office,” he said, and my stomach dropped at the look on his face. Whatever Mom needed to talk to me about wasn’t good, and my instincts swore it had something to do with Kara and Madeline—but I smiled as he offered to finish the interview.
“All that’s left is the tour.” I stood, suppressing another urge to laugh at Cat’s expression. As cute as she was, she did not have a poker face. “I suppose even you could handle that,” I said to Lucas, then paused on my way out. “Anything I should know about?” I whispered.
He dipped his chin and lowered his voice. “I found one hell of an accounting error. Or string of errors, really. Stretching back years. Either Dad’s brain was more pickled than we realized, or he was into some shady shit.”
I thanked Lucas and headed toward the office, grateful that he was more interested in Cat than he was in my reaction. If he had been paying attention at all, he would have noticed something was up. My poker face wasn’t all that great either.
Thankfully, Mom was just as distracted. As she marched out years of accounting errors, some of them created by me and all of them leading back to Madeline and Kara, nausea churned and boiled. When Dad passed, I thought I was done with all this. I thought the stress would fade, the lies would end, and all his poison would finally bleed out of the family.
I had assumed I would be the only one to go through the books. I hadn’t taken Lucas and my other siblings into consideration and I was in no way prepared to lie to their faces. As the day wore on, it became more and more obvious that no one suspected foul play. For the first time since he picked up the bottle, Dad’s drinking was working in my favor.
Mom hung her head, lamenting her late husband’s sickness, cursing him for reaching out of the grave to wreak continued havoc on our lives. I promised I would take over the job of getting things back to rights, helped her out of the office, then swore under my breath at the need for the continued deceptions. This part of my life was supposed to be over.
Was it right to cover things up one last time so the rest of my family never knew the truth? Or should I explain everything because they deserved to know? I was stuck between shades of gray and couldn’t see which of the two paths was right.
As soon as Mom was out of earshot, I called Madeline to let her know she wasn’t getting one more cent from us. She spewed threats and bitterness, but I didn’t listen. Relieved, I hung up and stared out the window, wondering how in the world I was going to explain my way out of that mess until Lucas came back to tell me about the interview with Cat. He seemed just as smitten with her as she was with him. His smile was a bright moment in a dark day and I focused on that instead of all the shades of gray.
Chapter Sixteen
Wyatt
Sleep eluded me. For as much as I tried to steer my family away from the accounting errors, they kept asking questions, kept offering suggestions. They only wanted to help, but time and again, I found myself facing the decision of having to continue lying or just finally admitting what Dad had done. More and more, it seemed like the only way I could get my life back together would be if I sat my family down and explained everything—starting from the day he called me into his office and ending with the truth about what Lucas found in the books.
They would hate me when the story finally came out.
And they would have every right.
The problem was, the time for honesty was long past. I should have gone straight to Mom when Dad told me about Madeline. All this time later, with her husband gone, I was the man with the secret. I was the one who would take the brunt of my family’s anger. After eroding my own morals and sense of self, I would be the one they pushed out.
Six months marched by, with that awareness coloring every moment. My family grew stronger and more stable while I learned to live on less and less sleep. Lucas fell in love and got engaged. Caleb and Eli stuck around long enough to know things were okay before they went back to their lives outside The Hut. Harlow settled in, growing closer and closer to Mom. And I drove myself insane, trying to protect everyone from Dad’s final gift.
The one bright point in my life was that after years of silence, Kara and I now spoke often, mostly through text. I cheered her on as she continued to distance herself from her mom and she quietly supported me through my confusion.
I often laughed at how much I used to resent her in my life, because at this point, I couldn’t imagine her not being a part of it. For as much as I supported her throughout her teenaged years, she was a rock for me now, listening as I needed to vent and offering hilarious GIFs in response.
A soft knock caught my attention and I smiled. It was just past dinner time, and I knew, I knew I would find Kara standing on my porch when I opened my door. Bracing myself for whatever madness she had for me that evening—after all, that was all we ever did, run to each other when our world was falling to pieces—I opened the door and found her there, a sad smile pu
lling at her lips.
“Hey there, big guy.” She brandished a large pizza box. “I come bearing gifts.” She didn’t apologize for showing up unannounced. Nor did she apologize for making the assumption that I would be alone, she simply stepped inside, put the pizza on the coffee table, and pulled out a slice as she took a seat on the couch.
“Come on in,” I said as I shut the door. “Make yourself at home.”
Kara bit into the pizza. “Thank you,” she said around a mouthful of cheese and grease. “I figured, you know, if I’m going to show up at your door with craziness, the least I could do is feed you.”
I plopped beside her and helped myself to a slice. “Alright,” I said. “Lay this craziness on me.”
I listened, the pizza turning to sawdust in my mouth as Kara explained Madeline’s growing discontent with the sudden loss of my dad’s money. Kara sighed and tucked her legs up underneath her, her thigh pressing against mine. I expected her to shift out of the way and break the contact, but she didn’t.
“I’m afraid she’s working up her nerve to say something awful.” Kara glanced at me, carefully gauging my reaction.
“How awful?”
“Pretty awful.” She threw me an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid she’ll call you and threaten to go to your mom and tell her everything if you don’t start paying her again.”
My jaw dropped. “But it’s been six months. Why now?” I knew Madeline was unethical. I knew she was a parasite. I don’t know why I was surprised to learn she was going to flex those muscles, regardless of how much time passed.
Kara shifted, her leg pressing even more firmly against mine. “We hadn’t spoken since before the funeral, now all of the sudden she’s reaching out, like I never kicked her out of my life in the first place, which is what clued me into the fact that she’s probably gearing up for something. She had her claws in this other guy, but he isn’t as free with the money as Burke was. At first she thought she just needed time. You know, it’s easier to get into most men’s pants than it is their wallets. But I think she’s getting impatient.”
I dropped my half-eaten piece of pizza next to hers and glared at the wall. “I guess this is the push I needed. I have to be the one to tell them the truth. It can’t come from your mom.”
Kara grimaced. “How will they take it?”
“How would you take it if you found out someone you trusted had been lying to you for seven years?”
“I’d feel pretty betrayed.”
“Yeah. Me too.” I ran a hand through my hair and as I came to a decision about what I had to do, a sense of peace settled over me.
I would tell them tomorrow. And it would be hard. It would be more than hard. It would be fucking odious. But it would be the first step in making everything right and I was so ready to be done with all things Burke Hutton.
Chapter Seventeen
Kara
Burke’s death had been hard on me, but it was killing Wyatt. Dark circles stood out under his eyes. His mouth was a grim line. He had lost weight. His father’s secret was eating him from the inside out. I hated knowing that part of what hurt him so much was me. My mere existence was a complication and I wished we had a better truth. Silence settled between us and I tolerated it for as long as I could before speaking up.
“Your brother looked good at the funeral,” I said, searching out lighter topics, only belatedly realizing how sad it was that Lucas’ almost-death counted as a lighter topic. “Seems like he’s healing.”
Wyatt smiled, though the light of it petered out somewhere near his cheekbones. “He’s getting married.”
I grimaced, shifting a little, enjoying the feel of my thigh resting against his. “Ugh. No thank you. Marriage is not for me, you know?”
He didn’t reply and I searched my brain for another topic, something, anything to keep him talking. I looked up to find him staring at me, his smile finally extending all the way to light up his eyes.
“Why do you do that?” he asked.
“Do what?”
“You can’t stand to let things be quiet. You’re always looking for something else to say.”
It touched me that he knew me so well. Maybe that was the reason I decided to answer honestly. “I used to think it was because I couldn’t stand silence.” I shifted again, creating more contact between us. “But then I realized I could sit quietly with Brooke. With my mom. With just about anyone else. After some soul searching, I realized it was because I loved the sound of your voice. Still do.”
Wyatt studied me and something in his eyes urged me to keep talking.
“And,” I continued, even though I could feel heat rising in my cheeks, “I love the way it feels when I have your attention.” I dropped my gaze, then lifted it to meet his again. “Why do you think I’m here? I could have just called or texted to tell you all of this. Lord knows it would have been easier. Instead, I’m drawn to you like a moth to a flame. You could so easily destroy me, but I don’t care.”
Wyatt widened his eyes. “Me destroy you? You’re the one with the power here. Just one word from you or your mother and my life falls to pieces.” Anxiety threaded his voice, tightening his throat. I hated what we were to each other, even as I lapped up his company like a greedy puppy.
“That’s not what I meant. It’s not my life you have the power to destroy. It’s me.” I placed a hand on his knee and the gesture felt more intimate than if I had jumped into his lap and kissed him full on the lips. “I’ve wanted you. I saved myself for you.”
I hadn’t intended to be that honest and the admission hung heavy and awkward between us. The only reason I came here tonight was to alert Wyatt to my mother’s restlessness, but being around him did something to me. Something that left me feeling raw and unguarded. With anyone else, I would rebel against those feelings. With him, it was addictive. It thrilled me, like my feet were at the edge of a cliff, my arms spread wide, wind whistling past my body…
I watched as Wyatt began to understand. “You’re still a virgin?” His voice was hushed, his tone awed—a man standing in a cathedral, stunned by the beauty, humbled by the serenity. “Why are you telling me this?”
“You told me that I didn’t understand the weight of my virginity. That whoever took it would have a piece of me I could never get back. Those words stuck with me and I realized that for someone like me, someone who wasn’t interested in having a relationship or falling in love, someone who was tired of having bits and pieces of herself scattered amongst the people in my life, I couldn’t take that advice lightly. So, I saved it for you.”
Wyatt’s eyes went wide in shocked surprise, then narrowed, sarcasm gleaming in his pale blues. “What if I don’t want it?”
“Then I guess I’m doomed to a life of celibacy.” I grinned, despite the worry crawling up my spine. For as easily as I made my admission, my heart raced and adrenaline sung through my veins. A rejection would break me and Wyatt looked exactly like he was gearing up for a rejection.
“Kara…”
“Don’t say no, big guy. Just don’t. We’ve danced around this for years and I’m tired of wondering.” I slipped off the couch and kneeled in front of him. “Is this how you want me? On my knees and begging?”
Something feral swam in his eyes and my inner thighs throbbed and tensed. By his look, Wyatt was a fan of having me on my knees. He stood and took my hand without a word, leading me past the kitchen and into the single bedroom of his house.
As carefully as if I was made of glass, he lifted my shirt over my head, then stared down at my heaving chest. He cupped a breast, bending to kiss the sensitive flesh above the soft, white lace of my bra. The air between us crackled with restraint and nerves twisted in my belly.
Given I was twenty-two years old with access to the internet and a subscription to HBO, I had my fair share of knowledge about what to expect, but knowledge and experience existed on two different planes. None of my ‘learning’ could prepare me for the surge of feeling as Wyatt’s han
ds traveled across my bare skin.
The chill of vulnerability crashing against the heat of desire.
Wyatt moved slowly, caressing my body with a tenderness that sent my pulse racing. He savored each taste and as much as I reveled in the sensation, I found myself growing impatient. After waiting so long, after all the tension building between us since my childhood, I was eager to finally know what he had to offer.
I reached for the button on his pants, fumbling with the stiff fabric, aching to have my hands around his cock.
“You’re greedy,” he murmured.
“Impatient,” I replied.
Without another word, Wyatt lowered me to the bed, pausing to relieve me of the rest of my clothes. I drew my knees up to my chest, uncomfortable in my utter nakedness. “No fair.”
“You hiding yourself like that? I agree. No fair at all.”
“No. You’re still dressed.”
Wyatt pretended to consider my statement. “Tell you what, sweet girl. You can earn my nakedness.” He grinned and my nerves began to recede. “For every command I give you that you follow without question, I’ll remove one piece of clothing.”
“What? No!” I was embarrassed just hearing his suggestion. The thought of complying made me feel like I might die inside.
Wyatt tsked, then folded his arms across his chest. “That’s a shame. That could have counted as your first one.” The hungry gleam in his eyes twisted into good humor and I realized that this was Wyatt. That I trusted him. That I could relax and play with him.
“Fine,” I said. “Your wish is my command.”
“That’s my girl. Now. Spread your legs.”
I bit my lip, surprised by how hard it was for me to follow such a simple request. While I wanted to play his game, a very large part of me rejected the idea. Following orders, making myself vulnerable, neither of those things came naturally to me. By spreading my legs, not only would I provide him access to the most private part of my body, but I would be dropping my boundaries enough to acquiesce. I wasn’t sure which was the hardest aspect to overcome.