Page 5 of Beautiful Desire (Blossom Beach #3)
“Why are you always so bitchy?” he asks, but I don’t bother with a response as I make my way across the yard, toward the back, where my dad has their RV set up.
They’ve been living in this damn thing for the last five months while their house is being remodeled.
I truly cannot fathom living in such close quarters with another human being for that long.
Sitting in a couple of lawn chairs under a huge umbrella attached to the table in front of the RV, my dad and his wife sip on what looks to be sweet tea while they’re lost in conversation with one another. Clearing my throat, they both turn their heads, smiles curving their lips when they spot us.
“Well, what a nice surprise,” Denise says, setting her glass on the table as she gets up and walks over to her son, pulling him in for a hug. “Did you just get in town, dear?”
“Why the hell is Fletcher under the impression that he’s staying with me?” I blurt out, not bothering to keep the annoyance out of my tone.
“Oh, crap.” Denise glances over at me, hands coming up to her face as she winces. “I’m so sorry, honey. Things have been so hectic this week with the pipes bursting, it completely slipped my mind to give you a call last night after talking to Fletcher.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.” I cross my arms over my chest as my gaze bounces between her and my dad.
My dad pulls their dog onto his lap, running a hand lovingly down her back before glancing over at me and saying, “Honey, Fletcher needs to stay with you while we get this remodel back on track.”
It’s not a question or a suggestion. It’s what they’ve decided to be the plan, all without saying a word to me about it, and it pisses me the fuck off.
“Why?” I bark. “I’m sorry about the setback, but why is any of this suddenly my problem? And why wasn’t I consulted about any of this, when it’s my house and personal space being offered up?”
“Georgie, as Denise said, it wasn’t intentional.” My dad sighs, as if I’m being unreasonable. “It was a simple slip of the mind, that’s all. This is a temporary arrangement, and it’s not like you don’t have the space, so what’s the big deal?”
My jaw pops as I grind down on my molars, dragging in a deep breath through my nose before exhaling through my mouth, finding the self-control in me to not lose my shit on my father right now.
Everything about what he just said is incredibly insensitive, and even though I know he doesn’t mean it that way, it doesn’t make it any less infuriating.
“Did you ask Gemma, Grace, or Graham if they could lend a spare bed for Fletcher to occupy?” Somehow, I already know the answer.
My dad glances over at his wife, and they share a look before she turns her attention to me, and says, “No, honey, we didn’t.” Her eyes soften as they continue. “I know this isn’t ideal, and we wouldn’t ask if we had any other option.”
“Nobody asked,” I cut her off. “This entire decision was made for me, without me, and I was an afterthought. Sure, I have the space in my house, but so do my sisters, so does my brother. In fact, Gemma and Graham both just bought new, larger homes. Yet, it’s me having to open up my space, and without even asking.
Y’all are just expecting me to do it, and I want to know why. ”
I know why; it’s the same reason why my father has always volunteered me for shit without bothering to get my opinion or feelings on it, but I want to hear them say it. The air is tense as silence hangs between us, because my dad knows how I feel about this.
“Come on, Dad,” I push, gesturing a hand in front of me.
“Why was I the first and only option in this little predicament of yours? Why am I the one expected to let him live with me, eat my food, and leave his stuff all over my house, when I can almost bet he won’t be helping out with anything.
Why my house, and not one of your other three capable children? ”
Still petting the dog, he glances down at her, breathing out a sigh before fixing his gaze on me again.
“Georgie, you know Gemma has Sutton and Rosie,” he offers, keeping his voice even and gentle.
“They’ve got their hands full. Grace’s house is a three-bedroom, and you know Beau and Blakely have their own rooms, so unless Fletcher took the couch, she doesn’t have the space.
“And there’s no way I’m sleeping on a couch every night,” Fletcher chimes in, somehow pissing me off even more than I already am, which is quite a feat.
“God forbid, the spoiled rich boy has to do anything outside of his comfort zone,” I mutter, rolling my eyes.
My dad scoffs. “Georgia, that’s enough. All I was getting at is, Grace doesn’t have the space for a guest, and your brother and sister-in-law just had their first child. It’s going to be an adjustment for them, and they deserve some privacy as they find their footings as new parents.”
“Let me make sure I’m hearing this correctly,” I mutter, blood whooshing in my ears and the vein in my neck throbbing. “Since I’m the only child-free one, this falls on me. Is that right?”
“Not because you’re child-free, honey.” My father heaves another sigh, lips pursed, as if me being upset about this is unwarranted.
Like I’m being selfish and unreasonable.
“Fletcher’s about to enter the final year of his program, and with that, he’s going to need a quiet place to study.
Your house simply makes the most sense, Georgie. ”
“Because I don’t have children running around,” I grit out, annoyance flaring in my chest.
Denise stands up and walks over to me, placing her hand on my shoulder as she looks me in the eye, no doubt trying to reason with me.
“Georgia, we know this is last minute and a huge ask, and we one hundred percent should’ve discussed it with you before anything was decided, and for that, I’m so, so sorry.
It honestly slipped my mind. Can you do this favor for us, please, honey?
It would help your father and I out a great deal, and it really shouldn’t be that long.
I’m hoping the remodel can get back on track quickly. ”
My left eye twitches, and everything inside me is screaming at me to tell them no, that it’s not my problem, but I won’t do that. I can’t.
“Fine,” I mutter. “Not like y’all gave me much of a choice.”
No matter how pissed off I am about this, no matter how inconvenient it’s going to be to share my house with this entitled, man-child, brat of a human, and no matter how much I love my privacy and space, family helps one another out.
It’s been something my parents have drilled into mine and my siblings’ heads since we were little.
And lord knows, my dad and stepmom have been there for me a time or two, when I’m sure it wasn’t the most convenient for them.
Family is there for one another, no matter what. It’s what we live by.
Giving me a tight hug, my stepmom whispers in my ear, “Have I told you lately you’re my favorite?” She pulls back and cups my cheeks in her warm, soft hands, a wide grin brightening her face.
Even though I smile back, I can’t help but grumble, “Doesn’t mean I’m happy about any of this.”
After Fletcher hugs his mom, we walk back to my car, but the fucking prick beats me there, sliding in the passenger seat before I have a chance to force him in the back again. He tosses the boxes haphazardly on the seat behind him.
He’s a literal fucking child.
I roll my eyes, climbing behind the wheel as I start the car. “This is only temporary,” I grit out, slicing my gaze in his direction. “And there will be rules.”
“Yeah, yeah. Relax, Georgie,” he drawls, the nickname my family calls me spoken in a mocking, high-pitch tone. The cocky, pleased-with-himself smirk on his face is infuriating. “I don’t know what you’re so worked up about anyway. I’m fucking pleasant to live with. You should be thanking me.”
“Doubtful,” I huff out.
Back to the bookstore, I give Fletcher the key to my house—albeit begrudgingly—and make a mental note to get a new one made sometime this week after work before heading inside.
As soon as I drop my purse off in my office, I pull out my phone and send a long, bitchy text to Alden, telling him that his son living with me was never part of our agreement, and he needs to come up with a plan B quickly.
His response comes not even two minutes later, and it’s every bit as arrogant and douchey as I knew it would be.
Alden: There will be no plan B, Georgia. If you want to keep your bookstore, you’ll do it.
Like father, like son.
Fuck my life.