“The prodigal son returns,” Joseph said with a sneer. “I knew this day would come.”
“Then you were wrong,” Rutledge said coldly. “I came only because Vivian wouldn’t stop nagging me. Apparently, you’re practically on your deathbed.”
“Derek!” Vivian said, looking outraged.
“I’ll have to disappoint you, then,” Joseph said. “I’m in excellent health.” He was lying. He had an almost gray tinge to his complexion. “So you won’t get my money any time soon.”
“You know I don’t need your money,” Rutledge said.
They glared at each other icily, and the resemblance they shared was striking. Shawn wondered if Rutledge knew it and resented it.
At this moment, Joseph shifted his gaze to Shawn.
His sharp dark eyes swept over him from head to toe, making Shawn painfully aware of his worn out, cheap clothes.
Rutledge senior’s lips twisted in derision. “And this?”
Rutledge took a step toward Shawn and put a hand on his shoulder. “This is my lover, Shawn Wyatt.”
The other old man inhaled sharply.
Joseph’s face betrayed nothing, yet somehow, the temperature in the room seemed to drop a dozen degrees.
Shawn grimaced on the inside, but it wasn’t as if he hadn’t expected that.
“Shawn, this is my father, Joseph Rutledge,” Rutledge said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. The asshole was absolutely enjoying this. “And my father’s old friend, Nathan Brooks.”
“Nice to meet you,” Shawn lied, wondering if Mr. Brooks was the man whose daughter Joseph wanted his son to marry.
“I see,” Joseph said at last before shifting his heavy gaze to the twins. “And these are?”
Shawn suppressed the urge to hide the girls behind his back. “These are my sisters, Mr. Rutledge. Emily and Melissa.” For once, Bee remained quiet and didn’t argue about her name. Both girls moved closer to Shawn.
“I see,” Joseph Rutledge said again before addressing a maid. “Prepare rooms for our guests.”
“Prepare a room next to mine for the children,” Rutledge cut in. “Obviously Shawn will stay in mine.”
Shawn cringed a bit.
The vein in Joseph’s temple throbbed. Vivian watched her father worriedly. Mr. Brooks had a look of disgust on his face that he didn’t bother to hide.
“Do as he says,” Joseph Rutledge bit out, breaking the silence. “Show them to their rooms. Dinner is in half an hour. Derek, a word.”
Shawn turned to follow the maid when a hand grabbed his arm and stopped him.
“I’ll see you shortly,” Rutledge said and gave him a brief kiss.
Or at least it was probably supposed to be a brief kiss, but Shawn found his lips clinging and parting, eager. He felt Rutledge’s surprise before Rutledge grabbed his neck and kissed him for real. The kiss seemed to go on forever.
By the time Rutledge finally pulled back, Shawn could barely breathe.
Shawn didn’t look around to see everyone’s reaction—he could well imagine it.
Grabbing the girls, he followed the maid.
His face was very warm.
Chapter 9
To say the dinner was awkward would be an understatement. It wasn’t just awkward: it was painful.
It was only ten minutes in and Shawn was already glancing at the grandfather clock on the wall.
The toxic atmosphere in the room was so thick it could be sliced. He’d never seen so much passive-aggressiveness between family members. Now Shawn was glad Emily and Bee hadn’t been allowed to eat with the adults.
The annoying part was, no one said anything outright; everything was carefully hidden behind bland smiles and polished manners. Andrew, Vivian’s husband, was the only one who seemed to be struggling to hide his dislike for his brother-in-law.
Rutledge didn’t pay Andrew much mind, though; his most cutting remarks were reserved for his father. Rutledge was rather infamous for his ruthlessness in college, but it was nothing compared to his nastiness towards his father. Shawn would have felt sorry for Joseph Rutledge if the old man wasn’t actually worse. Within the first ten minutes, Joseph had managed to insult everything from his son’s intelligence to his sexuality, his tone full of derision and contempt.
Watching them, Shawn was beginning to understand why Rutledge had left his home and hadn’t returned in fifteen years. He was also beginning to understand why Rutledge was such a control freak. His father’s personality was so domineering that he had likely developed the similar need to control everything as a defense mechanism.
“They do realize how much they’re alike, right?” Shawn murmured to Vivian, making sure that Rutledge, who sat on his other side, couldn’t hear him. Vivian seemed to be the only friendly face at the table.
She sighed. “I think that’s partly why they hate each other,” she murmured. “Though deep down, they care for one another.”
Shawn looked at the father and son sniping at each other and gave her a skeptical look.
Vivian smiled humorlessly. “I know, it’s hard to believe, but Father does care about Derek.” Her eyes became distant. “When we were kids, Father used to be very proud of him. I used to envy Derek. Things became…difficult when Father found out about Derek’s sexuality, but I’m sure he still cares. If he didn’t, he would have disowned him ages ago and cut him out of the will.” Glancing at her husband, she lowered her voice. “Andrew is really angry about it. He’s been working at the family company for years and thinks he deserves to inherit it.”