Forever Too Far (3 page)

I think he’s done. Washed his hands of that. I hope so.”

I finally put down the waffle mix I’d been standing there holding as I stared at my dad like he was

speaking gibberish. “Grant... was with Nan?” The disbelief in my voice got Dean’s attention. He

turned to look back at me.

“Yeah. Guessing from the look on your face you didn’t know. Been dating for awhile from what I can

tell. Poor guy looked really into her. But she’s just like her momma. He’s lucky to get out now.”

“How?”

Dean shook his head. “I wondered the same thing.”

I couldn’t talk about this with him. I walked out of the kitchen and toward the double doors leading

out onto the back porch. Once I was outside I pulled out my phone and dialed Grant’s number. We

told each other everything. Yet he’d been dating my sister and never said a word.

“Hey, bro.” His chipper voice greeted me.

“I know about Nan,” was all I said.

Grant let out a weary sigh. “I was hoping I’d be able to tell you about it. I wanted to. I just... she

didn’t want me to and then she had the accident. Then, well... it’s over. She’s made it very clear that

she doesn’t want anything serious with me. I can’t deal with her sleeping around. It wasn’t just a

booty call. I’d have never done that with Nan. You know that. I really liked her. Maybe I cared too

much.”

I sank down onto the chair beside me and stared out at the ocean. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wanted to. She begged me not to. I cared about her, Rush. I wanted it to work. I did what she asked.

But I felt like shit lying to you about it.”

He had cared about Nan? Wow.

“Dean says you’re done with her now.”

“She’s done with me. I can’t play her games.”

I loved my sister but I also loved Grant. She’d break his heart. She wasn’t good for him. My dad was

right. Grant needed someone that could love him. I wasn’t sure Nan could. Relief that he was ending

it with her wasn’t because I didn’t want them together but because I hated to think of Nan doing to

Grant what my mother did in her past to the men who loved her. Grant deserved more than that.

“She can’t make anyone happy until she finds a way to be happy. Right now she has so much

resentment in her that she will make miserable anyone who gets too close. Don’t let her do that to

you.”

Grant was quiet for a minute. “She isn’t always a bitch. Part of me was falling in love with her for a

moment. Then she ended that by reminding me how hard she would be to love.”

“I love my sister. But you deserve more. Nan isn’t whole. Not really. She has too many issues.”

“Thank you. I thought this conversation would go a lot differently. I didn’t expect you to be worried

about me.”

“You’re my brother. I want what’s best for you too. I want you to have what I have. Go find that.”

Grant let out a laugh that sounded like he didn’t think it was possible. “That’s a pretty high order to

fill.”

I stepped into the kitchen to see Dean Finlay frying bacon and whistling the tune to one of Slacker

Demon’s number one hits. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. He turned his head and his gaze met

mine. The look on his face wasn’t one I ever expected to see on a famous rock star. He reminded me

of a father.

“Good morning, sunshine. I’m making you and that grandbaby of mine some breakfast. I did have help

but I’m afraid I told Rush something he didn’t know and shocked him a bit. He went outside to make a

phone call. He’ll be back in a few minutes,” he said as he forked the bacon and laid each slice out on

a paper towel lined plate.

I glanced past him to the windows to see Rush talking on the phone intently. “What did you tell him?”

I asked, wondering if I should go check on him.

“Grant and Nan have had a thing for awhile now. Nan finally screwed things up for the last time and

it’s over. Rush didn’t know about it.”

My mouth dropped open as his words sank in. Grant and Nan? Really?

“Shocked the hell outta me too. Didn’t think that boy was stupid. Guess he learned the hard way just

‘cause it’s pretty don’t mean it shines.”

I looked back outside at Rush. He was standing up and slipping his phone into his pocket. I wondered

if he’d called Nan or Grant.

“Why don’t you go take a seat over at the table and let me fix you a plate? Do you like orange juice or

milk or both? The baby probably needs a little of both.”

I shifted my attention back to Dean as he stood there holding a plate with bacon eggs and a waffle on

it. Had he just cooked all that for me?

“Wow that looks delicious,” I replied.

“It is. I make a killer breakfast. Now go sit down and let me feed you.”

I bit my bottom lip to keep from grinning like an idiot and took a seat at the table. Rush opened the

door and walked back inside just as his father placed a plate of food in front of me.

“Don’t worry about your pretty little fiancée. I got her all fixed up.”

Rush smirked at his father then headed over to me. He bent down and placed a kiss on top of my head.

“You look beautiful,” he whispered.

“Are you okay?” I asked, not able to hold back my concern. I needed to know he wasn’t upset about

Grant and Nan.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I think Grant has wised up and it’ll all be okay.”

I frowned. Grant wised up? What did he mean?

“We’ll talk about it later. Eat,” he said with a wink and walked over to fix himself a plate.

Dean put a glass of orange juice and a glass of milk in front of me, then took the seat to my left. He

was holding a large cup of coffee in his hands but that was all.

“You aren’t going to eat?” I asked as he drank from the steaming cup.

He shook his head. “Nope. I just drink my breakfast.”

Rush put his plate down on the other side of me. He had piled his plate with everything that was left

over. Apparently, he was hungry. “Sorry I didn’t get to help you finish it but thanks for cooking.”

“Glad I got to. It’s been awhile since I cooked you breakfast,” Dean replied.

I liked seeing Rush with his dad. They appeared normal. I was getting to be a part of his family this

way. I doubted I’d ever get this chance with his mom and sister but his dad seemed to accept me.

“Now that I know you can cook I’m going to volunteer you to help me cook our Thanksgiving dinner,”

I informed Dean.

Dean grinned. “I would love to. It’s been awhile since I’ve had one of those too. I’m looking forward

to spending it with the two of you.”

The pleased smile on Rush’s face warmed me. “I’m going to go to the grocery store today and buy the

rest of our supplies.”

“I’ll go with you,” Rush replied.

“No you will stay here with your dad. Y’all could go play a round of golf or something. I can pick up

what we need by myself. Besides, I think Bethy wants to tag along. She’s making the corn casserole

and pumpkin pie for tomorrow.”

“I refuse to fucking golf. But spending the day catching up sounds good. We could go over to Destin

and catch the new Bond movie. I’ve been wanting to see it. I’ll even take you to lunch.”

I could tell by the look on Rush’s face that didn’t want to go and I knew it was only because he hated

to get that far away from me. I reached over and squeezed his hand tightly. “That sounds like fun.

Y’all go do that and I’ll have time to spend with Bethy.”

Rush nodded but I could tell he hadn’t wanted to give in.

I took a bite of my eggs and smiled over at Dean. “These are so good. Thank you.”

He beamed at me. I was glad he was here. This holiday we wouldn’t be completely without our

parents.

“Please, Blaire. I am begging you, please.” Bethy stood in front of me bouncing on her toes with her

hands folded in front of her like she praying. The pleading look in her eyes almost made me laugh.

“Didn’t you grow up here? How is it that you’ve never met Dean before now?” I asked as I took a

grocery bag out of the back of the Range Rover.

“I’m the poor folks. You know that! I work for the rich; I don’t socialize with them. Come on, I know

I’ll see him tomorrow but I want to meet him now. While Jace isn’t here to see me swoon.”

I made a gagging noise. “He’s too old to swoon over. Gross!”

“You are kidding me, right? Dean Finlay’s last girlfriend was like twenty-one. Someone like him

never gets too old to swoon over.”

I disagreed. Dean was close to fifty years old. He had to be. Why was he dating someone younger

than his son? That was disgusting. “You planning on leaving Jace to become a notch on Dean’s bed

post?” I teased and headed for the front door of the beach house.

“Of course not. I just wanna,” she stopped and grabbed a bag then scrambled up the steps behind me.

“I just wanna meet him. See those eyes and breathe the same air.”

This time I did laugh. I couldn’t help it. She was cracking me up. “He’s a normal guy. He’s also

Rush’s dad and I doubt Rush will want you coming into the house acting like a complete and total

fangirl. So you need to get it together before Thanksgiving dinner. It’s not a place for you to be

swooning over my future father-in-law.”

“That is just crazy. You know that, right? Just flipping crazy! Having Dean fucking Finlay as your

father-in-law. Women around the world want to fuck the man. You’re gonna be his family.”

I cringed and unlocked the door to the house. Sometimes Bethy could be too much. This was one of

those times. “Let’s unload the groceries and talk about tomorrow’s menu. Then I can tell you all about

how I’m leaving this weekend to head to LA with Rush and his father. Nan is causing problems with

Kiro.”

Bethy hurried inside after me. “You’re leaving? This weekend? You can’t leave me! Not even for

Dean! No!”

At least I had her mind off of humping Dean. I put my bag down on the counter and turned to look at

her. “Rush needs to go and so I’m going with him. Besides, if I don’t go, I don’t think he will. His dad asked him to help deal with Nan.”

Bethy pouted and sank down on the bar stool across from me. “This sucks. I don’t want you to leave.”

The more I thought about it the more I didn’t want to leave either. But I wasn’t letting Rush go to LA

without me. I would miss him like crazy. This would also be a chance for me to get to know his dad.

We were about to have our own family and I wanted his dad to be a part of that. I hadn’t heard from

my dad but once since he came by to tell me that he wasn’t Nan’s father. He had called me a week

after he left to tell me he was heading to the Florida Keys to find a boat and live on it. He wanted to

be alone. He also told me he loved me.

I tried not to think of my dad much. It only made me sad. I should have told him I wanted him in my

life but I hadn’t. I’d let him go. Now, looking at the holidays without him I felt sad. I had found my

home but he had lost his.

“Have you heard anything I just said?” Bethy asked breaking into my thoughts.

I glanced over at her. “I’m sorry. I was thinking about my dad,” I admitted. Then I grabbed the can of

green beans and started putting it away.

“Oh. You thinking of inviting him?”

It was too late now. I wasn’t sure Rush would be okay with it if I did. We hadn’t discussed my dad

that much. I shook my head and turned to get the box of powdered sugar. “No. Just thinking about him

in general. Wondering what he’s doing,” I replied.

My dad was singing in the kitchen while preparing the turkey. I stood back and watched as Blaire

mixed something in a bowl and smiled happily. My dad kept trying to get her to sing with him and she

would just laugh as she shook her head no. Today was going to be hard on her and I liked seeing her

smile.

All week I had debated on telling her I’d invited Abe. He would be here in an hour. I’d gotten a text

from him when his plane landed. I couldn’t decide if surprising her was such a good idea. I wanted to

make this special for her. It was our first Thanksgiving together. I knew that the fact it was her first Thanksgiving without her mother was going to overshadow it and I understood that. But if I could

make this a good memory, one she would cherish, I would move heaven and earth to make that

happen.

“You hiding back there ‘cause you’re afraid to get your hands dirty, boy?” my dad asked, glancing

back over his shoulder and winking at me.

Blaire turned around with a spoon in one hand and a smile on her face. The apron she was wearing

had frilly things around the seams and pink polka dots all over it. She was adorable.

I walked over to her and pulled her close so I could kiss those pretty lips of hers.

“We’re cooking in here. No time for that stuff,” Dean said with a chuckle.

Blaire broke the kiss and pressed her lips together. The twinkle in her eyes let me know she was

trying hard not to laugh. I loved seeing her like this. Especially on a day like today. Once again,

Blaire was tougher than most men I knew. She continued to blow me away with her strength over and

over again.

“Can I help?” I asked, leaning down to press one more kiss to the corner of her mouth.

“Yeah, you can help me get this big ass turkey in the oven without dropping it or burning my damn

hand,” Dean barked.

Blaire stepped back from me. “Help your dad,” she replied, still amused. Good. If Dean could amuse

her then he was good for something.

There was a brief knock on the door and then Bethy’s voice filled the house. “I’m here!”