BLAIRE
“Here it is. Ain’t much but it’s mine,” my dad said as he stepped onto a boat with a small cabin that I was sure only had one bed. I was hoping there was a sofa of some kind in there too.
I had been so relieved when I’d stepped off the plane at the small airport to find Abe already there waiting on me. I had worried that I’d spent the last of my savings on airplane tickets to see a man who wouldn’t show up. This time he had come through for me.
“Good news is, it’s got two bunks and a full size bed. I’ll take a bunk and you can have the bed. It’ll be easier on you and the baby. I went and got a few things for you at the store. Some things I knew you liked. The fridge is a tiny thing but I have a cooler on here too with ice that I keep cold stuff in.”
I stood on the well-worn boat and saw touches of my father. His favorite fishing hat, the one my mother had given him for Father’s day when I was a little girl hung on the hook going into the cabin. The tackle box that Valerie and I had bought him for Christmas one year sat over in the corner with the fishing rod he’d bought one summer when we had gone on a family vacation to North Carolina. I hadn’t realized he still had those things.
“It’s perfect, Dad. Thanks for letting me come here. I just needed to get away,” I said, turning to look at him.
His mustache and beard needed trimming but I could still see his mouth turn down in a frown. “What’s wrong, Blaire bear? You seemed so happy a week ago. How did things get so bad so fast?”
I didn’t want to talk about it just yet. “I slept on the plane and it wasn’t a good sleep. It’s been well over twenty-four hours since I’ve been in a bed. Can I take a nap first?” I asked.
Dad looked even more upset about my being tired. “You shouldn’t have been pushing yourself like that. Why’d you fly overnight? Never mind, you can tell me later. Just go on inside there and head down those steps to that back room. I’ll bring your bag down. Not much room but we can manage.”
I didn’t care about attempting to take a bath in the tiny little bathroom or changing my clothes. I was too tired to care about anything. “I just want some sleep,” I assured him.
The bed filled up the entire “bedroom”. It touched every wall. I crawled up in it from the doorway and kicked both of my shoes off before curling up into a ball and falling fast asleep.
It was late afternoon when I woke up. The gentle swaying of the boat was soothing. I was thankful I didn’t suffer from motion sickness. It would be bad if I did. Stretching, I sat up and reached in my pocket to pull out my phone and turn it on. I’d been avoiding this. Rush would know I was gone by now and he would be upset. I wasn’t ready to deal with him just yet. I still needed some time to decide what to do.
I didn’t check my voicemails or text messages once I turned my phone on. I just slipped it back into my pocket and climbed the steps out of the small cubbyhole onto the main deck. Dad wasn’t around but he’d mentioned at the airport that he had a job working at the marina and he needed to go in this afternoon. In return they allowed him to keep his boat docked here for free.
The small fridge held a few bottles of water and I took one out and grabbed a banana from the basket of fruit he had sitting on top of the fridge before walking out to sit in the sunshine. It was breezy but sunny. Similar to the temperature in LA.
“Abe know you’re on his boat? He don’t strike me as the kind to hook up with barely legal women,” a deep voice asked from behind me. I spun around to see a guy in his mid-twenties standing in the boat docked beside my dad’s. He was shirtless and his jeans hung low on his hips. It was obvious he did manual labor. He was slender but solid. His long brown hair was bleached from the sun and it was in a low ponytail. Several strands were loose. I couldn’t see his eyes because he was wearing aviators.
“Do you speak?” he asked with a smirk and took a drink from the water bottle in his hand.
“Yes,” I replied, still slightly startled. I hadn’t been expecting Dad to have neighbors. This was a boat for goodness sake. How many people lived on their boats?
“Where’s Abe? Or are you crashing?” He was relentless in his questioning.
“I don’t know. I just woke up and he was gone,” I replied.
The guy raised one of his eyebrows. “So he does know you’re here?”
What was he, the damn police? “Abe is my father. He’s very aware that I’m here,” I replied a little more annoyed than I’d meant to.
A grin broke across his face and he had perfect white teeth. Not what I’d expect from a guy who had hair like his and lived on a boat. “You’re Blaire. Nice to meet you. I’m Captain,” he replied and took another swig from his water bottle.
“Captain?” I asked before I could stop myself. I knew it sounded rude.
“Yeah,” he replied.
“That’s just... it’s an odd name,” I replied.
He let out a low chuckle. “Not really. I’ve been living on this boat since I was sixteen. That’s ten years now. Reckon if anyone’s a Captain I am.” He shot me a wink then turned and walked back inside his cabin.
Left alone again, I leaned back in my seat and propped my legs up in front of me on an upside down ten gallon bucket. My phone began ringing and I debated even looking at it. If it was Rush I was going to want to answer it. Maybe it was time I did. He needed to know where to find me.
I glanced down and, sure enough, Rush’s name was on my phone screen. I clicked answer and held it to my ear. I wasn’t sure what to say to him. I’d been an emotional mess when I’d run. I needed space and time. Now I was missing him. How could I marry him if I couldn’t even stand by him when he needed me? Was I always going to get this upset when he wasn’t around when I needed him?
“Blaire? Please, God, tell me you answered this phone,” Rush’s voice was laced with panic. I felt guilty.
“It’s me,” I replied.
“Where are you, baby? Please tell me where you are. I swear I won’t ever leave you again. I’m done with dealing with my sister’s shit and being the parent my parents weren’t. I just need you. Please, where are you? I’m at Rosemary and you’re not here.” He was so worried. I’d scared him. My throat tightened and my eyes stung.
“I’m in Key West with my dad,” I replied.
“F*ck. Did he come get you from the airport? Are you staying on his boat? Did he feed you?” Rush paused in his many questions and took a deep breath. I could tell he was trying to calm himself down.
“He did come get me and I’m fine. He had bought some groceries before I got here so I’ve eaten,” I paused and squeezed my eyes tightly shut in order to hold back my tears. I didn’t want to cry. Rush would completely go insane if he heard me crying. “I’m sorry. I was upset and I needed to get away from it all. I needed time to think.”
“I know you’re upset. You had every f*cking right to be upset. You went through a scare without me and I hate myself for it. You should have left me. Hell, I would have left me,” he stopped and took a deep breath. “Can I come get you? Please? I need you, Blaire.”
Would it always be like this? Would I always come second to Nan? Would our baby come second? I knew he believed he was done with her but I knew better. He loved his sister and it would kill him to ignore her when she needed him. I guess what I needed to ask myself was could I live without him?
No. It was that simple. Even with my heart still hurting from his not being there for me and the baby yesterday, I needed him I still couldn’t imagine life without him.
“Nan overdosed. I found her unconscious in her hotel room. I left my phone in her room when I rushed off with the paramedics to take her to the hospital. That’s why I didn’t answer you. I’m so sorry, Blaire. I am so damn sorry.” The pleading in his voice broke my heart. I should have known it was something that serious. Rush always answered my calls and texts.
“Is Nan okay?” I asked. Not because I cared about Nan but because I cared about Rush.
“Yeah. They pumped her stomach. My mother is taking her to a center in Montana to get her some help. I can’t keep trying to control her. I have you and our baby to focus on.”
I looked up as my dad stepped into the boat. He was carrying a paper bag in one hand and a gallon of sweet tea in the other. I wasn’t ready to leave him just yet. I had just gotten here and I liked seeing him happy. Or at least content.
“I want to stay and visit my dad for a little while,” I told him knowing he was going to argue. I was missing him something fierce and I knew he felt the same way.
“Okay. Can I come visit him too?” he asked
My dad was watching me and a small smile tugged on his lips. I didn’t have to tell him what Rush had asked. He already knew. “Tell the boy to come on. I got room for one more.”
“I’d like that. I miss you,” I replied.
Rush let out a sigh. “God, baby, I miss you too. So damn much. I’ll be there as soon as I can get a flight out.”
RUSH
I needed to get to Blaire. I needed to hold her and reassure myself I hadn’t just lost her and that she and our baby were okay. Then I was convincing her to go home with me and marry me immediately. I didn’t want to wait anymore. I shouldn’t have waited this long.
My plane had landed thirty minutes ahead of schedule. We’d taken off earlier than planned. I didn’t want to wait around until the time I’d told her to be here and I didn’t want her coming to the airport alone. I grabbed a cab and told them to take me to the marina. I’d find Abe’s boat myself. Key West wasn’t a big place. I’d find her before she had time to leave.
Stepping onto the pier that went between the rows of docked boats I looked for any sign of Blaire or Abe. I’d called her but it had gone straight to voicemail. There were sailboats, fishing boats, and even houseboats docked in this place. Several of them had people living aboard. I was getting close to the end when I saw a guy standing near the back of his boat. He had his arms crossed over his bare chest as he stared over at the boat next to him. I started to ask him if he knew where Abe Wynn’s boat was when I followed his gaze.
Long blonde hair hung down her back and blew carelessly in the wind. The familiar sundress she was wearing was a favorite of hers lately because it was one of the few things that still fit her. The small stomach that had developed over the past weeks was taking up more room and the length on it was shorter than I preferred. Taking in the sight of her I felt whole again... until I realized that she was what the shirtless guy was staring at. She didn’t realize it because her back was turned and she was looking out at the clear blue water as the setting sun set off an array of colors. But I saw it.
My inner caveman wanted to go jerk him off his boat and throw his ass in the water. I couldn’t do that though. As pissed off as it made me to know he was looking at what was mine, I understood why. She was breathtaking. I wanted to stop and stare at her too.
I took the other caveman route and headed straight for her father’s boat and jumped in then pulled her into my arms before she could spin around to see who it was.
“Rush,” she said in a contented sigh and the caveman felt like pounding on his chest. She knew it was me. I loved that. I buried my nose in the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. She smelled so damn good. Today her sweet smell was mixed with the sea. I wanted to strip her naked and find out if she smelled like the sea everywhere else too.
I placed both my hands over her stomach just to remind myself that our baby was still okay. He was healthy and Blaire was fine. Every time I thought about her bleeding and cramping my heart felt as if it had stopped. I’d basically abandoned her the last few days trying to get Nan under control so I could leave. My last words to Blaire had been harsh and that was all I could think about when I’d found her gone. Had my words made her cramp? I didn’t deserve her but I wasn’t going to let her go. “I’m sorry. God, Blaire, I am so damn sorry. I love you. This will never happen again,” I promised even though the words sounded familiar to my ears. I winced, realizing I’d said this before. I should have never gone to LA. “I love you,” she replied simply.
“I love you too,” I replied holding her as we stood there watching the sunset over the water.
When the dusk was finally settling down around us I bent my head down to her ear. “Is there a hotel we could sleep in tonight? I’m gonna need you and it won’t be quiet.”
Blaire turned around in my arms and slipped her arms around my waist. Her green eyes were twinkling with amusement. “I can be quiet,” she replied.
I reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, then traced her jawline before feeling her soft plump bottom lip. “I can’t. “
A pleased smile pulled up each corner of her mouth and she stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss to my mouth. “You can whisper your naughty words in my ear,” she replied.
I pulled her bottom lip into my mouth and sucked on it before slipping my tongue inside her mouth to taste her. She clung to my arms, and moaned softly, and swayed into me. F*ck, no way was I gonna be quiet tonight. “Unless you want your daddy hearing me groan from the sweet taste of your p-ssy and cry out your name when I come inside you then we need a f*cking hotel.”
Blaire pressed her body closer to mine and another moan escaped her. “God, Rush. I swear, if you keep talking like that I’m gonna have an orgasm right here.”
I cupped her ass and pulled her up against me before covering her mouth with mine again. If she was that swollen and turned on that words could get her off then I was going to f*cking make that happen.
A loud cough caused Blaire to freeze in my arms, then she slowly eased back from me and peeked over my shoulder. Her cheeks turned bright pink and she ducked her head into my chest. The fact she was burying herself against me was the only thing that kept me from losing it. I didn’t like the idea that him seeing us together embarrassed her.
I glanced back over my shoulder to see the guy who’d been watching her when I walked up. Having Blaire in my arms again had made me forget all about everything around us. Not that it would have mattered. I wanted him to know she was mine. I wanted everyone to know.
“Thought y’all might wanna get a room,” the guy said with a smirk and lit a cigarette.
“We’re just fine. Maybe you need to find another direction to look in,” I replied. I made sure the warning was in my voice.
The guy chuckled and blew a puff of smoke. “Watching the sun set is my thing. Shame if a guy can’t watch something that beautiful from his own boat.”
The flicker in his eyes as he glanced down at Blaire in my arms made my blood boil. Blaire must have felt me tense up because she instantly flattened herself against me and pressed a kiss to my chest. “Let’s go inside. I want some alone time with you,” she said, just loud enough for me to hear.
I looked back down at her and relaxed. She was mine. I needed to calm the f*ck down. “Lead the way.”
Blaire grabbed both my arms and pulled me into the small kitchen. I could see the door that led down into the boat and the idea of getting tucked away down there with Blaire was pretty damn appealing. “How much longer until your dad gets home?” I asked walking her back toward the stairs.
“Not sure,” she replied with a giggle.
“Does that bedroom have a door with a lock?”
BLAIRE
“Yes but I’m not sure when Daddy will be home. We can’t just go in there,” I replied, unable to keep from laughing at him.
“Sweet Blaire, if I don’t get inside you real damn fast more than just your daddy is gonna know we’re having sex. That little kitchen table is looking real nice about right now.”
I shivered with anticipation as he pulled me down into the lower room.
“Just a bed,” he said as he looked at the small room. “Hell, yeah.”
I crawled up on the unmade bed and he followed me before turning to close the sliding pocket door and locking it. His dirty talk and my horny state had me so worked up that it wasn’t going to take much to send me off. I was trembling with the need for him to touch me.
“Take it off,” he said, looking pointedly down at my sundress.
I reached for the hem and pulled it over my head before tossing it to the side of the mattress. I hadn’t bothered with a bra but I was wearing panties. His eyes flared with heat as he gazed at my breasts. I loved knowing that the sight of my swollen stomach didn’t make him want me any less. If anything he was even more attracted to me.
He pulled his shirt off then crawled over to kneel in front of me. His large hands cupped my breasts and he teased my nipples causing me to moan and press myself further into his hands. He let his hands move south until he was covering my stomach with both of his hands and gently caressing me. “Mine,” he said simply with wonder and awe in his voice.
Then his hand slipped down between my legs and into the panties I was still wearing. He found out just exactly how turned on I was. “Mmmm, my sweet Blaire needs me. I like that. I f*cking love it,” he groaned and laid me back on the mattress before pulling my panties off. He ran his thumb over the pad of my feet then wrapped a hand around each of my ankles and pulled them over his shoulders.
“Rush.” I tried to stop him before he started just because I wanted him inside me. But his tongue flicked out over my folds and licked all the way up to my * causing all reasonable thought to fly away. I grabbed handfuls of the sheets and bucked against his face as I cried out his name. I no longer cared who heard me. The smooth metal in his mouth teased my * relentlessly as he ran it back and forth over my swollen sex.
“So damn sweet,” he murmured against me and I fell apart. My body convulsed and I was sure I screamed his name loud enough for our neighbors to hear. When I managed to get my eyes open again he was naked and moving up between my legs.
I lifted to meet his thrust and loved watching his face contort with pleasure as he whispered my name this time.
Rush reached down and pulled my hips up to meet his thrusts as he slid in and out of me in a steady rhythm. I felt the pleasure building and I became more frantic to feel it again. I began lifting my hips higher as I grabbed his arms to pull myself up faster.
Rush stopped and eased me back, slowing the pace as he moved over me. His mouth covered mine and he began kissing me as if he had all the time in the world when in reality I was a few thrusts away from another orgasm. His tongue ran across mine, tangling with it and then licking at my lips before pressing chaste kisses on the corners of my mouth and then sucking on my top lip. “Don’t leave me again. I can’t lose you,” he pleaded.
His hips moved and pressed into me deep one more time as he let out a groan. I went flying apart, clinging to him and promising him anything he wanted. His cry of release sent me off again.
When I finally managed to breathe Rush was cuddling me into his arms and tucking his head into the crook of my neck. His warm breath tickled and soothed me at the same time.
“Love you. So f*cking much,” he said in a husky whisper.
“I love you too. So f*cking much,” I replied with a happy smile.
He chuckled but didn’t look at me. He kept his face buried against me. “I’m gonna need you again. I’m sorry,” he said.
Confused, I frowned and pulled back so I could see his face. “Why are you sorry?”
“Because I may be insatiable tonight. It’s been a long twenty- four hours.”
“You mean you want more, now?” I asked
Rush slipped his hands between my legs. “Yeah, baby, I do.”
***
Rush was asleep when I heard my dad enter the boat. I was thankful he’d missed out on all the action. Rush had finally fallen asleep from exhaustion. I was completely satisfied though. I’d fought off sleep because I wanted to wait for my dad to come back home. I reached for my sundress and eased out of Rush’s arms then slipped it over my head. I needed to go tell him about Rush being here. I hadn’t told him much of anything so he needed some explanation.
Unlocking the door, I glanced back at Rush who was still sleeping peacefully. Easing off the bed and out of the room I tiptoed up the stairs. Dad was sitting at the kitchen table fixing himself a glass of milk. He glanced over at me and smiled.
“Didn’t mean to wake you,” he said.
“You didn’t. I was awake,” I replied. I nodded toward the front of the boat, outside where our voice wouldn’t carry downstairs as loudly. “Can we talk?”
Dad looked toward the stairs and frowned then nodded and stood up to walk back outside of the cabin.
I closed the cabin door to muffle anything we said before turning to look at my dad. “Rush is here,” I explained. “He’s sleeping.”
Understanding dawned on my dad’s face and he nodded. “Good. Glad the boy was smart enough to come get you.”
He liked Rush. He’d thrown me in front of Rush to begin with. I was glad he approved. That made things so much easier. I wanted to keep a relationship with my dad and Rush hadn’t been a fan of him for a long time.
“I left because of his family. Nan mostly. She’s... too much sometimes.”
“She’s a nightmare. She isn’t my daughter; you can be blunt. I spent enough time with her to know she’s in need of some serious attention from a father.”
I nodded and sat down on the bench seat along the side of the boat then tucked my legs underneath me. “I don’t want to hate her because Rush loves her. It’s hard though. She’s determined to take him away from me. Sometimes I think she just might win.”
Dad sat down on a faded rainbow colored lawn chair. “Boy loves you more. He will always love you more. Anyone can see that, baby girl. You just have to learn not to let Nan intimidate you.”
“I’m trying. But then when she needs him he is there. Most of the time at the expense of my needs. She always wins. I know that sounds silly and I’m being selfish but I need him to pick me. I need him to pick me and our baby over everyone else. I don’t... I don’t know if he’ll ever do that.” Saying the words aloud caused my throat to constrict. Admitting your worst fear was hard. But I needed someone to listen to me.
“You deserve to be number one. You’ve been through too much shit, thanks to me, and it’s time a man made you feel like you’re the most important person in his world. It isn’t selfish. It’s normal. That sister of his uses the fact she was deprived of a father as her excuse to be a raging spoiled bitch. You were handed an even shittier deal. You lost your sister, your father, and your mother. You’ve had more pain than that girl could ever understand yet you still love. You still forgive and you’re strong. You’ll be an incredible mother and wife.” Dad let out a heavy sigh. “All Rush’s life he’s thought of Nan as his child. He’s raised her. She’s an adult now and it’s time he let go. He’s figuring out how to do that and I think he’ll find it. He loves you. I know he does. Any fool can see it all over his face.”
I hoped he was right. “I love him enough that I’m afraid even if he always chooses her I will always forgive him.”
Dad nodded and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “I reckon if that happens then I’ll have to fly back to Rosemary to beat the shit outta the boy. You just call me. I’ll always come get you.”
I smiled at the sincere look on his face as he threatened to beat up Rush for me. This was the man I’d grown up loving. This was the man who’d threatened Cain with his hunting rifle on our first date. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I love you,” I whispered.
“Love you too, Blaire bear.”
A loud cough startled me and I glanced back to see the guy from earlier, once again standing in his boat watching us. He was beginning to give me the creeps. At least this time he was wearing a shirt, even if it was unbuttoned and hanging open.
“Evening, Captain,” Dad called out and the guy raised his beer in a greeting.
“Evening,” he replied. But he didn’t leave. He just stood there.
“This is Blaire. My daughter,” Dad said.
“We met earlier today,” he told Abe and winked at me again. I immediately felt uncomfortable. Rush wouldn’t like him winking at me. Maybe we shouldn’t stay a few days. I was pregnant. Couldn’t he see that? Why would he be flirting with a pregnant woman?
“Ah, well then, good. Glad y’all met,” Dad sounded nervous. Something was off. Was this guy dangerous?
The door to the cabin opened and a sleep ruffled Rush walked outside. This time he was shirtless and his jeans were unbuttoned. I doubted he’d even put on his underwear. He looked like he’d just woken up and realized I was missing and jerked on his jeans to come and find me. His eyes shifted from me to Captain and back. The angry snarl on his face surprised me. He hadn’t seen the man wink at me, had he?
“Hello, Abe,” he said in a sleepy voice as he walked over and pulled me against him. Yes, he was definitely asserting his ownership. Why would he feel threatened? Did the man not understand that I was completely obsessed with him?
“Rush. Even though I was real happy to see Blaire I’m glad you were smart enough to come get her,” Abe replied. The warning in his tone was unmistakable. He was letting Rush know he didn’t like me feeling second.
Rush nodded and pressed his lips to my head. “It won’t happen again,” he told my father.
Dad nodded. “Good. Next time I won’t be so understanding,” he told him.
“Newlyweds?” Captain asked, still standing there watching us.
Rush tensed and I eased closer to him to calm him down. He wanted to be a newlywed. Having another guy question our relationship bothered him.
“They’re engaged,” Dad explained.
Captain pointed the beer toward me as if he was pointing at my stomach. “Got things a little backwards, don’t you?” The accusation in his voice caused Rush to move before I could stop him. Immediately, he was around me and moving across the boat. I reached out and grabbed Rush’s arm just as his foot hit the step leading out.
“Alright, hold it,” Dad said in a loud commanding voice I wasn’t used to hearing him use. “I was gonna wait and explain this to Blaire without a damn audience but it looks like I need to do it now. Since you’ve done gone and pissed Rush off.” He was shooting Captain an annoyed look.
What was he talking about? What kind of explanation?
Rush stopped moving and glared back at my father. “No one talks to Blaire like that. I don’t give a f*ck who he is.”
“Wasn’t talking to Blaire. I was talking to you,” Captain drawled in a bored tone and took another swig of his beer.
I wrapped both hands around Rush’s arm and held on tight.
“That’s enough, boy,” Dad snapped at Captain. I would like to argue that he wasn’t a boy but a man who could very likely hurt my dad without breaking a sweat. I preferred that he stayed friendly with his neighbors.
Captain held up both his hands and shrugged. “Fine,” he replied. I was shocked that he backed down so easily.
Dad sighed and looked back at me. “You might want to sit back down,” he said.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear this. Why would I need to sit down? Rush took my seat then pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arms around my waist.
Dad looked over at Captain and frowned. He didn’t want to tell me whatever it was that he was about to tell me. That made me nervous.
“When I was sixteen I knocked up my high school girlfriend,” he started and I grabbed Rush’s arms and held on tight. “Becca Lynn wasn’t ready to be a momma and I sure as hell wasn’t ready to be a daddy. We agreed to put the baby up for adoption. Becca Lynn’s parents handled the finding of suitable parents for the baby and then she had it and that was it. We didn’t stay together. We’d broken up due to the reality of her pregnancy and what had happened. After graduation she went on to college on the west coast and I went to Georgia. Never saw her again,” my dad said and sighed and studied me a moment before going any further. Rush’s arms had tightened around me and I was holding onto him. I wasn’t sure yet where exactly this was going but I had an idea.
“After you and Valerie were born I realized how precious you were. I loved you both so damn much that I broke down one night and told your mother about the baby I’d had with Becca Lynn and given up eight years before. For the first time I was broken up about losing a kid I had thought I didn’t want. Your mother made it her goal to find my child. She looked for years. Everything always led to another dead end. I eventually gave up. She never did.” Dad let out a sad laugh. “Then last year I was contacted by the investigator your mother had hired and he had a lead. I hadn’t been expecting it. I didn’t know what to do with that information. That kid was an adult now. I was sure it was pointless. Then I got another call. My son wanted to meet me.”
I turned in Rush’s arms to look at Captain. He was leaning against his boat looking out over the water but he was listening. His body was tense. He was waiting. Was he... did I have a brother?
“Everything happened with you and I came clean. I needed to start over. Try to live the rest of my life the right way because all I’d done was f*ck it up so far. The only good thing I’d ever done was loving your mother and being blessed with you and Valerie. So, I called my son and came down south to meet him,” he paused and nodded to Captain. “River Joshua Kipling also known as Captain, is your brother.”
“F*ck,” Rush whispered and I felt like saying it too. Would my dad’s secrets never end?
“Captain was your mother’s last gift to me. If she hadn’t been so determined to find him then I never would have gotten to know him.”
My dad wasn’t as alone as I’d thought. I wasn’t angry or hurt. I was... happy. I was relieved. He had a lot in life to atone for. I knew he was atoning for not being the man he should’ve been, by having a relationship with his son. My baby kicked against his father’s hands and I couldn’t imagine handing over this baby. Never to know it or hold it. That had to be like losing a part of yourself. My dad hadn’t been a whole man since he was sixteen. Since he’d given a part of himself away. My heart broke for him and I eased out of Rush’s arms and walked over to my father.
I wrapped both arms around his waist and held him. I didn’t have the words just yet to tell him that I was happy for him. I wasn’t sure if those words were even accurate. I was more than happy. I was thankful. It was time for him to heal. This was a part of that.
“You okay with this, Blaire bear?” he asked, squeezing me in a hug.
“I’m glad you found him,” I replied honestly. For right now that was the only thing I could say.
“Thank you.” The emotion in his voice was thick.
“Real glad I don’t have to beat your ass for looking at my woman,” I heard Rush say and I smiled against my dad’s chest.