Bending the Rules

Chapter Ten

I miss him so much. Nat sat with her sister and brothers, still not sure how she hadn’t killed any of them yet. At least Beth made her visit pleasant. Beth and Julie had been happily married for two years now, together for a total of ten. And Beth had recently announced they were expecting a baby in nine months.

I’m going to be an aunt.

Yet that excitement couldn’t make up for the fact she missed Rex like crazy. It was all she could do not to call him five times a day to share funny stories about her family or bitch about her brothers. Instead she made do with a text now and again. No more than twice a day. Her rule.

She sat drinking coffee and shook her head at her oldest brother’s latest news. “James, really? Another girlfriend gone?”

He frowned. He and Aaron had descended on Beth unannounced, no calls ahead of time or even asking to stay. They just assumed their sister would have time and room for them.

At thirty-five, James seemed a little old to be so oblivious of the world around him. And just a year younger, Aaron should have known better too. Beth was only a few years younger than that, but like Nat, the baby of the family, she was considered one of the responsible Wielders.

Except it had taken Beth a lot longer to get her head on straight than it had Nat. Nat, her parents liked to say, had been born with the responsible, mature gene that her siblings strove to find. With marriage and now a kid on the horizon, Beth had caught on.

Aaron might follow in their sister’s footsteps. James? She loved him, but Nat considered him a lost cause.

“You know, Nat,” James said, “we can’t all be as homey as Beth and Julie. I don’t see a ring on your finger, oh thrower of stones.”

She frowned, especially at Beth’s raised brow. Beth, the poor woman, had heard all about Mr. Wonderful—Rex I-love-him-but-what-do-I-do-about-him Samson.

“For your information, I am in a relationship with a man I like…” love “…very much.”

“Yeah?” Aaron answered. “Where is he then?”

“He’s working.” Though she’d toyed with asking him to come to Charlotte to meet her family. Her family. She must be in love to consider that.

“I bet he’d take a few days to be with you though,” Beth said kindly. She knew how much Nat wanted to see him again. “With Mom and Dad not around, now’s a good time.”

Aaron snickered. “Yeah. He just has to tolerate James for a few days. Until big brother takes up with his ex’s sister.”

As one, they looked at James.

“Hey, she came on to me. I swear.”

Nat cringed. “James. That’s just…not right.”

“Look, Danielle and I aren’t together anymore, so she shouldn’t care. And her sister is frickin’ hot. I mean, really…you know.” He held his hands out from his chest as if he were holding a pair of basketballs.

Beth grinned. “Oh?”

“Totally your type.” James nodded.

Nat slapped him in the back of the head. “She’s married, dumbass.”

“But not dead. Nothing wrong with looking,” Beth said. “Julie’s worse than I am.”

“Hell. They’re the only couple our age that I know who are still together after ten years,” Aaron pointed out. “Cut her a break.”

“But it doesn’t help that numbnuts is trying to make her stray.” Nat glared at James. A little boy in a big man’s body.

So unlike Rex.

She still couldn’t get over how understanding he’d been about everything. He hadn’t begged or whined about her leaving. Instead, he’d been there to support her. Strong but not imposing. Solid, dependable, and with a smile that made her whole world brighter.

“I think I love him,” she blurted, needing to hear the words out loud.

Everyone looked at her.

Beth smiled with satisfaction. “About time you admitted it. I want to meet him.”

James and Aaron frowned. “Me too,” they said together.

Despite the fact she’d always been the one to take care of her older siblings, they now pulled together to rally around her. None of them had even blinked at the supposed rumors about their baby sister—not that she’d gone into great detail. James hadn’t even asked if they were true. To her astonishment, they seemed to be handling the curves life had thrown at her better than she was.

“This is a surprise. You all being here, no drama for once. So surreal.”

Beth sighed. “It’s been a long time coming, but guess what, Nat? The boys and I have grown up. We don’t need our baby sister telling us what to do anymore. Just like you don’t need us telling you what to do.”

“Um, okay.”

James scowled. “I don’t think I ever listened to Nat anyway. I’m older than all of you idiots.”

“Idiots? Pot calling kettle. Hello?” Aaron smirked. “Dude, you’re still playing the field and getting nowhere. Beth is married. I have a girlfriend.”

“What?”

“And apparently little Nat has a boyfriend. The thing I want to know is, where is the guy when you’re having trouble?”

She bit her lip. “Well, he wanted to help me, but I had to handle this on my own.”

“Ha. And you said I’m an idiot?” James shook his head.

“What does that mean?” Nat asked.

“Just that you always think you know what’s best for everyone. You’ve been a control freak since you came out of the womb,” James said plainly.

That stung. “Someone had to be. Between Mom and Dad fighting, and you guys always getting into trouble, I had to step in and keep the peace.”

“Which you did. The rest of us took our time maturing, I’ll admit,” Beth agreed. “But, honey, we’ve been doing just fine for years now. Well, most of us.” She shot James a look.

“Witch,” he muttered. “But she’s right. We’re big kids now. How about we take care of you for a change? This guy. Let’s see how great he is. Invite him to meet us.”

She jumped on the excuse to see Rex again. Yes, she wanted him here, but she had willpower. Control. Focus. Her family, however, would need to be reassured for her. It made sense to ask him to come. For them. Not for her. Not exactly.

“Well, if you’re sure you don’t mind him here,” she said to Beth.

“Are you kidding me? I want to meet this paragon who can tolerate your many idiosyncrasies.”

“Beth.”

“What? You’re a little OCD, honey. I love you, but you are a control freak, as James aptly stated.”

“No shit,” James said.

Aaron nodded. “We all love you, but you’re like Commandant Natalie when it comes to doing things the ‘right way’—the ‘Nat way’.”

“Oh shut up.” Yet she grinned. They could say what they wanted, but being a take-charge girl had gotten her what she deserved in life. At least, it had until the sex scandal. God, I’m involved in a sex scandal.

Both amused and horrified, she concentrated on Rex instead. She pulled out her cell and dialed him. He picked up right away, and her entire being lifted at the sound of his voice. “Rex?”

“Hey, sexy. I miss you.”

She wanted to melt into her chair. “Me too.” Conscious of her siblings’ gazes on her, she spoke quickly. “So I was wondering if you might have some free time. I’m in Charlotte, and I’d love for you to come and meet my brothers and sister.”

“Sure thing, sugar. When and where?”

Just like that, he’d come to her. Not because he was whipped or a pussy, as he’d once called himself. But because he cared. How could she not love the guy?

She gave him directions, and he promised to show up the next afternoon, after tying up some business. She hung up feeling quivery with excitement.

“So this guy, what’s his name and what does he do?” James asked, crossing his arms over his chest like a tough guy. As if. When it came to mean, no one could out-glare Nat.

“His name is Rex Samson. He owns S&F Microbrewery. And you will be nice, or I’ll purple-nurple you until you turn blue.”

Her brothers gaped.

“S&F? Are you kidding me?” Aaron asked. “I love that stuff.”

“Yeah, me too.” James grinned. “Oh man, we have an in with a beer guy. I love you, Nat. Beth was my favorite, but now it’s you.”

“For sure,” Aaron pledged.

Beth rolled her eyes. “For the love of… You morons better behave when he gets here.” She then whispered to Nat, “Can you get me some of that Feather Gold stuff? Julie loves it.”

The following afternoon, Rex pulled into the driveway of a sprawling ranch-style house on the outskirts of Charlotte. A small pocket of rural countryside on a property that appeared to have its own barn behind the house.

He’d been beyond thrilled to get a call to come visit Nat. Her family wanted to meet him, she’d said. Which meant, obviously, that she’d told them about him.

He felt important. He also knew better than to screw up his introduction, so he vowed to be on his best behavior. Nat had said little about her family, just the bare facts about them all being older and her being the responsible one.

Eager to once again be around his woman, he parked the car and got out. Before he took two steps, Nat left the house to meet him, followed by a woman and two men who all looked enough alike to be siblings.

Nat’s eyes sparkled as she drew closer. Then she stopped and gave him a casual wave. “Hi.”

He blinked, nonplused at his reception. To hell with that. So much for making a good impression. He yanked her into his arms and laid a deep kiss on her. When they both came up for air, he heard applause.

“Now that’s how you kiss a woman,” the taller of the two guys said. “Take a note, Aaron.”

“Shut up, jackass. That’s our sister he’s mauling.”

Nat pulled back, her lips slick and full. “Wow. Guess you missed me, huh?”

He held her close, uncomfortably aware of his hardening dick. “Give me a minute,” he said. After a moment, he let her pull away. “Yeah, you could say I missed you. A little.” He winked, then felt her hand entwine with his.

She squeezed, and he squeezed back, his heart full.

“Guys, this is Rex Samson, my boyfriend. Rex, my sister, Beth. The big doofus is James, the other one, Aaron.”

“Why am I just ‘the other one’?” Aaron whined.

Her brothers and sister teased each other while giving him a thorough onceover. It didn’t take them long to mention they knew about S&F. But unlike many people bowled over by his success, they didn’t fawn over him or make a big deal about it. Though he did have to promise some free samples down the road.

Nat hadn’t let go of his hand, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw her watching him with a dopey smile. God, he’d been waiting for this, to see her regarding him with more than confusion or lust, but real affection.

Maybe even… Well, he could hope.

“I can’t believe you got one of them,” James was saying to Nat as they sat in the kitchen around the center island, interrogating him.

“One of what?” Nat asked with irritation.

He liked watching their dynamic, seeing her interact with her family. Rex saw the fondness, the smiles and the ribbing. They might not be as close as he was to his parents, but the sibling interaction here was priceless. Nat was no longer the boss, but a little sister. And she didn’t appear to like it much.

He grinned.

“What are you smiling at?” Nat snapped.

“Nothin’, sugar. You’re just so pretty. I missed you.”

“Yeah, one of them. A Southern boy,” James answered. “All that sugar and honey. That’s so they don’t call you by another woman’s name by mistake.”

“You’re pretty smart, aren’t you?” Rex asked him.

James snorted. “You’d think so. But I can’t seem to find one decent woman in all of North Carolina.”

“He and Aaron are visiting from Raleigh,” Beth explained. “I’m here in Charlotte, and Mom and Dad are in York, close by. One big, happy family.”

“Spread out over several states, thank God,” Nat muttered.

Rex laughed. “Well, James, I can tell you I surely nabbed the best of them. She’s mine.”

“I like him,” Beth said. “He’s so cute.”

“Thank you kindly.”

“And that accent is great. Julie has a touch of it, but it’s too light.”

“Julie’s her wife,” Nat reminded him.

“Right. Where is she?” he asked. “I wanted to meet her.”

Beth beamed. “My pride and joy is off on business I’m afraid. She had to fly to New York for a few days, but she’ll be back at end of the week.”

“Too bad. I need to head back soon, probably before then. My work in Charleston is wrapping up, but I need to head home for a few.” Then to the others he said, “But I’ve been wanting to meet Nat’s family. She’s told me a lot about you.”

James huffed. “I can imagine. I’m the playboy who can’t settle. Aaron is a close second in the loser department. And Beth can do no wrong.”

“Close enough.”

“Rex.” Nat flushed. “I didn’t call you two losers,” Nat said to her brothers, who looked affronted. “Not exactly.”

Rex laughed.

“See what you started?” She threw an elbow at his midsection, so he plucked her from her spot next to him and cuddled her close.

“Aw, sugar, don’t be like that. I’m just teasin’.”

“That’s what we’re missing, James. That drawl.” Aaron nodded. “We’ll talk slow and with a deep voice. And women will be dropping panties left and right.”

Nat shook her head. “I thought you had a girlfriend.”

“Well, she’s mostly my girlfriend. I think. We’re not exactly committed.”

“We are,” Rex said before Nat could speak. “And we’re staying that way.”

She turned to look at him, searching for what, he didn’t know. Then she smiled, and the expression turned her eyes a bright green. “Yeah, we are.”

He wanted nothing more than to whisk her away and make love to her, slowly, but he settled for squeezing her tight and spending more time with her family. What made her happy made him happy. Being with her, hugging right now, felt like heaven on earth.

Later, when Nat went into another room with Aaron and James to find some old photo albums, Beth took him aside. “I’m glad you came.”

“Me too. I’m glad she invited me.”

Beth glanced at the hallway where Nat had disappeared, then whispered, “She’s been having a hard time. She won’t admit it, but she’s worried about her job.”

“They’re crazy if they don’t take her back,” he said in a low voice. “She makes the magic happen. A more competent, take-charge gal I don’t know.”

“That’s my sister.” Beth gave him a thorough scrutiny. “It’ll take a special kind of guy to deal with Nat. She’s so strong in so many ways that it’s easy to miss what she really needs.”

He understood her. “Yeah, I know. Nat’s a tough cookie, but she’s pretty gooey inside. Sweet and sticky.” He grinned. “You’ll have to forgive the metaphor, but Nat did say you made the best chocolate chip cookies this side of the Mason Dixon.”

Beth laughed. An older, fuller version of Nat. Unlike Nat, she seemed softer, able to bend more.

Rex preferred his girl, a no-nonsense woman who knew her own mind and was happy to say so.

“I like you, Rex.” She leaned closer. “You give my sister exactly what she needs. Just make sure you don’t mistake command for confidence all the time. She’s hurting now, but she’s too proud to let on.”

“I figured. But she wanted time to deal. I respect that. I won’t coddle her, unless she needs it.” He smiled. “And she might not realize it, but she needs it now. That’s why she called.”

“I’m glad you see that. You understand her, don’t you?”

“I love her,” he said softly, and Beth’s eyes glistened.

“Oh wow. You mean that. I can tell.”

“She loves me too. She’s just too stubborn to admit it too soon.”

“Yep. You really do know her.” Beth gave him a peck on the cheek. “I can tell she loves you. She’s never been so eager to introduce a boyfriend before. And the others…they weren’t right for her. A sister knows.”

“I can tell you that she makes me happy. I can support her financially and emotionally if she needs it. But the thing with Nat is to just be there for her to draw on. I don’t need to prove myself. And she knows it.”

“God. I’m so happy she found someone to understand her. You have no idea how worried I’ve been about that. My brothers, those two need help. But they’re easy. Nat, not so much.”

“Tell me about it.”

They both laughed, just as Nat and her brothers returned carrying photo albums and arguing about something that had happened when Nat was in tenth grade.

After a marathon of family photos through dinner and dessert and stories about Nat’s bossy years growing up, Nat called it a night.

“He’s tired, and I’m tired of looking at myself with those big buck teeth.” She pointed to yet another picture of her at eight years old.

“You’re adorable,” Rex said, meaning it. She had pigtails and the cutest blue jumper. In the picture, she seemed to be yelling at Aaron for something. “Cute family.”

“True.” James puffed up. “They all take after me.”

“After Mom, actually. Thank God,” Aaron said with bite. “Our father is not someone you want to emulate. Guy’s got a different woman on speed dial every other day.”

Yet the brothers seemed to go through women like M&Ms.

“True. We might date a lot, but one woman at a time,” James explained.

“Ah, I see.” He did. Nat hadn’t mentioned her father’s philandering, but the look on her face spoke volumes. No wonder she didn’t care for cheaters.

“What about your parents, Rex?” Beth asked. “Are they close?”

Nat answered for him. “Sue and Harry Samson are the most wonderful people you could meet. They’re so in love.” She sighed. “And his dad is hot. Rex should age well.”

“Nice.” He frowned. “You making eyes at my daddy?”

She snorted. “Please. I like my men closer to my own age.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “And manageable.”

Her brothers laughed. “Oh man, she nailed you,” Aaron crowed.

“Nice, sis,” James said. “Rex, be a man. Stand up for yourself.”

Rex shrugged. “But if I do, she’ll only beat me for it later.”

Nat’s brothers and sister gaped. Then Nat started to laugh so hard she cried, and her siblings laughed with her. Rex joined in, until he decided he’d had enough.

He took her from the table and easily lifted her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. “Well, I’d best make like a barbarian and remind her who rules the roost. See you all in the morning.”

Her brothers cheered him while Beth made faces. Over his shoulder, Nat continued to pick fights with her brothers.

He carried her into the room Beth had shown him earlier. Nat’s room.

Once inside, he closed the door and locked it, then set her on her feet. “Now, sugar, how about you make me feel special?”

She tried not to grin, but she couldn’t seem to hold it back. In a low voice, she whispered, “How about you come here and do what I tell you to, boy?”

Like that, she tripped his switch, and he cupped his growing erection. “Oh, yes.”

“That’s yes, Mistress,” she reminded him.

As if he needed the help. “Fuck. I missed you so much. Mistress.”

She reached for the radio on the nightstand and found some low jazz. Then she stepped closer to him and started removing his clothing. “Me too, Rex. Me too.”