Chapter 24
For Stephanie, the boat ride was torture.
It was long, and she didn’t want to be there with these people.
Everyone had seen Court walking towards the boat on the dock.
Calvin had been messing with the controls and warming up the engine.
Nobody had told him to stop when he started to back away from the dock.
Court’s look of surprise and disappointment would live in Stephanie’s memory for a long time. And based on the fact that Dylan and Aaron were chuckling, Stephanie knew it was on purpose. Marlene had been smirking as the boat headed into the lake.
Stephanie knew she should have just jumped off the boat and gone back to shore. At least then she’d have been able to show Court that she wasn’t involved in the tricks, not anymore. But would she believe her?
“We have to go back for Court.” She looked at her, still standing on the dock, with her hands on her hips. Today she was in another pair of capris, black this time.
“She didn’t seem all that interested in coming along.” Aaron countered with a tone. He thought she was squealing on him.
“She was on the dock, Aaron, how’s that not interested in coming?” She asked her brother.
“We’ll be back soon enough. If she’s still interested in a ride, we can go back out.” Marlene said, taking Aaron’s side.
“This is supposed to be a family outing.” She reminded them.
Nobody responded as Calvin interrupted to point out a neighbor’s new boat on their dock.
As they went further away from Court, Calvin started talking about the neighbors and what they were up to while her mom fussed over the grandkids and their life jackets. It was exactly how it always was, except she couldn’t enjoy herself. Her parents were getting more and more rude by the moment.
Court was doing everything in her power just to have a conversation with Calvin for a few moments. To say more than one or two words in private with him, except Calvin was making it impossible. And if it wasn’t him, it was everyone else. Like they were protecting him from her.
The two-hour trip lasted forever, and she was sure Court had more than enough time to pack up and drive away before they got back.
She’d have. In reality, she’d have the day before when nobody had seemed welcoming to her.
The only good thing was that her brothers hadn’t been able to land one prank beyond leaving her on the dock all day.
There had been at least three others that she hadn’t even noticed.
Or at least sidestepped without making it obvious that she was doing it.
Why her siblings didn’t just stop and try to get to know the woman, Stephanie was sure they would find that she was interesting and easy to talk to.
If they would just give her a chance, she’d be a nice addition to their family.
She hated to admit she probably always would have been.
That they were stupid to have done what they did in the past. Looking back, she knew their parents should have stepped in instead of letting it all slide for far too long.
Once they were finally back on dry land, she was the first one off the boat, not even waiting for it to be tied before she jumped off. Marching away from them without looking back, even as she heard the word PMS from her sister. She didn’t care.
Taking the trail back to the house, she knew that she’d have at least a minute or two since the boat would have to be removed from the water. Even though her parents’ house had lake views, it wasn’t actually on the lake. Every time the boat was used, it was driven to the landing.
She surprised Court, who was sitting on the couch when she burst through the door, computer on her lap and a phone to her ear.
From across the room, she looked like she was working.
When she saw Stephanie, she pulled the phone from her ear, setting it down beside her as she closed the laptop slowly.
“Fun ride with the family?” Court asked sarcastically.
“I can’t believe they left you and wouldn’t even turn around.”
“I don’t think they even noticed I was missing. Since I’m not actually family.” Court said, as if she didn’t know that it had been on purpose.
“I’m sorry, I’d say, for my entire family, but I don’t think they feel the same. If I’d known they were going to do that, I would’ve stopped them. They are acting like children.”
“They are who they are. I wouldn’t expect anything else.” Shrugging, she grabbed her backpack to slip the computer inside.
“Why didn’t you leave?”
“To tell the truth, I almost did. But I’ve devoted this weekend to talk to Calvin, and I'm going to do it if I have to stay until all of your siblings are gone. Once we’re alone, he will have to talk to me, even if I have to lock your mother in a closet to make it happen.”
Her joke surprised her, she had been so sure she’d be upset. She had been upset for her, but she wasn’t. She didn’t even seem bothered by everything that was happening. “Doesn’t it bother you that they treat you badly?”
“No, because it bothers them more that I’m here than that I'm gone. To say I'm getting on everyone’s nerves is sort of nice. So I stay.” Court set the computer bag on the floor at her feet. “Where is everyone?”
She glanced back at the door as if to see if they were already there. “Coming, I left them docking the boat. I wanted to talk to you in private before they came back.”
“Don’t worry, I have no intention of telling anyone about your being gay,” Court assured her as she leaned back into the couch, relaxed as ever. “Unless you’re not, I’ve slept with straight women before. Though it didn’t feel like it was a first for you.”
“I’ve been with women before. I happen to be bisexual.
Which they know, I’ve been out for years.
” Stephanie waited for Court’s reaction to what she said.
A few women had been upset that she hadn’t told them.
As if being bisexual meant she wasn’t relationship material.
Not that she was thinking about a relationship with Court Morrissey.
Biting her lip, she waited, but Court just smirked at her admission. “Bisexual? But prefer men? Or you’re a lesbian who's afraid of her homophobic parents, so date men. They are okay with it as long as you don’t actually date women.”
Stephanie had no comeback, she was right.
Her mom never liked any of the women she dated, but simply adored any man she was with.
From asking about them, demanding to know everything about them, to forgetting the names of the women she was in relationships with.
Not even trying to get to know any of them.
Calvin hadn’t cared who she was with, he ignored them all.
But she knew he only got to know the person in his kids’ lives when they became permanent.
Would he be more or less invested in someone Court was dating?
Would he care she was gay, because Court wasn’t going to do anything she didn’t want to do? That included changing who she loved.
Instead of answering because she knew Court would force her to stick her foot in her mouth, she turned the conversation back on her. “Are you going to tell them you’re gay?”
Holding her gaze, Court said, “Not in so many words, it’s not something they need to know. Because at the end of this weekend, I never plan to see him again.”
Stephanie had no idea what information Calvin had that was worth the hassle of this weekend to Court. But yet here she was, needing something that only Calvin could give her. What could it possibly be?
“What’s so important that you need to talk to him about? If you tell me, I can help you.” Stephanie was tired of the secret that Court wasn’t willing to share. Maybe if she knew. Stephanie could talk to Calvin about it. Nobody would stop her from spending alone time with him.
Maybe everyone was right, and she was looking for money.
It was the only thing Stephanie could think of that would be worth putting up with everyone.
But Calvin didn’t have that much money, never had.
Marlene had never worked, and with the four kids at home, money was always tight.
Retirement hadn’t helped that. The lake house excluded, the older couple had very little in the way of assets.
And none that they could hand over to his daughter.
“None of your business. But don’t worry, I won’t out you in the process.” Getting up, Court walked towards her, her eyes on her lips, and her footsteps sure.
“They already know.” She insisted, but Court stopped just close enough that she could brush a curl behind Stephanie’s ear. Just that slight touch was enough to send a shiver down her spine.
Before she could react, the door burst open behind her.
Spinning, she saw Aaron and Dylan were the first in the house, both talking as they did, but that talk stopped when they saw the two women.
Stephanie knew she had a guilty look on her face.
Not because she had been caught doing something wrong, but because she had wanted to.