“My father was Thomas Storm no matter what a blood test says,” Richard said automatically.
“Yes, he raised you and obviously loved you, but I believe you are our brother. I believe our mother and father never knew you existed.” Joseph said the words in the kindest way he could, but Richard had to know the truth. They couldn’t possibly lose any more time.
“I just don’t understand. If this is true, maybe your parents didn’t want three children. Maybe they’d made a deal with my parents…” The man was reaching for straws, not wanting to believe his parent would be capable of kidnapping.
“That is something we will never know, Richard, and it’s something we don’t have to know. Your parents obviously loved you, as ours loved us. We just want you to be a part of our lives if you’re our brother. Family is very important to us,” George said as he leaned forward.
“I don’t know what to say. I need some time. I will send for blood tests right away, though. I have never been a man to hide from the truth, and if you are my brothers, I would very much like to know about you and your families.”
“That goes the same for us, Brother. I don’t know what made you decide to move back to Seattle, but we are grateful it happened,” George said with a big smile.
The men chatted for a few minutes more before Joseph and George left.
They took the blood tests the next day and, with the help of their wealth and influence, had their answer by that afternoon. Richard Storm was indeed their brother, with identical DNA. That didn’t answer the question of how he’d been separated from them at birth, whether Richard’s adoptive parents had taken him, or whether their biological parents had given him up, but Joseph and George knew their parents — knew they would never part with one of their own.
They didn’t need to repeat that to Richard, however. The past couldn’t be changed, and all they could do from this moment on was to get to know one another, become the family they should have been all along. It might be a long journey, but family bonds were hard to break, and determination was in the Anderson blood.
The hearts of all three men raced as they considered the prospect of learning about each other and their thriving families.
Chapter Nine
Crew sat back and finished his cigar while he waited for his body to return to normal. Haley Sutherland might have thought she needed training on how to become the perfect seductress, but if the way she’d kissed was any indication, she was miles ahead of any woman he could think of off the top of his head.
Damn, his body was on fire, and he didn’t see it returning to a functioning state any time soon. She’d set his world spinning, and he suspected it wasn’t going to stop until he taught her a few horizontal lessons.
The smile spreading across his lips caused faint crow’s-feet to crinkle at the corners of his eyes. He would bet his resort that she was fire beneath the sheets. All of that repressed energy would explode as he sank deep within her heat.
He groaned. Those thoughts hadn’t helped at all — his erection was now pulsing painfully in his pants. He desperately needed something, anything as a distraction.
As if on cue, his telephone rang and he picked up without thinking.
“Crew Storm.”
“I’m heading down there soon, and I have company.”
“Dad?” The brisk excitement in his father’s tone surprised him. He couldn’t remember hearing him so elated, not in years, at least.
“Of course, it’s your father. Who else?” he asked sourly.
“Sorry. What’s going on?”
“You remember when I called you a couple of months ago about those two men stopping by my office?”
“Vaguely. You said they might be relatives of ours or something.” Crew had been tied up in last-minute preparations for the resort. He could barely remember the conversation.
“Well, they are related. That’s all I’m going to say until we get there. I want you to see for yourself. I will tell you that I’ve gotten to know them and they are good men — very good men. I think you will like them. I think they may even rival us in large families,” he said with a sly chuckle.
“Sounds good, Father. It’s nice for you to find some long-lost relatives. But I thought your adoption records were sealed. Are you sure you want to open all of that up?”
“I’m absolutely sure, son,” he answered.
“That’s good.” Crew didn’t know what else to say.
“How did your grand opening go? I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve achieved.”
“It went even better than I’d hoped. A lot has changed since you were here six months ago. I will miss this place…” he sighed as he looked around his office. The more he thought about it, the more he didn’t want to let her go. Still, he was sure his attachment would fade as the excitement of new beginnings wore off.
“You don’t have to, Crew. I know I told you that was the deal — that you all make a profit selling the businesses — but I think you’ve learned what I wanted you to. I’m very proud of you. In the end you have to choose if you want to settle in one place, or if you’ve found your passion and want to do it again and again with new projects.”
The sudden choking in his father’s voice came through the telephone line loud and clear. Crew didn’t know what to say. In all his life, he’d never heard his father cry. It just didn’t happen.
Crew quickly changed the subject. “Give me the dates you’re coming down so I can make sure to have our best rooms available for you.”
“We’ll need three rooms, and any will do. The point is to see you, not to vacation,” Richard said, then he promised to give his son a heads up when he knew a more exact time of his arrival.
“Three rooms? I’ll have to check, but I save a block for emergencies, so I think we’ll be fine.” He paused for a moment. It needed to be said, but it was hard for him to get the words to come out. “Dad, you did a good thing — a really good thing.”
Crew wasn’t going to elaborate. His father had a big enough head already. When Richard was silent for several seconds, Crew thought they might have lost the connection. Then, he realized that his dad was just trying to regain his composure.
“Thank you, Crew. Now, enough business talk. Have you managed to find a woman yet?”
Classic. The statement made Crew laugh into the phone receiver. “No, father. I’m not looking for love. One step at a time.”
“You know, you aren’t getting any younger, boy. You’ll be thirty-five on your next birthday. It’s time to settle down and keep the family name alive. A good woman will add years to your life.”
Something about the sadness of his tone alerted Crew that something was wrong, but he couldn’t figure out what it might be. It was most likely just his imagination, anyway. His father was as strong and vibrant as ever. If anything were worrying him, he would be sure to tell his children, despite their reprehensible behavior before Richard finally laid down the law.
“I’m not quite ready, Dad, but I’ll let you know when I find the one. As for kids, I don’t see that happening. I’m not the ‘dad type,’” he said, taking a large puff from his cigar and blowing the air out.