Brooke wasn’t sure what to make of him being here so many years later. Nobody really spoke of him anymore since he’d been gone from Preston for so long. She knew he’d spent some time in the military, but that was about all she’d heard. He’d mentioned Oregon—based on his burly physique and beard, she could only assume that he was a logger or some sort of mountain man. Despite that, he smelled amazing, and she wasn’t immune to his charming smile, either. She hadn’t seen him in twelve years, not since his high school graduation, and in that time, the handsome boy had become a very hot man. A man, Brooke blushingly realized, she’d been quietly ogling for the past few minutes and who was thankfully deep in conversation with her brother.
“So what are you doing back in Preston?” Ryan asked.
“Yeah, and why were you here at 100 Main, at night?” she interrupted.
“Well, my flight just got in about an hour ago, and my grandmother said I could stay upstairs in the apartment while I was here. Unfortunately she failed to mention someone else was staying there also.” His gaze narrowed in on Brooke.
Shit. “Oh … oh no. I’m so sorry …” She looked at Ryan, feeling a little panicked.
“Oh…well. Brooke, uh, she …” Obviously Ryan was just as lost for an explanation as she was. Was he going to have to ticket his own sister for squatting? The small town would eat that up.
“Are you staying up there, Brooke? It’s no big deal if you are.” Alex looked uncomfortable, and she hated that she was going to have to admit to her scam. “I can go stay at a hotel.”
“No! I mean … I hate for you to have to do that,” Brooke said. “You have every right to stay, I was just—well, Beverly doesn’t know I’m staying up there for just a little while.”
“Ah, I see. Well, your secret’s safe with me.”
Brooke exchanged an awkward glance with Ryan. She’d been secretly crashing in the upstairs apartment for the past month, having given up her studio on the south side of town so she could put the six hundred dollars a month toward her rent at the shop, which was getting harder to pay for every month. Beverly Coleman never came into the building, so Brooke figured that she’d get back on her feet over the holiday season and be out by February. March tops.
Before anyone else could speak, the radio on Ryan’s hip crackled to life. A woman’s monotone voice spewed a bunch of information that Brooke couldn’t decipher but that made Ryan frown. “Shit, I gotta go, you guys. Walter Shipton’s turkey fryer was stolen off his back deck. Fourth year in a row.”
“Serves the guy right, he was always an ass,” Alex said with a chuckle.
“Yep, I’m starting to wonder if he’s setting me up, just to get back at me for egging his old Chevy sixteen years ago.”
The whole apartment conversation seemed to have dropped, and Brooke watched in awe as Ryan and Alex joked for a few more minutes, just like twelve years hadn’t passed.
Before he stepped out, Ryan spoke to Alex once more. “Listen, Brooke wasn’t planning on staying upstairs long, and she wasn’t trying to take advantage of Beverly.”
“Like I said, no big deal. She won’t hear about it from me,” Alex responded.
“So, you sure you’re fine grabbing a hotel room?” Ryan asked.
“Absolutely, no problem,” Alex said.
Ryan nodded, satisfied with the situation, and stepped closer to Brooke. “You okay?” he whispered.
“Yeah, I’m fine, I just—”
“It scared you, I know, but it’s just Alex. He’s … fairly harmless.”
Brooke swore she heard Alex scoff, and she lowered her voice. “I know, I know. I just wish Beverly would’ve mentioned it. I mean, obviously she didn’t expect me staying here, but I would have discovered him tomorrow when I opened the shop. But it’s fine.” She shook her head and gave him a smile. He wouldn’t leave until he was certain she was okay with it, so she gave him that assurance even if it wasn’t a hundred percent true. She was a little rattled, but not for reasons she wanted to discuss with her brother. “Thanks for coming, Ry.”
“Anytime—you know that.” Ryan leaned down and kissed the top of her head. He turned and looked at Alex. “Hey man, it was good to see you. Sorry again about the hotel thing.”
“Don’t apologize, I’m only here for a couple of days.” He glanced at Brooke. She realized he never did say why he’d come to town.
“Sooo, you leavin’ now, then?” Ryan asked, his eyes darting between Alex and Brooke.
“Yeah, I’ll get out of here, I’m just parked out back.”
With a hesitant nod, Ryan walked back into the snowy darkness, leaving them alone. For a moment neither spoke, and then they both laughed awkwardly.
“I’m sorry, I don’t want this to be weird,” he said with a grin. “It’s just … so crazy to see you now. I mean, you were beautiful the last time I saw you but … wow.”
Brooke stifled a tiny gasp, shocked that he would say such a thing to her. How many times had she been witness to Alex Coleman putting the moves on other girls? She’d dreamed of this conversation, the moment he would turn his charms on her, finally see her for the first time. She was shocked to realize that she fell for it now like she would have as a teenager. She chuckled, feeling a slight flush in her cheeks. “Thank you.”
She wondered if he remembered the night he hid from her parents in her bedroom and kissed her cheek. She’d never forgotten it. It probably hadn’t been worth remembering for a guy like Alex.
“So this all yours?” He turned to take in the entire room, and she pulled herself together since he was obviously not leaving—and also changing the subject. Oh, right, this was Alex Coleman. He likely had these kinds of encounters all the time, told girls they were beautiful, schmoozed them out of their panties, and then moved on. She was also being mean, judging this grown man on his teenage transgressions. She cleared her throat.
“It sure is. I opened the shop this summer.” Brooke walked back behind the counter to flip on a few more lights. She was proud of this space and wondered what he thought. “It’s certainly not a guy kind of shop, but I kind of love it.”
“What kind of shop is it exactly?” He picked up a beaded necklace, one of her latest jewelry pieces. His large fingers gently rubbed against the round stones.
“It’s a variety of things. Obviously I sell my jewelry, but then also some home décor, handmade items, or customers can purchase the supplies to make their own unique things. I even teach classes here.” She nodded her head to the back corner where some tables and supplies were set up for classes.
“It looks cool, Brooke. I’m impressed.” He turned back toward her and gave a sincere smile.
“Thanks. I’d be a lot more impressed if they’d finish up that roadwork out front. It’s kind of cramping my style.”
“Yeah, I imagine. I saw all of that mess out front, which was why I parked in the back. Probably why I scared the shit out of you.” He grinned and continued to walk around, touching things here and there. “It’s weird seeing the building decorated like this. They must have ripped out some walls since I was last in here. John’s office used to be in that corner.”
She hadn’t missed the way he’d called his grandfather by his first name. Not really a surprise given their tumultuous history. “Uh, yeah, they did. They were just thin drywall, not original to the building. I think Beverly had them ripped out immediately to set up retail space. She kind of gave me a good deal.”
“Yeah? Good. It’s about time something useful went in here.” He circled around a display of candles and wooden trays before stepping close to her.
She froze, locked in his hot gaze. Despite the space between them, Brooke swore she could feel the heat of his body reaching out to her, making her want to lean in, get closer, and her will was tested when he reached up and fingered a lock of hair that rested against her collarbone. Unable to meet his gaze, her eyes focused on his neck. Even through her thick sweatshirt his touch nearly singed her. Thank goodness she managed
not to shiver.
“Your hair used to be so long when you were younger.” His voice had lowered to a deep rumble, his breath minty and warm. “But I like this. It’s sexy.”
And now she might officially die. She couldn’t believe he was this close, and when she finally dragged her eyes up to look at him, he was smiling. Her nervousness must have been apparent because he dropped her hair and cleared his throat. Alex always had the sexiest lips, full and even a little pouty. She was surprised how handsome he looked with a beard. She’d never before been attracted to facial hair, but on him it was really hot.
“So, listen, I won’t tell my grandmother you’re staying here. But is everything okay?”
“Oh, yeah, fine.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“I promise everything is okay.” Between the touching and the questions and the owl throwing, she was a flustered mess. She took a deep breath and tried to sound like she wasn’t on the brink of a freak-out. “I’m just … in between places for a couple of weeks. That’s all. And I really appreciate you keeping it between us.”
“You know Bev would let you stay if you asked.”
“Oh, I know, I just don’t want to bother her.” Or let anyone know how close her business was to folding. “About tonight, I mean it’s technically your space. … I can just—”
Alex cut her off. “It’s fine. I’ll just get a room at the Inn on Main.” The small hotel down the street was the town’s only accommodation, save for a couple of fancy bed and breakfasts.
Brooke blew out a breath. “Well, I doubt you can get one tonight considering it’s a holiday weekend.”
He appeared to think about this and then shrugged. “If not, I’ll head back into the city.”
“Oh, Alex. That makes me feel horrible, why don’t you just spend the night with me?” She blurted out in a rush and then immediately realized how ridiculous her offer was. Even worse, he could actually accept—she’d really be in trouble then.
He grinned and shifted from one leg to the other. “I really don’t think that’s wise, Brooke.”
“You know I didn’t mean it like that and it would be fine. I mean we’ve known each other for years. There’s a couch and a bedroom.” Stop talking, she told herself.
“I appreciate it, but …” Once again his eyes slid down her body and back up to her face in a slow, thorough caress that had her breath catching at the back of her throat. “We aren’t quite the same people we were years ago, and even though you didn’t mean it like that, it still might prove to be a little too tempting.”
She was completely speechless. Was he implying that she, Brooke Abbott, might prove to be a little too tempting for Alex Coleman? Her stomach flopped and she had to bite her own lip to stifle her grin. “Okay. Well, can’t say I didn’t offer.”
“And I appreciate it. Really.” He lifted a hand to his head and pulled his fingers back with a trace of blood on them.
“Oh my god, I forgot you’re hurt.” She grabbed his hand, noticing how warm and strong it was, and led him behind her counter, pushing him into a desk chair. “Stay here,” she commanded before grabbing a handful of paper towels from a roll on the side of her worktable.
“Are you going to play nurse for me?” He called out as she ran to the bathroom to wet the glob of towels. When she came back, he was grinning. “I’m pretty sure in my fantasy the nurse is a lot more scantily clad.”
“Sorry, I only pull that number out on special occasions.” Oh my god, why was she flirting back?
“Nice, I’ll remember that. I might have to find myself hurt again soon.”
Brooke felt her cheeks flush as she leaned in. He sat very still, and the spicy scent of his cologne was a jolt to her senses. Ignoring any inappropriate thoughts it might inspire, she parted his hair and examined the cut. It didn’t appear to be gaping or bleeding too much, but it was hard to tell. After a moment he spoke, his voice nearly giving her the chills. “What’s my prognosis Nurse Abbott?”
“Well, you’re gonna make it. But you may want to get this looked at. It doesn’t appear to be deep, but you never know.”
His large hand caught her wrist as she worriedly continued to dab at the cut. She stopped and looked down into his eyes as he spoke. “It should be fine. I’ve had plenty worse.”
She nodded and stepped back, gently pulling out of his grasp. She wondered how much worse exactly he’d really had, but she didn’t want to pry. She knew from small-town gossip that he’d enlisted in the military right out of high school, just like his father. She tilted her head and smiled. “Well, make sure to at least clean it good when you get settled somewhere for the night.”
“Will do, Nurse Abbott.” He stood and gave her a wink. “Okay, well, I’m going to go spring a visit on my mother.” He glanced at his watch, no doubt the shiny thing she’d mistaken as a weapon. Good going, Brooke.
He hesitated before he stepped from behind the counter and leveled his gaze on her. “What would you say to meeting up with me down at Smokey’s in like an hour? It’s going to be the only thing open tonight, and I’d love to buy you a drink as an apology for scaring you.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but without thinking on it too long she responded, “Uh, sure, that would be fun.”
Would it be fun? And what was she doing accepting? She had a lot of work still to do before tomorrow. But for once she couldn’t find a reason to care. Alex had just asked her out and “no” wasn’t even a consideration because she’d dreamed about going out with Alex Coleman for much longer than she’d dreamed about a successful shop. Stupid thinking for a grown woman, she knew, but sometimes desire didn’t make any sense.
“Great.” His grin showed off a dimple on his cheek, and she couldn’t help returning it with her own—no doubt incredibly dorky—smile. “Okay, so I’ll see you in an hour.”
Alex stared at her for a moment more, biting at his bottom lip, like he was running through the last twenty minutes in his head and wondering how he’d gotten here. No problem, because she was doing the same thing. Finally, they gave each other an awkward good-bye before he turned and walked through the store toward the backdoor. As his feet crunched on the remains of the ceramic owl, he turned around.
“Let me help you clean this up.”
“Oh no, I’ve got it. I couldn’t ask you to help clean up the item that I tried to kill you with.”
He laughed. “See you soon, Brooke.”
She gave him a small wave then grabbed the broom to sweep up the broken ceramic. Without his presence the space felt empty. He had managed to warm the small store, and with him gone the air felt quiet and cold. The nice thing was that now she had something to look forward to–what a change from the last few weeks.
When she was done cleaning up, Brooke quickly hung the remaining ornaments on the tree before running upstairs to make herself a little more presentable. She obviously couldn’t shower and change into a cute dress, because that would look like she was trying too hard. And honestly, she shouldn’t want to be attracted to him, she wasn’t really ready for anything to happen in the man department, but it felt nice to be noticed by the one guy that she’d always secretly crushed on. That was all it was. Right?
TWO
Alex crossed the train tracks in his rental car and drove toward the outskirts of town to the old trailer park he’d grown up in. He parked in front of his mother’s lot and took in the painfully familiar view. Even in the dark he could make out the same double-wide, with its pink horizontal stripe and matching shutters. He wasn’t surprised to find it even more dilapidated than it had been the last time he’d been here five years earlier.
A lamp was lit in the window, and he took a deep breath knowing that he’d now have to face her. It was too much to hope that she might not have been home. He was ashamed at that thought; he loved his mother in his own way, even though she always made it very difficult. He hadn’t seen her in years, and he was equal parts guilt and fear as he stepped from the c
ar.
He shouldn’t overthink it. It was a quick visit, not a lengthy stay, he reminded himself as he walked up the crumbling driveway to the porch. It was hard to see at night, but the three wooden steps seemed to have been repaired since—well, he could only remember them being splintered and falling down. His whole childhood he’d had to step over the first one so it didn’t crash in and break his ankle.
He knocked on the door, the familiar scent of his childhood wafting over him: smoke, perfume, and generic laundry detergent. Some deep part of him wanted to run off the porch, get in his car, and hightail it out of town because there was no telling what he was about to walk into. Willingly.
The front door opened, the chain lock allowing it to go only so far. When his mother’s eyes met his they widened, her smile beaming. “Alex, baby.”
She slammed the door and he swallowed hard as the chain slid across the old wood. It flew open and she pulled him into her arms. “Why didn’t you tell me you were comin’? This is the best Thanksgiving treat ever.”
He put his arms across her back and returned her embrace with a little squeeze. “Wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Well, it certainly is.” She pulled back, her gaze taking in every inch of him. Her small wrinkled hand grasped his chin, and she grinned. “What is with all this facial hair? You look like a grown man.”
“Probably because I am.” He gave her a small smile. Something was different, she looked … healthy, relatively speaking. And she seemed happy. This was completely opposite of the last time they’d seen each other. She’d been drunk, irritated, and verbally abusive. This new woman in front of him, he wasn’t sure how to handle her, and he was well and truly shocked.
“Well, come on in and sit.” The place was still dated, but it was clean. Cleaner than it had ever been in his whole life. And she had a new sofa—it still looked slightly broken down, but light years better than the floral mess he remembered. He sat and looked around. Some comedy movie was playing on the TV, the same school portraits of him in frames around the room.
Blame It on the Mistletoe Page 2
