Today, however, when Brynn opened the door and gazed into his eyes, something was different. He glanced at her, his heart picking up its beat. She was stunningly beautiful with her glossy hair, milky skin, and sculpted features. Brynn felt his gaze and smiled. He returned the smile. Again, he felt a strong connection buzz through him. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but Brynn was different—in a good way. Did he dare let his guard down and embrace this new side of Brynn? He’d lost himself for a moment when he tried to kiss her on the couch. Luckily, she averted her face, making it easier to keep things clear between them. The idea was to have fun and keep things light, knowing their relationship wasn’t going anywhere. He just needed to remember that so he wouldn’t confuse the situation.
Brynn angled towards him. “Tell me about your family.”
For a second, Wyatt wondered if he’d heard her correctly. Brynn wanted to talk about him, rather than her work. He kept expecting her to launch into a monologue about her latest designs and which celebrity she was hob-knobbing with. They’d been on the road for a little over an hour, and she hadn’t mentioned a word about work.
“You don’t wanna hear about me,” he joked, wondering if she’d catch the kernel of truth in his statement.
“Sure I do.”
The words were spoken with such sincerity that he glanced at her to get a read on her expression. “Really?”
“Really. If I’m going to spend Christmas with your family, I’d like to know a little about them.”
Ah. Now he understood. Brynn wanted to know what she’d be dealing with. It made sense, but he couldn’t help feeling a smidgen of disappointment. Maybe she wasn’t different, after all. Time would tell. Wyatt pursed his lips, collecting his thoughts, trying to decide what he wanted to share. “My dad’s name is Charles. My mom is Beverly. I have two sisters—one older, one younger. Their names are Aubrey and Ellie.”
“So …” she mused, “you’re the mixed-up middle child. That explains a lot,” she joked.
“Hey,” he countered, laughing when he saw her wicked grin. “How about you? How many siblings in your family?”
She paused long enough to make him wonder if he’d asked something wrong. “It’s just me,” she finally said.
“What was it like growing up as an only child?” It sounded lonely. Wyatt and Ellie were close. He and Aubrey fought like cats and dogs, but deep down, they loved each other. At any rate, Wyatt couldn’t imagine not having them in his life.
“Normal, I guess.”
“Makes sense. You only know what you know, right?”
“Right.” Slight pause. “How old are Aubrey and Ellie?”
“Aubrey’s thirty-two, Ellie’s twenty-four.”
“Are either of them married?”
“Yes, Aubrey’s married and has two boys. She’s a patent attorney. Her husband’s a banker.”
Brynn giggled. “An attorney and a banker. A power couple, huh?”
“Yep, something like that. Ellie will graduate from The University of Alabama in the spring. She’s planning on teaching elementary school.”
Brynn started coughing.
“Are you okay?” Wyatt considered stocking up on water before the trip, but he’d run out of time.
Brynn touched her chest, clearing her throat. “I’m fine.”
“Would you like for me to stop and get you some water?”
“No, not right now. I’ll grab a bottle when we stop to use the restroom.”
“Restroom?” He shook his head, pressing his lips together in a somber line. “I wasn’t planning on stopping until we reach Annapolis.” When he saw her horrified expression, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Just teasing. We’ll stop in about an hour.”
She smiled in relief. “Sounds good. What are your parents like?”
He tried to figure out the best way to describe them. “My dad’s a character—loves to tell jokes.”
“Sounds like a typical Southerner.”
The comment took him by surprise. “I didn’t realize you’d spent much time in the South.”
“My dad lived there.”
“What part?”
“Tennessee. In the Smokey Mountains.”
“That’s a beautiful part of the country. I’ve been to Dollywood a couple of times.”
“Me too.”
“I love that wooden roller coaster.”
“The Tennessee Tornado.”
“Yeah, I guess that was the name of it.”
She laughed to herself. “I once rode the coaster ten times in a row. I probably would’ve ridden it a few more times had my dad not insisted we go and watch a couple of the shows.”
He caught the note of affection in her tone. “Does your dad live in New York?” Even though he’d never met Brynn’s mom, he knew who she was because of her show.
“He passed away last year. A car accident.”
The pain in her voice evoked a wave of sympathy. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.” This was the most in-depth conversation he and Brynn had ever had. He looked at her, not expecting to see a tear trickling down her cheek. Hastily, she wiped it away with the palm of her hand, offering an apologetic smile.
“It’s still fresh,” she explained. “The accident happened two days before Thanksgiving. Dad was a professor at a local college. He taught an evening class and fell asleep driving home. Luckily, no other cars were involved.” Her voice hitched. “Last year, the holidays passed by in such a blur that this sort of feels like the first real Christmas without him.”
“And you chose to spend it with me and my family.”
“Yes,” she said quietly.
He was touched, surprised. Guilt stabbed at him. All this time, he’d been thinking about himself and how he needed a pretty girl on his arm to get his parents off his back. Not once had he factored Brynn’s feelings into the equation. In his defense, up till now, Brynn was so caught up in her own world that she had no space for anyone else’s feelings. This sudden change in personality was confusing, troublesome. Did Brynn have a split personality? Which Brynn was the real one? The socialite party girl? Or the down-to-earth girl sitting next to him?
A self-deprecating laugh rumbled in Brynn’s throat. “Sorry to put a downer on things.” Her voice took on a false lightness. “Back to your family. What does your dad do for a living?”
Wyatt’s muscles tightened. He tried hard to keep his family under wraps. Of course, Brynn would figure out most of it when they arrived in Atlanta and she saw his house. Still, how much did he want to tell her? “He’s an entrepreneur, has his hands in a few ventures.”
“Such as?”
“Medical supplies and equipment, real estate.” He left it at that, silence settling between them. “How’s your work going?” He braced himself for her long-winded answer. He probably shouldn’t have brought it up, but it was the only thing he could think of to shift the conversation.
“It’s going okay. About the same as always.”
He looked at her. “Really?”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“Normally, when I ask you about your work, you rattle on for an hour, telling me about your new designs or the celebrities you’ve been hob-knobbing with.”
She laughed. “Hob-knobbing? I can tell you’re from the South.”
He grunted. “Yeah, every time I open my mouth, people wanna know what part of Texas I’m from.”
“My dad grew up in Indiana. Even though he lived in the South, he didn’t have an accent. I suppose that’s why I don’t sound Southern.”
He cocked his head. “Did you live in the South? I assumed you just visited your dad on occasion.” He was sure he remembered Brynn mentioning that her parents divorced when she was young. She told him she’d grown up in New York.
“Yes, that’s right,” she answered quickly. “That’s what I meant. How’s your work going?”
He frowned. “You hate talking about my work.” He glanced and saw that her cheeks were rosy, heightening her
beauty.
“I’m sorry if I made you feel that way.”
Wyatt wouldn’t have been more surprised if Brynn had suddenly announced that she was the Easter Bunny. He could tell that she meant what she said.
“Go ahead,” she prompted. “Tell me about your work.”
“Which part do you want to know?”
He heard the rustle of her shifting in her seat. He glanced at her as she tugged at her sweater and held up a finger. “When I would visit my dad, we loved to go on road trips. We’d play a game where we pretended that we knew nothing about each other. We asked each other questions and tried to really listen to what the other person was saying, as if we were hearing it for the first time. We should play that game now and give each of us a new perspective on each other.”
“Who are you and what have you done with Brynn Lockwood?” he teased, then felt her shock. “It was a joke.”
She gave him a courtesy laugh, but he could tell she wasn’t amused. A second later, she picked right back up where she’d left off. “I’ll go first. What do you do for a living?”
The game seemed silly and childish, but whatever. “I’m a sports rehab doctor.”
“It must be rewarding to be able to help people,” she replied.
“Actually, it is.” A smile stole over his lips. “Every once in a blue moon, it’s super rewarding. Like the day when a beautiful, kick-butt clothing designer waltzed in to have her back adjusted.”
Brynn touched her back. “You did an excellent job, by the way. The pain is completely gone.”
He frowned. “That’s not what you said a month ago. You said it was still giving you problems.”
“Well, it’s better now.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” He could feel her eyes on him. He shifted his gaze from the road to her. “What?”
“I don’t get it,” she said thoughtfully.
“What?”
“You said your dad wanted you to grow up and put on your Big Boy Pants. Isn’t being a doctor grown up enough for him?”
He grunted. “Yeah, you’d think. You don’t know my dad.”
“So, he’s jovial on the surface, but serious on the inside.”
“Very. He has lofty expectations for his children.”
“Expectations which include marrying off his only son?”
The marriage thing was a sore spot for Wyatt. It seemed ridiculous to him. He could only imagine how it sounded to Brynn. There was no way he could explain it without telling her everything, and he didn’t want to do that. “Now, it’s my turn.”
She laughed lightly. “Evading the question, I see.”
Rather than answering, he pressed on. “What’s your favorite food?” He pulled a face. “Please don’t tell me it’s rabbit food.”
“Pizza. Supreme with thick crust and extra cheese.”
“My kind of girl,” he purred. A dart of attraction zinged through him when she rewarded him with a dazzling smile.
“Okay, now my turn. Who was your first girlfriend?”
“Tina McClellan. We were in the same kindergarten class.”
Amusement coated her voice. “You started early.”
“It was puppy love. We used to sneak out behind the trees during recess and hold hands.” He winced. “A few years later, Tina put on about twenty pounds and became the class bully. Instead of holding my hand at recess, she was beating me to a pulp.”
“Ouch,” she laughed, “bullied by a girl. That’s harsh.”
“Well, I was in the third grade. I was this scrawny kid with glasses.” He held up a finger. “In my defense, Tina had all the guys in the class running for the hills.”
“Do you wear contacts?”
“Yep, I’m blind as a bat without them. I’ve got one. Your first kiss?”
“Ugh! Please tell me you’re not going there.”
He laughed, loving how easily the conversation flowed between them. “You’re the one who suggested this game, remember? Answer the question.”
She let out a long breath. “Buddy Harris. I was in the seventh grade. Buddy asked me to meet him behind the gym after school.”
He hooted. “You were one of those girls, huh?”
She shoved him. “Stop. Let me finish. I was a good girl.”
“You’re still a good girl,” he said quietly. He’d wondered about Brynn in the past because of her party girl reputation. Now, however, spending one-on-one time with her, he instinctively knew she was a good person.
“Thank you.” She gave him an appreciative look.
The air between them became electric, Wyatt had to force his eyes to stay on the road. The connection between them felt surprisingly strong. How was he just now realizing it, today? “Okay, get back to your story. You met Buddy Harris behind the gym …”
“Yep, he kissed me.”
“Oh, he kissed you instead of you kissing him,” he teased.
“It’s true.”
“That’s your story and you’re sticking to it, huh?”
She grunted. “All right, wise guy. Zip it and let me finish the story.”
He made a zipping motion over his lips.
“Buddy gave me a sloppy, wet kiss.”
He bunched his brows. “Gross.”
“It was,” she laughed. “But the best—or worst part—was that he accidentally cut my lip with his braces.”
Wyatt burst out laughing. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack.” She shook her head. “As you can imagine, it was a long time before I ever kissed anyone else.”
“Don’t worry,” he uttered. “I’ll make sure I don’t bite your lip when we kiss.” He didn’t need to look at her to know her cheeks were flaming.
“What’s your favorite Christmas tradition?” Brynn asked in a chirpy voice, like she was trying too hard. It pleased him to note that she was also affected by this attraction zinging between them.
“Well, it used to be Santa.” He drooped the corners of his lips down into an exaggerated frown. “Then, I found out there was no Santa. I’m still trying to recover.”
She laughed, shoving his arm lightly. He swore he could feel the warmth of her fingertips through his thin sweater. Being with Brynn, talking so openly, was doing things to his head. How easy it would be to fall hard for her. “Seriously, what’s your favorite tradition?” she pressed.
He pursed his lips. “Well, we have a big, Christmas Eve party for all of my parents’ friends.”
“Really?” Disappointment rang in her voice.
“Really.” He offered a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. Everyone will love you.”
She nodded, picking at her fingernails.
“I’m surprised that bothers you. Parties are your thing.”
“Yeah, I like parties.” She hesitated. “I guess I was hoping for a quieter, old-fashioned Christmas with you and your family.”
Wyatt had no idea Brynn had so many layers. He preferred the quiet, simple things too. “We’ll have that. The night before Christmas Eve, we gather together and sing Christmas Carols. Afterwards, we put the star on top of the tree.”
“That sounds wonderful,” she said softly.
“What’s your favorite Christmas tradition?” he asked gently.
Nostalgia overtook her voice. “Well, I would normally spend Christmas with my dad.” She chuckled. “We’d go to a tree farm and walk for hours in the cold, trying to find the perfect tree. Eventually, we’d settle on one—when our hands and feet had turned to blocks of ice. Then, when it was loaded on top of the car, we’d drive to a café in downtown Red Rose and have hot chocolate.” Another tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek. She laughed in embarrassment. “Maybe we should change the subject.”
“You loved your dad very much.”
“Yes, he was my best friend.”
“What about your mom? You lived with her growing up. Are the two of you close?”
“We’re okay. My mom’s a different breed. She has her show and modeling
jobs.” Her voice hardened. “I thought we were spending Christmas together this year, but she decided to stay in Greece with her girlfriends instead.”
“No wonder you agreed to come with me to Atlanta.” Brynn looked embarrassed, despondent, conflicted. Without thinking, he reached for her hand. Electricity jolted through him when their skin connected. He gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m glad you’re coming home with me.”
A grateful smile touched the corners of her lips. “Me too.”
4
Haven felt like she was in a dream as she stood taking in the living room of the grand home. Her hand went to her hip as she turned to Wyatt, “I thought you said this was a cottage.” Wyatt had asked if she minded taking a slight detour off the interstate to spend the night in a cottage his family had access to, saying it would be more comfortable than a hotel. She readily agreed, thinking it would be nice to have her own room. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined something of this magnitude.
He laughed easily. “It is a cottage.” He put down his suitcase and removed his coat.
Her eyebrow shot up as she also removed her coat and placed it with her purse on the couch. “If this is a cottage, I’m Donald Trump.”
“You’re much prettier than Donald Trump,” he uttered, his eyes holding hers. A dart of warmth shot through her as she coughed. “Thanks.” She broke eye contact with Wyatt, her gaze taking in the polished wood floors covered with expensive oriental rugs and the impeccable nautical décor including an overstuffed sofa with crisp, red and blue pillows. Everything looked perfect, like it came out of a magazine. Her heart did a little leap when she spotted the tall, magnificent Christmas tree in the corner of the room. Every branch, it seemed, was adorned with intricate, glass ornaments and bows. Haven looked at the fireplace beside the tree. The upper section was festooned with lush, green garland. Atop the mantle were candle sticks, holly sprigs with bright red berries, and pine cones adorned with red and gold ribbons.
The Christmas Bliss Romance Collection Page 3
