“That’s a great idea,” he told her. “Although some of the food-truck owners might be disappointed. I heard you have a waiting list for trucks on-site during weekends.”
Her grin was natural now. “We still want to utilize the trucks. The response to our theme nights has been overwhelming.”
“You’re doing a great job with the marketing. Everyone says so.”
“I don’t know about everyone.” She rolled her eyes. “There are a number of old-timers around who aren’t thrilled about the town’s new growth. But even they can’t deny the refreshed energy of the community. It feels good to be a part of it, and I’m so grateful to Josh and Parker for giving me a chance.”
They continued to talk about her work and his job. Nick appreciated that the tension from earlier had disappeared, even when the waitress brought their food and Stan stopped by the table. The older man commented on how pretty Brynn and Remi looked, but Brynn only blushed and thanked him for the compliment.
By the time they got to the school, Nick felt calmer than he had in days. Maybe they could forge ahead with a fresh start, after all.
* * *
Brynn looked at her reflection in the hazy mirror above the girls’ bathroom sink down the hall from the school’s auditorium. Nick had dropped her off with Tyler so she could walk him to his classroom, where the students were meeting before the start of the performance.
She’d gotten waylaid talking to the teacher she’d subbed for the previous semester, when the young mom had been on maternity leave, and then made a quick stop at the bathroom because she needed a quiet minute to herself. Nick texted that he’d gotten seats near the aisle in case Remi needed to be whisked out midperformance.
Brynn didn’t want to compare tonight to the years she and Daniel had attended the school performances together. He’d never been all that interested in young kids doing their thing on stage, and she’d had to cajole and threaten him into coming with her every year, making sure she showed enough enthusiasm before and after the performance that Tyler wouldn’t notice his father’s lack of interest.
Nick acted like he was going to a Broadway play, and his excitement—even if it was all for Ty’s benefit—melted her heart. As if she needed another reason to fall for Nick Dunlap.
The door to the restroom opened, and she turned as Cassie Monaghan entered. Cassie had been in the same graduating class as Brynn, although they hadn’t run in anywhere near the same circles. Brynn had stuck with the misfits other than when she was trailing around after Nick and his buddies like some kind of worshipful sidekick.
Cassie, on the other hand, had been one of the “it” girls. She and her friends had run the school, from the cheer team to homecoming and prom courts. In fact, Cassie had been Nick’s date to senior prom. The memory burned like acid in Brynn’s gut even now. There were plenty of good things about living in a small town, but she didn’t consider unwanted reminders of the past part of that.
“Hey, Cass.” Brynn smiled as she tugged a paper towel from the dispenser. “I didn’t know you were back in town.”
“Just until after Christmas.” The other woman smirked. “I got hired at a new salon in Portland, so I took a week off to recharge.”
“That’s great.” Somewhere in the back of her mind, Brynn knew Cassie was a hairdresser. She certainly had a beautiful mane of thick, perfectly curled blond hair. In fact, the woman was perfectly turned out from the top of her shiny hair to her shapely legs tucked into red cowboy boots. She looked as polished and intimidating as she had a decade earlier.
Brynn shifted when Cassie continued to block her way to the door and resisted the urge to scratch at her lace bra, which suddenly felt itchy in all the wrong places. She glanced down at the simple black shift she wore with colorful patterned clogs. She might not work at the elementary school any longer, but she still dressed the part. Maybe it was time for an update of more than just her undergarments.
“It’s nice of you to come to the performance. I’m sure Gillian is glad to have you here. She’ll do great.” Cassie’s niece, Gillian, one of Tyler’s classmates, was the star of the show this year.
When Cassie didn’t respond, Brynn made to move past her. The other woman grabbed her arm. “He’s not going to fall for you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “You weren’t his type in high school, and you aren’t now.”
Brynn’s stomach dipped. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She managed to keep her voice steady.
“Nick,” Cassie clarified, although she must know Brynn wasn’t that dense. “We’ve stayed in contact over the years, you know.”
“Yeah,” Brynn answered, even though she’d known nothing of the sort. But Starlight was a small town with one popular bar for locals and tourists alike. She’d seen Cassie around during holidays and breaks, so it shouldn’t surprise her that Nick had, as well. Heck, Daniel had even mentioned running into her at Trophy Room a few times over the years. The sick pit in Brynn’s stomach gaped wider. For all she knew, her husband had cheated on her with this woman.
“We get together when I come back.” She leaned in closer. “You know what I mean by together, right?”
Brynn didn’t bother to answer.
“This week I text him and he tells me he’s too busy for a drink.”
“Maybe he’s too busy,” Brynn said through clenched teeth. “Or maybe you should take a hint.”
“Nick and I are cut from the same cloth.” Cassie’s fingers dug into Brynn’s skin, and she yanked away from the painful grasp. “We like our relationships straightforward, no-strings-attached. You’re the biggest ball of tangled yarn I’ve ever seen, Brynn Hale. Between getting yourself knocked up, a husband who couldn’t keep it in his pants and now taking on one of his bastards, you’re a bigger mess now than you ever were. You should have stayed the mousy wallflower. Nick will never let himself be saddled with you and your two sad-sack children and if you think—”
Brynn’s arm shot out and before she knew what she was doing, Cassie’s back was up against the cold tile wall of the bathroom with Brynn’s forearm pinning her so she couldn’t move. Rage bubbled up inside Brynn, hot and fiery, in a way she barely recognized. It coursed through her like molten lava, giving her a ferocity she hadn’t known she possessed.
She’d taken a lot of grief, pity and judgment over the years. She could deal with it, but there was no way she would let anyone disparage either of her children.
And they were both hers. No matter what the future held for Remi, Brynn knew without a shadow of a doubt that she would always love that girl with her entire heart.
“You don’t know Nick, and you never have.” She leaned in, satisfied when Cassie’s heavily mascaraed eyes widened in shock. “And you definitely don’t know me or my children. Let me tell you that I’m proud of the life I’ve made for myself and them.”
“That baby isn’t even yours,” the other woman said on a hiss of breath.
“She needs a mother, and I’m honored to fill that role. I don’t care what you or anyone else thinks about it.” She released Cassie and stepped back. “Your opinion means nothing to me. I have a feeling you mean less than nothing to Nick.” She smiled broadly. “Merry Christmas, Cassie,” she said and walked out of the bathroom.
She walked to the auditorium with her head held high, greeting the people she passed in the hall by name or smiling at the ones she didn’t recognize. The rows of chairs were half-full, and she quickly found Nick and took a seat next to him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked immediately, concern filling his gaze. He held Remi on his lap, and to Brynn’s great joy, the baby reached for her.
“Everything’s fine,” she said, lifting the girl into her arms. “I ran into Cassie Monaghan in the bathroom.”
Nick muttered a curse.
Brynn kept the smile on her face as she snuggled the baby to her ches
t. To anyone watching her—and she could feel the weight of multiple stares—there was no outward sign of the turmoil racing through her body.
“If you want to go out with her, or hook up, or whatever it is you two do over the holidays, don’t let me or Remi stop you.”
She heard his sharp intake of breath.
“I haven’t gone out with Cassie in years,” he said, voice tight. “I have no plan to start now.”
“Anyone,” Brynn modified. “If you want to go out with anyone, it’s—”
“No.” He placed a heavy hand on her leg, and she wished she could stop her reaction to his touch, but it felt too good. Too right. “How many times do I have to say it before you’ll believe me, Brynn? I don’t want anyone else. I’m happy with you. I know that it’s not permanent, that you don’t think of me in that way. I’m not going to push you away. But I’ve missed you. If nothing else, believe that.”
She gave a shaky nod, grateful when the elementary school’s principal took the stage to begin the show. Her mind spun at the sincerity in Nick’s tone. Was he trying to placate her, or had he spoken the truth? How could he think she wouldn’t see him as someone who could be a permanent part of her life?
Was it possible that he doubted her commitment to him as much as she doubted his? In her wildest fantasies, she’d never considered a world where Nick Dunlap could be hurt by her. Brynn didn’t hurt people. She was on the receiving end of emotional suffering and had gotten used to laughing it off. Anything else was like the world tilting in a way she couldn’t understand.
She might not be able to comprehend this new revelation, but her heart stammered at the simple idea that Nick could want her in the same way she wanted him. He squeezed her leg, and she flashed a quick smile in return, careful not to make eye contact with him. The lights went down in the auditorium and she focused on the students filing out onto the stage. Once again, Nick had changed everything for her.
Chapter Fourteen
Nick sat on the edge of the mattress later that night, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. His mind raced in a million different directions, but at the end, all of them led back to the same place.
Brynn.
He’d thought he left his stupid ego moves behind years ago but realized now that he was still an idiot. His big plan to give her some sort of magical Christmas and the dates she seemed to want had blown up in his face. Not that she realized it. No one would because Nick was too good at keeping his feelings hidden.
Well, his friends had an inkling, but that stemmed more from the way he’d decided he felt about her too late in high school than anything now. Back then, she’d been the one that got away. The one he’d pushed away.
He’d assumed his inability to get over Brynn had more to do with a mix of his competitive nature and the fact that he’d gotten used to her constant presence than true heartbreak. It didn’t matter that his chest had ached every time he saw her in town, either with Daniel and Tyler or on her own. He’d taken to avoiding her over the years because that helped dull the pain. Pain he attributed to guilt.
Daniel Hale had been a horrible husband, and Nick knew Brynn would have never ended up with the man if Nick hadn’t arranged that fateful prom date.
Despite everything, he’d always assumed he was in control. But it didn’t matter how high he built his defenses. They were nothing Brynn couldn’t scale. Hell, she didn’t even have to work at it. In truth, she held the key to his heart and always had.
Where did that leave him?
He looked up at the knock on the door and his heart stammered against his ribs as the woman who consumed his thoughts beyond all reason stepped into his office.
“I wanted to thank you again for tonight,” she said, her tone soft, hesitant. Her hair was down, tucked back behind her ears, and she wore the thickest, fuzziest robe he’d ever seen. The robe was so big and bulky it almost swallowed her whole. Even with the shapeless fabric engulfing her, his body immediately sprang to life. Her scent floated to him, and his fingers itched to pull her close. He tucked his hands under his thighs and nodded.
“It was fun,” he said, laughing at the unbelieving lift of her brow. “I mean it. I haven’t been to a school event since we were that age. Watching the kids do their thing reminded me of the real meaning of the holidays. People get so worked up about presents and the commercial stuff, but it’s most important to make time for those kinds of moments.”
“Tell that to all the parents scrambling to finish Christmas shopping.”
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “I guess I don’t understand what it’s like.”
“You understand plenty,” she said and took a step forward. “You’ve made this past week bearable. I’m not sure Tyler will want to go home when the renovations are complete. He’s having too much fun with you.”
“It’s Remi. He likes being around her.” Nick ignored the ping in his heart at the thought he might be important to the boy. “Once she’s with you, he won’t even think about me.”
“I’ll think about you,” she said, her voice low. She gave a strangled laugh. “I think about you far too much for my own good.”
“Brynn.” He wanted to give her some reassurance, to explain he was the one in danger of losing his heart and maybe his mind. That she held more sway over him than he ever could have imagined. But the words caught in his throat when she locked the door to his office and then untied the belt of her robe.
The fuzzy material opened, revealing a red slip made of silk and lace. He made a sound—nothing coherent—a guttural noise somewhere between a groan and a growl.
“I bought this a while ago,” she said when she stood directly in front of him. “After...this summer... I made a whole list of things I wanted to do and try.”
“And killing me was at the top?” he managed to choke out.
She grinned, and the knowing and utterly feminine smile did wicked things to his body.
“I don’t want to kill you,” she assured him, as she shifted so that the robe fell to the floor at her feet.
The air whooshed out of Nick’s lungs.
“But I wanted to make sure you’d notice.”
He laughed. “I thought you were the sexiest thing I’d ever seen wearing a fuzzy robe. I’m not sure I’m equipped to handle you like this.”
“And yet you’ll try?” She raised a brow. “Because if I went to the trouble for nothing, it’s going to make me so sad.”
The small smile that played around the corners of her mouth belied her words. She looked anything but sad. She was beautiful and radiant and absolutely irresistible. He reached for her and tugged her between his legs. His hands splayed across the silky fabric that covered her hips.
“For as long as you’ll let me,” he promised.
She bent her head and their mouths fused together as his hands slid over the satiny fabric. He pulled the slip over her head, then covered the tight peak of her breast with his mouth, and the soft needy sound she made almost undid him. He pulled her with him onto the mattress, and they were a tangle of limbs—kissing and touching until he lost track of where he ended and she began.
When he couldn’t wait any longer, Nick grabbed a condom wrapper and sheathed himself, then entered her in one long slow stroke. It felt different than before. Brynn didn’t hold anything back, and the way she allowed herself to be exposed—both physically and emotionally—rocked him to his core. He couldn’t imagine a time in his life when he wouldn’t want this. Wouldn’t want her.
He tried to hold back even as his desire surged forward. Physical need and emotion didn’t meld for him. They’d always been separate, easy for him to keep different parts of his life in segregated boxes. But the way he felt with Brynn knocked away everything he’d known before. His control. His boundaries. There was nothing between them. She knew him better than anyone ever had, and she chose him anyway.
And he knew her—wanted to know her more. To understand every nook and cranny of her soul. Something both sharp and sweet blossomed in his chest as the physical pressure built, so much more than he expected when she shuddered and cried out beneath him. It was all he needed to push him over the edge of release. How was it possible he’d gone all these years without this kind of soul-baring intimacy?
Maybe because it made him vulnerable. He was like a lovesick puppy, ready to turn over and expose all his soft bits to this woman. Nick would rather go out on a million life-threatening calls at the station than set himself up for the kind of potential pain he risked if things didn’t work out. And it wasn’t only his heart. Now that Brynn was back in his life, he realized how he’d missed her friendship. He’d missed talking to her and hearing her take on every slight detail of their lives.
He didn’t want to lose any of it.
That line of thinking got him nowhere, especially when he’d just had the best damn sex of his life. What was wrong with him, to go looking for trouble before it even showed up on his doorstep?
He lifted his head and her eyes fluttered open, half-dazed but filled with the affection he craved.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Hi, yourself.” He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose.
She smiled at him, almost shyly. “I’m going to say my lingerie worked.”
“The slip was sexy as hell, but you’re all I need. Silk or a fuzzy bathrobe. Either works for me, Brynn. As long as it’s you.”
“You make me feel good,” she told him.
“That’s my pl—”
“Hey.” Panic gripped him when a tear slid from the corner of her eye. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head and laughed. “I didn’t expect... This wasn’t what... I’m happy.”
Those two words made him feel ten feet tall. “Me, too,” he told her, then excused himself to the bathroom. He climbed back into the bed with her, pulling her close. Her leg wrapped around his hip and her delicate fingers curled over his chest.
His Last-Chance Christmas Family Page 15
