ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (34 page)

“Where are we going?”  

“Nervous?” 

“No.”

The older men exchanged a look.  Blaine couldn’t decide what passed between them.  It could have been amusement, but there was a definite darker taint, whatever it was.  Either way, he was pleased when they pulled into the parking lot of the same pancake house Brooke had taken him to. 

“I met my sweetheart here.”  Dale said proudly. 

Blaine nodded.  “Brooke told me.”

The three men walked into the busy restaurant and were seated towards the back.  Silverware and dishes clanked with the mingled sounds of voices and children’s delight. 

A frazzled waitress took their drink orders and hurried away. 

Blaine calmly looked at the menu, ignoring the other men’s stares. 

When the waitress returned Blaine ordered a platter with eggs, bacon, toast, and a side of pancakes.  The other two said they were content with their coffee. 

Blaine lifted his eyes to them.  “So, what do you want to know?”

“Dale here has a funny idea about you.” 

“Such as?” 

“He seems to think you’re some kind of shifter.” 

Blaine looked at Dale flatly.  “And why does he think that?”

“Does Brooke know what you are?”  Dale challenged, not answering the question. 

“She does.” 

Jack let out a low whistle.  “What in the
hell
are you doing fooling with my little girl?”

“I didn’t intend on fooling with her, Jack, as you put it.”  He lowered his eyes and ran a hand over his head.  “I saved her.”

Jack’s mouth opened, then shut.  His lips pursed.  “The man in the alley?”

Blaine nodded.  “I hung around…just to be sure…I’m glad I did.” 

“Did she know that night?”

Blaine shook his head.  “No.  She didn’t know until I took her home the next night when she was feeling sick.”   He turned his attention back to Dale.  “How did you know? 
You
certainly aren’t a shifter.” 

Dale’s dark eyes hardened.  “No, but I’m native.  We see things the white man can’t.” 

Jack huffed, folding his arms one over the other on the table. 

Dale toyed with a fork.  “Why are you here really?” 

“I’m an Alpha.” 

Dale’s face changed slightly.  Blaine could see admiration. 

“I’m an Alpha with a pack of mainly men.  They want me to find a mate, so that eventually they can have mates.” 

Jack’s eyes boggled.  Dale seemed to accept what he was saying, as if it made perfect sense. 

Jack leaned in closer.  “Does Brooke know this?” 

“She does.”

“And you think…you think you’re going to take her there to be some…some
sex
slave?”

Blaine laughed robustly.  “Sex slave?  No, Jack.  I want her to be with me, no one else.”

“Then how…” 

Dale broke in, his face serious.  “Shifters live a long time.  His pack will wait for offspring to grow up.” 

Jack looked from one man to the other, as the waitress slid Blaine’s food in front of him. 

“That’s sick.”

Blaine shrugged, pouring syrup over the pancakes.  “I thought so a little too, but it’s just the way of it.  I didn’t want a mate.” 

“Are you gay?”

Blaine gave Jack a patient look.  “No.” 

“My people revere your kind.”  Dale said solemnly.  He glanced at Jack.  “An Alpha for Brooke would be a good thing.” 

“How?” 

“He’ll take care of her.  Always.” 

Blaine bit off an end of a slice of bacon, keeping his eyes on Jack.  He could only imagine how hard all of this was to hear.  Father’s wanted what was best for their daughters.  They wanted knights in shining armor to ride in and sweep them off their feet.  The bottom line was; fathers didn’t want to worry about their daughters. 

“Do you love her?”  Jack’s eyes pleaded for something normal, something concrete. 

“Let’s put it this way.  I’ll die before anything harms her.  I’ll sacrifice whatever I need to for her well being and happiness.  Yes, Jack, I love her.”

Jack relaxed slightly.  He nodded his head once. 

“If she goes with you,” Dale began “will the pack accept her?” 

Blaine sighed.  “Not right away, I don’t think.  There are two married couples within the pack.  I think the two females will.” 

Dale sipped his coffee.  “If they refuse?”

Blaine smiled sardonically.  “I’ll be an Alpha without a pack.” 

“But you just said you didn’t even
want
a mate.”  Jack said weakly. 

“That was before I met Brooke.” 

The men talked for another hour.  It was a back and forth kind of conversation that to a passerby would have sounded more like a negotiation.  In the end, Jack was left with the certainty that his oldest daughter would be cared for. 

“It’s still up to Brooke.”  Blaine said as they squeezed back into Dale’s pickup.

“She won’t refuse you.”  Dale said plainly. 

Jack glanced at Blaine, his jaw set.  “
If
she goes, make sure she doesn’t come home broken-hearted.” 

Blaine recognized it was a plea as well as a weak threat.  “She won’t be broken-hearted, Jack.  You have my word.”  

“Well, my gosh it took the three of you long enough!” 

“We just wanted to get to know Blaine a little better.”  Jack smiled. 

Brooke picked up on the slight sadness in her father’s eyes.  “What’s wrong, Daddy?”

“Nothing.  Call me later, ok?  Especially if you need to tell or ask me anything.” 

Brooke’s eyebrows drew together.  She watched Dale and her father leave the apartment, then turned to Blaine. 

“What was that?”  She stretched an arm towards the closed door. 

Blaine hooked his thumbs in two belt loops.  “Dale knows what I am and told Jack.” 

Brooke felt her knees go weak.  She sat down shakily.  “How?”

Blaine shrugged, joining her on the couch.  “Some kind of native hoodoo.  I don’t know.” 

Brooke set her jaw in a way that reminded Blaine of Jack’s expressions from the morning he had just spent with him.

“Well, they can’t choose for me!  This is
my
decision!”

“They understand.  They just wanted to check out what my intentions were.”  Blaine looked deep into her eyes, his voice became soft.  “Now it’s up to you.” 

Brooke spent the majority of the day in her room, alone and thinking.  She made pros and cons lists, she paced, she even exercised, just to make sure Blaine wasn’t something she could purge from her body through sweat.  The bottom line was that she would rather gnaw off her arm than be without him. 

Brooke emerged from her room at dark.  Blaine was sitting in the living room watching old Andy Griffith reruns in the dark.  He looked up at her with a grin, which slowly faded as he saw her still face in the flickering light of the television set.

“You’ve made a decision?”

Brooke nodded.  She clasped her hands in front of her, eyes moving upward as Blaine stood. 

Blaine felt like his stomach was caving in.  “I want you to know that if the answer is no, I’ll return here again and again until you say yes.” 

“That’s a lot of wear and tear on your truck.  Guess it’s a good thing that my answer is yes.” 

Brooke thought it quaint and sweet that Blaine refused to take her home with him without marrying her first, but it also gave her a feeling of permanence.  He couldn’t easily get rid of her if the pack rebelled. 

The marriage license wasn’t any problem, the people in her life were a whole other story. 

“I don’t think it’s fair that Dad is letting you marry a man you just met!”  Jeanette’s brow furrowed in a furious manner and her lips pouted angrily. 

“You’re just mad I won’t be here to work at the restaurant.”

“Well…yeah!”

Brooke folded the last of her clothes, and shoved them into her already full suitcase.  She knew part of the problem was the fact that her baby sister would miss her.  Brooke stopped her packing and stood before Jeanette, rubbing the upper halves of her stubbornly crossed arms. 

“You can visit anytime you want…Chris too.” 

“Ugh…I don’t even know if I’ll still be dating him!”

“And Blaine and I will come visit too.” 

Jeanette wiped a stray tear away, walking away before Brooke could see anymore.  Brooke sighed and looked around her near bare room.  Carleigh knocked on the door frame. 

“Hey.”  She said quietly. 

“Hey yourself.” 

Carleigh hugged Brooke tightly.  “I’m sure going to miss you!” 

“We’ll visit.”  Brooke fought another wave of heavy emotion.  Everything was moving so fast!  It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. 

“I got the job in New York.”

Brooke backed out of her embrace, a grin splitting her face. 

“Carleigh, that’s
wonderful
!”

“I just found out this morning.  I don’t have to feel guilty now for leaving you hanging.”  She looked at her friend, words trying to push their way past her lips.  “Are you sure about this?  You’ve only known him for a week.” 

“I’m sure.  I know it’s crazy.”  She laughed.  “I’m always the stable predictable one, but yes, I’m sure.” 

“You can always come home…or come to New York if it doesn’t work out.” 

“Carleigh, I’m getting
married
.  This isn’t something I’ll easily walk away from.”

“That’s why you need to be absolutely certain before tomorrow morning.” 

Brooke allowed Carleigh’s words to play through her mind over and over again.  Was she sure?  Her gut told her yes.  Her heart told her yes.  Her brain was another matter.  None the less, her wedding day dawned cool in the morning, the sun hiding behind thick clouds.  A cool day in August was a rare gift.  She would just ignore the clouds. 

Darla and Dale picked her up just before nine.  Jeanette and her father would already be at the justice of the peace with Blaine.  Carleigh had already said her goodbyes after the two of them had spent her final night a single woman holed up alone in the apartment watching sappy movies and gorging on popcorn. 

“Is this all of it?”  Dale asked doubtfully as he looked at one suitcase, a book bag, three boxes, and Brooke’s fishing gear. 

“Yeah.  Carleigh is donating my furniture.”  She lugged one last box out.  “This is for Jeanette.  She’s upset, so give it to her after I’m gone.” 

“What’s in there, honey?”  Darla’s voice was already quavering with the flood that would undoubtedly come later.

“One of my favorite cookbooks.  A few items of clothing.  A few things I had stashed that her Mom left behind.  I was waiting for her to grow up a little before giving them to her.” 

Darla touched her arm gently.  “You did a good job with her, Brooke.  You were just a kid yourself.” 

Brooke nodded.  “Water under the bridge.” 

“That’s right.” 

The justice of the peace was a short balding man, a retired judge from Albemarle County who had retired to Williamsburg three years before.  He smiled warmly at the assembled group. 

“Nice weather today!” 

Everyone nodded.  The group looked like they were witnessing a shotgun wedding instead of a joyous one.  He hoped it
wasn’t
a shotgun wedding, as he looked anxiously towards his foyer.  The bride was there somewhere getting ready. 

Blaine glanced at Jack.  Jack looked tired and sad, but he gave Blaine a thumbs up anyway.  Blaine just wanted this to be over.  He just wanted to have Brooke by his side as they drove the highways heading home. 

Brooke was having similar feelings.  Jeanette zipped the back of Brooke’s new dress; a light cream cotton with tiny blue flowers.  It tied in the back and had little buttons down the front that were there for show.  Jeanette thought it ridiculously old fashioned, but after seeing Brooke in it with the cream heels on her feet, her hair glossy and shining, she knew it was the perfect dress for her sister. 

“Here.”  Jeanette said gruffly, shoving a homemade bouquet of wildflowers in Brooke’s hands.  The stems were wrapped in a dark blue satin ribbon and knotted perfectly in a bow just below the buds.  “If you hang it upside down, the flowers will dry and you can keep the bouquet.”

“You did this?”

Jeanette nodded. 

“It’s very good.  You could be a florist.” 

Jeanette’s eyes lit up.  “Thanks.” 

“Ladies?  Are we about ready?” 

“Yes.”  Brooke said and took a deep breath before entering the next room. 

Blaine looked up as Brooke entered behind Jeanette.  His new button down shirt and black jeans didn’t feel scratchy anymore.  He didn’t notice the knowing looks between Darla, Dale, and Jack as his face changed.  He didn’t notice when the justice of the peace began his monologue.  Everything was just fine.  She was the most beautiful thing in the world, and within moments, she would be his.  For good.