PULSE: A Stepbrother Romance Read Online Free PDF Page A

your father out of it. I knew it would upset
you, honey, and that’s the last thing I want to do…”

 
    “Well, great
way of showing it,” I grumbled. “Picking my dream for your anniversary
vacation, forcing me out of the house, then making me stay all summer with the ‘Brother
of the Year’ World Champion, Five Years Running…”

 
    “That’s
enough,” I heard a thick, oaky voice command.

 
    We all
recognized it immediately.

 
    Chet.

 
    My stepfather
was standing in the doorway to the side, his thick arms crossed. Dressed in
casual comfort and a hoodie, he was just as imposing man as the day I’d met him
– at several inches over six feet. Freshly shaven, he had kept the thick,
bushy moustache that he’d grown since Sawyer left – which accented the
firm irritation on his face.

 
    “ Both of you,” Chet continued. “I manage
to get you two in the same room again, and it’s back to bickering as usual…”

 
    The room went
quiet, and even my mother hesitated, turning from Sawyer to me. She looked like
she wanted to say something. Before she could, my stepfather immediately strolled
into the kitchen with a large grin on his face. His arms wrapped around Sawyer
in a bear hug, peeling him from his relaxed lean against the counter.

 
    His words
were quiet, almost choked.

 
    “Welcome
home, son.”

 
    My
stepbrother stiffened instantly, but gradually relaxed into the embrace. Within
seconds, they were hugging each other long long-lost family, which…technically,
they qualified a little.

 
    “It’s great
to have you back,” our father continued, pulling free to hold Sawyer at arm’s
length. They studied each other’s eyes, face, and build for a moment. “Healthy
and all! Strong , too!” My stepdad
squeezed Sawyer’s arm. “You must be in incredible shape…”

 
    “Yeah, well,”
Sawyer remarked with a slight grin, “let’s just say I’ve been taking care of
myself. You’re not looking too bad yourself, old man.”

 
    He chuckled
in response. “Well, I’ve been trying to hit the gym when I can find the spare
time…”

 
    They pulled
away from each other, and while Chet grabbed another beer from the fridge, the
years were clearly sliding off of them. My mother had stepped over, standing
close to me, and we watched the two of them making up for lost time.

 
    I had to
admit…as furious as I was at Sawyer, it was endearing to see him reunited with
his father after all this time. I still needed to find out the real story
– why Sawyer left in the first place – but for now…I could stand to
watch them defrost in each other’s presence.

 
    While they
started swapping small talk and vague life updates, I found my thoughts
drifting towards the change in my stepfather’s disposition.

 
    He had become,
in a word, gruff . His son
disappearing from his life hadn’t helped. The worst part was that he still
smiled and laughed along with the rest of us – but it was clear to anyone
who knew him well that his heart wasn’t into it.

 
    As the months
became years, and Sawyer failed to show up on our doorstep again, his penchant
for keeping up the act whittled away. I couldn’t think of the last time I had
seen him smile, or even offer the faintest chuckle to a joke.

 
    With that
said, his business associates never seemed to notice – but he became a
completely different person around them. The few times they had been around, he
effortlessly slipped back into his persona of being a jovial, confident man
– making them roar with laughter at every turn.

 
    My mother and
I saw the real him.

 
    He was a man
weakened by grief.

 
    But that had
all changed with Sawyer’s return.

 
    My thoughts
were conflicted on this. True, seeing my stepbrother again had brought him
straight back to who he was before. But I couldn’t overlook the fact that it
was Sawyer’s fault that our father
had been so depressed for the last few years. On top of