Mollify (4 page)

Chapter 4

Megan

No. I can’t just get out of the car. Because. No. Stop fighting with me. You are the worst person to have around right now.

With another deep breath I slide out of my car, lock the door, and head towards Dean who is waiting with a dopey smile.

It’s what I imagine having a puppy is like. Sweet. Loyal. Faithful. Just happy to see you. God, can I keep him? Shit. No. No. I didn’t mean that. I know I can’t keep him. There’s no way he’d want damaged goods.

“I see you look beautiful in anything,” the compliment has me immediately blushing into a smile.

“Smooth.”

“Honest,” he corrects sliding one hand into his jeans.

Has the nerve to call me beautiful as he stands in front of me in a great pair of jeans and a tight black polo t-shirt looking like something boy band members grow into. Oh…like you never had a crush on a boy band.

“Come on. Let’s meet my family,” he insists and grabs my hand.

Instead of telling him to drop it or pulling it back, my fingers fold with his.

Damn things have a mind of their own!

“Wait.” I tug him to stop. “Before we go in there, tell me this. When I left...” The memory tries to clog my throat. “You were Dean Cofax. Now you’re Dean Kellar. What happened?”

With a heavy sigh he says, “You remember how my dad was?”

The scum of the earth that used his flesh and blood like a punching bag.

“Yeah.”

“After you moved away there wasn’t anyone else to keep me out of harm’s way. So I started hiding in the park and against buildings I felt safe in or close to. One day Dad, uh, Logan is his name, was on his way to work out at his favorite gym, and kinda took me under his wing. He once had an old man like mine and felt the need to rescue me or some shit. And he did. Well, he started, the rest of the family fell behind him.” I can’t help but smile. “That’s kinda how they work. Everything that happens, everything we go through, we go through together.”

“Did your dad...die?”

“Might as well have,” Dean mutters. “He gave up his rights to Kellar. No questions. No arguments. It’s cool. They adopted me and changed my last name. And let’s just say that was the second best day of my life.”

“Second best?”

“Finding you again is now the first,” the comment makes me slightly swoon out loud. Leaning his face a little closer to mine he says, “Now how about we go get some hot dogs? You still eat yours with both kinds of mustard?”

“You remember?” I giggle and let him lead us up the side walk to the red brick two story house.

“I don’t think there’s anything about you I could forget.”

Seriously! Who says shit like that! Who? Besides my favorite book boyfriends of course. I meant in real life. In real life no one ever says shit like that...

“Do you still insist on only wearing pink panties?”

I bat him with a hand that makes him toss his head back in a manly chuckle that sends tingles to the one highly neglected location on my body.

Don’t ask about my sex life please. Like the rest of my existence, it’s embarrassing and shameful.

Inside, we kick off our shoes and he leads me still by the hand, mouth moving what feels like a million miles per hour, “So I’ve told you about my dad—”

“Kind of,” I interrupt. “Haven told me he used to be an MMA fighter.”

“World famous. It was crazy to watch and even crazier to watch when he left...” his voice drops as we turn the direction of the kitchen, the entire house feeling warm and welcoming.

“Why’d he quit?”

“To be with us.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me making me giggle again.

“You and Faith are a hard combination to resist.”

“I hope you keep feeling that way,” the flirt has my face blushing once more.

In the kitchen which smells of summer time backyard deliciousness, there’s a window that shows a view of a cluster of people on the other side. All of them look happy and relaxed. Like family should.

Like my parents used too.

Shaking off the feelings of sorrow, I point, “So who’s who?”

“Alright, that couple right there.” He points to a gorgeous tall brunette in heels and a really sexy guy who looks like he’s about to devour her on the spot.

Guys actually look at girls like that? No one’s ever looked at me like I’m the cure for starvation. What about you?

“That’s my Uncle C.J. and my Aunt Erin.”

“Who’s related to your dad?”

“Ha. Both.”

My jaw drops.

I know Texas gets a bad rap but um..no?

“Not like that,” he chuckles, his laugh so full of heart my own expands. “Dad and Uncle Luke and Aunt Erin, who are actually brother and sister, and mom all lived together for a while. They’re all family. Blood isn’t what makes you family. Trust me.”

I wish I had any kind of family at this point. Real family. Not an uncle who tried to get into my room late at night and an aunt who was so bitter about never having her own kids, dealing me with me sent her into depression.

“Your Aunt Erin looks like a model.”

“She’s hot, but I’ve seen hotter.” When my face turns to his he winks. “Anyway, she is married to my Uncle C.J. for about a year now. She’s a stylist—”

“Like for models?”

“Models. Brides. Movies. Whoever. She actually helped out on that movie they shot here. Lifestyles of the Rich and the Sexy. Remember that?”

“Yeah.”

And not only because I wanted to see that movie but because Marcus had tickets to the premier. He didn’t take me. Why do you not look surprised?

“She did make up on the set. She actually partied with the cast one night....come to think about it, Uncle C.J. proposed shortly after that. Doesn’t do jealousy well.” I smile and hide a snicker with my free hand. Dean makes sure his eyes are on mine. “None of us do.”

Oh shit. Okay. Yeah. Time to fess up about my situation. Hell, he just left it wide open for me. Time to tell him I just broke up with a guy who doesn’t consider us broken up. Right now Megan. Do it right now.

“Those two over there,” he starts again pointing to another couple. The guy is a little on the thin and nerdy looking side, but still dreamy in a BBC kind of way, and the girl covered in tats. Familiar ones.

“That’s Lix!” I fan girl shout. “Holy shit! That’s Lix from Lix and the Final Six!”

“Yeah, that’s my Aunt Lex who is married to my Uncle Tony.”

Baffled I say, “Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“So famous father and famous aunt?”

“Yup. Free concert tickets for some of the most amazing bands and free tickets to sporting events. Keep that in mind for future dates with me.”

“D-D-Dates?” I stutter out. “This is a date?”

“The first of many.” Without leaving me a chance for a rebuttal he finishes explaining, “So Aunt Lex married Uncle Tony who works with my mom. They run their own event planning business. Pretty big now. They met working at a little bar Dad used to fight at. Maybe I can show you that place some time.”

“I’d lov-”

“Faith,” a scolding male voice says, cutting off the words I didn’t have to think about.

I don’t know what’s wrong with me! Basically anything he says my answer is yes. Funny thing. When we were kids it was the other way around. Remind me to tell you about how I convinced him to climb a tree to try to save my cat from the rain.

Dean pulls us slightly back the direction we came taking us towards the voice.

Seeing a blonde male who has the body of a soccer player, I turn to Dean for information. Quietly he says, “My Uncle Luke. Aunt Erin’s brother. By blood.”

“Why did you hit Alex in the face?” the scolding continues. “What are hands for?”

Faith wiggles her small body around, so the bottom of her pink tulle dress starts to sway. “Coloring.”

“Good,” he nods. “And?”

“Popping bubbles.”

“Good. And?”

“Spoons.”

“Wonderful. And?”

“Hitting.”

“No,” he quickly says. My hand flies over my mouth to hide the snicker. “Not hitting. No hitting Faith.”

“Daddy used his hands to hit and he was super special!”

“Incredible,” Luke mutters to himself. “Your brother dates like him and you fight like him.”

Did you hear that too? What’s that supposed to mean?

“Ignore him,” he whispers in my ear.

“Bubba dates
a lot
.”

“And ignore that.”

We are not ignoring that. Either of those things. Write that down for questions later. Oh...who am I kidding? There’s not gonna be a later. Hell there shouldn’t be a now. And I need to tell him that. And why. Right. Now. Okay maybe in a few minutes. I really wanna eat and plus there’s cake...

“Faith,” another male interrupts holding a small little boy in his arms who looks identical to him. “Why did you hit your cousin?”

“Because he wasn’t listening.” She exclaims. “I said no! Mommy says no means no.”

“No does mean no,” Luke quickly reassures her. “But that doesn’t mean to hit when you’re not heard.”

“Alex,” the man holding him says. “Why did she tell you no?”

“That’s my Uncle Stuart. And Alex is their son.”

I nod right before the little boy says, “Because it was her book.”

“Did you try to take it?” He questions.

“I wanted to read it.” His small voice whimpers.

“We take turns.” He parents. “And when you do things like that, when you take things that don’t belong to you, there are consequences. Like getting hit in the face.”

“Twice,” Alex sighs.

“You hit him twice?” Luke tosses his hands in the air.

Faith looks away less than innocently.

“Two minutes in time out.” Luke points to the living room couch.

She turns and sees Dean in the process. Her whole face lights up which is when he says, “No-huh. No Bubba. No Pretty Megan until your time is served. Go.” Her bottom lip pokes out as her feet stomp loudly to the couch.

Stuart looks at his son, “Don’t be surprised if she hits you for stuff like that. People don’t like when you take their things Alexander.”

“Don’t say it like it’s his fault,” Luke nags.

“Don’t say it like this isn’t a natural consequence at this age.” He puts Alex down. “They’re learning Luke. It’s gonna happen.”

“Doesn’t make it right.”

“Doesn’t make it wrong,” Stuart argues as Alex runs over to Faith who is sitting on her hands.

“Ha-ha,” he teases her. Immediately she slaps him across the face and he cries.

Cute as a button, quick as a cat. Not a little girl to be messed with.

“Natural order.” Stuart waves a hand.

Alex rushes to Luke who shakes his head, walking away to give the child another lecture with Stuart behind them.

When I turn to look at Dean, he shrugs, “Kids will be kids.”

I shake my head trying not laugh again. “Where are your parents?”

“I didn’t see them outside, I bet—” his stops. He tilts his head back the direction of the stairs.

A gorgeous woman with mocha skin who can’t possibly be that much older than us is leaned against the wall with a guy who looks like a spitting image of Dean.

I mean like looking into a magic mirror of what he could grow up into! Holy hell! It’s not bad enough I’m pretty sure Dean’s probably melting panties all around, but there’s two of them! Victoria Secret must be getting extra business between them. Geez, I need to make a trip now myself.

“You, Mr. Kellar, are in trouble,” the woman coos sliding her hands around his neck.

“If you let me get into you again soon, I’ll show you just how much,” he says in a husky voice before kissing her passionately.

Immediately I turn away to see Dean with a goofy grin on his face once more. In a whisper I say, “Doesn’t it bother you to watch your parents make out?”

“Nah.” He shakes his head. “I like that they’re still in love.” Looking down at me he says, “Besides, I would much rather see them kissing than arguing.”

“Mommy!” Faith’s voice whines loudly interrupting and dragging our eyes back to them. All of our attention turns to her and she whimpers, “I wanna get up.”

“Why are you there?” She heads for her daughter, hand still wrapped with husbands, dragging him with her. “What’d you do?”

“She hit Alex in the face twice. Well, three times now.” Dean pulls us towards them, mimicking the action of his mother.

Is it weird to you too that we look almost like a younger version of them? I wonder if she likes books or had a boyfriend that used to hit her...

“Little Bit, why are you always hitting Alex?” Logan scolds over his wife’s shoulder.

“I don’t like him,” she states bluntly.

“Who put you in time out?” Dean’s mother asks.

“Uncle Luke.”

The woman turns and looks at Dean, “Did she do all her time?” When he nods she says, “You can get up, but you keep your hands to yourself unless you are using them for eating or something nice like hugging. Understood?”

Faith gets ready to run when her father says, “Faith Kellar, what do you say?”

“Yes ma’am,” she hums at her mother before flashing her father an adorable smile.

Can we keep her? She would so fit right in my pocket.

Running past them, she darts straight to me and lifts her hands in the air. “Pretty Megan!”

I lift her up and touch her nose. “You’re the pretty one! I love your dress!”

“I love your dress!” She touches the neckline of my halter top, light blue, summer dress I quickly changed into. “Pretty Megan, can you have cake with me now?”

“What am I invisible?” Dean grouses.

Faith gives him an unhappy look. “You let Uncle Luke put me in time out.”

“But—”

“Bad Bubba.” She rests her head on my shoulder.

Dean tries again, “But—”

At that point his new father plops a hand on his shoulder. “Let it go. She’s like her mom. You know this.”

“Oh she’s like me when she has an attitude, but you when she’s cute?” the woman sighs giving him a sarcastic look.

“Yeah. Duh,” her husband says and she slugs him in the arm. “Ouch!”

“Oh please.” The woman rolls her eyes and extends a hand towards me. “I’m Maxx, the Kid’s mom. You must be Megan.”

“Pretty Megan,” her daughter corrects her.

“My bad,” she says. “Pretty Megan.”

With a giggle I drop her hand. “Just Megan is fine.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Maxx smiles warmly again.

Did you feel that too? That strange jolt of...I don’t know, family juju or something. Was it just me?