Wrapped in Love

by Lexi Ryan

  Molly

  “Molly, there are a couple of women in the kitchen asking to see you.”

  I pull my attention from my spreadsheets to look at my chef. I’m not even supposed to be here today, so I have no idea who’d be looking for me. “Who?”

  She shrugs. Justine is great with the cooking and planning the meals, but when it comes to giving messages or, you know, basic interpersonal communication skills, she definitely falls a bit short. Since potential catering clients talk to me and not her, I overlook it.

  I push out of my chair and follow her back to the kitchen.

  “Brayden’s sister and that hot Indian chick,” the sous chef says when he spots me. “They went to the tasting room.”

  “Thanks.” I weave my way through the staff doing the prep work for tomorrow’s dinner and push into the tasting room side of the building. There, at the far table, are Teagan and Shay. “My sous chef called you ‘that hot Indian chick,’” I tell Teagan.

  She rubs her hands together and waggles her brows. “And is he single?”

  “Single,” I say with a nod, “but only twenty-one.”

  “Single, legal, and knows how to cook.” She shrugs. “Please give him my number.”

  I laugh and then look between her and Shay. “What are you two doing here?”

  “Rescuing you from yourself,” Shay says. “All you do is work!”

  I smile at my friends. “There’s a lot to be done.”

  “But it’s your day off!”

  “I’m opening a new business. Days off will come later.”

  Teagan waves away my objection. “That doesn’t mean you can’t make time for your girls.”

  I gape in mock offense. “Hey, Nic’s bachelorette party is Thursday night, and I promised I’d be there. It’s on my schedule.”

  Shay grins. “Teagan and I wanted to steal you before then.”

  I cock a brow, waiting.

  Teagan makes a show of looking around the empty room, as if she’s about to spill state secrets. “The other girls are all too sweet to tell us no when we want to go out, but you know they’d rather be at home bumping uglies with their Jackson boys.”

  Shay cringes. “Those boys are my brothers. Can we not talk about what they’re bumping?”

  Teagan chortles shamelessly. “Anyway, we’re starting some super-secret single ladies’ dates.”

  I try to smile. I really, really do, but I’m pretty sure a mirror would confirm that I look more nauseated than happy. “That sounds . . . great.”

  “Liar,” Shay says, standing and linking her arm with mine. “You hate the idea of getting stuck at the singles’ table.”

  I laugh. “I have no objection to the singles’ table. If anything, I’d like to reserve my spot, but the nights out . . .” I shrug. “I have a kid I already miss too many evenings with. I’m not sure I’m excited about missing more time with him.”

  “Understandable,” Shay says, and the girls lead me through the kitchen and back to my office.

  “Which is why we’re the perfect friends,” Teagan says. “Shay’s schedule is flexible, and my twelve-hour shifts mean I only like to go out on my days off, but I’m not restricted to nights.”

  Shay grabs my coat off the hook inside my office. “What she’s saying is we’re taking you to breakfast. At least once a week, just to make sure you don’t turn into a workaholic zombie like my brother.”

  “Oh.” I grin. I can do breakfast. “I think that’s actually a fabulous idea.” Mornings are the best for me to get in some friend time without missing out with Noah, and I’ve pretty much wrapped up everything I wanted to do here this morning anyway. “Where are we going?”

  “Jordan’s Inn,” Shay says.

  Teagan nods. “They have a mimosa bar and the best omelets I’ve ever had in my life. Before my first brunch there, I didn’t even know eggs could be orgasmic.”

  I arch a brow. “Champagne and orgasmic eggs, all before ten a.m. on a Monday? I’m afraid to ask what else you ladies have planned.”

  “Oh, just you wait,” Shay says.

  I head down the hall to let Brayden know I’m out for the day, but I find his office door shut and the lights off. That’s not like him at all. Barring when he leaves for meetings, he’s usually working at his desk all morning Monday through Friday—if not on weekends too.

  “I think he had plans this morning,” Shay says when she notices me staring at the closed door. “Come on, let’s go do some day drinking.”

  Teagan flashes her a smile that looks suspiciously conspiratorial.

  “What are you two up to?” I ask.

  “Not a thing. Just taking our new bestie to breakfast.”

  Brayden

  “God, look at you!” Sara squeezes my biceps and pulls me into a hug. I swallow hard as she curls herself into my chest. I don’t know what to do with my arms, my hands. I awkwardly pat her shoulders, but if she notices my reluctance to return her embrace, she doesn’t let on. “You’re still the most handsome guy in town.”

  I smirk at that little piece of flattery. “How would you know? You haven’t been around in years.”

  She laughs. “Touché.”

  Yesterday afternoon, while Molly was meeting with clients, I finally texted Sara and told her we could meet. The longer I thought about it, the more I realized I truly have already moved on, and if she needs to give me her explanation to move on with her life, I want to give her that. She hurt me, but for two years before that, she was everything. It’s a gift to the Sara from those years that I agreed to this. It’s a gift to myself that I chose breakfast and to get it over with as soon as possible.

  The server leads us to our table and gives us menus. I already know my order, so I use the opportunity to study the woman I once believed I’d grow old with.

  Sara Jeffers hasn’t changed. It’s been ten years since she tore my life apart, but she’s the same bright-eyed, beautiful woman. She still wears her blond hair long and swept over her shoulder in a braid, still toys with the end when she’s nervous. We’re even meeting at our favorite breakfast place—just like we did every Friday morning while she was in law school.

  Everything is the same. Except me. I don’t feel the same at all. Thank God. When she left, I had to live with wreckage in my chest. I could hardly breathe through it, and I only survived by throwing myself even more into my work. Nine years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to have this meeting in public. Hell, for a few months after she left, I couldn’t even say her name without feeling like I was being ripped in two.

  Sara puts down her menu and beams at me. “Tell me everything I’ve missed.”

  I arch a brow. “You’ve been gone nearly a decade. You’ve missed . . . ” Everything. “A lot of things have changed.” Except you, apparently. But I’m not sure I want to go there.

  Something flashes over her face. If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was regret. She unfolds her napkin and places it in her lap before toying with her silverware. “I wanted to call so many times, but I knew you wouldn’t want to talk to me.” When I don’t answer, she meets my gaze again. “I’m so sorry, Brayden. You have no idea how many things I regret.”

  I swallow hard. She seems so sincere, but it’s too late. “At least you had the choice to call, the choice to reach out. You disappeared and took that choice from me.”

  The server appears with coffee and saves me from having to immediately say more. She fills our mugs and takes our orders before walking away. A bowl of oatmeal and a side of egg whites for Sara, and the California omelet for me. “Would either of you care for the mimosa bar?” the server asks. “Or a bellini?”

  “Not for me, thank you,” I say, then look to Sara, who I’ve never known to skip an opportunity for champagne.

  “Coffee is fine,” she says with a smile. When the server walks away, she tugs on a lock of hair and says, “I’m twelve months sober.”

  I blink. Sober. “I didn’t know . . .” I swallow back the rest of that rid
iculous sentence and shake my head. “Congratulations.”

  “No one knew. Not back then, at least. Even when I checked myself in for treatment, only a couple of close friends knew.” She drops her gaze to her silverware. “I didn’t even tell my family.”

  I didn’t know. But hell, in retrospect, I should have. “I’m sorry.”

  “What on earth do you think you need to apologize for?” she asks softly.

  “Brayden!”

  My attention is pulled away to the blonde strolling toward us. Molly. I blink at her.

  “Hey, bossman!” She grins at me and teeters slightly, pink-cheeked and grinning. Tipsy Molly. “You can’t seem to escape me no matter where you go, can you?”

  “What are you doing here?” I scan the room and get my answer when I spot Shay and Teagan in a booth against the wall. Carter, Jake, and Levi all knew I’d be here this morning. I told them at the gym. I’d bet good money they shared that information with our sister.

  Sara looks back and forth between me and Molly, who goes still when she realizes who I’m with.

  I clear my throat. “Molly, this is my friend Sara. Sara, this is Molly, my—”

  “Roommate,” Molly blurts, jabbing her hand in Sara’s direction. “Just roommate, nothing more. Well, I guess more, because he’s also my boss. My boss and roommate, but we’re totally platonic. No worries there. Sorry about the other night.”

  Totally platonic. Is she lying because she doesn’t want anyone to know about us or because she thinks that’s what I want? I grimace and watch as Sara takes Molly’s hand and gives it a tentative shake. “Nice to meet you, Molly.”

  “You too.” Molly’s gaze ping-pongs between me and Sara. She drags her bottom lip between her teeth like she’s biting back a question. She steadies her attention on me and says, “Your sister and Teagan said I work too much, so I’m taking the rest of the day off.”

  “You’re entitled.”

  “But I’ll be there tomorrow.” She holds up two fingers. “Totally sober, scout’s honor.”

  I feel my lips twitch in amusement. There shouldn’t be anything funny about this situation, but Molly’s so nervous and awkward about this meeting, and she’s adorable when she’s nervous. Shay might have known I’d be here with Sara, but it’s obvious Molly had no idea. “Enjoy your day off, Molly. You’ve earned it.”

  “You too.” She waves between me and Sara and winces. “I mean, obviously you already are, but I hope you keep enjoying it.”

  In the next breath, Shay is behind her, giving Sara a smile so obviously fake I hope my sister never tries for a career in acting.

  Sara brightens at the sight of her. “Shay! Oh my goodness, how are you?”

  “Good. Just having some mimosas with my friend here,” Shay says, smacking Molly on the shoulder. “We have to head out, but it’s nice to see you.”

  Sara deflates a bit, recognizing the brush-off for what it is. “Yeah. Sure.”

  Shay gives me a hard look and mouths, Team Molly.

  I’m not much of a mind reader, but I’m pretty sure the steel in Shay’s eyes means she’ll kick me in the balls if I’m thinking of getting back together with Sara.

  Sara and I both watch in an awkward silence as Shay, Molly, and Teagan giggle their way out of the restaurant.

  “I guess it was foolish not to expect your sister to hate me.”

  “She doesn’t hate you.” That might be a lie, so I try for truth. “She’s never used those words, at least, only said that she’s angry with you.”

  Sara takes a long sip of her coffee. “I always loved your family. Sometimes it felt like losing them was as hard as losing you.” She meets my eyes. “I always believed they’d be my family too one day.”

  I thought the same, but I don’t bother saying so.

  Sara blows out a breath. “So, that’s your roommate? And she works for you?”

  I grimace. Leave it to Molly to make something awkward in an attempt to make it less awkward. “She runs the new banquet center that’s attached to the tasting room, and she’s staying at my house temporarily.”

  “Sounds cozy.”

  “She and her son needed a place to stay for a couple of months.”

  Her eyes go sad. “That’s just like you to swoop in and play the hero.”

  I shrug. “I have the room. Anyone would have done it.”

  She studies me, trying to read my expression. Sara was always good at reading me when no one else bothered. “She’s pretty.”

  I nod. Denying it will just make me look and feel like a liar.

  “And young.”

  I shrug. Again, no use denying it.

  “Does she know you’re in love with her?”

  “Don’t.” The word is soft, but she hears the warning and straightens.

  “It’s not my business anyway, right?” She turns away from me and smiles at the waitress, who slides our food in front of us.

  When we’re alone again, I ask, “Why’d you ask me here, Sare?”

  Her smile wobbles. “You called me Sare. No one’s called me that since . . .” She shakes her head and picks up her fork. “I wanted to apologize for . . . everything.”

  “It was a long time ago.”

  “I know you said you forgave me for what I did.” She picks up her fork and pushes her egg whites around her plate. “I couldn’t forgive myself, and I didn’t want to admit that I needed help.”

  The reminder of those last days between us doesn’t hurt as much as I anticipated. It’s like going to debride a wound, only to find it’s already healed. “I wish you had.”

  She nods, still not meeting my eyes. “Your whole world was tied to alcohol, Brayden. I couldn’t . . . I needed to cut it out of my life completely, and I didn’t see any way of doing that without asking you to do the same.”

  “I would have.” It’s true. I’d have walked away from the family business for her. My father was still healthy when she left, so it would have been easy. And everything would have been different.

  “I know. That’s why I couldn’t tell you. I was so ashamed.”

  “Thank you for telling me now.” I reach across the table and put my hand over hers. “I mean it.”

  “There’s another reason I brought you here. I wanted to tell you in person that I’m moving back to Jackson Harbor.” She takes a long, shaky breath. “And that I never stopped loving you, so if you ever find it in your heart to give me a second chance . . .” Her lip quivers. “I know it sounds crazy, but I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t tell you.”

  Molly

  A blast of frigid air hits me in the face as we push out of the restaurant and race to Teagan’s car. I climb into the back, letting Shay have the front seat.

  “Did you know Brayden would be there?” I ask.

  “I did,” Shay says.

  “Shay! What the hell? I just made an ass of myself.” And now I have this awful feeling in my stomach. Like maybe I’m in the way and if I already know I can’t be with Brayden, I have no right to keep him from someone who could plan a future with him.

  Shay buckles up, then turns sideways in her seat to look at me. “It didn’t go as planned, okay? I thought Brayden would notice you were there and come over to say hi.”

  I gape at her. “I see him every single day. I live with him. And you made me look like some sort of awful stalker because you were hoping he’d say hi?”

  Shay and Teagan exchange a look, and Teagan says, “She was hoping Sara would see the way he looks at you and back off before trying to get him back.”

  The way he looks at me? I swallow the bubble of hope those words put in my throat. It doesn’t matter how he looks at me. We are what we are, and nothing more. And anyway, she’s probably mistaking lust for something else. “I feel like a pawn, and I don’t like it.”

  “I’m sorry.” Shay throws up her hands. “I swear I don’t normally meddle so much in my brothers’ love lives, but I’ve been protective of Brayden since Sara left, and Molly, t
he two of you are making me crazy. Can’t you just jump him before he makes a big mistake and takes her back?”

  If my interaction with Brayden hadn’t cemented the second mimosa as a bad idea, I’m sure of it now as I try and fail to understand Shay’s logic. She took me to brunch hoping Brayden would say hi, and she wants me to jump her brother? Hello—been there, done that, plan to do it again tonight. “You’re not making any sense to me.”

  “Has Brayden told you anything about Sara?” Shay asks as Teagan starts the car.

  I frown. The night I met Sara was weird. Brayden practically pinned me against the building, and for a minute I actually thought he was going to kiss me, but he kept his history with Sara a secret. “Not much. He was pretty upset that I interfered, so I didn’t bring it up again after I got home. What happened between them?”

  “I think he’d be irritated with me if I told you,” Shay says.

  I sag in my seat in disappointment. “Okay. I understand.”

  “So I’m going to do it,” Teagan says. She pulls out of her parking space and onto the road. “Ten years ago, right before Brayden was going to propose, the bitch cheated on him with one of her law professors.”

  My stomach drops. “Oh, no.” I shake my head. “Wait. Teagan, I didn’t think you even lived here ten years ago.”

  “I didn’t. I just know the story,” Teagan says, meeting my eyes in the rearview mirror. “He didn’t tell anyone what happened, but word got around. Brayden thought they could work through it.”

  “He loved her so much,” Shay whispers.

  “Then she ghosted him,” Teagan says. “She skipped town, changed her number, blocked him on social media, and told her family she didn’t want them to tell him where she was.”

  I know my jaw is hanging open, but all I can do is shake my head. “She ran away from Brayden? Did she leave with the professor?”

  “Nope. He still teaches at JHU. No one knows exactly why she left,” Teagan says, and Shay nods along in agreement, her lips sealed. “But it destroyed him. She was the love of his life.”