STEPMOTHER’S SON
Chapter 1
“You can’t be serious. Melinda. It has only been one year to the day that she died. I would’ve thought that your father would had more sense than to get caught up in a May December romance. I guess there is something to say for what the heart wants is what it wants. This does seem a little sudden in my opinion, Melinda. You wouldn’t have told me, unless of course you had some doubts and maybe you need to see this for yourself. I know that you said that you don’t want anything to do with it, but this is your family and that should mean something.” Melinda was willing to listen to her friend Steve and she knew that he had some very deep feelings when it came to family matters.
“I know the old saying that blood is always thicker than water, but maybe there is more to it. My father and I have not seen each other in 15 years. My mother went missing on that boating accident a year ago and he expects to make some kind of overture. I know that it was not his fault, but I’ve never been able to forgive him for taking away the one good thing in my life. He was the one that drove a wedge into a happy house with his constant cheating.” “I feel that some days are better than others. My depression has turned a corner and I have no need to take the medication that has been prescribed to me by Dr. Thomas. I’m ready to get my life back and then I hear that my father has married without even consulting me. It was a whirlwind romance of one week. They sprung the marriage on me during a phone call. He really did think that I was going to be happy for him, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“I think that it’s important that you make the effort. They’re obviously extending an olive branch by inviting you to her family home in Cape Cod. This is obviously very important to your father. I think that you should go and try to have an open mind. I’ve seen what happens to families, when you allow bitterness to creep in. I don’t want to see you go through the same thing that I did.” Steve recently informed his family that he was bisexual and that he was getting involved with a man that was twice his age. That was a catalyst to a knockdown blowout fight that ended with him being thrown out of the family will.
“I think you know how much you mean to me, Steve. You’re the only one that I’ve told about Matthew. He’s the man that I’ve always wanted to be with. I know what you are going to say and I can’t continue to make men jump through hoops. I get past the first date and I find something to nitpick about. I might be overly critical, but that’s just because I found my dream man and I let him get away. He literally slipped through my fingers at the airport, when I could have told him how I felt.” Melinda I had already made up her mind and even though going home was not a pleasant thought, she did take solace in the fact that she would have a 20 acre property to get away from her troubles.
They had sent her pictures and it was a picturesque cottage that pretty much could’ve been a year round home for the right family. The dock led down to a private beach and a medley of boys’ toys, including jet skis and kayaks to be used at the person’s discretion. Melinda wanted to scream that this was unfair, but she knew by now that life was never fair. If it was, she would have Matthew in her hand and showing him the kind of love and devotion that he deserved. His blue eyes were a constant reminder and the picture that she had taken 15 years ago was still emblazoned in her mind. She had it on her phone and even during dates that weren’t going well; she would pull it out and wonder where he was at that moment.
“I have to admit that I’m a little jealous of where you’re going, Melinda.” Steve had always been the kind of guy that would enjoy outdoor sports including wakeboarding and surfing. Just because he liked to have the company of both men and women, didn’t mean that he was into show tunes or wanted to spend his time watching chick flicks. “This place is amazing and even if you were feeling blue, I’m sure that walking into an environment like this will cheer you right up. Just remember to take lots of pictures and I plan to live vicariously through you. While you are doing your thing, I’ll be spending time with Wilson’s parents.” The idea sickened him and it wasn’t like he didn’t want to meet them, but he was nervous and it was causing some unusual stomach issues.
Melinda looked at her blond curls in the mirror, how her 5’8 frame and 130 lb body seemed to mold to the new dress that she just bought. It was amazing and there were times that she could find the perfect clothes, but it was a rarity.
She checked her make up to make sure that she didn’t look like some kind of sleazy handout. The money came from her stepmother’s side of the family and being an instant billionaire was not an easy thing to swallow. She had to wonder if her father was really in love, or had delusions of what having money was all about. She didn’t think that he was that kinda guy, but everybody apparently has a price.
They walked down the stairs together, opening the door to the loud incessant honking of a taxi waiting to take her to the airport. They said their goodbyes at the curb, as she heaved that one suitcase into the back of the taxi, before closing it and climbing into the back seat. She was wearing that frilly white summer dress. It would be perfect for a two week excursion to what could possibly be paradise.
“I don’t really want to go and I have no interest in making nice with my new stepmother. From the pictures, she looks pretentious, knows her worth and doesn’t mind lording it over others. It’s probably the reason why she wanted to have this reunion for her family. It was her way of making them see her and her son Owen, as the true heirs of the Brady family empire. She had inherited the entire fortune from her husband that was now lying in a graveyard in Texas. Amazingly, I had read up on her portfolio and she did not just lie back on her laurels. She learned how to take the company in a new direction and the fact that she was a humanitarian had only made her that much more interesting.”
The journey that was over 5000 miles took her across the ocean back to her homeland of the United States. She had been living in her adopted home of England, as a nanny, hoping that getting away from her troubles would make her see things from a different perspective. She left home when she was only 16 and went on a journey of self discovery across the globe. There were many lovers, but only one stuck out in her memory, as being something more than just a 5 minute wonder. This guy went for hours and even when he did cum; it was not more than a few minutes, before he was back in the saddle. Matthew and Melinda never did come out of that bed and breakfast the entire weekend. They ordered room service for sustenance, but mostly they were into each other’s bodies and what they could do in a 48 hour span.
She rode in silence with the next taxi, holding her breath and wondering if she was making a colossal mistake in getting involved in domestic issues. She had walked away from her family, seeing them splinter and knowing that her being there was only making things worse. They tried to convince her to stay, but she was adamant that she needed space and if they tried to keep her against her will they would only find that she was very resilient and crafty when she put her mind to it.
It was a rarity to let a child go out on their own at 16, but she had shown herself to be mature and was able to make her own decisions on the fly. Melinda had only settled down in England, when she came across a young family in need of a nanny. The Hollings were very good to her and they had traveled the globe together to one vacation spot after another. She felt like she was worldly, but underneath she was still that little girl that had walked away from her family. She didn’t even come home for the funeral of her mother, because she thought that it would be too painful. It was the only regret that was in her life and she wondered if her father had ever gotten over that obvious betrayal.
“Please…god…don’t make this place spectacular. I don’t want to fall in love and never want to leave. I don’t wanna get caught up in material worth, when I’ve lived a life that many would have given their first born to have. I know what it’s like to have that wealth carrying you on its back. I just hope that…that… Oh my god.
The place was even better than she had imagined. It appeared that the photos really didn’t do it justice and the lapping of the waves against the shore was like the siren of the sea drawing her closer to its magical song.
“I would help you with your bag, but I doubt that you really need it with your kind of independence.” Melinda’s back went straight and she heard the voice, but it still didn’t register that her father had come out to greet her in person. “I’m glad that you could make it and Beverly is really looking forward to meeting you. I know that this was sudden, but I couldn’t help the way that I felt. You should know how that feels. Sometimes you have to follow your own heart and be damned everybody else.” This was an obvious attempt by Kenneth to get underneath his daughter’s skin. It seemed to be working and he could actually sense a little bit of guilt from her body language.
“Kenneth told me all about you and I would like you to meet my son Owen.” Beverley stood with her son and they were holding hands, when she slammed the trunk and came face to face with Matthew. “It can’t be and how is he here? I stand here and look at him and I can see the recognition in his eyes and the way that the gears in his head are obviously reliving that weekend 1 minute at a time. I don’t know what to do and the fact that my legs are feeling like jelly is a sure sign that we’ve had something in the past. I don’t see Owen, but maybe he slipped away during the introductions. This had to be a friend of his that had decided to stay the weekend and enjoy the ambience.
“I know that I haven’t seen you for a few years, Melinda, but you look like you’ve seen a ghost. Your face just turned white and you almost look like you’re going to faint. I do hope that you not coming down with something. Your step brother Owen is really looking forward to showing you around the place.” Kenneth motioned for Owen to come forward and he saw the reluctance in his eyes.
Matthew saw Melinda, but the name that she he remembered her by was Linda. This girl was a freak of nature and she could give lessons to some of the finest adult stars in the business. She could stretch her body over her head and the very idea that she was here in person was unfathomable.
They were walking up to the house and the wind was blowing gently, but the only thing that they could do was constantly look at each other with disbelief.