Page 48 of Wilderness Daddy

He pulls his head back with an impressed frown. “How’d you know?”

I point. “The colors. They’re passionate, bold, you. Just like these paintings.”

“George...” He looks at my brother. “I love your sister.”

“She knows nothing about art, Noah.” He rolls his eyes this time. “Completely daft at anything even vaguely creative.”

“Ah, but she does,” he says and grabs my hand, yanking me toward the hall leading to the rest of the apartment. “I’m stealing her.”

I tag along behind Noah, forgetting all about my own drama as he shows me his work. There are several pieces in various stages of completion and all of them are my favorite. His paintings pull at me deeply. They evoke passionate emotions and wrap me in comfort, like a lover’s arms and I tell him so.

“That’s how I felt with this one,” he states and I nod looking at the colors swirling on the canvas.

“What’s your passion, Akari?” he asks and I open my mouth to say the business, but the truth is that feels wrong now. Like I was never passionate about it, but impassioned about proving I could do it, that I deserved to be a part of it despite my gender.

“I haven’t figured that out yet. Maybe I don’t have one.”

He examines me closely. “You do. And you will.” With that he takes my hand and leads me back out to the living room.

The idea sits in the back of my mind while Noah, George, and I share the bottle of red wine that suddenly tastes like one of Noah’s paintings on my tongue.

“So are you ready to tell me what’s going on?” George asks.

I am, so I tell him everything.

“I’m going to tell them,” George says, standing to pace, his expression solemn and thoughtful. “About the business being all you. About my art and...” He looks at Noah and the love in his expression hits me hard in the gut. “About Noah.” He takes my hand and sits back down beside me. “Maybe we’ll crack this family wide open so we can piece it back together properly.”

I lean over and hug him. When I sit back I see my purse and frown. The yellow envelope sticks out of the top.

“I love your idea, especially the part about Noah, because he should never be hidden away! But can you wait a bit longer before you confess about the business?” I stand and grab the envelope. “I have something to prove first.”

He plucks the envelope from my hands. “Sleep first. You can conquer our parents and the world tomorrow. It’s late.” He sets the envelope on the coffee table and pulls me into a hug.

“I’m glad you’re here and I’m glad we’re going to do this.”

I don’t go home that night or the next. I finish the proposal instead, working on it steadily for two days before I’m satisfied and courier it to my father with a note saying Landon gave it to me for him. I also tell him I won’t be coming home. And I don’t. I stay with George and Noah and fall in love with love as I watch them as a couple.

Being with them over the next weeks makes me miss Landon even more, but it also gives me hope. Hope that maybe marriage isn’t what I theorized. Maybe it can be real.

* * *

“Your sister is goingto have to sit for me. I need to paint her.” Noah stares at my face with an artistic eye that makes me feel like an object, but one that’s coveted.

“I knew that would happen,” George says on a sigh. “That’s why I hid her away. You know I’m jealous.” I see a smirk playing on his lips, but I’m confused. They’re gay. Why would my brother even joke about being jealous?

“I’m bisexual,” Noah says, reading my confounded expression. “But...” He looks at my brother with a hard stare. “I’m very monogamous.” He shakes his head, grabbing the laptop off the coffee table. “He thinks I’ll fall into bed with you if you pose for me.”

“It’s happened before.” George says, making my brows rise. I don’t care how awesome Noah is, or how amazing his art is, I’ll take him apart if he hurt my brother.

“Not while we were together.” Noah’s brow arches in a way that reminds me of Landon’s scolding expression. My brother looks away sheepishly.

“I’m not available anyway,” I say quietly, making George’s eyes shoot to mine and I grin.

“Pizza?” Noah asks, pulling up the pizza site on his laptop. We both nod dismissively, still holding each other’s eyes.

“You’ve decided to marry Landon?”

“No, but I think I... like him.” Making the statement aloud makes breathing difficult, but more so by the fact that I think I feel more than like for him. I look down, as if the confession shames me. I guess it does since it plays right into my parents’ plan. “I’m not marrying him though,” I say, my voice strong with determination. “No way am I falling into place with what they want. I’m done. I don’t care if they kick me out of the family anymore. I’m not doing it.” I cross my arms and look away.

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