THE BENNETTS' CHRISTMAS (The Bennett Family and the Masters Family Book 6)

by Brenda Jackson

  “Have you told him?”

  “Yes, I told him this morning before leaving the hospital. This is his second confinement in three weeks, and he has decisions to make. I want him to be with his family for Christmas, too, because he’s right about it possibly being the last one that he’ll have with them. Each time he is confined, his condition has worsened. Heart surgery is risky at any age, but for an eighty-something-year old man, it’s even worse.”

  “Who would be the surgeon on his case if he decides to go through with it?”

  “Dr. Allen Bonner. He’s one of the best heart surgeons around. Mr. Fletcher would be in good hands, but I still worry.”

  “But he’s in good hands as your patient, Sebrina. The man sings your praises.” When she lifted her brow, he added, “I knew you were concerned about him the other night, so I stopped in to check on him today. He’s spirited with plenty of spunk. If he was a few years younger, I’d be worried about competition.”

  A smile spread across her lips and seeing it heightened the beat of his pulse. “You know you have nothing to worry about, right?”

  “I’ll always be worried, and extremely thankful.” He paused, then changed the subject. “Are you looking forward to Christmas? It’s next week.”

  “I know. It’s hard to believe it’s that close.” She took another sip of her coffee. “Christmas is my favorite holiday. I told you about splitting my time between Dad in New Jersey and Mom in Atlanta. I think of it as celebrating two holidays. What about you? What are your plans?”

  “I’ll be going home to Maine. I’m off until after New Year’s, but I’m not sure I’ll stay in Maine the entire time.”

  “I’m lucky. My vacation starts Christmas Eve,” she said. “I won’t be due back at the hospital until after New Year’s as well. I think Monica has time off too. We’re both attending the Bennetts’ family reunion, which starts the day after Christmas. If you get back here before New Year’s, you’ll have the entire house to yourself.”

  If she thought that would make him happy, she was wrong. “I’d like it better if you were here sharing the house with me.”

  She didn’t say anything for a minute, and then she pushed her empty plate aside. “I think we need to talk about the changes that will take place once Monica returns.”

  “I’m hoping I can change your mind about them.”

  She shook her head. “That won’t be happening, Parker. We were only trying to work all that sexual chemistry out of our system.”

  “Do you honestly think we’ve done that, Sebrina?”

  “After Monica gets back, there won’t be any other option.”

  He shook his head. “There are always options.”

  “Not for us, Parker. I thought you understood that.”

  “The only thing I know, Sebrina, is that whenever I look at you, I want you. You smile, and I want you more. Whenever I catch your scent, I get hard. When I look at your lips, I remember your taste, in your mouth, between your legs, as well as other places. But it’s not just all sexual. I love the time we’ve spent together outside of the bedroom. All of our outings. I don’t want to give any of that up.”

  “You don’t have a choice. Sure, I enjoyed our time together, but—”

  “Why don’t I have a choice, when we both know we’re good together? Do you honestly think we can ignore the chemistry again, now that we know how absolutely incredible sex is between us? Even now as we speak, I want to take you right here on this damn table.”

  He saw heat that was as fiery as his thoughts were, ignite in her eyes. He knew she was thinking about some of the wickedly wonderful things she’d done with him.

  “If you think I won’t be able to resist you, Parker, then watch me. In fact, after Monica returns, I think we should start dating other people again.”

  Was she serious? How could she think he’d want another woman after having spent all this time with her?

  At least she wanted to spend the next two nights with him. Then, for her, it would be over. But he didn’t intend for anything to be over. Their lives were entwined, and it was meant for them to be together.

  Pushing his chair back from the table he stood and went around the table to stand beside her. He offered her his hand and without hesitation, she took it. Then, tugging her up from her seat, he swept her into his arms and took her to the bedroom.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  “WELCOME BACK, MONICA. I missed you,” Sebrina said, giving her sister a hug.

  “I’m glad to be back. The cruise was great and I...”

  At that moment a man, a very good-looking man, strolled out of the kitchen dressed in jeans and a pullover sweater. And he definitely favored Chris Hemsworth a lot.

  Seeing where her attention had gone, Sebrina turned around. “Parker, I’d like you to meet my sister, Monica. Monica, this is our new housemate, Parker Stanhope.”

  Monica smiled and extended her hand to him. “Hi, Parker. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  Monica couldn’t help studying Parker. She’d had joint calls with Kennedy and Victoria on her way home from the airport, wanting to know what to expect. For some reason, neither one would elaborate on Sebrina’s relationship with Parker, but both had described him as a very nice and extremely handsome man. They hadn’t lied. But no man in her mind was more handsome than Landon.

  Landon...

  She had looked for him when the ship had docked in Sydney. However, she had been told by Hagia that he had been in the first group to disembark. She couldn’t believe that he hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye after all the time they had spent together. She had gotten so angry that she had deleted his contact information from her phone and blocked his number. She didn’t care if she ever saw him again.

  “It’s nice meeting you, too, Monica.”

  Parker’s deep, husky voice reclaimed her attention. Why wasn’t it claiming anything else? There was nothing. No attraction. No magnetism. At least not for her. However, it was alive and strong for Sebrina. Even with the two of them standing there looking at her with all smiles, she was fully aware of the sexual energy flowing between them. My goodness! It was practically rocking the floor they were standing on. She couldn’t wait to get Sebrina alone because she needed some answers from her sister, whether Sebrina wanted to fess up or not.

  “Thanks. I hope Sebrina has been treating you well.”

  Bingo. She saw Parker’s sensuous smile and Sebrina’s uneasy one. Evidently Bree had treated Parker very well. But that was so unlike Bree. She wasn’t someone who let a guy get under her skin.

  “I’ve been well looked after,” Parker then said. “Sebrina has been more than kind.”

  I bet. “Good. Now after a twenty-something hour flight, I am beat. I’m going up to my room, shower and hit the sack. I’ll probably sleep for at least two days.”

  “You’ve got to eat some time,” Sebrina said. “Parker is a great cook.”

  Monica had heard that already, from Kennedy and Victoria. But she didn’t say anything. She didn’t want Parker to know she’d asked around about him. “I’m sure I’ll wake up whenever I’m hungry. See you guys later.” Then she then walked off, rolling her luggage behind her as she headed toward the stairs.

  “Need help with that?” Parker asked her.

  She turned and smiled at him. “No, I’ve got this. Thanks anyway.” She needed to get out of their presence—all that chemistry was too much to deal with. Being around them reminded her of what she’d shared on the cruise with Landon. Something she’d likely never share with anyone again.

  Duan Jeffries glanced up when Landon walked into his office. “What are you doing here? You aren’t due back in the office until after New Year’s.”

  Landon dropped down in the chair in front of Duan’s desk. “I’m bored at home.”

  “Bored? You just got back a couple of days ago. And how was the cruise?”

  Landon didn’t say anything for a minute, then admitted, “I wish it hadn’t ended. I
met someone.”

  Duan chuckled. “I would hope so. It was a singles’ cruise, after all. I think Zoe had hoped that you would hook-up with somebody.”

  Landon didn’t say anything for a minute. He and Landon had not only been partners on the force but had also been close friends. Duan had been there through Landon’s rough days in getting over losing Simone. Unlike his family, Duan never pushed Landon to move on with his life. Duan knew how deep his pain had gone and had let Landon decide when he was ready to move on.

  “It wasn’t that way with her, Duan.”

  Duan must have heard the seriousness in his voice. “Then what way was it?”

  “I fell in love with her.”

  The silence that followed his words was expected. And though the way Duan studied him was unnerving, it was totally expected as well. His best friend knew him. Duan knew that he would not say he’d fallen in love unless he was truly certain that he had.

  “You want to tell me about her?”

  Landon drew in a deep breath and nodded. He had to talk to someone about it. He had tried not to let Monica take over his mind like she had his heart, but it wasn’t working. He hadn’t been able to sleep a single night since returning. All he did was replay in his mind memories of all those days and nights they had spent together. Seeing the Great Barrier Reef with her in that helicopter had been something he would never forget.

  “Remember around nine months ago, I told you about that young woman I met in St. Paul?”

  Duan nodded. “A woman named Monica Bennett, right?”

  “Yes.” He wasn’t surprised Duan recalled the incident as well as the name. In their line of work, remembering details was important and Duan had a knack of latching on to even the most minute ones. “Well, it was her, Duan. Monica was on the cruise, working.”

  “Working?”

  “Yes. She’s a columnist for the St. Paul Star Tribune and was doing an article about the cruise. Imagine my surprise when I ran into her.”

  “I’m sure it was a pleasant one,” Duan said.

  “It was. We ended up spending a lot of time together. I got to know her, and she got to know me. She’s the first woman I’ve developed feelings for since Simone died. I figured there had to be a reason I had run into her twice. I’m not one to believe in fate, but I did for us.”

  “And?”

  “And all she wanted was a cruise fling. There are things she wants to achieve in life and has no intention of settling down anytime soon. I agreed to the fling but then I wanted more. But when I told her, it freaked her out.”

  Duan nodded. “Some women are just as afraid of commitment as some men are.”

  Landon stood and began pacing. “She has these goals, Duan. She wants to go back to college to get her PhD and doesn’t want to get involved with anyone until she’s in her mid-thirties. Can you believe that?”

  Duan chuckled. “Yes. I went through something similar with Kim. Remember her dreams of going to medical school? I thought I would be doing the right thing by getting out of the picture so she could focus on those goals. But Kim made me see that when two people love each other, they can work through anything.”

  “I believe that, Duan. But the problem is getting Monica to believe it. Besides, she doesn’t love me anyway. She told me that. Damn man. Do you know how it feels to love a woman, to truly love her and not have that love returned? That has never happened to me before. I loved Simone and she loved me. Why does love have to be so damn complicated?”

  “Give her time, Landon.”

  Landon rubbed his hands down his face. “I plan to give her all the time she wants. I’m moving on with my life. Rejection hurts like hell, and I will find a way to work her out of my heart and off my mind.”

  “By becoming a workaholic again?”

  “If that’s what I have to do to keep my sanity, then yes. That’s why I’m here. I need to get back to work, Duan. The sooner the better.”

  Duan didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he said, “If you’re serious, I have just the case for you. It requires travel to Las Vegas for a few days, but you’ll be back before Christmas.”

  “That will work. I might even decide to hang in Vegas for a few days longer.”

  “And miss spending Christmas with your family, Landon?”

  Landon shrugged. “It won’t be the first time I got caught out of town on assignment during the holidays.”

  “But that won’t be the case this time and you know it. I’m not sure that it’s a good idea for you to spend Christmas alone. Why don’t you join us in the Keys. Terrence, Sherri and the entire Jeffries family would love to see you. Even Reggie, Libby and their tribe are coming in from DC.”

  Landon knew that Duan’s family usually held a huge Christmas gathering at his brother Terrence’s place in Key West. He had joined them one year and had truly enjoyed himself. “Thanks for the invite, but I think I should probably be alone for a while.”

  Hours later, Landon was back home. He was glad he’d gone in to the office. It had taken his mind off of Monica, at least for a little while. Tossing his keys on the table, he slid out his coat and hung it in the closet. Atlanta was experiencing temperatures that were a lot colder than normal this time of year, but he didn’t mind. He preferred cooler weather. Going straight to the refrigerator, he pulled out a beer, popped the cap and took a slug.

  He had been glad he’d taken the time to visit his parents on his way home. Of course, everyone had wanted to know about the cruise, and was glad he had enjoyed himself. Although Zoe, who had been there when he’d arrived, had asked a lot of questions, he had refused to tell her anything, other than to again thank her and his parents for such a generous birthday present.

  Moving out of the kitchen, he made his way into the bedroom where he was still unpacking. During his visit with his parents, he’d been able to hand out the souvenirs he’d bought for everyone.

  But now that he was alone again, he couldn’t help thinking of Monica. More than once since he’d returned, he had been tempted to call her, but he wanted to give her space. Still, he couldn’t help wondering if she was missing him as much as he was missing her?

  Landon glanced at a packet he’d left on his dresser this morning, then went over and picked it up and pulled out the contents. The cruise line staff had taken a lot of professional photos and he had bought them all. He’d given Monica most of them, but he’d kept his three favorite photos of them together. Looking at them now made him ache for her even more. He should just trash them, but he couldn’t make himself do it. He couldn’t toss away visuals of their days together, any more than he could forget her.

  But like he told Duan, he would get on with his life...without her in it. He refused to pine over a woman who wouldn’t love him back.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  “COME IN, BREE.”

  Sebrina walked into Monica’s bedroom, and leaned against the door jamb. “I saw the light still on and figured you hadn’t gone to bed yet,” she said.

  “No, I’m packing. I fly out in the morning for Atlanta,” Monica said, placing more items in the suitcase that was spread out on her bed. “Are you still flying out to spend time with your dad and his folks on Christmas Eve?”

  “Yes, then I’ll join you, Mom, Michael and Mike for Christmas dinner. I understand Kennedy and Haddison will be there too, after they see his uncle and aunt for Christmas breakfast here in St. Paul.”

  “That sounds great,” Monica said. “I can’t wait to hang out with everyone. Kelly and my brothers are coming to the Bennetts’ family reunion too, so I’ll have a chance to see them.”

  “I look forward to the family reunion every year. It’s the perfect time of year to get together and catch up.”

  Monica glanced at her watch then back at Sebrina. “What are you doing up? Are you off work tonight?”

  Sebrina felt there was no need to tell her sister that she couldn’t sleep. That she hadn’t been able to sleep for days. Not since Monica had retur
ned and Sebrina had put an end to her affair with Parker.

  “I work tonight. But I slept already today and figured that I’d spend some time talking with you. I haven’t seen you much since you got back. And I haven’t seen your cruise pictures. Knowing you, I’m sure you took a bunch.”

  Monica smiled faintly. “Yes, I did. I really enjoyed the cruise, Bree.”

  Sebrina came to sit on the stool in the room. “Umm...did you enjoy the cruise, or the guy you spent most of your time with?”

  “Both,” Monica said, opening up the drawer to her nightstand and pulling out a packet to hand to Sebrina. “These are the professional ones taken by the cruise photographers. I haven’t had time to download the ones I took on my phone to a flash-drive yet.”

  Sebrina opened up the packet and pulled out the photos. “Wow! This guy is hot! And the two of you look good together.”

  “I thought so.”

  Sebrina gazed over at Monica and saw the sadness in her eyes, and the tears her sister was trying to hold back. “I’m sorry, Monica.”

  Monica glanced at her. “Sorry about what?”

  “I’m sorry that you wanted more out of the relationship than an ocean fling and that Landon Chestnut didn’t.”

  Monica swiped at her tears. “That’s not how it was. In fact, it was just the opposite.”

  Sebrina raised a brow. “What do you mean?”

  She saw Monica’s eyes truly well up then. “I’m the one who only wanted a cruise fling. Landon wanted more. He even told me that he believed fate brought us together those two times we ran into each other. He was convinced that we were destined to share a future together. He told me that he loves me, but I refuse to believe that.”

  Sebrina scooted the stool closer to Monica and took her sister’s hands in hers to stop it from trembling. “Why, Monica?”

  “Because you know my plans, Bree. I can’t get serious with a guy until I’m in my mid-thirties. I have to get my PhD.”