Together for Christmas

by Debbie Macomber

  “More or less,” she muttered when her mother leaned forward, demanding an answer to where she’d slept.

  “More or less?” Nancy echoed. “Oh, no! Noelle was right. She told me the two of you are sleeping together, but I didn’t want to believe it. I don’t know what’s wrong with you girls. First her, and now you! You’ll do anything to hurt each other.”

  “What’s happened between Brandon and me has nothing to do with her or Kyle. We aren’t trying to hurt anyone.”

  “Then why are you getting involved with someone so close to both of them?”

  “Brandon has never been close to Noelle. He hasn’t even been close to Kyle. And I’m not ‘getting involved’ with him. I admit things got out of hand this weekend. I... I haven’t been myself, wasn’t prepared to deal with...temptation.” Or not in such a potent form, she added silently. “It’s not every day that your sister gets pregnant by the man you thought you’d marry yourself,” she went on. “Don’t you think that could throw a girl off track?”

  Her mother winced, but Olivia could see the nail tech finishing with the other client and wanted to wrap up the conversation before she returned.

  “Anyway, it’s over,” she continued. “I’m heading home after the wedding and trying to forget this weekend ever happened.”

  “So it’s not an ongoing relationship.”

  She pasted a pleasant expression on her face because the nail tech was walking toward them. “Of course not. Brandon’s going backpacking across Nicaragua in two weeks. Then he’s got the ski season. Who knows when he’ll be back in Whiskey Creek? And I’ve already moved my business to Sacramento, just like I planned.” A plan that had sounded so ideal in the beginning but had, in the end, cost her so much.

  The worry lines on her mother’s face softened. “That’s a relief.”

  “Why would it matter to you?” Olivia asked.

  “Our lives are complicated enough at the moment. I don’t like what Noelle has done, but I can’t change it, either. At least I know Kyle will make a good husband. That gives me hope that we can all get past the rough start. I’m not sure I’m convinced of Brandon’s integrity.”

  “Maybe he has more integrity than you think.”

  Her mother had no chance to reply because Noelle suddenly appeared from the other side of the salon. “Well?”

  Even Olivia had to admit she looked beautiful. “Kyle will love it,” she said.

  * * *

  Pictures seemed to take forever. Noelle had decreed that Kyle was not to see her before the ceremony, so the groom and his men were sequestered in a different area of the mansion than the bride and her ladies. Callie Vanetta, one of Kyle’s best friends and part of the group he’d grown up with, owned a photography studio on Sutter Street, near the center of town, and was handling the pictures like the pro she was. First, she photographed Kyle, his best man and other groomsmen while Noelle did her makeup. Then Callie came to the bridal suite, where she snapped shots of Noelle getting ready with her maid of honor and bridesmaids.

  Feeling more like a robot than a human being, Olivia smiled and nodded and offered her fair share of compliments. They toasted the wedding with delicate flutes of champagne, and took pictures of the process. They admired Noelle’s veil and jewelry and hair, and took pictures of that. They hugged and laughed and watched Noelle gaze into a giant mirror, and took even more pictures.

  As soon as possible, Olivia faded into the background. She wanted this part, which required so much pretending, to be over. But she didn’t want the next part—the wedding—to begin. Then she’d have to face Brandon. Although she’d been able to avoid him so far, that wouldn’t be the case much longer.

  “Olivia, I...”

  Olivia turned from the window overlooking the patio where the ceremony would take place to see Callie standing at her elbow.

  “I just... I wanted to say I’m sorry,” she whispered. “For...what’s happened.”

  Olivia managed a brief smile, but then Noelle, who’d gone into the bathroom, returned and asked if they should take a picture of her by the window, looking down at the altar below.

  “Good idea.” Olivia squeezed Callie’s arm as she moved past, to let her know she was okay. But she felt a little guilty accepting Callie’s sympathy, or anyone else’s. She knew Callie would be surprised to learn she wasn’t brooding over Kyle.

  * * *

  Brandon didn’t get to escort Olivia. Noah Rackham was her partner and had been from the beginning. But she was right in front of him. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. He kept hoping she’d turn and acknowledge him in some way, maybe give him a smile that indicated she’d enjoyed last night as much as he had. But ever since she’d entered the room she’d kept her eyes averted and her attention on what was going on around them—on everything but him. He hoped it was because she was under pressure to make sure this wedding was a success.

  The music swelled as Kyle, followed by the first of the groomsmen and bridesmaids, walked down the aisle. Riley and Olivia were after Eve and Baxter, two more of Kyle’s friends. Brandon watched as they moved into the dazzling sunshine, and waited several beats before stepping “on deck” with Cheyenne Christensen.

  “I can’t believe he’s going through with this,” his partner muttered as she slipped a hand through the crook of his arm.

  Her words surprised him. Kyle’s friends were so loyal to him that they generally ignored Brandon when he was at home.

  “What did you say?” he asked.

  She turned distressed eyes on him. “I feel like someone should stop the wedding.”

  “And that someone should be...”

  “How about you?” she responded, but she grinned when she said it and he couldn’t help chuckling.

  “It’s too late to save him now,” he said.

  She ducked her head, presumably so that the guests twisting around in their seats, trying to catch a glimpse of the rest of the wedding party, wouldn’t see her disapproval. “I know.” Then they stepped into the sunlight, too, and pandered to the crowd and Callie’s camera as they approached the minister, where they separated.

  Brandon thought he saw Olivia looking at him as he released Cheyenne. He smiled to see if he could get her to smile back, but she glanced away so quickly he wasn’t sure she’d really seen him. He caught Kyle glaring at him a second later so he moved on without missing a beat.

  Once the line was assembled, the traditional wedding march blasted from the speakers and Noelle appeared on her father’s arm. As she glided toward her waiting groom, Brandon thought maybe he should speak up. He would have, if he’d believed it might make a difference.

  But Kyle wouldn’t thank him for it. His stepbrother was determined to go to the guillotine, so Brandon kept his mouth shut as the two repeated their vows, kissed and exchanged rings.

  The congratulations came next but, in Brandon’s opinion, they were rather subdued. Does anyone think this marriage has a chance?

  Kyle held his bride’s hand, but his gaze strayed almost immediately to Olivia, who seemed determined not to look in his direction, either.

  As soon as Callie Vanetta had finished taking pictures now that the men and women were together, Brandon made his way over to Olivia. “Everything’s working out perfectly,” he said. “You’ve done a great job.”

  When she turned to face him, he again tried to get a read on what she was feeling. But she didn’t give him the opportunity. “Thanks,” she said and moved away.

  * * *

  Olivia knew people were keeping a close eye on her, wondering if it was breaking her heart to see Kyle marry her sister. She could hear them murmuring. “Poor thing... Can you believe he went through with it?” and “She even planned the whole wedding!”

  She did her best to bear up under the scrutiny. Their pity humiliated her. But she’d expected as much and couldn’t focus on it. Not w
ith Brandon in the room. It was all she could do not to head straight over to him, especially since he seemed so confused by her withdrawal. He’d tried, several times, to approach her.

  He was kind to show his support. She appreciated his attempts to make this god-awful night a bit better. But she feared that if she spent even two seconds in his company he’d realize he’d been right all along—she wasn’t cut out for casual sex. She couldn’t say how it had happened, but she’d somehow lost a piece of her heart in that encounter, which was definitely information she didn’t want him to have.

  So she avoided him at all costs.

  “Are you seeing Brandon?”

  Cheyenne stood at the candy table next to her. Olivia had been so busy refilling the jars she hadn’t noticed her. “No. Of course not.” She cleared her throat. “We’re just friends.”

  “Does he know that?”

  She swallowed. “Pardon?”

  “I’ve never seen him look at a friend the way he looks at you.”

  Following Cheyenne’s line of sight, she saw Brandon leaning against the wall with a drink in one hand. He had a frown on his face and that didn’t change when their eyes met.

  She nodded politely, but this time he didn’t respond. “He’s been very...supportive,” she said, forcing herself to turn away.

  “I’ve always thought he’s not as bad as people make him sound,” Cheyenne said. “A lot of that criticism stems from jealousy, don’t you agree? People have a hard time accepting someone who soars so high. Someone who dares to break all the rules.”

  Olivia wondered why Brandon was on his feet and wished he’d sit down and give his leg a rest. “It’s great how much he enjoys the things he loves.”

  “I think he’d like to enjoy you, too.” Her lips curved in a conspirator’s grin, but before Olivia could say anything, the toasts started and Cheyenne moved back to her table.

  The best man, Noah Rackham, spoke first. He talked about the length of his friendship with Kyle and how Kyle’s marriage would make their group of friends larger.

  Olivia flinched at that. She’d always thought she’d be the next official member of their clique. Then Nancy got up—Ham wasn’t the type—and told her new son-in-law how excited she was to have him as part of the family. She related a cute story about Kyle coming to her rescue once when her car wouldn’t start. Everyone smiled because it was endearing, and they’d expect nothing less from Kyle, but Nancy didn’t add that he’d done it when he was her boyfriend, not Noelle’s.

  Kyle’s father got up after Nancy and said he’d always been able to depend on Kyle and how proud of him he was.

  As the toasts wore on, Olivia began to see a pattern. Everyone had praise for Kyle, but no one had much to say about Noelle.

  Determined to be big enough to overlook the circumstances that had brought them to this point, Olivia retrieved her glass from the dessert table, where she’d left it when she restocked the candy, and lifted it high. “I’d also like to offer a toast.”

  She regretted her impulsiveness when everyone looked at her. A sudden hush swept through the room, attaching more weight to what she was about to say than she wanted. She got the impression that there were people who hoped to see her break down in public, or perhaps berate her sister as Noelle deserved. But Olivia merely wanted everyone to know that she supported the union and was no longer bitter about how this wedding had come to pass.

  Stubbornly maintaining a congenial smile, she turned toward the new couple. She wished she could extol her sister’s many virtues, but...she couldn’t. So she settled for a few simple words to show everyone that she harbored no animosity. “To the bride and groom. I wish you health, happiness, prosperity and...abiding love.”

  Although everyone else applauded, the despair on Kyle’s face made it difficult to drink to her own toast. His expression told her he knew what her words really meant. She’d cut him loose. She’d stopped carrying a torch for him. She thought Noelle would appreciate that, but her sister seemed as crestfallen as Kyle. Maybe, now that Olivia no longer wanted Kyle, Noelle wasn’t sure she wanted him, either. Noelle couldn’t even console herself with the fact that she’d soon be living in a mansion. From Noelle’s grumblings while they were at the salon earlier, Kyle hadn’t relented and agreed to build her the house of her dreams.

  A few others offered toasts, all of them Kyle’s friends, except for Noelle’s maid of honor. Then the dancing started.

  Breathing a sigh of relief that the night was nearly over, Olivia put down her glass and automatically glanced over to where she’d last seen Brandon. But he wasn’t there anymore. After a quick search, she caught sight of him, recognized his blond head at the door.

  He was leaving.

  Twelve

  “BRANDON.”

  Brandon refused to turn when Olivia called his name. He kept walking through the gardens even when she hurried after him and grabbed his hand.

  “Brandon, wait. I—”

  “What?” he snapped, stopping so suddenly that she had to back up to avoid running into him. “What could you possibly have to say to me after treating me like I don’t exist?”

  Taken aback by the depth of his anger, she stared at him. She didn’t know what to say, how to explain. Everything that came to her was wrong. Or far beyond what she should feel after so short a time.

  “I... I’m sorry,” she mumbled and turned before he could see the tears in her eyes. But this time he came after her. He reached her before she could enter the building. And she was pretty sure he cursed when he kissed her.

  * * *

  Brandon had no idea what had happened at the wedding. If Olivia had been confused, or hurt, or embarrassed. But she was in his arms now and that took the sting away, made it easy to forgive her, to chalk her remoteness up to everything she’d been through in the past few months. When her lips gave way beneath his, allowing him to taste the warm wetness of her mouth, he couldn’t even remember why he’d been mad.

  “There you are,” he breathed as her arms circled his neck. “I’ve missed you.”

  She smiled against his mouth. “I’ve missed you, too.”

  It didn’t matter that it had only been a day. He meant what he’d said, and he could tell she did, too. Eager to take anything she was willing to give him, he groaned as she ground her hips against his. He knew what she wanted. He wanted the same thing. But they couldn’t risk being seen, couldn’t be caught making out like this.

  It would’ve made more sense to take her home, but he was rattled enough by her earlier behavior to fear she’d change her mind again if he waited. So he pulled her into the shelter of some trees, where they had a degree of privacy.

  “You’re all I’ve thought about,” he admitted, framing her face with his hands.

  “Funny you should say that. You’re all I’ve thought about, too,” she said, and then they were kissing again and straining to get closer and she started to remove his belt.

  * * *

  Olivia knew what she was doing was crazy. She’d never behaved like this before—but she’d never felt like this before, either, never wanted a man as she wanted Brandon. Instead of stopping him when he slipped a hand inside her dress, she encouraged him, shifting so he could reach what he wanted to touch. Only the fear that what they were doing might cause him to injure his leg gave her pause.

  “Don’t hurt yourself,” she murmured.

  “I’m fine,” he whispered. “All I need is you.”

  “But your leg...”

  “I’m being careful,” he said, but he didn’t seem to be keeping that promise when he put on a condom and lifted her up against the building.

  It was over almost as fast as it had begun. Sheer excitement crashed into frantic need for an incredible few minutes, obliterating every bit of pent-up longing. She could hear the music, smell the roses, but all she could feel was Brandon moving
inside her.

  Afterward, his heart pounded hard and fast beneath her ear and his chest rose and fell as he struggled to catch his breath.

  “I’ve never done it at a wedding before,” he told her with a chuckle.

  She tilted her head back to look up at him. “I’ve never done it anywhere in public.”

  Lowering her gently to the ground, he kissed her temple. “I’m a bad influence.”

  “No. It was my fault as much as yours.”

  He straightened his clothes while she straightened hers. Then he offered her his hand. “Let’s get out of here, go home.”

  She shook her head.

  “Do you have to stay for a while? I hope not. I want more of you.”

  “I’m sorry, but—” she bit her lip “—this is goodbye, Brandon. I’m not going back to your place.”

  His eyebrows drew together. “What are you talking about?”

  He wasn’t used to being denied. But she knew it was better to leave him wanting more. To end on a positive memory....

  “I’ve got my life and you’ve got yours. I don’t even live here.”

  “So? You’re not far. Why not enjoy each other for as long as we can?”

  She wanted to walk away while she still had the strength to do it with some dignity. It was important to her self-esteem. He was leaving the country in two weeks, anyway. “Because you were right.”

  “About...”

  “I’m not capable of casual.”

  He lifted her chin with one finger. “What if—” he started but another voice interrupted.

  “Olivia? Olivia!”

  Noelle was looking for her.

  “Where are you?” her sister cried.

  “Damn,” she whispered and began to step out of the trees, but he tugged her back. “I’m not ready to let you go.”