Stepbrother Charming(25)

I'm not sure how to feel about being babied like this either. Not gonna lie – after last night, it's kind of nice, seeing how I'm feeling like crap and I'm still a hot, sticky mess after listening to my step-brother and his girl.

The shower feels good. It's cool, rejuvenating. I scrub the fancy body wash and salts into my skin. For a few glorious seconds, I almost think it'll let me help wash away last night's shameful eavesdropping.

Upstairs, there's a nice spread of food left by the housekeeper, Joan. I eat a bagel and some fruit, making small talk with Mom. When it's time to go, I grab my keys, my purse, make sure I've got my phone, and then I'm out in the huge garage.

That's when I'm hit right between the eyes by another surprise. My car is gone.

I spin around and almost run smack into my mother. “Jesus, Mom, you're never going to believe this.”

Mom gently pushes me back outside and follows me, setting a hand on my shoulder. “What? That you've got a hot new ride to go with the job?”

No fucking way.

The shiny new hybrid sedan sitting in the space where my beater was parked is worlds away from anything I expected to drive in the next five or ten years. My knees don't want to work as I walk up to it and get a good look.

It's the sexy, polished kinda vehicle you'd expect a billionaire's daughter to drive. Bitter shock forms a lump in my throat. I think I'm going to be sick, keel over and hit the floor, if my goddamned heart won't stop racing.

“Well? Do you like it, Claire?” Mom's right behind me, whispering excitedly in my ear. “Gary sends his compliments.”

I spin around and we lock eyes. Her smile melts a little when she sees the crazed expression no doubt plastered to my face. “Gary? This was him? You...you shouldn't have done this.”#p#分页标题#e#

“Nonsense. I thought it was a wonderful idea. If you want people to respect you, dear, you need to go to work in something that says you've already taken a piece out of this world.” She holds up a small Washington keychain with a couple keys and a remote attached. “Here's the keys. Catch!”

My hand darts out just in time to keep it from slamming on the hard cement. I'm still standing there in my best business blouse and pants, acting like an indecisive moron.

“Claire?”

“Mom, it's just...it's so fucking weird.”

She gives me a stern look. “Language. You'd better watch that before you get to the office. Now, honey, we both meant to surprise you. That's part of the fun. But if it's going to interfere with your performance, I can drive you myself...”

“No. I'll take it. I just don't like the idea of owing this guy you married anything.”

Mom belts out a sarcastic laugh. “Oh, Claire. He's not buying your loyalty. He's not buying anything except a better future for his new daughter. Baby, this is pocket change for him, no different than you or I buying a bottle of nice wine. He's done you a favor. Don't worry that it took a lot out of us or anything like that. If we can easily build a better life for ourselves, our whole family, why shouldn't we?”

I don't have a good answer.

That's it, then. This is the new normal. Staring me in the face with its shiny coat of paint and souped-up leather interior.

“Mom...” I don't even know what to say except the obvious. “Thanks.”

“You're welcome, honey!” she leans in, giving me a tight squeeze. “Gary will be home tonight. You can thank him later. I want you to stop worrying or feeling guilty about this, baby. You drive down there and blow them all away. If you start to impress them today, you'll own anything you want tomorrow.”

Wow. I haven't seen Mom in full “inspire me” campaign mode since her last re-election, but today, she's beaming. Full of wisdom I'd brush off as rhetoric if there were anyone here besides me she were trying to impress.

We exchange one more smile and then I'm in the unfamiliar car, backing down the driveway. The newness smells so amazing. It's clean, pure, a good match for everything else in this strange new life. Everything except the asshole I can't stop thinking about.

I crank the car's satellite radio high as soon as I'm past the guard shack. The station plays some of my favorite rock songs, a welcome distraction that helps keep Ty out of my brain on the forty minute drive to the Cascades Now! headquarters.

It's near Arlington, a little ways north of Everett and Seattle, south of Bellingham. It's nice not having to fight the city traffic driving up from our old place in Tacoma. Yet another reason to love the new house, as weird as it is.

The office doesn't look like anything special. It's simple, small, about what I'd expect for an environmental lobby. I step out of the car and fumble with the remote, making sure the new car's locked.