RUSH

Blaire wouldn’t agree to my idea of staying up in our room naked all day. She insisted we get dressed and visit with Dean. I was of the opinion he’d understand my desire to stay locked away with Blaire but she disagreed. Just proved what little she knew of my father’s rock star life.

I left her drying her hair and headed downstairs to start fixing breakfast. She hadn’t eaten much last night at the party then she’d come home and gone to sleep before she could eat.

Dean was standing in my kitchen pulling out items from the fridge and setting them on the island. I stood there and watched him a moment trying to figure out what he was doing. He got the milk out then paused and looked over at me.

“Good morning. I wasn’t sure you’d be coming out of the bedroom today the way you’d chased her upstairs last night when she left. I was going to tempt you both with breakfast.”

I leaned back against the counter and crossed my arms over my chest. “I tried to keep her upstairs with me. She insisted we come visit with you,” I explained.

Dean chuckled. “Like father, like son.”

“I’m nothing like you. The woman I got pregnant happens to be my heart. I’ll marry her and spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to make her smile.”

Dean closed the fridge door and studied me. I could tell he hadn’t expected words like those to come out of my mouth. The last time I’d spent time with him I’d had a different girl in my bed every night.

“What makes her different? You’ve been with a lot of girls. Why her?” If he wasn’t honestly curious I’d have been pissed. But he only knew me before Blaire.

“When she walked into my house the first time and I laid eyes on her I was attracted to her. That part was easy. But then I got to know her. She wasn’t like any other girl I’d ever known. She was so determined when she should have been beat down. Her life had given her shit and she was fighting to live. She wasn’t going to back down or give up. I admired her. Then I got a taste and I was sunk. She’s everything I want to be.”

A slow smile spread across Dean’s face and then he nodded. “Well, alright then. Guess you know more about life than your old man ‘cause ain’t no woman ever made me feel like that. I’m glad you found it. That’s rare boy, so hang on tight. It won’t come around again.”

I never intended to let go. Dean looked around the room. “Where’s the mixing bowls? I’m gonna make the momma of my grandkid some scrambled eggs.”

My heart squeezed. “Second shelf to the left of the stove.”

“You get the bacon going. She needs protein,” he said as he got down a bowl.

I wasn’t going to argue. I always made sure she ate properly in the mornings. “She will want a waffle, too. I have a waffle iron for those,” I told him.

Dean nodded. “Good to know you’ve been taking care of her.”

We worked in silence for a few minutes. I wanted to ask about Nan and Kiro but I didn’t want Blaire to walk down here and have that be the first thing she heard. I liked her to enjoy her breakfast. Speaking about Nan was never a pleasant experience.

“Guess you know that Grant’s been seeing Nan,” Dean said as he whisked the eggs.

I froze. What? Had I just heard him correctly?

“I warned him she was as crazy as her momma and he needed to run like hell. I know she’s your sister and you love her but the girl is poison. Boy like Grant don’t need that. He’s always been a good kid. Hate to see her chew him up and spit him out.”

I still couldn’t find words. Grant and Nan... how the fuck had that happened? If anyone knew how unstable Nan was then it was Grant. He’d grown up watching the shit she’d been handed from my mom and the father who never acknowledged her.

“Grant tried to come talk to her but she ran off with some guy she’d met at a club right in front of him. 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.”