Roman-2(Lane Brothers, Book 5)(106)

So yeah, maybe I’d almost swallowed my tongue when the doofuses had started ribbing him about masturbating all night and then when they’d started in about diarrhoea I’d almost cracked and told them I understand a lot more British lingo than they think, but the look on Devon’s face!

Priceless!

“Beck-”

“Oh keep your drawers on boys. I have four brothers and my roommate in college had a potty mouth ten feet deep and crammed with these gems. I don’t have a problem with you guys talking like guys I just don’t want to have to laugh at your brother every time you all think you’re being cute. Now someone go give that man breakfast in bed so I can skedaddle my butt out of here.”

I accept three looks of utter astonishment and bow low when they whistle and shake their heads in awe.

“Blimey, she’s a keeper this one.”

“Aye Ryan, she’ll get all that crap about staying away from love right out of his thick head.”

I don’t understand a word being said between them and even less of the silent looks they keep sharing but I can’t ask now, no matter how curious I am about those cryptic statements. I have shit to do and a small window of time to get them done or the big bad wolf upstairs is gonna come back down before I can make my escape.

“Where you off to then lass?” I hear from Garret and pause at the kitchen door, breathing through the fear I haven’t allowed myself to feel since waking this morning and making my decision.

I don’t want to do this, God, I’ve been avoiding it like the plague ergo my week of shutting myself in and only showering when I absolutely had to drag myself from bed.

But this is not something I have a choice about and I know that the longer I put it off the worse it’ll go for me so I square my shoulders and toss off a cocky grin I don’t feel and probably don’t pull off if their expressions are anything to go by.

“I have to go see a man about a horse. Or donkey as the case may be. See you guys later.”

I drive around for ten minutes, aimless and desperate as the lump of fear and resentment settles low in my belly and creeps its way to my chest, making it tight and hard to breathe. When I think I can safely do what I need to without becoming a screaming wreck I flick on my indicator and swing around, keeping myself from turning back for the second time.

I park and climb from the car, taking deep breaths through my nose and straightening my spine when the door opens and mama yanks me into the hall, her sweet rose scent wrapping around me with her arms and the heat of her maternal love.

“Lordy girl, where have you been? Your daddy’s been having a conniption for days and then Grey called and the man’s been stomping around like a bear with a mangled paw ever since.”

I don’t get a chance to answer when she starts in about the girls at the country club and the bake sale and so many different things it’s a wonder the woman has time to bush her teeth never mind run my dad’s life and poke her nose into the lives of her five children.

“Mama. Mama!” I say louder, checking my watch to see I’ve been here thirty minutes with nothing to show for it but her chatter and obviously nervous looks. “Where’s dad?”

“Becky bear…I, maybe you should come back another day so I can calm-”

“Where is he mama?”

I can do this, no I have to do this, I think, watching my mama’s face flush before draining of colour, her shoulders drooping tiredly. So that’s the way the wind blows huh?

There are a few things I should say about dad. He’s a great father and never hesitated to go to bat for any of us while we were growing up. The man spent as much time with us as humanly possible while still running a company and keeping my mama in check, heck, he came to every one of my meets and recitals till I quit that stuff the year I realized my chubby ass in a leotard was the reason for all the covert laughing from my ‘friends’.

My dad is great, he just doesn’t understand that every one of his kids have plans for their lives that don’t necessarily coincide with his. In short dad is the kind of father who uses guilt and then the threat of being disowned to keep his cubs in line.

I’ve never wanted to disappoint him, hence my miserable existence since I left high school and took up the path he had plotted for me, but since this is my life and I’m already knee deep in the proverbial poo thanks to my foolishness and Devon’s super sperm, I have to do at least one thing for myself, even if it means he’ll kick me to the curb and break my heart.

“In his office, but…please do this another day. He just got through having words with Grey about Logan and then Jet called and-”