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We Were a Family
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
My Father's Best Friend Unwrapped Presents
Lanie“Ring it, Lanie,” Mom encouraged me.Reaching forward, I rang the doorbell of the house half a block away from my parents’. The rest of the caroling group—mostly friends and neighbors of my mom’s, and none of them under fifty—bustled in excitement.Footsteps sounded on the other side of the door, and then it opened, a white-haired man looking at us all in surprise.“One, two,” Mom called out, and all six of us burst into a rendition of Jingle Bells. I mumbled along, hunching down in my jacket and wishing this was all over.I just wanted to go back to my apartment, back to the bathrobe I’d lived in since school got out, and back to all the depression I’d been allowing myself to wallow in.“Sing,” Mom hissed between her teeth, knocking her shoulder against mine.I forced a smile and picked up the tune. The white-haired man was nodding and smiling, enjoying the show enough for the whole neighborhood.“See?” Mom said to me after we wrapped up our three songs and were carefully stepp
My Father's Best Friend Blue Christmas
Lanie“I don’t think it will be okay, Erica. Not this time. Andrew was different.”“I know what you’re saying. He was special. But, hey, if the guy who made you feel the way he did isn’t for you, then just think about what it’ll be like when you do meet the right guy.”“Yeah.” I rubbed my forehead, not in the mood for a pep talk. I was still mourning the relationship. Taking on a chipper attitude was a long way off.A knock on the door made me jump. “Lanie?” Mom called. “Are you in there? Dinner is ready.”“Just a minute,” I answered. I waited until her footsteps receded to address Erica again. “It’s dinner time. I should go.”“Come over here after. We have enough whiskey to get us through the apocalypse.”“Thanks, but I told my mom I’d stay here tonight.”“Okay. Tomorrow?”“Yeah. Um, maybe.”Erica pursed her lips and gave me a knowing look. “Lanie. Don’t stay holed up for too long.”“Okay,” I agreed, not sure I could stay true to my word.Saying goodbye, we hung up, and I joined my p
My Father's Best Friend Stalker
AndrewI drove around the block one more time. And then another.“Shit,” I spat, yanking the wheel and sending my car into Lanie’s parking lot at the last possible second. The car behind me honked, but I ignored it, slowing down and cruising past Lanie’s apartment building.Like a stalker.Because I was still too chicken to call her.It was a day past Christmas, and I hadn’t been able to fix things for Raven as a Christmas present, as she’d requested. Instead, I’d twiddled my thumbs and thought about things and then thought about things some more.I wanted to fix everything I’d fucked up, but where did I begin? No doubt Lanie hated my guts and never wanted to hear from me again. I couldn’t blame her for that.Even if she didn’t hate me, at the best, she was hurt. Nothing I could ever say would fix what I’d done to her. “Sorry” only went so far—especially when you’d hurt a person before.When we’d discovered that my closest friend was also her father, I’d been the one to suggest we tak
My Father's Best Friend Inviting Her Back In
AndrewI kept my phone out as I walked to my car. No more pussyfooting around. It was time to fix what I’d so royally fucked up or at least take the first step toward doing so.With the car idling, I called Lanie before I had time to become more nervous. With each ring, I thought about hanging up, but I stuck with it. This was what I wanted, no matter how much reaching out scared me.“Hello?” Lanie answered, her voice uncertain. At the sound of it, my heart cracked in two. God, I’d missed that voice.“Lanie,” I rasped.“Yeah?”I bit down on my bottom lip. What did I say first? I miss you? I love you? I’m the biggest idiot in the whole wide world?I settled with, “How are you?”“I’m okay. How are you?”The simple question made my mind race. This conversation was even harder than I’d expected it to be, and that was saying a lot.“I’m all right. How was your Christmas?”“Standard.” She paused. “Is everything okay? Is Raven all right?”It warmed my heart to have that be her first real que
My Father's Best Friend Seeing Him Again
LanieStopping at a closed door in the hospital’s main hallway, I checked my reflection. Hair fine. Makeup perfect. The skirt I’d pulled on over leggings just tight enough.I’d done myself up for the occasion, stopping right before getting to the point where it would be obvious I was trying to impress Andrew.Or make him sad. Or jealous of my next boyfriend. Or whatever it was my monkey brain was hoping to accomplish.I didn’t really want to hurt him, even though he’d hurt me, but that sick little part of myself wanted to remind him of what he’d let go.I still didn’t understand it. So he felt he needed to give more time to Raven. Okay, that made sense. But what about after she left home? Was he never going to have a girlfriend again? Had he thought about that at all? Had he considered the possibility of calling me in a year, when he had more time?Well, I’ll have moved on since then, I sourly thought. So if that’s the case, he’ll be out of luck.“Ma’am, excuse me.” The voice made me
My Father's Best Friend Regrets
LanieFace down, Andrew left, the door swinging shut behind him.“What were you really talking about in the hallway?” Raven asked right away.“You.”“Not anything else?”“Um.” I fiddled with a strand of my hair. “How much do you know?”“I know that you look this good for a reason.” She inspected my outfit closer. “It looks like you’re trying to make my dad feel bad for breaking up with you.”“Damn,” I breathed.“And you should.”I blinked over that. “I’m sorry. What?”“Anyone would be upset over what he did. It was a dick move.”I bit my bottom lip, trying not to laugh. I’d never heard Raven cuss this much. “So you know about all of it?” I asked. “He told you why he ended things?”“Yeah, and it’s super dumb,” she huffed. “But he’s confused. Men are, I don’t know, stupid sometimes.”“Your words.” I laughed. “Not mine.”“You told me to be careful around Jason,” she pointed out.“I might have been a little overly cautious there. Hey, he came to see me at school.”“I know. Are you trying
My Father's Best Friend An Apology?
LanieAndrew pushed his fingers through his hair. His pupils dilated as they fell on me, and my heart jumped in that old, familiar way.I would never get over this man. I knew it right then. If we never saw each other again after that day, he would still be on my mind for the rest of my life.“How so?” I asked, needing him to say it, needing him to be specific.Andrew gulped. “With you. I ended things because I thought it would be best for everyone.”“You thought it would be best for me?”“Not right away, but eventually, yes.”I worked my clenched teeth loose. “Andrew, the thing that was right for me was you and Raven, and you threw that away.”“I know I did.”“So what’s different now?”His shoulders tensed. “I realized I made the wrong decision.”“Because Raven told you that,” I stated, evenly staring back at him. So this was still all about Raven and not about us at all. Andrew had decided to try and get me back because that’s what his daughter wanted, not because that’s what he wa
My Father's Best Friend Blowing It
AndrewSaxton called just as I stepped into the elevator.“Hello?” I answered.“Is that your car I see in the lot next to your office building?”I grimaced. “The valet is supposed to park it in an inconspicuous spot. I don’t want everyone knowing I’m in the office.”He barked with laughter. “Well, it’s far from that. I spotted it just driving by. So what’s happening? You said you were taking weeks off.”“I am.” The elevator door opened on the fourth floor, and a young man stepped inside. He gave me a curious look, probably wondering if it was really his boss in the elevator, before averting his gaze.“I stopped in to check on a few things,” I told Saxton.“And Raven?”“Doing great. Somewhat.”The elevator reached the main floor, and I exited into the lobby, heading straight for the front doors.“Wait.” Alarm entered Saxton’s voice. “She’s not—”“She’s fine, physically speaking.”“What’s going on?”I sighed, dodging foot traffic as I showed up at the valet. “A lot. Where are you?” I sc
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My Father's Best Friend Nine Months Later
Andrew“How are you doing?” I rubbed Lanie’s shoulder, feeling silly for asking the question.She huffed out a breath, looking out the window instead of at me.I nodded. Right, then.What was it I learned in that maternity class we took? For the life of me, I couldn’t remember one thing. My pulse was racing a million miles an hour, and all my nerves were bunching up in my stomach.Lanie exhaled again, long and low, as she had another contraction.The door opened, and the doctor strode into the room with a big smile. “Let’s check you out,” she said.Lanie just pressed her lips tight together and nodded, her face growing red.“You’re doing great, honey,” I told her.She smiled up at me, but I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. She was ready for this to be over with.Taking her hand, I held it tight as the doctor checked her dilation.“Ten centimeters,” she announced. “We’re ready to push.”“Thank god,” Lanie gasped. She gritted her teeth and squeezed my hand so tight, I thought it wa
My Father's Best Friend The Honeymoon
LanieI whisked the curtains open, taking in the white beach and the sparkling blue water. Palm trees and other foliage covered the far side of the bay. A few people surfed, but other than that, the area was empty.“Oh my god,” I breathed. “It’s beautiful.”Andrew’s strong arms wrapped around me from behind. “Yeah?” he murmured, laying a kiss on the side of my neck.We’d gotten to the resort after dark the night before, and all I’d really gotten to see were the patios and the lobby. I’d pored over the brochure, though, listing all the things I wanted to do.“I can’t believe we’re here for a whole week.” I rested my arms against Andrew’s.“What do you want to do today?”“Mm.” I leaned against him, thinking about it some. “Sunbathe? Take a surfing lesson? I dunno. What do you want to do?”“Spend time with you.”I spun around to face him. “I like that answer.”A knock on the door made me look over his shoulder. “It’s so early. Who is that?”Andrew shrugged but couldn’t hide the knowing l
My Father's Best Friend Mine Forever
AndrewThe door of the old house opened, and Erica came out first. She smiled at everyone over her bouquet, and a low whistle came from somewhere in the crowd.“Inappropriate,” Saxton dramatically gasped under his breath. For a moment, my nerves loosened, and I almost laughed—but Raven was coming out the door then.She wore a blue dress like Erica, just cut in a different way, with the skirt longer and no sleeves. Smiling wide, she made her way down the aisle. She walked with the slightest limp, one that might have been unnoticeable if you weren’t paying attention. It was the one leftover symptom from the car wreck, something that would likely be with her for the rest of her life, as she’d broken her leg so badly.The limp didn’t get her down, though. Overall, she’d been positive about the whole thing. Now, as she reached the end of the aisle, she looked my way and absolutely glowed.Love and pride filled my heart. Our relationship had gone through some tough times, but the last six m
My Father's Best Friend It's Really Happening
Andrew3 Months Later – The Wedding“Your tie looks fine,” Bob told me.“Huh?” I dragged my gaze away from the line of trees ringing the field. “What’s that?”“You were messing with your tie again.” Bob grinned. “You ever wore one of those before?”I frowned. “Almost every day.”Bob clapped me on the back. “I was kidding, Andrew. Relax.”I took in a long breath. “Sorry.”All around us, wedding guests chatted and catering staff hurried to and from. The day was amazing, a balmy June morning. The venue Raven and Lanie had discovered couldn’t be more perfect. What was once a mansion on the outskirts of the city had been turned into a preserve complete with hiking trails and a covered area for events.“Were you this nervous?” I asked, looking Bob over.I expected him to answer in the negative—Bob was just that confident about everything. I’d only asked because I needed to keep myself busy somehow. If I didn’t spend the last fifteen minutes before my wedding talking, I’d probably die of anx
My Father's Best Friend I Want to Feel You
LanieLast night, he’d pulled out every time and played it safe. I knew we were taking baby steps. Going from using a condom every time to suddenly doing away with them was a leap. But I was on birth control, which I’d told him, and immediate pregnancy was extremely unlikely. I just wanted to know what it felt like to have his come fill me up.“Please baby,” I moaned. “I want to feel you.”Andrew groaned above me, and his hands tightened on my ass. I was doing him over with this talk, and I knew it. He loved it. And he probably wanted the same thing I did. So I encouraged him again by looking over my shoulder and looking him in the eye as he fucked me.“Andrew,” I purred. “Fuck me until you come inside me. Please.”And he did. He bucked wildly against me, and I came as he shot his warm silky load inside me. It was what I had needed. A closeness that we’d never experienced before. He was bent over me and kissing my spine and my shoulder blades as his orgasm ebbed away and my body thrum
My Father's Best Friend Not Messing Around
LanieI woke up in the morning with Andrew’s hand on my hip. I was lying on my side, and he was behind me. I could feel his cock pressed against the small of my back. His breath was on my neck, and his closeness turned me on immediately.I was always horny in the morning, and waking up next to him was intoxicating.It was early. The room wasn’t as bright as it would be at say, seven or so in the morning. It must have been earlier, maybe six, possibly just after five. But we were both awake, and I wanted to take advantage of it before I had to leave for work at eight thirty.My life had somehow mended itself. Erica’s weekend getaway had helped, and so had Andrew’s willingness to take a good hard look at himself in the mirror and figure out what he wanted and whether or not he was willing to do what it took to get it. He shifted against me and yawned deeply.“Morning,” I whispered.His hand moved around my hip to my belly, and he pulled me in closer to him. His cock shifted between my a
My Father's Best Friend With Whipped Cream
AndrewHow had it taken me so long to figure out that this was what I needed? I hadn’t felt this good in years, or maybe even a decade, to be honest. Hell, maybe longer. My career had consumed my life. I’d nearly let it destroy my relationship with my daughter. Had it not been for Lanie, my life would have already imploded. Not only did she rescue the crumbling relationship with the person I loved most in this world, but she also showed me support and kindness and softness.“You’re a lucky bastard.” I smiled to myself as I rolled out of my chair and made for the kitchen.I chopped up some strawberries and tossed them on a bed of whipped cream. I added a sprinkle of icing sugar and some chocolate drizzle and left it in the fridge so that the whipped cream wouldn’t melt by the time Lanie came back down.I waited, much too nervous to do anything but pace the kitchen floor for a whole thirty-five minutes before Lanie appeared in the kitchen doorway. She was wearing a smile that eased my n
My Father's Best Friend Lucky to Have Her
AndrewWhen I told Lanie that Raven was home, it took a lot of effort for us to cool down. We were all giggles and flirting as we went to the kitchen and each got a glass of water. Then we went out back to the patio and sat in the sun. Lanie kicked off her sandals, rested her feet in my lap, and let the sun kiss her bare legs. I ran my hands up and down them as she told me all about her weekend with Erica.“It really was beautiful there,” Lanie said. “We should go some time. You’d love the hot springs. I can only imagine how stunning it would be in the winter. And cold.”“I’ll take you whenever you want to go.”“I’ll tell you when I start to get the itch again.”“Good. What else is new? Tell me.”Lanie shrugged and sipped her water. “Besides getting totally pampered all weekend? Not much. I had some good chats with Erica, though, and I was able to sort through some things that were taking up too much space in my mind. Things about us.”“Oh?”“We need to be better at communicating,” sh
My Father's Best Friend Has He Lost His Mind?
Lanie“Lunch on the corner. I saw you guys walk by and had to come after you.” He ran his hand up my hip to rest it on my waist. “Lanie, I have to apologize. I’m sorry for all this shit the last few weeks. I’ve been an ass. I want to make this work. Really. I want to be with you.”I thought I might start crying. Again. But I held on to my emotions and smiled instead. “I want that too. So badly.”He kissed me again. My heart raced and tried to fly out of my chest.He broke away and threw his arm out to flag down a passing cab. We both piled into the back seat, and he told the driver his address. Then he pulled me into his lap, pushed my skirt up so he could rest his hands on my bare thighs, and crushed his mouth against mine.“What about your car?” I asked him and pressed against him tightly.“Fuck it. I’ll get it later.” He slipped his hands into my hair and pulled me down for another long round of kisses.I clung to him and didn’t care that there was someone in the car with us. He wa
