Raising the Bar (14 page)

“The bastard waited, bided his time, then pounced.” Gage grinned. “Smart guy.”

“Yeah, well, maybe that’s what’s been so hard.” Dylan seemed to be talking to himself. Reasoning it out. “Mom healed herself. She found love, and she grabbed on to it. And now she doesn’t need me so much anymore.”

“That’s stupid.” Derrick poked Dylan in the chest.

“Ow.”

Gage frowned. “If that hurt, you really should start working out. I mean, that’s Derrick poking you.”

“Shut up, baby.” Derrick flipped him off.

“Asshole.”

“My point,” Derrick emphasized, “is that Mom wants you with her. She asked you to join her firm.”

“Practice,” Dylan corrected.

“Whatever. She trusts you enough to link your names together professionally. And you know how anal retentive she is about work.”

“Amen to that,” Gage said.

“Yes, but that’s a professional decision, not a personal one.”

“Bullshit.”

She wanted to go in there and hug Derrick for saying what she hadn’t—and that was her burden to bear. But, honestly, Dylan kept secrets so close to his chest. She’d never realized he might feel so responsible for her. But she should have known.
Oh, and now I’m thinking like my idiot son, taking on guilt for things I couldn’t control.

Derrick continued riding Dylan. “Mom loves you. You’re her favorite.”

“I am not.”

“Yeah, you are,” Gage retorted. “Well, only in certain instances. Like the head-shrink crap.”

“Okay, maybe
favorite
is the wrong word.” Derrick shrugged. “But you guys have so much in common. You talk all the time on the phone. A grown man and his mother. And you’re not some stupid momma’s boy, I know. You guys actually like each other. I just don’t get why you can’t tell her this.”

“Because I feel stupid. I should have worked through this already.”

“Dude, just because you’re a therapist doesn’t mean you know everything.” Gage snorted. “You really do have a massive ego, don’t you?”

Dylan told Gage to do something anatomically impossible, to which Gage only laughed.

“Well, genius brother of mine, let me take it one step farther,” Derrick said.

“That’s
further
.” Dylan raised a brow, but a corner of his mouth had quirked up.

Derrick talked over him. “Gage is engaged to Hailey. I’m with Sydney—”

“You mean she’s stuck with you,” Dylan interrupted. “Poor woman.”

“Let him finish, Dr. Dork.” Gage slapped him in the back of the head and Dylan put him in a headlock.

Derrick continued as if the pair weren’t in danger of knocking Barbara’s favorite vase off the counter as they wrestled. But she stopped herself from going inside, needing her son to finish his point. She admitted she was impressed. Derrick had to have been listening to her all those years he pretended to disdain therapy. He was
good
. “—and now Mom has James. You’re all left out.”

Dylan stopped moving, and Gage twisted out of his hold and punched him in the gut.

“Damn it.” Dylan glared at Gage, but his features eased as he stared at his twin. “My God. You’re actually pretty good at this.”

“Well, thank Sydney. She’s fucked up about her mother, and it takes a lot of work to keep on top of that redhead, let me tell you.”

They all grinned. They loved Sydney, but her mother annoyed the piss out of them all. Barbara included.

“So you think that everyone finding love and moving on is making me confront my own past guilt and feelings of responsibility toward Mom?”

“Um, yeah. That’s what I just said.” Derrick scratched his head. “I think.”

Dylan sighed. “I have to agree. I keep telling myself to accept her moving on. And hell, next month it’ll have been eleven years. I don’t want her living like a nun. But none of the others measured up to Dad. And I think…” he scrubbed his face, “…I think James does.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was saying.” Derrick nodded. “So I’m right. You’re lonely, desperate and acting out like a friggin’ four-year-old. Grow the fuck up and deal. How’s that for advice?”

Expecting Dylan to go for Derrick’s jugular, Barbara put a hand on the door. But Dylan shocked her by laughing.

“Okay. I’ll take your advice.” He included Gage in his mirth. “Just promise me you won’t try your hand at psychiatry. I don’t think I could handle the competition.”

Derrick preened. “Why thank you, Dr. Dork. Now tell me. You need help getting laid? Because maybe that will get your ass out of Mom’s business.”

“Oh my Lord. Derrick Warren. Watch that mouth.”

Dylan and his brothers started as their mother pushed through the kitchen door wearing a huge frown.

“Ha! For once she didn’t catch
me
saying it.” Dylan high-fived Gage, and the pair of them gave Derrick wicked grins when he flushed bright red.

“Oh, ah, hey, Mom. You’re back early.” He took the bag from her and hurried to the counter with it.

She rubbed her hands together. “Well, I see you’ve done absolutely nothing while I was gone.” She sighed. “Guess I’ll get the eggs and bacon on.” She moved to Dylan and kissed him on the cheek as if they hadn’t been distant from one another at all. “Good to see you, Dylan.”

“You too, Mom,” he said softly, meaning it. “So where is James?” She remained quiet, and he groaned. “He’s not here because I’m an ass, is that it?”

“Truth hurts.” Gage shook his head.

“Well, he thought it might be nice if just the four of us spent some time together. We’re always being tugged this way and that with our new families, and I miss having my boys to myself.”

Derrick’s eyes narrowed. “Did you say something to Sydney and Hailey about this?”

She shrugged. “When Hailey suggested she might skip our breakfast today, I merely mentioned she might want to take Sydney as well, to give me a chance to reconnect with my boys. I also might have used you as an excuse, Dylan. You have been difficult lately.”

“Great.”
Now I’m the pathetic loser who can’t adjust to Mommy getting a boyfriend. And, oh man, I deserve it.

“I told her you were having a hard time with me and James. But that’s not the case anymore is it?” She beamed at him, and he had the uneasy feeling she’d overheard them. Then she added, “Because after our meeting in your office, you assured me that’s no longer an issue. Is it?”

The whole kitchen seemed to come to a standstill.

Dylan knew he had to let go—of the guilt, the selfish need, and, most importantly, the hurt that his mother might choose another over his father. The living needed to love, not wallow in memories of the dead. Sure she’d always care for his father. But Andrew couldn’t hold her or hug her or kiss her. Not here, not now.

“No, Mom. I’m glad you’re happy. James is a good man.” He didn’t like the glossy sheen in her eyes, or the sudden burning behind his own. So he coughed and slapped Derrick on the back of the head.

“What the hell, man?”

“I just wanted to show how I’d express my disdain for someone not worthy of Mom’s affection. I’d never do that to James, even if he does hate the Bears.”

Derrick started to go for his throat when their mother made a hum of disapproval. They separated as if scalded by hot water.

“Excellent. Everyone’s happy. My boys are in love…” She took the eggs and bacon from the refrigerator and tossed the bag of coffee beans to Dylan. “Let me rephrase that. Gage is engaged. Derrick is working on proposing to Sydney. And Dylan…where are you right now? In a relationship?”

“Boy, girl or other?” Gage taunted.

“Don’t tease our bisexually minded brother, Gage,” Derrick said with a huge amount of insincerity. “It’s not about gender, it’s all about the person inside,” he said, quoting one of the many instances Dylan had set him straight.

“Derrick, behave.” Their mother tried hard not to laugh.

“
Et tu
, Barbara?” Dylan tried to project pain into his voice. But thoughts of his partners had him smiling.

“Oh man. Bro is getting some.” Gage stared, wide-eyed. Then, realizing what he’d said, he amended, “Er, ah, I mean, Dylan’s dating, apparently.”

“Girl or boy?” Derrick just had to know. The idiot thought it funny to poke fun at Dylan’s lifestyle. Since he only did it out of brotherly love, Dylan didn’t much mind. But it would be fun to really throw him a curve.

“Both.”

Everyone tried to laugh it off while he ground beans and prepared the coffee. While it brewed, he leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest, wondering what they might think if they knew the truth. A truth he had no intention of hiding.

Derrick was the first to realize Dylan wasn’t kidding. “Oh. My. God.”

“Wait a minute.” Gage frowned, staring from Derrick to Dylan. “Both meaning…
both
?”

They all turned to see Barbara gaping.

“Problem, Mother?” Dylan smirked.

“N-no problem.” She cleared her throat, blushed, and then narrowed her gaze. “Are you screwing with us?”

“Sounds to me like he’s screwing with an
us
, but it ain’t,
us
us.” Gage shook his head.

“Oh yeah, that made sense.” Derrick huffed. “So. Who is it?”

“You really want to know?” Dylan asked.

“I do.” Barbara nodded emphatically. “And just to be clear, is this some way of getting back at me and James? An immature way of responding to a relationship you don’t approve of by trying to find one I’ll object to?”

“Do you object?” Dylan was curious.

His mother’s smirk reminded him of his own. He really did take after her. “Not at all. Love is an emotion to be shared, regardless of gender or number. So long as everyone is accepting and legally of age.”

“So telling you I’ve fallen in love with Hailey’s niece and the neighbor’s sixteen-year-old babysitter would be wrong?”

“Holy shit.” Derrick gaped.

“Jesus, Derrick. Be a little more gullible, why don’t you.” Gage chuckled. “Good one, Dylan. Hailey doesn’t have a niece.”

Derrick scowled. “You may be handsome, but you’re not funny.”

“And yet I retain my intellect and superiority over my
younger
brothers.” It annoyed the crap out of Derrick when Dylan reminded him of their two-minute difference in age. Stupid, but he’d take what he could get. “How upsetting that must be, to always linger in my shadow.”

Gage and Barbara laughed at that, as Derrick grudgingly acknowledged Dylan’s sally.

They ate breakfast together, and Dylan felt as if nothing had changed while everything had changed. Gage was no longer the uncouth jock who couldn’t deal with women. Derrick had matured enough emotionally to fall for a female his equal, one who had more going for her than a nice body. And his mother had moved beyond her grief and safe little world to find love with a man who’d always been there for her.

Dylan, oddly enough, realized he’d been the last to come to the table. He, a therapist who had helped many see the error in their ways, had been blind to his own discontent and the reasons behind it.

The meal wound down. Gage left to pick up Hailey, since her car was in the shop. An excuse to be with her, since her friends could have driven her home, but the family let it pass. It was nice to see him so in love with a woman Dylan approved of.

Just as Derrick made his excuse to leave, Dylan decided to have a little fun with him.

“You know, when you asked me if I was dating earlier, I wasn’t lying.”

Derrick stared at him. Barbara continued to sip her coffee and wait.

“You don’t mean…” Derrick tapered off.

“Yep. Both.” Dylan grinned and held out his cup toward his mother. “More coffee, Mom?”

Chapter Eight

Derrick just watched him.

Dylan smiled. “Their names are Harper and Freddy.”

Derrick’s eyes grew wider. “Two dudes?”

“No. Freddy’s a girl. A beautiful woman.” Dylan sighed. He hoped she and Harper hadn’t been too upset with him for ditching them this morning. But he’d been late for breakfast, and he’d needed to settle the disquiet inside him for too long.

“Wait.” Derrick sounded strangled. “You said Harper.
My
Harper?”

Barbara gasped. “Derrick? Is there something you want to tell me?”

Apparently comprehending how possessive he’d sounded, Derrick stuttered a denial while Dylan nearly fell off his stool laughing. It took the slamming of a door to calm him down.

“Wh-where did he go?” He had to wipe tears from his eyes.
My Harper.
He couldn’t wait to tell Harper and Freddy about this.

“He’s in the bathroom,” his mother said wryly. “He said you made him sick. Now, care to explain?”

Dylan calmed down and sat across from her, comforted by the familiar. Despite all that had changed in their lives, he felt secure, sitting across from his mother at the kitchen island, discussing life and the foibles that came with living.

“I met Harper thanks to Derrick.” He grinned, not quite wanting to share the particulars with her. “Needless to say, the two knew each other before I came into the picture. But not the way you might be thinking. They were associates, working together because of WCC.” The construction company.