Somehow, she would find a way to begin to repair the damage and build a foundation for her future here in Merry. One brick at a time.
I hope that won’t be a problem.
Luke laughed out loud as he headed upstairs to the guest bedroom. Isabelle had given him an extra blanket and some towels to place in the room he would be staying in tonight. His feet had practically been on fire as he beat a fast path from the room. Brenna’s question was still rambling around his brain. He honestly wasn’t sure if it was a problem or a dream come true. Brenna—the love of his life—was now divorced and back in his orbit. He had almost thrown caution to the wind and kissed her tonight. Perhaps Daphne’s interruption had been divine providence. Being around Brenna made him forget all the bad things, which was dangerous. It was important that he remember what she had put him through. He had tried desperately to put Brenna out of his heart and mind for all these years as a means of self-preservation. But if he stopped to think about their break-up even for a second, the details filtered back into his mind like a dreaded nightmare.
Brenna’s move to California had been difficult, but they had continued their relationship. Luke had proposed and Brenna had joyfully accepted. His father had given him his grandmother’s heirloom diamond ring. Although he had worried that it wasn’t fancy enough for Brenna, she had been ecstatic about the round cut diamond surrounded by baguettes. They had made plans for a Christmas wedding. Brenna had shown up in Merry out of the blue, armed with the news that she no longer wanted to marry him. She had returned his ring, uttered profuse apologies and jetted back to her Hollywood life without so much as stopping in to see her family. Weeks later she had married Hank.
He’d been humiliated and broken hearted. The whole town of Merry had pitied him. Every time he’d gone into town people had whispered about his cancelled Christmas wedding and being jilted by Brenna Santiago during the most sacred time of the year. Everyone had been “so sorry” about it, even though the town couldn’t stop talking about it. It hadn’t allowed him to move on with his life. For Luke it had felt as if he would forever be linked with Brenna Santiago and the way she had tossed him aside like yesterday’s garbage. At one point he had thought about packing up his belongings and moving to another town where no one knew him, Brenna or their tumultuous past. But he loved Merry, Montana way too much to leave it all behind.
If only he could manage to forget the wonderful moments they had shared. With Christmas rapidly approaching, it only served to remind him even more of those precious memories. Daphne’s mention of the cookie stroll evoked dozens of memories that he had shared with Brenna and the Santiago family. Baking Christmas cookies in the kitchen and swiping gobs of cookie dough out of the bowl to eat on the sly. Brenna had playfully smacked his hand whenever she’d caught him in the act. “You’ll get sick eating raw cookie dough,” she had always warned. But Luke had never listened. Time after time he’d boasted about never getting sick from it. Not a single time.
And now he was being forced by the storm to remain in Brenna’s presence till at least the following morning. He couldn’t stay up in the guest room all night, even though he was sorely tempted. Isabelle had told him to come back downstairs in an hour for dinner. What if he stayed up here and skipped dinner with the family? It was the only surefire way of avoiding Brenna.
Coward. The word buzzed in his ear. He didn’t like to think of himself as lacking in the courage department. After all, he’d already spent too many years licking his wounds over Brenna. If he stayed out of sight she might think he was still pining after her.
Knowing he had to face the situation head-on, Luke made his way back downstairs. As soon as he reached the bottom of the staircase, a heavenly aroma reached his nostrils. His stomach lurched at the scent emanating from the kitchen. Luke followed the delicious smell and the sound of animated voices. The moment he stepped into the brightly lit kitchen it almost felt as if he was being transported back in time. Hector, Isabelle, Brenna, Lizette and Daphne were all helping with dinner preparations.
Luke stood in the doorway for a few moments, which allowed him to absorb the cheeriness of the moment, unnoticed by the Santiago family. Brenna was standing at the stove stirring something with a wooden spoon while Lizette stood beside her offering suggestions. The two sisters were laughing and teasing each other. Daphne stood at the butcher block table making a salad. Isabelle and Hector were at the oven taking a batch of bread out. It reminded him of everything he had always loved about this family. Love. Togetherness. Home and hearth.
Back in the day he had aspired to be part of this wonderful family. Hector and Isabelle would have made the perfect in-laws. Daphne and Lizette would have been the sisters he’d never had growing up. And Brenna…she would have been his everything. His forever. His Christmas bride. That knowledge caused a sharp sensation in his gut. It still hurt. That particular wound had never healed. And for the longest time he had been running away from the reasons why he hadn’t gotten over the past. He couldn’t fool himself any longer. His feelings for Brenna were still there, resting on the surface of his heart. Just then Brenna turned her head and locked gazes with him. Something unspoken simmered between them. It hung heavily over them, pulsing in the air in the kitchen.
“Luke!” Daphne called out. “Come on and help us.” She beckoned him toward her.
He rubbed his stomach with his hand. “It smells fantastic in here. Is that pan dulce?” Luke asked, recognizing the sweet smelling bread.
“Yes,” Isabelle said with a smile as she placed the pan on the counter. “We know it’s your favorite.”
“Grab some croutons from the cupboard,” Daphne instructed, jutting her chin toward the space above the stove. Luke followed her command and found himself side by side with Brenna as he reached into the cupboard for the croutons. He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but Brenna seemed to be trying very hard not to make eye contact with him. She was focusing intently on the dish she was preparing.
“Smells good,” he said, sniffing the air around them.
“Rice and beans,” Brenna said. “My favorite.” She looked up at him, sending him a smile that made butterflies soar in his stomach. Brenna took the rice off the stove and began to transfer it to a ceramic dish. Lizette looked at him with a knowing smile. Were his feelings for Brenna so obvious?
“Time to eat,” Hector announced. “Let’s sit down in the dining room.” Luke reached out and took the rice dish out of Brenna’s hands.
“I’ll get this for you. It’s the least I could do since I didn’t help prepare the meal.”
Brenna nodded and let go of the pot holders and the dish. As their fingers brushed against each other he saw Brenna’s eyes widen at the contact. Her cheeks flushed.
Everyone relocated to the dining room. The table had been set with vibrantly decorated dishes and napkins in yellows, reds and oranges. Red goblets were situated at each place setting.
As they all sat down at the table, Hector cleared his throat. “Everyone join hands. I’d like to pray over the food.” Once he looked around and verified that everyone had joined hands, he began to speak. “Dear Lord, please bless this food and all the family members who prepared it. Bless Luke for coming to our rescue in a tough situation regarding this ranch. We’re very thankful for his friendship. And thank you for bringing our sweet Brenna back to Merry. I pray she knows that there will always be a place at the table for her. Amen.” A chorus of Amens rose up at the table.
Brenna cleared her throat and murmured, “That was beautiful, Papa.”
Hector reached over and squeezed her hand. “It came straight from my heart.” He looked around the table and smiled. “Things have been chaotic lately. With my health problems and our financial setbacks, there’s been plenty to worry about. But what I’ve come to realize, and what I want to focus on during this sacred time of the year, is that blessings are all around us.”
Isabelle reached out and caressed his cheek from where she sat beside him. “
You’re right, my love. There are so many things to be thankful for.”
Brenna bowed her head and Luke could see a tear slide down her face. It killed him to see it, but he knew she was facing some hard truths on her first day back home. Hector wasn’t going to get better. Every day he was slipping away from them, little by little. And the only home the Santiago family had ever known would be nothing more than a memory in a few weeks.
As they dug into the sumptuous meal, Luke allowed himself to ponder the situation at hand.
All of sudden he felt like the thief of Christmas. Was he really doing the right thing in buying Half Moon Ranch from Hector? Up until now he had been under the belief that he was helping the Santiago family. If he didn’t buy it the property might end up in foreclosure and the family would get nothing. But was there another option? Was there another way to save Half Moon Ranch from the auction block?
Dinner had been packed with more emotion than Brenna could ever have anticipated. So far her first day back home had been full of surprises. Her father’s illness was far more serious than she had been previously told. Half Moon Ranch was being sold to her ex-fiancé. And Luke was stranded overnight at the ranch due to the snowstorm.
And she didn’t know quite what to make of the fact that she kept catching him in the act of staring at her. He didn’t even have the good graces to look away when she caught him red-handed. Not that being gazed at by Luke was a bad thing under normal circumstances. He was and always had been the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on. What was he thinking when he looked at her with such emotion flickering in his eyes? Was he remembering their shared past? Or was he wishing she had never come back home?
By the time dinner was finished and the table was cleared off, Brenna knew she had to pull Luke aside so that they could talk in private. It wasn’t clear if they would have this chance again. Merry was a small town, but it was also very easy to avoid seeing someone if you were determined to do so.
While her family filled the dishwasher, Brenna pulled Luke aside. “Do you mind if I borrow you for a few minutes?”
Luke shrugged. “Of course. What’s up?”
Brenna tugged him by the wrist and led him down the hall toward the library. It had always been her favorite room in the house. With wall to wall books decorating the shelves, classic pieces of art adorning the walls and mahogany pieces scattered throughout the room, it always exuded a warm, rich vibe. She walked over the threshold and Luke followed behind her. Brenna shut the door tightly behind them. When she turned to face Luke he was regarding her with a quizzical look.
She huffed out a deep breath. “I’m sorry about earlier.”
Luke raised an eyebrow. She continued. “For my accusing you of taking advantage of Papa. I didn’t mean it.” She raked her hand through long strands of her hair. “I was shocked. And scared after seeing how sick he looks.” Brenna let out a hollow laugh. “After all this time I’m still not very good at handling my emotions. I tend to fly off the handle. And it’s hard for me to apologize. Always has been.”
She could see that Luke was trying to stop himself from grinning. “You? No way,” he teased. “You’ve always been so calm, cool and collected.”
Brenna shook her head and laughed. “You must be thinking of another Brenna.”
Suddenly, Luke’s smile faded. A thoughtful expression was etched on his face. “There’s only one Brenna Santiago. God broke the mold when he made you.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Brenna asked. It felt nice to be engaging in a little light flirtation with Luke. Maybe he had gotten over the past. Maybe they could be friends. Ha! Who was she kidding? Being just friends with Luke would never work. Not when her pulse continued to race whenever he was within a five mile radius.
“You’re an original. There’s nothing better than that,” Luke drawled. His face was somber now. His eyes were boring into her.
She shifted from one foot to the other. “Thanks. For being so gracious under the circumstances.”
Luke’s gaze drifted upward. “Hey! Remember this?” Luke asked as he made a face and pointed behind her. She turned around, smiling at the sight of the sprig of mistletoe hanging above the closed door. It had to be Mama’s doing! This time of year she loved to spread mistletoe throughout the house. Her mother had always been a romantic at heart.
Brenna and Luke had a history with mistletoe. They had shared their first kiss under the mistletoe at this very ranch. It had been out at the stables after a day of riding horses in the North pasture. As teenagers, they had both been nervous and full of anticipation about sharing their first kiss. In the end it had been tender and romantic and it had lived up to every dream Brenna had ever had about being kissed by a boy she adored. Little had she known then that it had been the first grand step toward falling in love with Luke. She had been crazy in love with him, so much so that she hadn’t ever wanted to even look at another man.
And at this moment she couldn’t deny how badly she wanted to kiss Luke again under the mistletoe.
“How could I forget?” she said in a flippant tone. Her throat felt scratchy like sandpaper. Her hands fisted at her sides. She was itching to lay a big fat kiss on Luke’s lips. The very thought of acting on impulse spurred her on.
Just as she was about to stand on her tippy toes and kiss him, Luke bent down and planted his lips on hers. His mouth moved over hers with a tenderness that left her yearning for a return to the past. Poignant memories swept over her. Brenna returned his kiss with equal fervor. She had never shared a single kiss like this with her ex-husband. That was for sure! He had always been cold and bloodless, whereas Luke was all emotion and feeling. Slowly, as the seconds ticked by, she found herself coming back to life. It had been an eternity since she had felt so alive.
Brenna felt Luke’s fingers trailing through her hair, then pausing to caress her cheek. Her knees wobbled a little bit underneath her. She reached up and hung on to his collar for dear life. Luke’s lips tasted like cinnamon and sugar. The woodsy aroma of him filled her nostrils as the kiss deepened and intensified. It was as if they were making up for all the lost years between them in one fell swoop. Brenna could have gone on like this forever—sharing amazing kisses with Luke under the mistletoe. When the kiss slowed down and they finally broke apart, Brenna found herself wishing it could have lasted a little longer. It felt like a lifetime since she had last locked lips with Luke. And it was way more than a physical connection that Luke fulfilled. On an emotional level he had no equal.
Silence stretched out between them, with nothing but their light breathing to cut through it.
And now, as they stood face-to-face staring at one another, she couldn’t help but wonder if kissing Luke had added yet another complication to their already strained relationship.
Whoa! What in the world had he done? Luke asked himself as he headed up to the guest room. Kissing Brenna had not been on the agenda. Over the course of the day and evening, he had begun to soften towards her. After all, it was the Christmas season and he knew it would lighten his soul to forgive her. But, if he was being honest with himself, he still hadn’t completely been able to put a lid on the past. How did a person forgive the love of his life for such a huge betrayal?
Lord knows he hadn’t yet figured out the answer to that monumental question.
Kissing Brenna under the mistletoe had been a foolish mistake. All it had done was muddy the waters even further between them. He had been led astray by nostalgia, the spirit of the season and the doggone mistletoe.
In the aftermath of the kiss, neither had known what to do with themselves. They had hurriedly left the library and joined her family in the kitchen. They had studiously avoided making eye contact with each other. Daphne and Lizette had jabbed each other in the elbows and whispered behind their hands. Luke assumed it was fairly obvious that something had transpired between them. Thankfully, Isabelle and Hector seemed oblivious to the vibe in the room.
As Luke settled in for t
he night he found himself tossing and turning despite his fatigue. Thoughts of Brenna danced in his mind’s eye. He couldn’t ignore what he was feeling. He couldn’t pretend that his heart hadn’t been rejoicing ever since he had clapped eyes on her earlier today. More than anything, he couldn’t deny that he wished he was a million miles away from Half Moon Ranch. Being in Brenna’s presence was dangerous. He couldn’t seem to distance himself from her, no matter how hard he tried.
His heart was thumping wildly in his chest as he gazed out the window at the snow that was now lightly falling from the heavens. A big fat moon sat in the sky, illuminating an onyx nightscape.
He had no idea what tomorrow was going to bring. Luke knew one thing for certain. He needed to get as far away from Half Moon Ranch as possible before Brenna pulled him back into her orbit. If the past had taught him anything at all it was that he had no willpower when it came to Brenna Santiago.
CHAPTER 4
Morning arrived, bringing with it clear blue skies and an end to the storm that had wreaked havoc in Merry. Brenna woke up in her warm, comfy bed with a sense of utter contentment. Luke! Being back home in Merry! Had she been dreaming all of this? She sat up with a start and looked around her bedroom. Nope! She hadn’t dreamed a single moment of it. She was back home in Montana. And Luke was sleeping down the hall in the guest bedroom. Just the thought of him being in such close proximity sent goosebumps down her arms.
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