Scandalous Heroes Box Set (127 page)

“Good. Because I noticed you’ve been stiff and acting like you don’t want to sit next to your father, what’s the deal with that? Has he hurt you in any way? Done anything other than offer kindness or friendship?”

Abe’s face held a tinge of dark red. “Yes, by not being there when I needed him. I don’t need him now like I needed him before.”

Blaine read the pain in Donald’s eyes before he blanked it.

His mother laughed.

Everyone at the table looked at her with expressions varying from disbelief to anger.

“If you think for one moment that you don’t need your father now as much as you needed him the first, what… the first sixteen years of your life?” She shook her head. “Well, let me just say you are not only wrong, but clueless as well. I’m sixty and expect to be here much longer. I plan to dance at your weddings. If you live to my age, that’s what… Another forty plus years of loving and living? You’re not even halfway there yet.” She snorted. “You will always need your parents, both of them. From where I’m sitting, your mom did a wonderful job raising two kindhearted and respectful young men this far. But she needs help and whether you admit it or not, you need a man in your life you can count on. You are just beginning to turn into young men, and need guidance. All children do. You will get it from somewhere, hopefully not one of those athletes or musicians.” She muttered the last part.

“I can’t help how I feel,” Abe said defensively. “I know it wasn’t his fault, mom told me, he told me, everyone says that. But that doesn’t change the resentment I have for him not being there when I needed him. Like my little league games while mom was in school. I was the only kid with no one cheering for him. Or when I had field trips, or class projects, mom was in school herself. After a while you just shut it down and convince yourself it doesn't matter.” He looked at Donald with glassy eyes. “It doesn't matter.”

Donald reached out and pulled Abe close. Although Abe struggled a bit, eventually he calmed and rested in his father’s arms. Every now and then a low sob would escape. Donald buried his face in his son’s hair and stroked his back with slow strokes.

“You matter to me,” Donald whispered repeatedly in a broken voice.

Blaine dotted his eyes with his napkin, unsurprised that everyone at the table was doing the same thing.

Except Adam.

Instead, Adam patted Abe’s back. “It’s going to be okay, don’t worry bout it.”

Blaine eyed Adam, whose face was turned away from him. “You’re right, Adam. It’s going to be okay.”

“Of course it is,” his mother piped in after a moment of sniffling herself. “Adam and Abe are strong and smart. Are you angry with Blaine, Adam?”

Adam’s movements stopped. “No, Ma’am. I’m not angry with anybody about nothing. What happened…” He shrugged. “It happened. Sounds like your husband did what he thought was right at the time. Although mom says she barely knew him and mostly talked to him on the phone. For some reason he played god and here we are. But… life goes on.”

No one spoke after his soft words fell. Disappointment clung like a leech to Blaine as he absorbed the full impact of his son’s statement. He’d thought Adam had accepted him, but he hadn’t, not really. And unlike Abe, who was up-front about his feelings, Adam had already cataloged his and packed them away.

“Well I wouldn’t say pop’s played god,” Red said slowly, pulling his right earlobe. “If he'd known about you two, he never would’ve done what he did.”

“For a family who thinks you should be upfront, he wasn’t,” Adam said in a calm, deliberate tone. “If he had told mom he wasn’t going to pass on the message, things would’ve been different. She woulda contacted someone else to get a message to them.” He tipped his head in Blaine’s direction. “Instead she believed the lie like he intended.” He shrugged again.

Blaine couldn’t fault his son’s logic. He, Donald, and Lindy had already discussed that possibility.

“Yeah, you right about that, things woulda been different. For one, I wouldn’t missed my nephew’s games.” Red chuckled. “Being the youngest, if I'd had you two in my life, probably woulda kept me out of a lot of trouble. You can bet you’d a been surrounded by so many of us you’d be trying to move far away.” He glanced at his mom. “Not that I did that.”

She snorted at him and shook her head.

“What my youngest brother is trying to say, Adam, is we all missed out. I own a landscaping company, so you got the working outdoors with your hands thing honest. Red and Roark both spent summers working with me, learning the ropes. I would’ve loved having you two with me.”

Blaine watched as Abe sat up and wiped his face with a napkin Donald gave him. The two nodded at each other and faced the table, not quite joining the conversation but listening.

“Roark is your other brother?” Adam asked.

“Yes,” Blaine answered. “He’s after us. His wife is in her third trimester otherwise he would be here to meet you.”

Adam leaned back with a confused look. “Why? Why would he do that?”

“Because you’re his nephew,” Red said before Blaine could answer. “And that means a lot to us. My wife, Denise, wants to throw a party for you guys, but I thought I should meet you first, make sure we all cool. She’s kind of feisty and it might hurt her feelings if you wanted nothing to do with her or my twin girls.”

“You have twins?” Abe asked, becoming animated.

Red chuckled. “Yeah, they run in the family. I’m surprised Brenda’s only having one son.”

“She wanted twins,” his mom said with a smile in her voice.

“I don’t have any kids of my own. My wife has an adult daughter who’s married to Ross. You met him, Adam,” Frank said.

Adam nodded.

“They have a couple of kids and we spoil them. Lots of fun.”

“Here’s the thing, Adam,” his mom said into the silence. “My husband messed up, played god. He lied, no question it was deliberate. If you ever meet him, feel free to ask him why. Lord knows I have,” she muttered.

Blaine smiled at her aggravated expression.

“But the past cannot be changed. Can you find room in your heart to forgive Blaine for not being there for your first sixteen years? Can you accept him as your father? Give both of you a chance to know each other? I assure you, you won’t regret it.”

Blaine stilled at the questions he desperately wanted to ask, but feared the answers. His mother’s keen insight always amazed him. She had started with Abe and broke down those walls. If his demeanor were a gauge, Blaine would say he’d settled some things within himself and began healing. Adam’s placid facade was deceptive, as his earlier words proved. Whatever demons drove his son would not be easily uprooted. Blaine had his work cut out for him.

He watched as Adam gazed at the table as if he were pondering a weighty matter. Abe glanced at Adam and then met Blaine’s gaze with a small smile. Finally Adam’s head rose, as well as Blaine’s hopes.

“I don’t know,” Adam said in a low voice, sending Blaine’s heart crashing.

Chapter 12

A few days later, walking down the long hallway toward Donnie and Blaine’s hotel suite, a thought continuously ran through Belinda’s mind. Something was different with her former lovers. They were all older, so it wasn’t that. But they exuded an aura of leashed control, and while she thought it was sexy as hell, she didn’t understand it. When they were younger, she never gave the way they planned everything, making sure their time together went smoothly, a second thought. But after all these years of being the one to plan everything, their bossiness stood out like a neon sign. Even so, it was different, more subtle, as if it were an integral part of them. She shook her head to clear her mind. In a few moments she’d be in their room and could ask them any question she had, that was the purpose of this meeting.

Belinda stopped and stared into the hall mirror in the hallway, wondering for the fiftieth time what the hell was she doing going to visit Donnie and Blaine. In their hotel. Without her sons. She had lost her mind. More than once this evening she had turned around, only to change her course and continue. Her throbbing core made it quite clear she expected a hell of a lot more than conversation tonight. Not that she blamed her out of control libido; Donnie and Blaine were a lethal combination. These past few days they had been blatant about their feelings for her and what they wanted to do with her.

Clearing her throat, she looked at their suite number, straightened her dress, and raised her fist to knock. “Stop fidgeting. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” she murmured. Problem was, she wanted to do everything with both of these men. Her mind and body were at war. If her aching nipples or damp panties were any indication, her body was giving her conservative mind a serious beat-down.

“Just knock on the door, you look stupid holding your hand up,” she murmured as her heart raced in anticipation and her mind told her to walk away. Flashbacks of her lonely pregnancy, the anxiety she'd suffered raising her sons alone, the few men from the church who had wanted to date her but she'd said no to. All of those snippets in time rolled through her mind on a loop. She lowered her hand and took a step back. Do you really want to deal with these two again?

Her heart slammed against her chest as a different set of scenarios rolled through her mind. Donnie, Blaine, and her sons creating a family with other women, Donnie or Blaine kissing and loving on another woman. She heard the knock on the door before she realized she had stepped forward and hit the wood. Seconds later Donnie opened the door wide with a smile.

“Hello beautiful.”

She met his gaze and melted at the heated look in his eyes. He took her hand and pulled her inside before closing the door behind them.

“Lindy, I’m glad you came,” Blaine said before he leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. Tingles of pleasure shot through her at his touch. Inhaling, she caught their mixed scents and almost swooned. They were too close, too much, too soon. Sidestepping both of them, she headed toward the living area, inhaling deeply to clear her nostrils. It didn’t work. The room was saturated with their scent. She grappled with the words flying through her mind, trying to find a greeting that made sense of what she needed to say.

“This is a nice place.” As soon as the mundane words left her mouth she cringed and tried to formulate an intelligent sentence.

“Thanks, you want something to drink?” Donnie asked.

Grateful for his question, she nodded. “Yes, a bottle of water if you have it.” She moved further away from them toward the sofa and stopped. If she sat on the sofa, that would leave room for them on either side. The love seat would leave room for just one guy and that didn’t sit well with her. She eyed the matching chair and sat just as Donnie handed her the water.

Opening the bottle she took a long draw, watching Blaine and Donnie as they sat on the loveseat and the sofa.

“I know we planned to eat here, but we can go out if it’s more comfortable for you,” Blaine said, leaning forward.

Had she really thought they wouldn’t notice how nervous she was? She swallowed the water before speaking. “Let’s play it by ear, okay?”

They nodded.

“I need to ask you guys something,” she said, choosing her words carefully, determined not to become distracted by their t-shirt-clad chests and loose fitting jeans.

“Okay,” Blaine said.

“This time, what I mean is you, both of you, seem, kind of, well actually, you’ve always been…but now it’s like you’re really bossy. Maybe that’s not the word because you’re not over the top with it.” She shook her head trying to find the right words. “But, I can’t put my finger on it. You have this kind of like, well, control might be a good word, and I was wondering about it.”

She met Donnie’s shuttered gaze and frowned. “I know we've all changed, it’s been years since we were together. You went to grad school, I went to grad school, and Donnie went to law school, so there is that. But it just seems like something else changed with you, not that it’s bad,” she hurried to say when they remained quiet. “It’s different and I wondered about it.”

Donnie nodded slowly. “Yes, there have been some changes over the years.”Happy that she had it right, she met his pensive gaze. “Yeah? What?” She clasped her hands together and leaned forward.

Neither man spoke. Curious over the silence, her gaze swung to Blaine. His gaze captured hers and she wondered what made him so hesitant. Was it another woman? Did they have another family? Icy tendrils of dread slid down her spine and she leaned back in the chair, suddenly not wanting to know.

“That’s okay, not my business.”

Blaine glanced at Donnie and then smiled at her. “Yes, it is your business. I was trying to find the words to explain but it’s simpler to just say it straight out. Donnie and I have been living an alternative lifestyle.”

Frowning at the strange explanation, she asked a question. “Alternative? What do you mean by that?”

“Dominants in BDSM, are you familiar with that?” Blaine asked.

Her eyes widened as heat flooded to her face and neck. She was sure her mouth opened and snapped shut, but the shock of what he said kept her from being certain.

“I see you’ve heard of it at least,” Donnie said, drawing her attention.

Unable to formulate a sentence, she nodded.

“Based on your response, I’m going to assume most of what you know is probably wrong. We’re not sadists.”

“Sadists?” she asked as the shock wore off. “People who get off on giving other people pain?”

Donnie nodded. “That’s an acceptable short definition.”

“So you don’t beat people?”

“I didn’t say that,” Donnie said quickly. “I am Dominant, a Top. There are others who are submissives or bottoms. When we come together we are comfortable being who we are.”

“Huh? Tops and bottoms? You get together with women who let you be on top?” Butterflies filled her stomach as she asked the question.

Blaine shook his head. “You’re thinking sex, not all BDSM relationships involve sex. Some people in the lifestyle crave being controlled or having someone else in their life tell them what to do. Likewise, there are other people who crave controlling others and telling them what to do. What Donnie was saying when those people get together, they form relationships based on that dynamic, in those roles.”