My Arrogant Stepbrother 1 by WANDA EDMOND

Chapter 1
    Emma stepped out of the car and examined the big modern house rising in front of her.  Her mother’s phone call had taken her by surprise, as Evelyn Davis wasn’t known to be an adventurous kind of person.  The call had come late last night, just after her mother had returned from her little vacation.  She asked Emma to come to the Jonson’s house and pretty much closed the phone after that.
    At twenty six, Emma was an independent and strong young woman, who, however, still had a very loving relationship with her mother.  That was why she found it strange to be asked to come to this house without any further explanation.
    It wasn’t the first time she came here.  Evelyn had been taking care of Mrs. Jonson for the last two years of the sick woman’s life and Emma had come here on more than one occasion.  But, this has been five years ago.  Mrs. Jonson death had ended all Evelyn’s ties to the house and family, or that was what Emma thought.
    Singing deeply, the young woman closed her car and walked slowly towards the main door of the building.  The huge area in front of it was used as a parking by the family, when there was nothing else going on.  But, Emma had seen it filled with guests and used for performances.
    Now, however, everything was calm and silent under the bright morning sun.  She smiled at the big brown dog that come running her way and almost missed the slick black car that drove into the driveway.
    Ross Jonson stepped out of it and walked her way, “Hi, beautiful,” he greeted Emma and walked past her.  Emma watched him go and thought that this man was all that was wrong with the world.
    She thought about what to do next and dialled the number of her mother.  “Where are you?” She asked the moment her mother answered the phone.  “I am outside.”
    “Come in, Emma,” Evelyn invited Emma in her usual gentle voice.
    That was when the front door was opened by Mr. Jonson, who smiled at her and invited her to get in.  “Hi Emma,” he said.  “Come in, your mother is waiting for you.”
    “Hello, Mr. Jonson,” she returned his smile and followed him inside the big house that looked like taken from some catalogue. Her mother was waiting for them in the big living room, while Ross could be seen coming in from the kitchen.
    “Emma,” Mr. Jonson said, once Ross was inside the room.  “You remember my son, Ross, right?”
    “Yes,” she murmured quietly and extended her hand to take his.  Ross said nothing, but made sure to keep her hand in his longer than necessary.  His eyes bored into hers and he made a show of looking her up and down.  Her body heat rose to an impossible degree and Emma felt how her face became red.
    “So,” Mr. Jonson continued.  “Now that the introductions are out of the way, we can talk about the reason we are all here.”
    “I hope it will be quick,” Ross said quietly, but loud enough for Emma to hear him.
    “We must be wondering about what is it, we call you here for,” the older man continued.  “You are our family and Evelyn and I, we thought that you should be the first to know the news.”
    “Evelyn and you?” Ross asked, surprised by the way his father was talking.
    “Yes, Evelyn and me,” he repeated.  “We got married last Saturday.”
    “What?”
    “Oh...”
    Both Emma and Ross exclaimed.  “You two got married?”  Ross was the first to regain his voice.
    “I know that this is sudden...” For the first time, Evelyn tried to join the conversation.  “But, we knew each other for many years and lately we have been seeing each other.”
    “You went on the vacation together!?”  Emma stated the obvious.
    “Yes,” Evelyn confirmed.  “I am sorry, Emma, I wanted to tell you, but I wasn’t sure how and...”
    “Please,” Thomas Jonson added.  “We love each other and want to spend our days together.  It has nothing to do with your father, Emma, or your mother, Ross...”
    Emma tried to process the