SCORE (A Stepbrother Sports Romance)(30)

“What’s the news, pumpkin?” my dad asked expectantly.

“I know this is probably a little strange for you to hear, and I know this isn’t what you intended when you got married, but…” I trailed off, unsure of the correct phrasing.

“Alyssa and I are in love,” Blake finished for me, and I held my breath as I watched their reaction.

After a moment of silence and an exchange of looks between them, Debbie asked, “What do you mean, you’re in love?”

“Just like it sounds, Mom. I love her, and she loves me,” Blake answered, looking from one to the other. He took my hand and held it on the table.

“Alyssa?” my dad asked, his confused expression almost comical.

“Dad, I love him. I’m sorry it happened this way, but it did.”

The two of them looked at each other again. My father rose, took his wife’s hand and said, “Would you two excuse us for a minute?” They walked out of the restaurant.

“Oh, my God, are they leaving?” I hissed, shocked.

Blake chuckled. “No. They’re right by the door, discussing. I think it’s going to be okay.”

I wasn’t so sure until they returned, smiling. Debbie reached across and put her hand on top of our clasped ones. “All we want is your happiness. If this is what you both want, we’ll accept it. You’ll just have to give us some adjustment time, of course.”

“You’re not mad at us?” I asked.

“I’m not,” she said, smiling at me and turning to my dad. I was almost sure Dad would curse and swear, but to my surprise, he was calm.

“Dad?” I asked, looking hopefully at him.

His face was stern. He wasn’t mad, but he wasn’t happy, either. “We love you both, and you’re adults. I trust you know exactly what you want. I don’t like it, but I’m not going to stop you, either.”

“Mom?” Blake turned to Debbie. “This is okay with you?”

“Son, it’s not exactly what we expected to hear from you guys today, but you love each other, and that’s important. We won’t stand in the way of love.”

Blake and I looked at each other for a few seconds. I didn’t know what to do or say, but the look of confidence in Blake’s eyes told me all I needed to know—everything would be fine. I beamed at Blake and shyly drew closer to him, but not without looking at our parents. They were pretending to be engrossed in each other. I kissed Blake quickly, finding relief in knowing that I could finally love him. The kiss was short and sweet, but it was filled with the promise of sweet beginnings and a road not yet traveled.





(BONUS BOOK #1)

CHANCE

(A Stepbrother

Romance)





By





Mia Carson





COPYRIGHT ? 2016

All Rights Reserved





CHAPTER 1


Claire got out of the cab and looked in horror as Trent, her fiancé, held a woman in his arms and kissed her lovingly on the lips in front of his house. She wanted to run or close her eyes and pretend the man she had been dating since after high school, for three years, was not kissing another woman the day before their wedding. But even the darkness that would come if she closed her eyes was insufficient to rid her confused mind of the event unfolding in front of her.

He stroked the woman’s face and spoke soothingly to her; he was so engrossed in their conversation that he didn’t see Claire until she had seen too much. By the time he did see her, her cheeks were drenched with tears. She remained motionless as he ran towards her.

“Claire, this isn’t...”

She looked up at him, feeling like a zombie. She felt nothing, heard nothing, saw nothing except the woman who stood uncomfortably a few feet away from them.

“Look, I can explain,” he told her. But there was nothing he could say to make the situation right.

“I wanted to see you one last time before tomorrow,” she said as the tears poured down. “I’m such an idiot.”

“Claire,” he said softly, his eyes pleading with her. “I never meant for this...”

“You’re fucked up, Trent, and you know it. Just fucking leave me alone!” she said as she walked away.

“Claire!” he called after her, but she didn’t stop. “Let me at least give you a ride home.”

“Fuck off,” Claire said, just as she stumbled into an older man on the pavement, but he caught her as she did.

“You okay, ma’am?” the man asked. “Can I help you?”

“I just need a cab,” she sobbed. “Please just get me out of here.”

“This way,” he said as he led her to the yellow and black checkered cab around the corner.

She composed herself long enough to give him her address, but try as she might, she could not get the image of Trent kissing another woman in public out of her mind.

“We’re here,” the cabbie announced a few minutes later as he pulled up to her driveway.

She looked around as if scared. She rummaged in her bag in search of her wallet. “Hang on,” she said as she moved the items in her bag.

“It’s on me,” he told her. “Don’t worry about it.”