Father and Son by S.E. Law

5

Grant

My dog, Daisy, wags her tail and snuffles up to Sarah, greeting the curvy girl. It’s not crazy because Daisy’s really friendly and has no fear of strangers. She loves going out on walks, and since it’s the weekend, I’m taking her myself instead of the dog-walker. But now, things have taken a left turn.

“Sarah?” I ask, my eyes sliding between her and my stepson. “Fancy meeting you here.”

She looks gorgeous in a blue sundress, but it’s obvious she’s about to faint.

“Grant,” she says in a choked voice. “Um, hi. So this is Braden. You guys know each other?”

I squint at my stepson.

“Yeah, we do,” I say. “I’m Braden’s stepfather. Well, his ex-stepfather to be precise. I used to be married to Braden’s mom, but we divorced years ago.”

My stepson nods, his black hair glinting in the light.

“Yeah, but you know my mom. Mira’s favorite hobby is marrying and then divorcing men left and right. Hell, I don’t even know if she’s married or divorced right now.”

I laugh, a little ruefully. “Yeah, I think I was her fourth husband. She might be up to her seventh or eighth now.”

My stepson and I share a look, both laughing mirthlessly. After all, he was in high school when I married his mother, and the two of us got along fine. We didn’t interact much because he was at boarding school, but it worked and there were never any hard feelings between us. Even after the marriage fell apart after a year or so, we stayed in touch. Now, my stepson must be about twenty-five or so, and I haven’t seen him around much since he founded True North. We’re in the same industry, but I hear his firm is doing well.

But this is a weird situation, definitely. Does Braden know that the woman he’s dating is actually a professional escort? I certainly hope Sarah’s told him, although then again, why would she? After all, these things are usually best kept secret.

But how long have they been seeing one another? I swing around to look at Sarah, and start because the pretty girl currently looks as if she might throw up. Her face is a mix of horrified and shocked, with a bit of nausea thrown in.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

Sarah catches herself and presses her napkin to her mouth.

“Um, I’m fine,” she manages in a choked voice. “I just got really hot all of a sudden.”

“Here, have some water,” my stepson says, handing her a bottle.

Sarah takes it and drinks gratefully, that lovely neck pulsing as she swallows. God, I’ve got to get her in bed again ASAP. But then I stop myself. That would be wrong, knowing that she’s currently dating my stepson.

Meanwhile, the water hasn’t helped. Sarah still looks panicked, and I can see her pulse beating crazily in her throat.

“So it’s great seeing you, Grant!” she says with forced cheer. “You must have a long walk ahead, and it looks like your dog is tired. See you later!”

I cock my head at her. Daisy’s not tired at all, and in fact, is snuffling at the picnic basket as we speak.

“No, I’m okay,” I say in a slow tone. Suddenly, a thought strikes, and I jerk back. Could it be …? No way. But I decide I have to find out.

“So how do you know each other?” I ask casually.

Sarah immediately throws Braden a glance before piping up.

“Braden and I met at school,” she says quickly. “I told you I’m taking classes, right?”

I nod. “You did, except Braden finished high school many years ago, and then he got his real estate license instead of continuing his education, so he’s not in school anymore. And I know you didn’t attend the same high school as my stepson because you’re from Jersey, whereas Braden attended an elite boarding school in Connecticut.”

Sarah swallows hard, her expression bordering panic. She’s looking between Braden and me like she wants to get up and run away, but stays locked in place.

“Um,” she mutters. “Well, it was another type of school,” she stammers. “Back when we were kids. Summer camp!” she says, brightening.

Evidently, my stepson’s had the same realization as me because he shoots me a sharp look. But evidently he makes a decision because he turns to the trembling girl.

“You don’t have to lie about how we know each other,” he says in a low voice. “It’s fine.”

Sarah gasps, her face going white. “It’s not fine,” she says quickly. “It was summer camp! Remember Lake Woebegone and how we would roast marshmallows by the fire—”

I cut her off then.

“Sarah, is this summer camp called City Girls? You don’t have to lie.”

Her mouth snaps shut and by now all color has drained from her face.

Braden gently nods at her, his blue eyes seeing everything. “Go ahead, sweetheart, it’s okay. You can tell Grant what we’re doing here. Neither of us is going to judge you.”

She swallows hard.

“Are you sure? The three of us could leave right now and pretend this never happened.”

I laugh. “It’s okay, honey. Neither Braden nor I are here to force you to do anything you’re not comfortable with, but I think it’ll be easier if you just fess up. Again, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. This is a huge coincidence, certainly, but the sun will still rise come morning.”

This situation is dramatic, but I’ve been in worse spots before. Evidently Sarah has too because after a moment, her eyes meet mine and she takes a deep, shuddering breath.

“Okay. The truth is, Braden hired me to be his companion through City Girls, the same way you hired me, Grant. You’re both my clients,” she says in a voice that dies out to a whisper. “I never expected this to happen.”

Braden shakes his head with wonder. “What are the chances we’d happen to hire the same escort, Dad? Holy shit.”

I shake my head.

“I’d say they’re pretty low, and to be honest, I had no idea you were using City Girls.”

Braden shrugs. “I found it to be the best service in the city, and like you, I’m not looking for a commitment, so the arrangement made sense.”

That makes my black brows pull together for a moment.

“Arrangement? How long have you guys been dating? Sarah, I thought you said you just started with City Girls.”

The curvy girl still looks white as a ghost and swallows heavily before meeting my eyes.

“I did just start,” she whispers. “Last week was my first week, and I went out on two dates with each of you.”

Braden and I both lean froward.

“So we’re your only clients,” my stepson growls. “Monday and Wednesday you were with me …”

“And Tuesday and Friday, you were with me,” I finish.

“Yes,” Sarah confirms in a whisper, her hands worrying themselves. “Honestly, I had no idea this was going to happen. No idea at all. Zero.”

I nod.

“It’s fine, honey, because obviously we had no idea either. These are definitely bizarre circumstances, but it’s okay. We understand that you see other men, and while it’s a little strange that the other man you’ve been seeing is my stepson, it’s not totally inconceivable. Nor am I married to his mother anymore,” I add.

But Sarah still looks disturbed.

“But you’re father and son,” she whispers, looking between the two of us.

Braden nods.

“In spirit, but not by blood. I’d say Grant is more of a father figure, than a father. But it’s the sentiment that counts,” he adds.

The beautiful escort still can’t manage any words, just looking at us with those big brown eyes. I decide to take my leave.

“Well, this has been a little awkward, but it’s going to be alright, sweetheart,” I say in a soothing tone. “There are definitely worse things in life, and in fact, I wouldn’t even say this is bad. We’ll figure it out,” I say reassuringly. “Come on, Daisy. Let’s go.”

My dog wags its tail at Sarah and Braden, as my stepson chuckles and pats her head.

“Good girl. I’ll talk to you later, Dad.”

I turn to stride away, but then I spin on my heel.

“Actually, I don’t live far from here. Do you guys want to come over and talk?”

Sarah looks horrified, her cheeks going red and then white in a matter of seconds.

“Oh no,” she says. “Maybe another time—”

But Braden cuts her off.

“Do you still live in that apartment on Central Park West?”

“I do,” I confirm.

My stepson’s blue eyes gleam. “Then we’ll be there in just a few minutes. Give us a sec to clean this up, and we’ll meet you there.”

I nod and grin. Clearly, my stepson and I are on the same wavelength.

“Sure thing. Let me just take Daisy home first so she can get some water. Come on, girl,” I say.

With that, I stride away, my dog trotting along behind me. After strolling halfway down the path, I turn and look back at the couple. Braden appears relaxed, his body language easygoing as he packs up the picnic basket. But Sarah’s another story. I can tell she’s still utterly surprised, and frozen with shock. That’s okay, because believe it or not, I’m not disgusted by these revelations. If anything, I have a plan and I only hope the gorgeous girl will willingly consent to be with both a father and his son.