Free Love All Out - Part 2 (A Stepbrother Romance) by Alice Ward Page B

lowered his voice. “How will you feel when the world tells us it’s wrong? Because that’s what will happen if our parents get married… no one will accept us, and the judgment will drive us apart.”
    A tear rolled down my cheek as I realized he had a point. He wiped it away with his thumb and kissed me on the forehead.
    “I don’t want to hurt Mom and Cole any more than you do,” he assured me. “But whatever happens tonight, we’re not responsible for it. For the time being, it’s in fate’s hands.”
    A knock at the door made both of us jump. “Willow, are you ready to go?” Renee called out in a sing-song voice.
    I grabbed James by the back of the head, pulled his mouth to mine, and gave him one last passionate kiss. “That’ll have to hold you over until we can be alone again.” I winked at him and I pulled away to let Renee into the room.
     
    ***
     
    “Willow, have you seen Renee?” Daddy asked, interrupting the conversation I was having with a potential buyer. The formal dinner portion of the evening had ended, and everyone had moved to the large white tent on the perfectly manicured lawn. Some people discussed business while others danced along to the twelve-piece band. No one looked as worried and uptight as my father.
    “I haven’t seen her since we finished dessert,” I said, glancing around the crowd. I spotted Dale and Jan on the dance floor, Bradley pouting at our table, and James leaning against the open bar. Renee was nowhere to be found, and I wondered for a moment if she’d actually run off with Clark.
    I turned back to Hank Lehmann, the man who’d inquired about our stud fees. “I’m sorry, but will you excuse me for a moment? My dad has lost his fiancé.”
    “Of course, Willow,” he said, pulling a card from his breast pocket. “Business can wait until Monday. Why don’t you email me the information, and we can talk later in the week?”
    “I’d be happy to, Hank,” I agreed with a polite smile.
    He took my hand in his and brought it to his lips. “The pleasure is all mine, Willow. I have fond memories of your mother, and I’m thrilled to see that you’re carrying on her legacy.”
    I nodded at him as I fought back tears. I’d received similar comments all evening. It seemed like everyone in the industry remembered my mother, and being compared to her was the most flattering compliment I’d ever received.
    “Good luck tomorrow, Willow,” Hank said as he turned away. “And may this be the start of a long, successful career.”
    I looped my arm through Daddy’s and let him lead me across the tent. “There’s James,” I pointed out. “Maybe he knows where Renee went.”
    Daddy furrowed his brow. “It’s not like her to just disappear. I was talking to Mark Tobin about the Mustang stock. One second Renee was next to me and the next, she was just gone.”
    “Hey… need a drink?” James asked as we stepped up to the bar. “I can’t say that I blame you. I’m sorry, Cole.” He took two champagne flutes from a nearby tray and offered them to us. I accepted while Daddy stared back at him in confusion.
    “Why would I need a drink?” he demanded. “And what are you sorry for?”
    James grimaced and looked towards the corner of the tent. “I’m sorry… I thought you’d seen them already.”
    “Seen who?” Daddy asked quickly, his eyes following James’s. His mouth dropped open and the color drained from his face when he finally laid eyes on Renee. She was sitting at a small table, drinking and laughing with a handsome stranger.
    Daddy stared at them for a moment and then turned back to James. “Do you have any idea who she’s talking to?”
    James hesitated. “I’m not sure what his name is, but I think I recognize him… from Mom’s prom pictures.”
    “I see,” Daddy nodded, his face emotionless. We all looked back to the corner just in time to watch Clark pull Renee onto the dance floor. The band launched in to a slow song, and they fell