Step Brother (14 page)

“But,” she continued, “I guess there’s no sense in waiting. It would be nice to be able to sleep together without having to sneak around.”

“Oh, honey, I hope you’re not planning on getting very much sleep.”

She laughed. “And if your mother wants to, you can spend some time with her—just the two of you.”

“Yeah, I don’t really care that much about it, to tell you the truth. She wants me around when it’s convenient. She’ll eventually lose interest. She always does.”

“Wow, does that sound familiar.”

“I’ll leave it up to you. Your call.”

Tatum was quiet for a few minutes, and I stretched out and put my hand on her thigh. Feeling the muscles beneath her skirt made me think about everything else under the skirt.

She looked over at me. “Let’s do it. Let’s just tell them and get it over with. If they’re completely pissed about it, we can go get a hotel room for the week.”

“Sounds like a plan. Do you know what the plans for the week are?”

“Well, Tina has a spa day scheduled for the girls, and I know Dad will want to ski for at least three or four of the days here. Other than that, I don’t know. I’d like to go snowshoeing a couple of days. It’s great exercise, and you fall down less than you do when you’re skiing.”

“That sounds much more my speed than skiing. I’m afraid I’ll end up breaking every bone in my body.”

“You’ll be fine. The instructor Dad hired is really good. He’ll start you off slow. And if you don’t want to ski at all, that’s fine too. Dad and Tina can go, and we can stay home and amuse ourselves somehow.”

“You’re brilliant.”

“As far as meals go, my guess is that we’ll eat out most nights. When I talked to Tina last week she was fretting because Brooke wasn’t going to be able to accompany us.”

“Shit. They were really going to bring the chef on vacation?”

“They were trying to. My dad’s certainly not a cook, so unless Tina is a whiz in the kitchen, it’ll be you and me on kitchen duty or restaurants.”

“I don’t mind spending a little time in the kitchen with you. And we’re absolutely not eating anything Tina makes. She’s a terrible cook.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

Tatum filled me in on her job for the rest of the ride, and I was glad she was happy. I felt a little flare of jealousy when she was talking about her boss, but I knew I couldn’t spend all my time worrying if she was going to be attracted to another guy. Thinking about her with another guy, I realized all of a sudden, made me realize that we hadn’t exactly talked about our relationship status.

“Hey, before we get there, there’s something I want to tell you.”

“What’s that?”

“One of my faults is that I don’t share well, and the thought of you with another guy, well, it makes me crazy. I want us to be exclusive. You’re mine, Tatum, and that means something to me.” I took my eyes off the road long enough to make sure she understood how important this was to me.

She smiled. “Reed, there’s never been anyone for me but you, not since the night at the Hard Rock. Don’t go getting all arrogant and shit, but to be honest, no one else could measure up to you.”

I squeezed her knee. “Glad we’re on the same page.” I turned into the neighborhood where we were going to be staying. “Jesus, these houses are enormous.”

“Yeah, I had a feeling they would be. Turn left at the next road, and it’s the third house on the left, I think.”

A rustic grizzly bear carved out of wood stood at the end of the long driveway, and as I pulled in, I wished it was just going to be Tatum and me for the week. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to the tension I anticipated, at least if Thanksgiving had been anything to judge by. I stopped the car just at the end of the drive.

“You ready for this?” I looked over at her, and I could see by the way her jaw was set that she was tensing up.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Tatum. You can’t fool me. I can tell you’re anxious.”

“Trust me to hook up with a guy who’s an amateur psychologist.” She put on a faux pout. “I’ll be a good girl, I promise. I’ll behave.”

“I hope you’re not going to behave the entire time,” I said, thinking about her straddling me in the car just a short while before. “Seriously, though. I know there may be some tense moments over the week, and I just want you to know I’ve got your back. If you need some space, need to get out of the house, you just let me know.”

Tatum smiled at me. “Thanks. And contrary to appearances, I really can control my temper. We won’t have a repeat of Thanksgiving, I promise.”

“And you’re sure you want to hit them with our relationship up front?”

“Yes. Let’s get everything out in the open. Otherwise, I’ll be fretting about it until we do.”

“Makes sense to me. Let’s do this.”

I drove up to the house, and it was amazing. Warm, golden wood and enormous windows made it glow in the fading light. You could see all the way through the house to the lake beyond, and a two-story Christmas tree shone with white lights and glittering ornaments.

“It looks like a magazine,” I said.

“There’s even a tree,” Tatum said, voice full of wonder. “Betcha there are presents underneath it.” She sounded like a little girl, all excited for the holiday.

I thought about the little box in my carry-on, its contents far too precious to trust to a checked bag, and I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Tatum’s face when she opened it on Christmas morning.

The front door opened, and Mom came out, all decked out in what looked like really expensive, stylish winter gear. Her boots were trimmed with silver fur that matched the coat she wore, and she looked beautiful, but so different from the mother I’d grown up with.

“You’re finally here!” she shouted, brimming with excitement. “We saw your flights landed on time, but we thought you’d be here before now.”

I was unloading our suitcases, and I met Tatum’s eyes as we both tried to smother our laughter. While Mom had been waiting for us, I’d been having sex with my stepsister. I looked over as Tatum smoothed her skirt, looking far more prim and proper than she had on top of me.

Donald came out and draped an arm over Mom. “Reed, you need any help?”

“I’ve got it, thanks.” I saw Tatum shivering as she waited to help with the bags. “Go on inside. It’s not getting any warmer, and I can handle these.”

She blew me a kiss and headed inside, stopped by both Mom and Donald for hugs and kisses. I hoped our little announcement would go well. It could be an uncomfortable week if it didn’t. I decided to make two trips since the walk to the house was uneven, and I carried Tatum’s suitcase in first.

“Reed, you don’t know how happy I am to see you,” Mom said as soon as I stepped in the door. “A little colder here than Vegas, huh?”

I hugged her, deciding to tell her I’d come from Europe a little later. We didn’t need to get everything out in the open right away. “Where’s Tatum’s room? I’ll run this up and go back out for mine.” We could deal with consolidating rooms after we told our parents we’d be sharing a bed.

“Tatum, honey, come with us, and I’ll show you your rooms,” Tina said, putting her arm through mine. She led us up a wide, open staircase that curved to the top floor. “Donald and I are in the room at the end of the hall. Tatum, you’re here by us, and Reed, you’re down at the end. You each have your own bathroom, and you both have lovely views of the lake.”

“Wow, this place is gorgeous,” Tatum said, stepping into her room—at least for now—and turning around. The ceiling was high, with exposed wooden beams, and even in the fading light, it was open and spacious, the entire back wall full of windows that faced Lake Tahoe.

I put her suitcase just inside the door and winked at Tatum, having every intention of moving her suitcase to my room at the other end of the hall. “Beautiful, Mom,” I said, heading back downstairs to get the rest of the luggage inside.

Donald was in the living room, looking outside. “Looks like the snow’s getting a little heavier,” he said. “We may want to head out to dinner a little earlier than we’d planned. You mind driving?” he asked me. “I think that beast of a Cadillac should handle slippery roads pretty well. I’m more of an import man, myself.”

“Yeah, well, we were at the mercy of the rental company. I don’t mind driving at all, Donald.” I walked back outside, thinking that Tatum’s dad must be fundamentally insecure. He seemed to take every opportunity he could find to puff himself up.

When I walked back inside, Donald was standing at the bar.

“I think we’ll do some cocktails and let you and Tatum warm up in front of the fireplace, then we’ll head out.”

“Sounds like a plan. I could use a drink.”

Heading upstairs, I could hear Tatum and Mom talking.

“You look a little tired, sweetheart. Our little spa day will have you looking good as new,” Mom said.

Jesus, the woman had no sense. Even I knew you didn’t tell a woman she looks tired.

“Are you sure I can’t help you unpack?” Mom was asking as I walked past the door toward my room.

Tatum came out into the hallway. “No, thanks. I have some presents I still need to wrap. Wouldn’t want to spoil the surprises.”

Tina followed her out of the room. “Oh, it was so nice to have Rosa wrap everything this year. I’ve just been so busy, I couldn’t spare the time.”

“Mom, sounds like you’ve really come up in the world. I remember when Christmas meant a special trip to Denny’s for breakfast. We were too broke for presents most years.” I wasn’t going to point out that Mom had always had money for alcohol and cigarettes.

Mom stood up straighter and looked from me to Tatum and back again. “Donald and I take care of one another. He likes being able to provide for me, and I am a huge help supporting him in his…” She paused. “Well, I’ll let him share the big news. Tatum, sweetheart, since you don’t want to unpack, let’s go have your father make us a drink, what do you say?”

“Drink? Yes.” She looked at me. “I’ll be down in a second. Tell Dad to make me whatever you’re having.”

She followed me down the hall to my room, and I closed the door behind us.

“This could be a long week.” I said, reaching out a hand to her.

She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing her body against mine. “It’ll be okay. We’re in a beautiful place, Tina and Dad have picked out a ridiculously expensive restaurant to take us to tonight, and at the end of the night, I’ll be crawling in bed with you.”

I kissed her. “Okay, that doesn’t sound so bad. One, I want you naked when you crawl in bed, and two, I want that drink. Let’s head downstairs and get this over with.”

“Deal. And me too.” She pulled away and walked to the door. “I want to get my presents to put under the tree. I’ll be down in a sec.”

“You brought presents? Wow, I didn’t even think about that,” I said, watching her to see how she’d react.

“If that’s true, you still have one day to shop, motherfucker.”

I shook my head. “The Baby Jesus would be horrified at that mouth, Tatum. You better take that back or Santa Claus will skip this house altogether.”

“All I’m saying is that you better be planning on playing Santa Claus this year.”

Thinking about the sparkling present in the little square box, I knew Tatum wouldn’t be disappointed. As I walked down the stairs, I knew I needed to find a time to tell Tatum the truth about my father. I didn’t want to spoil the holiday, though. Maybe I’d wait until we got back home, when she didn’t have the stress of Donald and Tina to deal with. Mind made up, I crossed toward the bar. I’d tell Tatum as soon as we got back to Vegas. It was settled.

This week would be ours to enjoy.

I was pretty sure Reed had been kidding about not having brought any presents, but in any case, I was excited about Christmas morning—more excited than I’d been in years. Since Garrett wasn’t charging me rent, and since I hadn’t taken the plunge and gotten the new car yet, I had plenty of money to spend on presents, and I was quite pleased with my choices.

I’d bought a suitably impressive watch for my father, the only man who loved jewelry more than the women I knew. Tina’s watch was daintier, but studded with just a few glittering diamonds. Reed had been tough to shop for, though. He had plenty of money, and he certainly didn’t need anything I’d buy him. I’d decided on an experience, and since I couldn’t very well go ahead and buy plane tickets and make hotel reservations, I’d written up an IOU for flights to New York, admission to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art, as well as a stay at a cool boutique hotel near Central Park. I figured that with his interest in art, he’d enjoy the museums, but I seriously doubted that a tough guy would have made the trek to New York unprompted. I envisioned a romantic getaway for the two of us—perfect.

I carried my presents downstairs and added them to the ridiculously large pile under the tree already. It occurred to me that Reed and I absolutely had to explain the truth about our relationship before we opened presents, since a trip to New York was definitely not the sort of thing you’d get your stepbrother.

“We decided to start with champagne to celebrate your arrival,” Tina said, handing me a flute.

My father raised his glass. “To new beginnings and to people to share them with,” he said.

We all clinked glasses, and I headed over to the huge stone fireplace, taking a seat on the edge of the hearth. I was waiting. I could feel my father’s impending announcement, and I looked over at Reed. He joined me at the fireplace and sat at the opposite end of the hearth, just close enough that he could speak without being overheard by our parents.

“Should we let him go first?”

I nodded, and he smiled at me, reaching out to clink my glass with his a second time. “It’ll be okay, Tatum.”

Dad, as if he were posing for a photograph, turned to face us, put his arm around Tina’s waist, and took a deep breath. “Tina and I thought this would be the perfect time to make an important announcement. Tatum, you know I’d promised to stay out of politics.” He didn’t bother to wait for me to confirm what he’d said. “But there are times when a public servant must listen to the demands of his community. I have decided to run for mayor of our great city. I look forward to the support that Tina and I will get from both of our children. We’ll run as a family, and we will win as a family.”