Aurora: Got to go. I think the stepbrother is here. I’m hiding in the bathroom, and before they get suspicious, I need to make an appearance.
Lorelai: Text me later. I want to know who it is, and I want to hear all about the evening. I don’t think I can wait until you get home.
Aurora: Okay, I’ll let you know the instant I find out. Then you can ask your brother about him and let me know if he is a decent guy.
Lorelai: Will do. Have fun.
* * *
I pocketed my phone, flushed the toilet, and opened the door a crack to see the hallway empty. I shut the light off and made my way into the kitchen where I could see my mother standing beside Joe and Walker, talking with someone I couldn’t see. Certain that must be him, I grabbed my drink from the counter where I left it and opened the back door.
They were chatting away when my mother finally noticed me.
“Ah, and Dylan, this is my daughter, Aurora.”
I looked up just as Joe stepped to the side and caught sight of a pair of blue eyes I’d have known anywhere. Heat filled my body, and everything fell away until I heard the glass I’d been holding shatter as it hit the stone of the deck.
“Oh, my god. I’m so sorry,” I said as the realization of what happened hit me.
My mother ran into the kitchen to get the broom, while Joe assured me that accidents happen. Walker and he bent down to pick up the large pieces of glass, while I stood there, my eyes locked with Dylan’s.
I’d barely heard a word any of them said because I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the guy standing in front of me. How on earth was it even possible that the man I’d had a one-night stand with would end up being my stepbrother? This seemed like a cruel joke the universe had played on my one and only spontaneous moment. Dylan didn’t miss a beat though and acted like we’d never seen one another before.
“Aurora,” he said, bringing his hand out for me to shake.
I could see nothing but laughter in his eyes as I slowly brought my hand to his and swallowed hard. The second our hands touched, my body heated, and the room spun.
“Aurora, you don’t look very good,” I heard my mother say as she reached out and grabbed my shoulders. “Are you feeling alright?”
“I, uh, I don’t feel so good,” I mumbled. My mouth had gone dry, and I could barely swallow.
“Come inside with me,” she immediately said, pulling me away from the situation. Once inside the kitchen, she had me sit down. She grabbed a cloth and wet it, placing it on the back of my neck. Then she poured me a glass of juice, placed it in front of me, then leaned on the counter in front of me, looking me directly in the eyes.
“What is going on?” she questioned, studying my face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. I know he is famous and all, but please.”
“It’s not that,” I mumbled, taking a drink of my juice.
“Well then, what on earth is it? You don’t act like this when you meet someone new. So spill it.”
I drank the rest of my juice and looked at my mother. I wondered if this whole new situation she found herself in would make her act more like a mother. I needed to tell someone what had happened. I let out the breath I was holding.
“Could we go somewhere a little more private?”
My mother shook her head, let out a breath, and smiled. “Of course.”
She led me down the same hall I’d gone down to the washroom, and we stepped into a large office. She shut the door and turned, crossing her arms over her chest.
“What is it?” she questioned.
“Mexico.”
“What about Mexico?”
I paced back and forth, my stomach actually spinning as I tried to form the words that I wanted to say.
“Alright, don’t get angry.”
“Aurora, please just tell me what is going on.”
