“Oh my god. Poor Amy.” Anna had put her knife and fork down and was staring past his shoulder.
“Yeah. The problem is half the people in CapeFalls think she’s lying about the whole thing. She’s had to deal with some horrible threats. I know the chief has had enough.” David started eating.
“I really don’t get this town at times.”
“She was in the hospital for two weeks. Her folks took care of the little ones until she was fit to care for them herself. She keeps to herself.”
They finished their meal in silence. David knew he’d landed something horrible in her lap.
Afterwards they drank their coffee, and once most of the people had left, David took her back to the car.
“Where do you want to go?” he asked.
“Can I go home? I think I want to get ready for the party tonight and relax.” He nodded and helped her in the car before moving round and getting in himself.
David started up the engine and pulled away from the kerb.
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah. I’m just so shocked. Three years feels like nothing, and yet the town seems different somehow. As if in the last three years it’s taken a more backwards approach to everything,” Anna said.
“Makes you wonder what will happen when a titty bar is started up.” He chuckled at his own joke.
“Or a BDSM club.”
The car swerved as he glanced over the small distance between them.
“Fucking hell, David. Watch the road,” she said.
“What do you know about BDSM clubs?” he asked. David couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. How did Anna know about that kind of action?
“Come on, David. I went away to college, and people learn things. I haven’t visited one. I’ve just heard rumours.”
He waited for a car to pass before joining up on the road. His heart had picked up speed. Fucking hell. He’d heard and even been to a few clubs when he was travelling in his late teen and early twenties. Never had he imagined Anna knowing what the words stood for, let alone knowing clubs existed for an exclusive clientele.
“Out of curiosity, you’re one of the Steer brothers, living in a rather strict town. How did you know what I meant?” she asked. He heard the teasing tone to her voice. The sound did nothing for his equilibrium.
“First, I wasn’t always a good boy, and second, I’m twenty-nine years old, Anna. I’ve lived a little and know quite a few things that I’m sure would shock you,” he said.
Stop f**king taunting her. She’s not yours yet.
“That sounded like a promise more than a threat. What do you have planned for me?” she asked.
Where was the woman who was quiet and didn’t speak her mind? The good girl who’d rather watch television than talk? Anna had changed, and David wasn’t sure if he’d be able to live through all the revelations he was sure would come with time.
He and Paul were up shit creak without a f**king paddle.
****
Paul watched the car pull up. Anna was laughing as she got out of the car, and David was as well. He turned away from the scene and went back to answering his mails. They always had the summer off work and stayed close to home. Over the years the Steer name had built up, so their presence wasn’t always needed.
The yearning inside him was growing. How could he leave Anna alone when his own brother had made his point about staking a claim? He knew it was only a matter of days until Anna either accepted them or declined them.
Could he live with her answer if it turned out to be the latter?
Chapter Four
“Are you going to be nice?” David asked his brother.
“I’m always nice,” Paul said. He poured himself another generous glass of bourbon. Since hearing Anna and David laughing in the house, he knew he needed the courage the alcohol would give him. His brother drove him crazy with his endless questions. He, Paul Steer, could be a nice guy. Okay, he could be a nice guy when he chose. He was just choosing not to be nice. It had been three years since they’d last seen Anna, and she’d come back home yesterday. Her presence felt like a bullet to his gut. She was different from how he remembered. Her hair had grown out. The long ebony colour locks were down to her waist. She wore glasses, and where there was once a freedom with her emotions, now they were closed. When she’d arrived with a placid smile and the calmly voiced hello, instead of her full-on attack of hugs and kisses, Paul had known she’s changed. Within an afternoon and night her entire attitude had changed. Yes, she laughed, but he knew there was still something missing. Anna was different, and he knew without a shadow of a doubt, she was scared of letting go.
He missed her carefree spirit, and he knew he was the one to blame for the lack of it. Over the past three years, she’d gained a little weight and had filled out. Her delicate vulnerability had evolved into a patient and full woman. David had tried to bring her out of her shell. The easy laughter was no longer reflected in her eyes. There was a reserve about her. They’d planned a party for her twenty-third birthday, even though she’d said she didn’t want one last night. If he’d known sooner he would have cancelled everything. Spending time with her without the town present would have been more ideal. He sipped his glass of bourbon and tried to keep his mind and body in check. He needed the drink to help him past the wave of guilt at seeing her again.
“Yeah, right. Anna is home, and you’ve been like a beast in a cage.” Could anyone blame him? The last time he’d seen Anna he’d treated her like shit, and it was not acceptable. Paul thought back to the cause of why Anna had begun to stay in their house. He couldn’t recall – he didn’t want to recall – whose clever idea it had been to have her stay in their house, but he could personally throttle him.
The problem was, Paul had been the one to suggest it. So, short of trying to strangle himself, he’d had to live with the decision. He could threaten all he liked, but to throttle himself was useless. At the age of sixteen, Anna’s parents had died in a plane crash, leaving her alone in the world. Being the closest to family she had, Paul and David Steer had taken it upon themselves to care for the younger woman. To care and then fall in love with the younger woman, nine years their junior. Not a huge age difference, but enough to make Paul uncomfortable. They’d looked after her since she was sixteen, and yes, they hadn’t felt any attraction toward her until she was over the legal age, but it didn’t stop the unease or the stigma in his mind.