Yesterday we talked about Drew Fullerton, today we get to talk about his brother, Alex. Alex is by most definitions the yin to Drew's yang. Whereas Drew is a dominant alpha male, Alex prefers to keep things more low-key. Whereas Drew moves everyone around on his own personal chess board, Alex appeals to reason and logic - often using his sardonic snarky behavior to irk people into doing what he thinks is right.
Honestly that's what motivates Alex most of all. Despite coming from a long line of ruthless corporate raiders, Alex is a misplaced hippie who is more at home on a horse than he is in a boardroom. His love for the youngest and most vulnerable of the Fullerton clan makes him a fierce protector, though he has no illusions that he's any kind of savior. He understands his position in the family as "the black sheep" and plays the part accordingly.
That was why Rachel had no use for Alex from the first moment they met, even though he made it clear that she was the one with something to prove.
“Well, well, well,” I heard a male voice drawl from just beyond the fence. I turned to see what might have been Drew Fullerton’s scruffier, more uncouth twin. He was just as tall as Drew, with the same dark hair and light eyes and sculpted features. This man, however, sported longer hair and a close beard, topping off his rogue ensemble with a flannel work shirt, faded jeans and dusty, worn cowboy boots.
“Uncle Alex!” Jonathan exclaimed as he shot up off of the chaise lounge. He ran to the gate and around the yard until Alex Fullerton hoisted him up in one powerful arm.
“How you doin,’ kiddo?” Alex asked with a wide smile. He tugged at the orange belt. “You’re not a black belt yet? What’s wrong with you?”
Jonathan laughed at Alex’s teasing tone. “It takes time, Uncle Alex.”
“For everyone else,” Alex dismissed. “But for Jonathan Fullerton? I think not. You are made of too much awesome.”
“Lemme show you some new moves!” Jonathan offered as he hopped down.
“Now, buddy,” Alex chastised gently. “Don’t forget your manners. Why don’t you introduce me to your new friend?”
Jonathan walked closer to the fence where I sat. “This is Rachel Dennehy. She’s my new teacher.”
I stood and approached the iron fence. “We’re still working on that part,” I corrected. “I’m in the interview process, you could say.”
Alex’s hands landed on either of Jonathan’s shoulders. “Hope Master Jonathan here went easy on you,” he offered with an easy smile that never quite made it up to those steely eyes, which gave me the same critical once-over his nephew had.
“Hey, are those Cleo’s homemade chocolate chip cookies?” he asked. Jonathan nodded, so Alex patted him on the back. “Feel like fetching your old uncle a plate?” Another vigorous nod before Jonathan raced off into the house to accommodate a man he clearly idolized.
Knowing what little I knew of their family history, I found it a tad ironic.
Alex leaned over the fence. “So my brother finally did it,” he commented as his eyes swept over me.
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“Brought in a ringer,” he clarified. “What better weapon to prevent his ex-wife from getting full custody than putting a matronly female influence right in the house?”
Matronly? Was that a nice way of calling me fat? I stood straighter. “I’m just here to teach,” I informed him stiffly.
“Good,” he said as he glanced down at me with narrowed eyes. “Because if you’re looking to cash in, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
My eyebrow arched. “Excuse me?”
“It’s not like we haven’t seen this before,” he offered offhand. “Single billionaire, big, empty Beverly Hills mansion and a lonely kid who desperately needs a mom. Easy pickings for a smart gold-digger.” My fur started to rise but he went on, undaunted. “Hell, we even saw it when he was a married billionaire. One of the main reasons he’s single now.” He looked me over again, another liberal sweep of my fuller curves that grated against my last nerve. “I will give him credit, though. He’s definitely casting against type this time around. Natural hair color, no breast augmentation and no designer clothes. You really do look like a school teacher.”
My eyes narrowed. “That’s because that is what I am. I don’t appreciate any insinuation otherwise.”
He held up a hand. “No offense intended,” he said. “And if I misjudged you, I apologize. I’m more than willing to be wrong.”
“Really?” I challenged as I crossed my arms in front of my chest.
“Yeah,” he said as he glanced toward Jonathan, who approached with a plate full of cookies. “For his sake. You really want to do him a favor? Go back home. Let his mother have a fighting chance to raise him way the hell away from this poisonous family.”
Needless to say, it wasn't the best first impression. Even worse, Alex inserts himself wherever he can to needle this outsider. His objective is simple. Get his young nephew as far away from Drew as possible, before he loses him forever to the curse of their family. If he has to hurt a few feelings to achieve that, then he's perfectly okay with that. He quickly shoots to the list of Rachel's least favorite people. Like everyone else, she believes Alex can't hold a candle to his older, more successful brother, Drew.
I found Alex in the living room, standing in front of the family portrait. He seemed lost in the image, so much so I had to clear my throat to get his attention. “Mr. Fullerton,” I said as I stepped into the room.
He turned around to face me. “Rachel,” he greeted. “Can’t say I’m surprised you came back, but after everything Jonathan told us about you, I can honestly say I’m disappointed.”
“Is that why you summoned me? To chastise me for accepting a job in my chosen profession?”
His brow furrowed. “This isn’t some teaching job and you know it. You can’t be that naïve, no matter where you’re from.”
I bit back a sigh. “So I take it I’ve graduated from gold-digging tramp to ignorant hick, is that it?”
He sent a snarky smirk in my direction. “Who says you can’t be all four? You look like a multi-tasker to me.”
My fur started to rise. “Is there a point to this little meeting?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest as I stared at him.
“Since you are now living full-time with my nephew, his mother and I want to make sure that you are both qualified to teach him and emotionally equipped to handle the changes that are going to happen in the near future.”
My eyebrow arched. “And who exactly is fit to judge me for either?”
“Is there anyone who is better to decide this than a child’s mother? Clearly she would want to meet with you, to see if your motives truly are sincere.”
“If I wasn’t, I doubt very much Drew would have hired me,” I said. This made Alex chuckle.
“Seems you’ve gotten a little chummier than the last time we spoke,” he pointed out. “First name basis and all that. What exactly is your title again?”
I smiled sweetly. “Take it up with my boss,” I directed before I spun to leave.
Only this time he was on my heels before I could make it to the stairs. “What’s the matter, Rachel?” he asked as he spun me back around with one hand. “Afraid you’ll open your mouth and a bone will fall out? There are no skeletons in your closet this family doesn’t already possess. You can be honest with me.”
“I can be,” I agreed. “I just don’t want to be. Frankly, it’s none of your business what I do or don’t do. You’re not Jonathan’s father.”
“I also don’t have a $28-million dollar mansion in Beverly Hills,” he returned.
“You really think that’s what this is about, don’t you?”
He shrugged. “Not the first time. Doubt it will be the last.”
Rachel trusts him even less when he changes tactics.
“Having fun?”
And just like that, my good mood ground to a halt just like my swinging did. I dragged my feet in the sand until I came to a complete stop, then I turned to Alex Fullerton, who stood nearby. “I was,” I said pointedly.
He didn’t take the hint. Instead he walked to the swing next to me and sat down. “I guess I win the bet,” he said as he started to swing.
My teeth ground together as my jaw clenched. “What bet is that?” I finally asked as I resumed my swinging as well.
“I knew you’d take over the visitations. Elise said that you would never be so presumptuous. But she doesn’t know you like I do.”
I kicked harder as I swung higher. “Funny. Considering you don’t know me at all,” I said.
We passed each other as our swings crossed, his going up as I was coming back down again. “I knew you’d be here,” he smirked.
“I’m here because Jonathan asked me to be,” I clarified. “These meetings upset him. But I assume you already know that since you know everything.”
It came out much snarkier than I had intended. He chuckled in response. “At least we agree on one thing,” he said as he swung even higher.
“Is there a point to your pestering me? Or are you just bored?”
“I don’t get bored,” he said as he passed me again. I slowed my own swing considerably at his surprising revelation, which so closely mirrored my own thoughts on boredom. I couldn’t help but wonder exactly how much Jonathan had told him about me. Had he unintentionally armed this man with things he could use against me? Before I could ask, Alex went on. “I saw you swinging. You looked like you were having fun. So I joined you. Simple as that.”
“Simple, huh?” I questioned. “This has nothing whatsoever to do with your isolating me away from everyone so that you can further your case to let Elise have more access to Jonathan?”
This caused Alex to laugh harder. “Sounds like my brother already got into your head, Miss Dennehy. It’s not as nefarious as you make it sound. I just wanted to swing next to a pretty girl. No harm in that, is there?”
I made a face as I stopped the swing. He really had gone too far. “Good day, Mr. Fullerton,” I said as I rose from the swing and pointed myself back to the pier.
Unfortunately he jogged to catch up to me. “Was it something I said?” he tried to smirk in good humor.
I spun on him. “I know what you think of me, Mr. Fullerton. And that’s fine. Think whatever you want. Whatever helps you sleep at night, I don’t care. But don’t you dare try to butter me up like I’m some airheaded wallflower at the mercy of your insincere flattery.”
He held up both hands. “Cool your jets, sister. I wasn’t trying to butter you up. I was just paying you a compliment. It’s customary to say ‘thank you,’ not bite a guy’s head off.”
As you can see, he doesn't have a whole lot in common with Drew. He does, however, have a lot in common with Rachel. The shocking revelations unravel in book one, proving exactly how much. Rachel finds herself batted around between the two very different, very powerful brothers, and has to muster all her emotional fortitude to handle it.
Like I said yesterday, these two brothers were born from my experience living with a man with bipolar disorder. Like Rachel, there were days I didn't know who I would be dealing with from moment to moment. I know a little bit about loving and hating the same person all at the same time. In the FFS, I split them up into brothers and let my heroine try to figure it out from there.
For that reason alone, Alex is near and dear to me. His good qualities are indeed good and noble. His bad qualities, well... those were a part of the deal too. I love him every bit as much as I love Drew, and sometimes hate him every bit as much as I sometimes hate Drew. They equally hurt her, and by default equally hurt me. Yet, like Rachel, I could see what they *could* be, and that's why I hung in there. As their creator, I split their personalities right down the middle. My task was to have them meet more in the middle by the time the series was done, letting the lines blur accordingly.
Boy, did they, especially as Rachel gets to know the painful backstory that both Drew and Alex share. We had a LOT to wade through, hence the three books.
Like Drew, Alex has been such a part of my life for so long, I can't really "cast" him with anyone. He looks a lot like Drew, but unlike Drew, he doesn't care about fancy clothes and cars. He wears his hair long. He sports a beard. He has no interest in being contained to some stuffy office. Instead, he fights for right outside the boardroom. His money and his last name mostly embarrass him. Still, he's got the innate swagger of a true Fullerton.
If y'all have suggestions, I'm all ears.
The song for Alex is actually my song for Brandon, the son that I lost just before I wrote this story. It's a song about loss, which Alex knows a lot about. Honestly this connects Alex and Rachel more than anything else.
Since they are such kindred spirits, Rachel is the only one, aside from Jonathan maybe, who sees what Alex could be. He knows it, but doesn't know what to do with it. Just like she did with Drew, she rocks Alex to the core, shaking his entire foundation. Better still... she gets through to him.
“Ho, ho, ho!” Alex greeted jovially. We turned to see him in full costume as Santa Claus, complete with a full bag slung over his shoulder. “Merry Christmas, y’all,” he added as he glanced at me.
“What are you doing?” Drew hissed.
“Spreading joy and cheer,” Alex answered with a wide smile. Nothing made him happier than putting his brother off his game. “Tis the season and all that.”
“You look ridiculous,” Drew muttered. “Why must you take every family function and make a mockery of it?”
“How can you expect anything else when you insist on parading around our mockery of a family?” Alex challenged. “Unless, of course, your miracle worker has fixed that, too.”
Drew put his arm around me to pull me close. “I don’t think that is any of your business, Alex.”
“Of course not,” Alex sneered. “I’m just a Fullerton, after all.”
“Alex, please,” I said under my breath. “Don’t make a scene.”
He laughed. “I’m a big fat guy in red velvet. Santa doesn’t exactly play it small, sweets.” He put the bag on the ground. “But I come bearing gifts.” He withdrew a stocking for Drew, which happened to be full of charcoal. “Bad luck again, old man,” he said with a shrug. “Guess you’ll have to get all your goodies from your good pal, De Havilland. He owes you after your generous donations to his campaign and Entrepreneurs for American Liberty, don’t you think?”
“That is none of your concern,” Drew hissed through clenched teeth.
“Of course not,” Alex repeated. He dug around in the bag and brought out a gift-wrapped box. “And for the good teacher,” he said as he handed me the gift. His eyes were hard on me as I opened the flat box and withdrew the one-way ticket back to Texas. “It’s the gift that keeps on giving. You get your freedom, and Elise gets her son back. It’s a win-win.”
Drew was livid as he tore the ticket in half. “I want you out of my house, Alex.”
Alex laughed as he hoisted the bag back over his shoulder. “No can do, brah,” he said. “You can’t kick Santa out of your house on Christmas. It’s the one time the trespasser is more welcome than the thief,” he added as he glared at me. He spun on his heel and went into the ballroom, hollering, “ho-ho-ho” like he was a part of the venue entertainment.
Drew stalked to his study and slammed the door shut. I honestly didn’t know which brother to chase after. I decided to curtail as much damage as possible by tracking down Alex, who was bestowing gifts to his favorite nephew near one of the majestic trees in the ballroom. Jonathan had no clue how much of a problem his uncle’s presence caused for his dad. All he knew was that all the people he loved were in the same place. I let them interact for a few minutes before I gently interrupted and pulled Alex out of the ballroom.
Since the common areas downstairs were open as a holiday showcase, I had to pull him into my office so that we could speak privately. “You’ve made your point,” I said after I closed the door. “Can’t that be enough for once?”
Alex laughed. “You are something else. Not only are you Jonathan’s governess, but you’re a party planner, hostess and now… bouncer. You take multi-tasking to the next level, princess.”
“Look, I know you don’t like me…,” I started, but he was quick to interrupt.
“Who says I don’t like you?”
“You do. Every chance you get.”
He walked to where I stood at the door. “If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t care what happened to you,” he pointed out as his eyes swept across my face. “You may not see it now, but I am trying to save you.”
“From what?” I challenged.
His eyes slid down to my mouth. “From us.”
I backed up a step, but he pulled me back. “Elise… Nina… my mother… Fullerton men always destroy the women that they love. You think you can save us, but you can’t. You’re just prolonging the inevitable. Especially where Jonathan is concerned. You want to give us a gift? Leave. Let this house of ruin fall to decay like it should have done years ago.”
“I know you’re bitter,” I said softly, and he chuckled in response as he pulled away. “I don’t need the dirty details. I know it’s bad… poisonous… between the two of you. But you are still a family. You just need one person to give a damn. To fight.”
“And you think you’re that person, is that it?”
“I think you’re that person,” I told him as I squared my chin. “You’ve got a good heart, Alex. I’ve seen it. With Max, with Jonathan, with complete strangers at the mission. And I know you got that from your mom.” He looked away. “She did everything she could to save her boys by binding you both together. All this fighting and bitterness, it can’t be what she wanted for the both of you. Nothing is worth the hatred. Not the money, not the women, not the kids. It just takes one of you to decide to be the bigger man. You want to prove to me how sincere you are? Let it be you.”
He turned to stare at me for a long moment. Clearly he was dissecting what I had said, looking for something, anything, to use against me. I no longer cared what he thought about me. It was time to end the bitter feud between these two brothers once and for all.
I turned to leave, but his words stopped me.
“Don’t you have a gift for good ol’ Saint Nick?” he asked softly.
I turned back to face him. “What did you have in mind?”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sprig of mistletoe as he approached. He stopped a breath apart and held it above his head. His eyes dared me to defy his request. Maybe it was a test. I had come to expect that from him. Instead I stepped closer, braced myself on his arm and stood on my tiptoes to plant a soft, lingering kiss on his stubbly cheek. “Merry Christmas, Alex,” I said as I pulled away.
His eyes engulfed me. “Merry Christmas, Rachel,” he murmured. He hoisted his bag onto his shoulder and slipped through the door. I followed him down the hall, but instead of going into the ballroom, he walked right out the front door.
Suffice it to say, it's up to Rachel to save BOTH of them.
Will she? Won't she? Buy THE FULLERTON FAMILY SAGA to find out. I've dropped the price of ENTANGLED, the second book of the series (and the book we really get to know Alex,) to $0.99 for a limited time only. This brings your total cost for all three books to $3.50. Not a bad price to fall in love with two very different brothers, and possibly get your heart ripped out in the process. Seriously I re-read the series last night and...
If you love angst, and you love passion, and you love complications and drama and *feeling* something when you read a story, this may be the story for you.
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