XanderI carried the cold beers out to the patio where Charlie was lounging in a chair. The grill was smoking, releasing an enticing aroma that promised some good eating was going to be happening soon. I handed him the beer and moved to the grill to check the status of our steaks. Both of us had managed to get off early and decided steaks and cold beer were exactly the way to finish the day.My phone rang in my pocket. I put down my beer and fished it out. It was Kade. “Hey, little brother,” I said. I nodded at Charlie as I walked by to go back in the house. It was the universal head nod that said I would be right back. “What’s up?” “I’m officially on leave!” he exclaimed. I could hear a lot of hoots and hollers and talking in the background. I was guessing he was at a bar with his buddies and celebrating their freedom.“Awesome.”“Come up,” he said, sounding just a little drunk.I laughed. “It’s kind of short notice,” I told him. “I’ve got meetings all day tomorrow. I can’t get up t
Xander“I’m not lovesick,” I protested.“Have you guys hooked up since the last time?”It was a direct question. It should have been an easy question to answer. I didn’t want to answer it. It felt wrong to talk about Evie and I hooking up. I was beginning to see it less and less as a hookup. “We spent some time together over the weekend.”“Oh, that’s right,” he said with a nod. “You were supposed to meet her dad. How did that go?”I groaned and finished off my beer before getting to my feet to retrieve another. “It went like shit,” I said as I walked away.I grabbed a couple more cold ones before sitting back down at the table. “You bombed the meet-the-parents thing?”“I don’t know if I told you her full name,” I said.He shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t remember. Evie, right?”“Evie Marsh,” I answered.He didn’t get it. “And?”“Evie Marsh is the lovely daughter of Dr. Philip Marsh.”I waited until the name sank in. His eyes bugged out and he choked on the beer he’d just taken from the bottl
EvieI pulled open the door to the hall where my father’s office was located. I knew he wasn’t in class. I knew his schedule. He wasn’t returning my calls, which really pissed me off.He was the one acting childishly. I couldn’t believe he was actually mad at me. He was the one who had acted like a tyrant. I was not going to let him get away with ignoring me.I had mulled over it all week. The only way this was going to get settled was to hash it out. There would be some things said that would probably hurt. They needed to be said. We needed to clear the air. He knew it and I knew it, but he was avoiding it.He couldn’t hide from me. I was fully capable and willing to track him down. I didn’t really have the time to do it, but I was doing it anyway. The week had been hectic and irritating. I was irritated in general. I was pissed I had not been able to see Xander all week. We never got the chance to go out on the boat.This weekend was busy for both of us as well. I wasn’t going to be
EvieMy father studied me for several seconds. “I don’t have to explain anything to you. It is what it is, and I would appreciate it if you accept it and let me get back to work.”“Dad! Why are you being so hateful?”“I’m not being hateful,” he answered without any real inflection. “I know him. I know his type.”“You are wrong.”“Listen, Evie. You are a good girl. You have this natural inclination to like everyone. You see the good in people. I see the bad in people. I have lived on this earth a lot longer than you. I know people.”“I’m not naïve. I know people. It’s what I do for a living. I read people. I anticipate their needs. Xander is not a bad guy.”He scoffed. “Yeah, right. He is using you to get to me.”“He didn’t even know you were my father!”“Bullshit. It isn’t hard to figure out. Your last name. The college bio page.”It was my turn to roll my eyes. “That would be assuming he stalked you. Do you really think he has followed you all these years? I think you are giving your
XanderI stood in the living room, looking around to make sure there wasn’t any dirty socks, trash, or anything else. I was probably being ridiculous, acting like a little old lady expecting company, but I wasn’t used to visitors.I rarely got visitors. If I was being honest with myself, I got zero visitors. Charlie didn’t count. I supposed I could count Evie. Two. Exactly two visitors.After assuring myself the room was ready for company, I checked the kitchen. I was just moving the bowl of fresh fruit to a new spot on the counter when I heard the doorbell. I quickly made my way to the front door.“Hi,” I greeted.Kade grinned and launched himself at me. He wrapped me in his arms, giving me a bro hug. I patted his back before he released me.“Damn, did you get taller?” he teased.I laughed. “I think you got shorter. All those years packing around a heavy ruck will do that to you.”I opened the door and gestured for him to come inside. He picked up the small duffel sitting next to his
XanderI rolled my eyes, groaning at the memory. “How could I forget? He would get us up when it was still dark outside. Mom used to get so pissed at him.”“Lance, they are little boys. You can’t get them out of bed that early. They are going to need a nap!” He said it in a falsetto voice, imitating my mother.“They are going to learn to be tough,” I said in a deep voice, pretending to be my father.Kade shook his head. “I think I was three the first time he taught me to do pushups.”“And running the mile, I think I was six the first time he started timing me.”“Mom always tried to get him to lighten up. Remember when I fell during the obstacle course?”I couldn’t help but laugh. “How could I forget? I thought Mom was going to beat Dad with a two by four. She was so pissed. She picked you up, hauled you to the car to take you to the emergency room, and left me and Dad standing there.”“The whole way to the hospital, I kept telling her I was okay. She wasn’t having it. She was so pisse
EvieI finished pulling my hair up into a messy bun that would keep the heavy strands off my neck. It was going to be a warm one.I sat down on the foot of my bed and put on my tennis shoes before standing up and checking my reflection in the mirror. I wasn’t really all that concerned with my appearance. I was going for an extra-long walk today. I needed to walk off the frustration of the week.I headed for the kitchen and filled my water bottle that I carried when I knew I was going to go farther than my usual spot in the park. Despite my declaration I wasn’t going to work today, I needed to check my email. One peek.When my phone started ringing, I slowly shook my head. “No. No way. I’m off.”I glanced over at the screen, unable to keep my curiosity from checking to see who it was. I smiled and grabbed the phone. “Hey there!” I answered.“Hi,” Xander’s rich baritone came through. “What are you doing?”“Uh, getting ready to go for a hike. What are you doing? Are you with your brother
Evie“You could have mowed the fucking lawn,” he shot back.Kade chuckled. “But that was your job.”The two bantered back and forth. Kade revealed more about Xander than I had ever known before. Their relationship made me a little sad. I never had a sister or a brother to have that fun banter with. I didn’t have a person in this world that knew me like that. There was no one who had shared my childhood.We made it to the lookout, each of us a little out of breath.“I need to take a leak,” Xander said, looking around.I laughed. “There are no bathrooms up here.”Kade nudged me with his shoulder. “Sweetie, he isn’t looking for a bathroom.”Xander walked off, disappearing into the trees.I was a little shocked. “Oh. Okay. Wow.”“He likes you,” he said.“What?”“My brother likes you. I’ve never seen him like that.”“Like what?” I pressed. I didn’t want to interrogate him, but I was going to pump him for as much information as possible.“He’s possessive of you.”“That’s just how he is,” I