The Beauty's Groom

by Taylor Hart

  “Stop!” he roared. “Just stop it!”

  She stared at him as if he’d physically slapped her.

  Forest didn’t know how long he stood by the window, trying to focus on the snow, the people, and the feel of the wind on his face. Yet his mind kept wandering back to that room, his mother, his father, that day.

  He had to stick with this tactic. Refocus. Distract. Think of something else. He’d learned how to do this that first year after his brother and sister had been ripped away from him.

  “Forest.”

  He jerked, turning to face her.

  Lu was looking at him sadly. “Time’s up.”

  He marched to the door, but he paused before leaving. “I know it’s not my fault. I’m not an idiot. I went through a year of sitting in some shrink’s office and talking myself to death about all of this.” He kept his voice even.

  She didn’t bat an eye.

  “I’m doing this ‘therapy’ or coaching because it’s court-appointed, but let me tell you something. The guy left us. He left my brother and sister. Before that, he beat us. And he’s the one who brought home the drugs, too. So the fact I’m the one forced to do therapy is just …” He clenched his hand into a fist. “It’s stupid, it’s pointless, and it’s an insult to a person who’s gone about and made good on his life. I might have punched him, but I was holding back, believe me.”

  “I’m not judging you, Mr. Hightower.”

  “Mr. Hightower?” He glared at her feeling betrayed that she would call him that, as if they weren’t friends any longer.

  She tugged off her glasses, looking confused. “Does that bother you?”

  He exhaled loudly. “Yeah, it does.”

  “It’s okay to have pain, Forest. Everyone has it.”

  He let out a sardonic laugh. “If you really want to help me—if you really want to do what you say and help—then you answer my questions, too.”

  With that, he rushed out of the room. He couldn’t fathom doing this again in less than eight hours. “Marcus, Tricia!” he yelled as he dashed up the stairs. “Let’s hit the slopes. ASAP!”

  Chapter 8

  Lu puttered around her studio apartment, wondering what she should make for dinner and whether she should go out. But it was only three o’clock in the afternoon. After Forest, Marcus, and Tricia had left this morning, she hadn’t heard hide nor hair of them. Which was fine. She would see him at four for their session.

  “Coaching session,” Forest had said. The memory irritated her. She wasn’t a coach.

  She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped her copy of Pride and Prejudice. She’d gotten to the part in the story where Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy met at the dance and issued harsh judgments on each other. That seemed a little close to home, so she looked out at the ski lift, which still hoisted a full line up the mountain. She couldn’t see Forest or Tricia or Marcus. Granted, she’d looked often today—more than she would admit—but she didn’t know what ski clothes they were wearing, either.

  Her thoughts had been buzzing with the last thing Forest had told her—You’re going to have to answer some questions too. What questions? She didn’t have to answer questions. That was ridiculous. She could leave, text Cameron Cruz and tell him she was out. It wouldn’t be that easy, though. Somewhere between Captain America, getting her hair braided, the way Forest treated his siblings, and the way he teased and flirted with her … she’d become invested.

  Lu needed a distraction. She sucked in a breath and finally dug her phone out of her purse. She had told Lorin she wouldn’t be using her phone, and she’d stayed true to that up until now.

  Ten messages showed up—seven from Lorin and three from Bridgette, Lu’s assistant. Lu read Lorin’s first, wading through a mini freak-out that Lu wasn’t in Denver. Lorin had calmed down by the final text; she’d found out from Bridgette that Lu would be back by the twenty-third, so she would be waiting for her.

  Guilt soured Lu’s stomach. She shouldn’t want to avoid family for Christmas, should she? But Lorin really wasn’t family. Even if she’d been saying she was sorry and wanted to fix things, Lu wasn’t obligated to reconnect.

  She checked Bridgette’s texts. Bridgette had been overwhelmed by Lorin’s freak-out and the twins’ crying, and that was the only reason why Bridgette told Lorin when Lu would be back. It’s fine, Lu texted back, knowing that Bridgette felt guilty for spilling the secret.

  With that, she tucked her phone back into her purse. She really wasn’t going to check it anymore; she recommitted to staying off the phone.

  Lu threw herself onto the small couch in the living area. Maybe she could watch television? Normally, she found the TV a nuisance. She watched the Storm, yes. Those interviews, sometimes. But she found herself much happier when she didn’t watch the news. When her father had been alive, it hadn’t mattered. Before he’d told her that Jeffrey was a hack and she shouldn’t date him, her father had kept her up to date on most things in the world. Whether he stopped in at the office to chat or had lunch with her a couple times a week, her father had been a force of nature and he always knew what was going on in Denver and other parts of the world.

  The memory brought a familiar dull ache that lay on her chest like a burden, making it hard to breathe. Dismissing those thoughts, she turned on the television and saw it was tuned to the local news coverage. At the bottom of the screen were the words “Secret Santa at Mall in Frisco.”

  A pretty blond reporter with a pink hat and gloves and bright pink lipstick appeared on the screen. “Yesterday, just as the mall was closing, three Santas with sunglasses and Santa beards walked into the very busy mall and offered to pay for ten customers in line.” She laughed. “We have one of the customers here.”

  “It was so cool,” said a middle-aged woman, holding a little girl. Tears were in her eyes. “We were buying some presents for her brothers, and they just paid. I didn’t know how I was going to pay my rent this month, but now I don’t have to worry about that. Whoever you Santas are—thank you. It really helps people.”

  The blond reporter took the microphone back. “It’s really nice to see the Christmas spirit in full force in Frisco, Colorado, and this reporter agrees—giving makes you feel good, and it really helps people, too.”

  The news switched back to happenings around Denver, and Lu listened to politics and various sports stories, including one about Forest’s troubles and how no one knew where he’d gone for Christmas. She stared at his winning smile and the football hovering over his headshot, and she couldn’t help but smile, too. Dang, the man was handsome and larger than life.

  Of course, the story about punching his father flashed onto the screen. His father was saying, “You couldn’t even handle the pressure when your mother died. You couldn’t save her.” She watched the instinctive way Forest went after his father, looking like a warrior on a battlefield as he punched him.

  Lu turned off the television. What if Forest’s anger wasn’t about his father? She thought about Tricia and Marcus. What if he was still defending the people he loved? That realization changed everything. She dashed out of her apartment and down the stairs to the office and her laptop.

  After a bit of researching Stockholm Syndrome, she learned that kids who were in abusive situations tended to become captives of the parents and did whatever the captors wanted. But some, the aberrant few, fought back. Chills rushed through her. Forest was a fighter, and that was where all this anger came from—and that was why he’d punched his father. Emotion clogged the back of her throat as she thought of everything these Hightowers had been through.

  The front door opened, and someone stomped into the hall. “Hello!” Tricia called out.

  “Dr. Lu?” she heard Marcus ask.

  It was almost four, she realized. She stood and moved around the desk. “In here!”

  “Hey.” Forest rushed in, startling her. She hadn’t been prepared to see Forest yet; she’d been thinking she would see Tricia first. He was sweaty and breathing he
avily. He was wearing a black coat, and his snow pants were half opened. “Hey, Coach, let’s do it.”

  “Hey,” she said, stopping a foot away from him. Her heart raced. Ahh, the man had such an effect on her.

  He gave her a sweeping look. “What’s going on? You seem different.”

  Did she? “Nothing.”

  A small smile tugged at the edge of his lips. “How about pizza before the session? I’m starving.” He put his hand out. “But if you want to go right now, we can.”

  It surprised her how he’d changed back to the Forest she’d first met, the one who looked casual, calm. “Okay,” she agreed easily, though she wasn’t sure why.

  “O-kay. Great.” He turned back for the door. “Give us twenty minutes, and then we’ll walk down to the pizza place at the end of the boardwalk, down by the little café I was telling you about.”

  “Sounds good.”

  He walked out. “Twenty minutes, people! We eat!”

  “Whoo!” she heard Marcus call out.

  “Hey,” Tricia said, leaning into the doorway. She had her snow pants stripped to her waist. “So you’re coming to dinner with us?”

  “I guess so.”

  “And movie-watching with us after, right?”

  Lu hesitated. She had to keep her distance. “Well, I do need to do a session with Forest first.”

  Tricia waved a hand through the air. “Sure, we’ll wait for you guys to do that, and then Iron Man 2. Marcus already has it planned. Can I do a different braid for you tonight?”

  Lu melted at the show of sisterly affection. “Of course.”

  “Eek!” Tricia scrunched her nose, clapped happily, and took off.

  Chapter 9

  The pizza was a thick crust meat lover’s, and talk about cheese heaven! Forest finished his third piece and finally felt like his stomach was catching up with the hunger. He relaxed back into the booth and sipped his lemon water, ignoring the chatter between Tricia and Dr. Lane.

  Because that’s what they were back to, right? Dr. Lane? The name echoed in his mind like he was at a medical conference and someone was announcing her as a speaker. He imagined she’d be wearing a high turtleneck with a professor-ish brown coat over it and pants to match with heels. Her red hair would be pulled back in a bun, and glasses would be perched on her nose. It’d be the exact opposite of how the woman appeared right now.

  He stole a glance at her and then averted his eyes back to his pizza. Her hair was down in soft curls. She wore a tight black shirt that showed some nice curves—not that he was looking at them. She had a silver heart-shaped locket around her neck, and he wondered if a boyfriend had given it to her. Maybe the quarterback she’d dated.

  He tried to focus on his food. Why was he thinking about verbally sparring with her at a fake conference? Ack.

  “Forest totally knocked on the door, in the freezing cold,” Tricia said, telling the story Forest knew well.

  “And barefoot,” Marcus added, fruitlessly mopping at his pizza-stained face.

  Tricia leaned into Dr. Lane. “And he demanded that the son give my doll back.” She laughed. “And this guy was huge.”

  Dr. Lane met Forest’s eyes until he looked away. “Really? How old was he?”

  Tricia frowned. “I don’t know, ten or eleven. Forest, how old were you? I just remember it was Christmas Day and I’d gotten that doll. The boys had been so mean, but Forest didn’t care if they were five years older; he was gonna get my doll back for me.”

  “It was awesome.” Marcus nudged Forest. “How old were you that Christmas?”

  Forest looked at Dr. Lane. “Why? Is that part of your analysis of me?”

  Both of his siblings stopped eating.

  Tricia frowned. “Forest, don’t.”

  Dr. Lane stared at him. Dang, she’d put on some eyeliner that made her green eyes look haunting. There was still chemistry between her and Forest, and that irritated him. It had been made clear that morning that he couldn’t trust this woman, so why had he invited her to dinner? And why was he attracted to her?

  “Anyway.” Tricia sipped the water and turned back to Dr. Lane. “So what were your Christmases like? Ya know, I don’t think we even know that much about you.”

  Feeling put on the spot, Dr. Lane put her pizza down.

  Forest couldn’t stop himself. “That’s a good question. Why don’t you tell us about you, doctor?”

  Dr. Lane focused on Tricia. “What do you want to know?”

  “Where did you grow up?” Marcus asked.

  Tricia snarled at Marcus. “She asked me.”

  Dr. Lane smiled and told Marcus, “Denver.” She turned back to Tricia. “Your turn.”

  It was interesting how Forest’s sister and brother had taken such a liking to this woman so quickly. After growing up the way they did, in and out of foster homes, all of them were leery about getting too close to people. Dr. Lane was different, though. She’d made it possible for all of them to have their time up here, away from everything going on back in Denver. It meant a lot to him.

  “You mentioned you lost your mother when you were a baby and were raised by your father,” Tricia said. “Where is he at now?”

  Dr. Lane blinked. “He passed away a little over a year ago from cancer.”

  Forest couldn’t help but see a sudden chink in the doctor’s armor. His heart filled with compassion.

  “I’m sorry,” Tricia said, putting her hand over Lu’s.

  “Yeah.” Marcus put his hand over both of theirs.

  Forest didn’t join this little thing they had. In fact, it was kinda stupid, but he realized he was a bit jealous of it all.

  “Thank you,” Dr. Lane said. “Honestly, I never had a mother, but I never missed having a mother, because my father made me his priority.” Her voice caught.

  It touched Forest to see that her weakness was a father she cared about so much.

  “He was the best dad.” Dr. Lane looked at all of them in turn. “Professionally, I know I’m here for everything with your brother, but I want you all to know that you didn’t deserve what your father did.” She met Forest’s eyes. “He was wrong to say what he said to you, Forest—and off the book, he deserved the punch.”

  If a bomb had been dropped on Frisco, Forest wouldn’t be more surprised. The stiff professional was gone, replaced by a caring, beautiful woman. He felt his own armor slip. He’d been building that armor against her all day long, pushing her out of his mind while he’d skied. Now he found himself reconsidering. “Thank you.”

  Tricia hugged her.

  Marcus looked at Forest and lifted and lowered his eyebrows.

  Forest lifted his eyebrows too, playing dumb. Marcus’s encouragement wouldn’t work.

  “So, Lu,” Marcus said, talking through a mouthful of pizza, “are you dating anyone?”

  Forest wanted to shove his brother into the wall.

  “Yeah? Who is your guy?” Tricia put her hand to her chest. “I mean, I’m in between guys right now. And Marcus has Hannah.”

  Marcus grinned and held out a picture on his phone. “Check her out.”

  “Aw,” Lu said. “She’s gorgeous, Marcus.”

  He shrugged coyly.

  Forest nudged him. “Man, you’re annoying.”

  Marcus laughed, and so did Tricia and Lu. Marcus put an arm around Forest. “My brother here, he hasn’t dated anyone in … what, a year?” He gave Forest a questioning look.

  Forest elbowed him in the ribs to teach him a lesson.

  “Ouch.” Marcus pulled his arm back, smiling at him.

  “Forest totally needs someone good,” Tricia told Lu, ignoring them. “Kerry was horrible.”

  “Really?” Lu asked, sipping her water.

  “Trish—” Forest tried to protest.

  “She told him that he was going nowhere because he stayed at the Storm and that he had connection issues.” Tricia scoffed. “Lame, right?”

  “Tricia,” Forest said, his voice calm but his hear
t racing. “Stop.” It was like she wasn’t even aware that she was gossiping right in front of him.

  Tricia put her hand on his. “Forest, it’s fine. Lu knows all about you. I mean, you said she had a file about everything.”

  His face was heating up. He imagined it was as red as the obnoxious tablecloths.

  But Lu didn’t tease him. In fact, she gave him an understanding smile. “Tricia’s right, it’s fine. That’s totally lame.”

  Forest didn’t know what to do. He could deal with three-hundred-pound linemen converging on him, but the pressure on him right now was making him hot around collar. He looked at his pizza, searching for a change of topic. “So, how’s that cheesy pizza, Ms. Vegan?”

  Her eyes narrowed at him. “You said you wouldn’t bring it up.” Her voice had scandal laced in it.

  He couldn’t help but smile. He liked her teasing him back.

  “What?” asked Marcus, taking a break from his phone.

  “Are you vegan?” asked Tricia.

  Lu gave Forest a look that told him he was dead.

  He cocked an eyebrow back at her.

  She shrugged. “I’m not. I was just being difficult to your brother before I came here.”

  Forest laughed. “I suspected last night when you polished off the eggs and sausage.”

  Marcus and Tricia laughed, too. “Nice,” Marcus said. “Keep him on his toes.”

  “That’s funny,” Tricia said, nibbling at her pizza.

  Lu cleared her throat. “What if we say that this counts for your session tonight and we get to the movie marathon?”

  “Really?” Forest’s heart leapt. He put a fist into the air and closed his eyes.

  “Done!” Marcus jumped in his seat.

  “Start the braiding!” Tricia clasped her hands together.

  Forest couldn’t believe it. He met Lu’s eyes.

  She smiled at him. “But nine a.m. tomorrow, sharp.”

  He was liking this doctor more and more.

  Forest was enjoying Iron Man 2, but he was distracted by the fact Lu sat beside him on the floor, sharing a bowl of popcorn and getting her hair braided. Not just slightly distracted—more like getting sacked by the LA Wave linebacker who had come from his blind side during the last game.