She squeezed his arm, but instead of a lover’s touch, it felt like claws digging into his skin. He had a hard time believing he had fallen in love with this woman six years ago, but he couldn’t hate her too much because she had given him Joy.
When the doors opened to the lobby, Morgan led the way out of the elevator cab. The swiveling of her hips was meant for Brandon, and while he could appreciate the view, it did nothing for him.
“Mark,” she called, “be a dear and fetch me my coat.”
Mark tipped his hat and exited the room, returning a moment later with a long blue Burberry hooded trench coat. A ring of fur surrounded the inside of the hood. He held it out for her, and she slipped her arms in.
As Brandon watched the display, a bubble of nausea developed in his stomach. Was she always this spoiled? He tried to think back to when they first met, but the memories were hazy.
“Shall we?”
Nodding, he gestured for her to lead the way. Joy clutched his hand tightly as if it was a life line as they followed Morgan and Mark out of the hotel. Brandon wondered why Mark was still with them until he saw the man hailing a cab on their behalf. Of course, heaven forbid she hail her own cab. After Morgan climbed in, Brandon sent Joy in before climbing in himself. His hope was that Joy’s presence would be a buffer and keep Morgan’s hands off him.
Joy’s eyes were wide as they buckled up, and they grow wider still as the cab weaved in and out of traffic. A few minutes later, they stopped in front of a tree lot situated snugly between two buildings. The lot was half empty, but the selection left appeared worthy.
Morgan paid the cabbie, and they climbed out of the car. Joy pulled on Brandon’s hand, excited to see the trees. Laughing, he allowed her to lead him to the lot. She perused each tree carefully as if judging them in a contest.
“They aren’t as nice as the ones in the woods, are they?”
Though serious, her question made him laugh. “No, I guess not quite.”
She nodded like she expected that answer and continued her critiquing.
“I didn’t get a chance to ask you last night, but how have you been?” Morgan asked. Joy had dropped Brandon’s hand in order to examine the trees, but he kept her close in his sight.
“You mean since you left?” His voice was barely above a whisper as he didn’t want Joy to hear.
Morgan rolled her eyes. “Sure, if you want to go back that far.”
“Well, let’s see. After you left, I couldn’t bear to stay in Star Lake, so I packed up my one-year-old daughter and moved to Dallas. I got a job at a promotions firm and had to hire a nanny to watch her while I worked all day. Something I always thought her mother would do or at least help with.
“My father fell off a ladder, and I had to return to Star Lake. I ran into Presley Hays, remember her?” Morgan’s face pinched into a tight smile, and she nodded. There was no love lost between those two, though Brandon had never understood why until now. “Then I returned to Dallas to do the presentation for Stewart, and he offered me the job, and here we are.”
“Are you ever going to forgive me for leaving?” Morgan asked. “I really am trying to be better.” Her claws once again found his arm, and he shook them off.
“I’m sure you are, Morgan, but I need someone stable for Joy, someone I know will be there for the long haul.”
Her lips formed a tight smile. “I’ve changed, Brandon. You should really consider giving me a chance.”
Her words felt more like a threat than a promise, but thankfully, Brandon was saved from answering by Joy’s call. “I think this is the best one, Daddy.” Relieved, he caught up to her and appraised the tree. It was not as nice as the one they cut down in the woods, but it was decent for a lot tree.
“Okay, this one it is.” He grabbed the tag, blinking at the price of one hundred dollars. Things were certainly expensive in New York. Hoisting the tree, he took it to the checkout table. After charging the card, the man twined it up, and Brandon threw it back over his shoulder.
Morgan plucked a tag off a tree, not even bothering to check it out and handed it to the man who got the tree and wrapped it up for her. Then he passed the tree to an associate who carried it out for Morgan as they strolled back to the sidewalk to hail a cab home.
The tree man helped secure the trees on the roof of the cab, and Morgan slipped him a bill for his trouble. Then she whipped out her phone and tapped off a text. As they pulled up to the apartments, Brandon realized she had texted Mark as he stood waiting for them. He took Morgan’s tree as Brandon grabbed his and the stand he had purchased from the lot. He shook his head at Morgan’s inability to do anything for herself as he led the way to the elevator.
They parted ways at the thirtieth floor – Mark taking Morgan’s tree to the left, and Brandon taking his tree to the right. Brandon had never been so glad to be rid of someone.
He drug the tree into the living room and set it up. When it was secure, he and Joy began cutting off the twine. With a few snips, the tree expanded, sending a shower of pine needles across the floor.
“Well, what do you think?”
She stared at the tree, her finger tapping her chin. “It needs ornaments.”
He agreed but didn’t dare chance another meeting with Morgan. “We’ll go tomorrow.”
Chapter 24
“Oh, no, what happened?” Trudy’s face was a canvas of empathy.
Presley’s was still red and splotchy from all the tears it had shed the last few days. She shook her head. “I’m so stupid. I flew all the way across the country, but he had already moved on.”
“What are you talking about? He may be an idiot for taking that job, but the man was clearly in love with you.” She wrapped an arm about Presley’s shoulders as they walked to the exit.
“Morgan answered the door.”
“Morgan?”
“Yeah, Joy’s mother. She said they found each other and now they’re working on reuniting as a family.”
“Well, I don’t know about you, but she didn’t seem exactly trustworthy from what I remember.” Trudy dropped her arm to punch the elevator button.
“It doesn’t matter.” Presley shrugged as they stepped inside the silver box. “Even if she was lying, I lost him once to her. Why would I stand a chance living over fifteen hundred miles away while she is right in the city with her perfect hair and her perfect figure?”
“Stop being so hard on yourself. You’re beautiful too.”
Trudy was trying to cheer her up, so Presley tried not to roll her eyes too hard. “He made his choice. I’ll just have to deal with it and move on.” The elevator door opened, and they continue down the short hallway to the parking garage. It was nearly devoid of cars, but a few other vehicles dotted the cement structure.
The hour ride from the airport was quiet. Presley spent most of the time staring at the lack of scenery out the window, and she was sure Trudy was spending it trying to come up with words to mend her thrice broken heart.
She offered a hug at the driveway which Presley took before heading into her apartment alone. When the door closed behind her, she pulled her phone from her pocket and played Brandon’s message again.
He had called the previous night when she was pigging out on ice cream in her hotel room. She hadn’t had the courage to take the call, in case he was calling to tell her about Morgan, but she had listened to it after. Again and again. His voice had sounded sincere, but he’d said nothing about Morgan. Could it be then that Morgan had lied? That they weren’t together? If so, though, why had she been in his apartment?
Frustrated and confused, Presley punched the end button on her phone and hauled her bag into her room. After hoisting it on the bed, she began unpacking it. The clothes had barely had time to get wrinkled as she had just packed them two days ago. She shook her head, still unable to believe she had hopped on a plane to see a man only to hop on the next one out. What a waste of time and money.
Her sleep was restless that night, just as it h
ad been the previous night. Presley wondered if she would ever sleep well again. She grabbed the phone from the nightstand where it was charging and listened to Brandon’s voicemail again.
Her hand hovered over the call back button, but in the end, she decided to replace the phone on the nightstand without calling or texting him. Maybe it was her stubborn pride, but after traveling across the country, she felt that the next move should be his.
She woke before the alarm the next day, and in a daze, she sauntered into the bathroom to get dressed for the day. After a cup of coffee, she threw on her coat and walked into town.
“Ah, Presley, you’re back. How did it go?” Max was sweeping a light snow off the sidewalk in front of his door. His flannel today was a green and white plaid, but his ball cap was the same blue one he wore every day.
“Not well.” She forced a smile. “Maybe I’m just meant to be single.”
He motioned her inside. The diner was quiet with only the two of them inside. The chairs were still up on the tables. He flipped two over and motioned for her to sit.
“Look,” he said, “I know we aren’t the same age, and this whole topic makes me uncomfortable, but I used to feel that way too. I’m sure you know that I pined after Layla for years.”
“That’s an understatement,” Presley said under her breath.
His face pulled into a glare, wrinkling his forehead. “All I’m saying is, give Brandon time. He’ll come around. Love has a way of working things out.”
“And if that doesn’t work, I’m always available.”
Max and Presley both jumped as Ned popped out from a booth.
“Ned, what are you doing there?” Max’s face was red with anger or exasperation. It was hard to tell.
“Well, I came in early for the first pot of coffee. The first pot is always the best before it sticks to the bottom and gets metallic tasting, but you weren’t here yet, so I curled up in this booth to catch a little more sleep until you arrived.”
“How did you get in here? Never mind, I don’t want to know.” Max rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“I appreciate the offer, Ned,” Presley said as he turned his eyes on her, “but my heart just got broken again. It’s going to need some time to mend, so I think I’m swearing off men for a while.”
His brown eyes reminded her of the commercials to help fund animal shelters, and she had to fight the urge not to change her mind. Not because she wanted to date him, but because she wanted him to stop making those eyes.
“I should get going; I need to open the bakery. Thanks for the advice Max.”
She ducked out before either of them could say another word and crossed the street to the bakery. Though she’d only been gone two days, it felt like a lifetime had passed.
After fumbling with the keys, she managed to open the door and flick the light switch. Well, Trudy didn’t destroy the place. I guess that’s good. The pastry case was empty, so at least she had remembered to take them out. Hopefully, she remembered to put them in the fridge.
Presley dropped her purse off in the small office in back and headed to the fridge. The pastries were individually wrapped and filled the top shelf. Sighing, she grabbed them, stacking them in her left arm and headed back to the front. One at a time, she peeled the saran wrap off and put the pastry back in the case.
The bell jingled as she placed the last one. Layla entered, swinging a basket and bearing a smile.
“Oh, good, you’re back. Don’t get me wrong, I love Trudy, but she had no idea what all the items on my list were. I really missed you.” She placed the basket on the counter and pulled out a piece of paper – her list.
“At least someone did,” Presley muttered.
“Uh oh, it didn’t go well?” Her voice shifted to an empathetic tone.
Presley shook her head as the tears began to prick her eyes. There would be no crying at work.
“Well, you know it took Max and I years to find each other. Maybe Brandon will come around, and until then, you have all of us.”
The thought brought a small smile to Presley’s face, not because she found friendships fulfilling but because this town was full of quite a cast of characters that pretty much assured there would never be a dull moment.
“Thanks, Layla.” Presley finished packing her bread and pastries in the basket.
“Anytime, kid.” With a small wave, Layla picked the basket back up and exited the building. In true Layla fashion, the room felt darker once she was gone. She had the uncanny ability to light up a room whenever she was in it.
As Presley waited for the next customer, she pulled her phone from her pocket. A picture of Brandon, Joy, and herself with the tree they had cut down stared back at her, but there was no message or missed call from Brandon. She should probably change the picture, but she just didn’t have the heart to take it down. Not yet.
The bell jingled again, and she shoved the phone back in her pocket.
“No word yet?” Anna asked. Presley hadn’t been quick enough to hide her guilty gesture.
She shook her head. “Nothing since the first night. Do you think I should call him back?”
Anna shrugged. “I honestly don’t know anymore. I thought he was going to stay, and you guys would become the couple we all expected. His leaving caught all of us off guard. Anyway, that’s not why I’m here. I know his leaving was hard, but we’d like your family to join us for Christmas. We’d love to have you, and you can bring some chocolate eclairs if you’d like.”
Her eyebrows danced as she made the suggestion, and Presley couldn’t help but smile. “Deal. Although I’m not sure if Mom will be working or not,” Unfortunately for her mother, she and Ryan had both gone to college, so she was still working two jobs to help pay the expenses. Presley hoped one day to be able to repay her some, or at least lighten her load. “but I know Ryan will be free.”
Anna blushed and dropped her eyes. “Wonderful. I’ll tell Mom, and maybe my brother will come to his senses and come home by then.”
As Christmas was only two days away, Presley highly doubted it, but she didn’t say anything to Anna. There was no sense spoiling her hope.
The rest of the day was a slow blur, and Presley was glad when six hit and she could pack up and go home. Right now, all she wanted was some chocolate ice cream and Niko on her lap, though she had better find another consolation item soon. Her pants were already feeling snugger from her ice cream binges the last few days.
Chapter 25
“Daddy, when did Presley come by?” Joy asked.
Brandon looked up from his phone. “What do you mean, honey? Presley hasn’t been here.”
“Well, then where did these come from?” She held out two gifts, a large rectangular box obviously for her with its pink trees and a smaller square box wrapped in green and white striped paper, which Brandon assumed was for him.
“Where did you get these?”
“In the closet. I was playing hide and seek with Bunny, and they were there buried under some blankets.” She handed him the smaller package. “Can we open them?”
Brandon’s heart ached at the familiar curve of Presley’s letters. It was not Christmas until tomorrow, but he was curious as to what these were as well. “Yeah, bug, let’s see if she left a note with them.”
He watched as she tore the paper off the present. Her eyes widened, and a smile lit up her face. “It’s perfect.” She turned the box to him, and Brandon saw the picture of the Eiffel Tower on the puzzle box. A perfect combination of Presley and Joy. The ache grew a little bigger. “Open yours, Daddy.”
He pulled open the paper to reveal a small white box. Lifting the lid, he peeled back the tissue paper and emotion welled inside him. His fingers grasped the tip of the ornament, and he pulled it out. The happy couple, so reminiscent of him and Presley stared back, and with a flick of his wrist, snow swirled about. It was an image of their first kiss, and it was nearly perfect. His throat constricted with sadness and anger and love. “Where did
you say you found these?”
She pointed behind her. “In the hall closet under some blankets.”
Presley had to have come by some time while he was at work and Joy was napping for neither of them to see her, but the only day he’d been at work so far was . . . “Morgan.” The word came out more as a growl than a name. “Be right back, Bug.”
He stormed through the door, slamming it behind him, and down the hall to the other end. His knuckles pounded on the door before he had his words all figured out. It swung open, and Morgan blinked at him.
“Well, hello Brandon, did you change your mind?” She leaned seductively against the doorframe, her red lips curved in a predatory smile.
“When did Presley stop by?”
Her eyes blanked for a moment, and her posture shifted. “What do you mean?” Her voice had lost its lusty lilt and now held an essence of fear.
“I mean we found the presents you hid in the closet. What did you think you were doing?”
She rolled her eyes. “I was protecting you. Presley has always held you back. You’re finally doing it right this time; you’re in the big leagues. You don’t need some small-town girl riding your coattails.”
Anger surged through his veins. “What did you tell her?”
Morgan shrugged. “Just that we were working on being a family again.”
His hands clenched into fists at his side. “Morgan, that’s not true. You had no right.”
“I had every right. I’m the reason you’re even here.” Her eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth.
“What do you mean you’re the reason I’m here?” Brandon’s voice trailed off as Mark’s words from the first day came back to him. “You’re the owner of the company?” The pieces began to fall into place. “What did you do, Morgan?”
She took a deep breath, and her arms folded across her chest. “When I left, it was because I wanted you to see that you could do more. You had gotten used to that sleepy town and you were willing to settle there. I wasn’t. I hoped if I left, it would spur you into action, and it did. I followed your move to Dallas and then began working behind the scenes here to get Stewart to meet with you.”
When Love Returns Page 15
