Meet Me Under The Mistletoe (O'Rourke Family 5)

by Julianna Morris

  “Yes. He didn’t know if we might really be involved, and if you’d get second thoughts about a woman who can’t cook.”

  “Only an idiot would think that was important when it comes to you,” Alex said adamantly.

  Shannon tried to smile. “Don’t get the wrong idea,” she said. “My family is great, but all families have their moments.”

  “So, how long are you going to be mad at Connor?”

  “Who said I was mad? My brothers can’t help having the sensitivity of bricks. They’ve been handicapped from birth with the problem.”

  Alex laughed and hugged her close.

  “You are the most amazing woman,” he whispered in her hair. “I wish you could see yourself through my eyes, then you’d know what a miracle you are. If things were different…”

  He stopped speaking, and pain lanced through Shannon. It meant so much to have Alex wanting to comfort her. She’d longed to find someone who would accept who she was. Yet now that she’d found the perfect man, he just wanted to be friends. But even that wouldn’t last; they couldn’t continue the dance between friendship and desire for much longer. It would tear them apart.

  A light breeze ruffled the pine swag on the porch railings, and she thought ironically of the Christmas mistletoe her mother always hung above the front door.

  She looked up.

  Sure enough, it was there, tied in a bright red bow.

  Alex looked, too, and shadows haunted his eyes. “Oh, Shannon, I wish—”

  “No, don’t talk about it. Let’s pretend for one more day. It’s Christmas.”

  “Yes, it is.” Alex bent his head and his kiss, filled with passion and regret, brought tears to her tears, even as it sent streamers of fire through her blood.

  When they were both gasping for breath, Alex released her. After a long minute regaining his composure, he looked over her head and lifted an eyebrow.

  “It seems we have an audience. A very unhappy audience.”

  Shannon spun and saw three of her brothers. They were glaring through the window at Alex as if he was a randy teenager groping their underage sister.

  “Okay,” she admitted grudgingly, “they have the sensitivity of bricks, but they’re protective bricks.”

  Alex promptly burst out laughing.

  Chapter Twelve

  Shannon marched into the house, grabbed her eldest brother’s arm, and dragged him into Pegeen’s unoccupied sewing room. She slammed the door with a satisfying thud.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing my foot. How could you watch us through the window like that? It was none of your business.”

  “It most certainly is our business,” he retorted. “You told Mom he didn’t want to get married.”

  “I said he didn’t want to get married again. He’s a widower, with every right to make his own decisions. Besides, this isn’t the eighteenth century. I can do what I want to do.”

  “I’m aware of that, but I don’t want you getting hurt,” Kane said quietly. “Again.”

  Shannon swallowed, shaken. She would have sworn the family knew little, if anything, about the times she’d had her heart broken.

  “Alex is trying to survive,” she whispered. “He’s had too much happen, lost too much to risk it all again. Yes, I wish he’d change his mind, but he isn’t responsible if I get hurt. I went into this knowing there wasn’t a future.”

  “Ah, Shannon.” Regret tinged Kane’s voice. “Are you sure?”

  “I’ve been able to fool myself a few times, but yes, I’m sure. So please let it alone. I want to spend Christmas with Alex and Jeremy, and for once not think about tomorrow.”

  She could tell he was reluctant, but he finally nodded. “All right. I’ll tell Neil and Patrick to back off.”

  “Oh, no.”

  Shannon suddenly remembered she’d left Alex alone and sped out the door, Kane following close behind. She had visions of Alex and her other brothers rolling around on the living room floor, punching one another while the Christmas tree went flying in ten directions. Her brothers had primitive-level responses when it came to protecting the family. They became cavemen. Barely standing upright.

  “How about playing some football later?” Neil said as she rushed into the room. He was standing with his arms crossed, practically nose-to-nose with Alex, who had assumed an equally aggressive stance.

  “Yeah, football,” agreed Patrick, a glint in his eyes that suggested he wouldn’t mind tackling his sister’s guest. In a purely friendly, I’m-gonna-kill-you way, of course.

  “No football,” Shannon said hastily.

  “That’s right.” Kane stepped between the two men. “No contact sports. Shannon wouldn’t like it.”

  “Is that right, Shannon?” Alex asked with a wink. He looked ready to laugh again, and she loved him even more for understanding that her brothers were a bunch of lovable lunatics. Considering what he’d told her about his parents’ endless fighting, she would have expected him to grab Jeremy and march out at the first sign of dissent.

  She turned to her four sisters-in-law. They were watching their husbands with a mixture of love and exasperation.

  “Can’t you control them?” she demanded.

  Patrick’s wife, Maddie, shifted the baby in her arms. “Nope. I’m afraid we’re stuck with the bozos,” she said cheerfully. “Let’s have some hot cider.”

  The other women agreed and dragged their spouses into the dining room.

  Alex tugged a length of Shannon’s hair, seeing that she was still outraged. “Isn’t this the point where you’re supposed to tell me that they mean well, then assure me they’re harmless?”

  “They do and they are, and that’s no excuse.”

  “But it’s understandable.” He knew why the O’Rourke brothers were hostile. They were a close-knit Irish family, with unshakable family values, and they saw him as a threat to their sister’s happiness. It was a fascinating glimpse into a world he’d never seen before.

  Shannon sighed finally and focused on him. “At least you’re not running for the hills.”

  “I’m looking forward to dinner too much to run. Besides, I don’t think I could drag Jeremy away from your nieces.”

  “He does seem to be having fun.”

  “Just like his daddy. Let’s go have some of that cider.”

  Alex tucked Shannon’s arm into his, and headed for the dining room. He was having fun. Food and laughter were a seductive combination—not as seductive as Shannon, but few things could compete with Shannon.

  She had said they would eat around two in the afternoon. Alex wondered why it was planned for so late, then learned why when the family gathered around the Christmas tree, crowding into every possible corner as they opened packages.

  Somehow, he wasn’t surprised to find Jeremy and himself the recipient of several thoughtful gifts. There were a number that Shannon looked at, then put back under the tree, whispering instructions to her eldest brother who was playing Santa by reading labels and passing out packages. She seemed to be anticipating something, and when she heard a car turning into the driveway, she jumped to her feet.

  “I hope this is another Christmas present,” she said, touching Alex’s shoulder before hurrying out to the foyer. When she returned, another woman stood behind her.

  Alex froze.

  “Everyone, this is Alex’s sister, Gail,” Shannon announced, drawing Gail forward. “She’s here from Japan. Gail, this is everyone. Don’t worry about anyone’s name, just say ‘hey you.’”

  Gail.

  Remembering their agonizing phone call of just a few days before, Alex felt his stomach clench. Gail looked tired and unsure of herself, but she smiled gamely at the huge, welcoming family. “I hope I’m not intruding.”

  “Nonsense,” Pegeen said. “Come in, child, you look worn to a frazzle.”

  Alex belatedly rose and gave his sister an awkward kiss. “Jeremy,” he sa
id. “Do you remember your Aunt Gail?”

  Jeremy didn’t, but he’d been hugged so much that day, he was more than willing to get another. Soon he and Gail were sitting together, with Shannon pulling out the packages she’d set aside and giving them to the newcomer.

  “Thank you…that’s so thoughtful.” Gail sounded overwhelmed, and Alex clenched his teeth. Shannon had obviously known his sister was coming, but why hadn’t she told him?

  After a while Gail seemed to relax, even joining with the O’Rourkes as they sang Christmas carols. Shannon shot him curious glances as she eased his sister into her family circle, the way she had done with him and Jeremy.

  What could he say?

  You should have told me that my sister, whom I barely know, is coming to Christmas dinner?

  Yeah, that would really add to the spirit of the day.

  Shannon knew something was wrong. Alex had hardly said two words during dinner, then shortly after his sister left for her hotel, turning down his offer to stay at the condo, he’d suggested they go home.

  “Jeremy is already asleep,” she murmured as he drove steadily through the darkness. Fog had crept over the Puget Sound area, but Christmas lights still glimmered in the murk.

  “Yes.”

  “I think he had a good time.”

  “You know he did.”

  She expelled a breath. It was hard having a conversation with someone who was so tight-lipped. Had he taken a belated offense to her brothers’ behavior? Or was it something else? She tried to think of anything else that might have disturbed him, but the worst offense of the day had been Patrick and Neil threatening his well-being in a game of tackle football.

  At the condo Alex carried Jeremy upstairs and Shannon sank onto a chair in the living room, waiting for him to come down again. The holiday meal that had tasted so delicious only two hours before, now sat like lead in her stomach.

  What had gone wrong?

  When Alex returned, he didn’t say a word, and she followed him into the kitchen. “I can’t take the suspense any longer. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I don’t believe that.”

  “All right, I don’t want to discuss it.”

  “Alex! Look at me. What is wrong?”

  He threw his keys onto the counter, then turned to her, a fierce glare in his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me Gail was coming to Seattle? How did you even know she was coming?”

  The question made Shannon’s eyes widen. “She called you, one day while I was watching Jeremy. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to get here, and because her plans weren’t settled, she decided it was better to make her trip a surprise.”

  “You should have told me.”

  “It was what Gail wanted. For Pete’s sake, Alex, she’s your sister. I thought you’d be thrilled to see her.”

  “You don’t know the score with my family,” he retorted. “And you have no right to interfere. You should have discussed it with me before issuing invitations and keeping secrets. You’re not my wife.”

  “I know I’m not your wife,” she said tightly. “And you’ve certainly made it clear that I’m never going to be. So why don’t you take a flying leap and see where it takes you?”

  Shannon spun, too angry to see straight. It didn’t seem possible that Alex could be so awful. Even if he didn’t know she was in love with him, he had to know she had strong feelings for both him and Jeremy.

  “Where are you going?” he demanded.

  “Home.”

  “I’ll walk you over.”

  “Don’t bother.” She grabbed her purse and fished her keys from the outside pocket.

  If it hadn’t been for Jeremy, she would have slammed the door, but she remembered in time that he was asleep. He deserved a night of sugarplum dreams before he learned that his daddy was a confounded jackass.

  Despite her refusal, Alex came outside and watched her walk the thirty feet to her own door safely. But it wasn’t any comfort; it was just aggravating.

  She had never once asked him to change his mind.

  She’d tried to be a friend the way he wanted, and what had that gotten her?

  Accusations and anger.

  He was impossible.

  But as she sank into a chair after letting herself into her condo, she remembered the tormented look in Alex’s eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Without even knowing what he was doing, he must have been looking for a way to break things off, a way to feel he was right about banishing her from his and Jeremy’s life.

  “Oh, Alex,” she moaned.

  She could be a good wife and mother, and still be herself. She finally understood there was more to making a home than being able to cook and clean. But their problems were about Alex’s personal demons, not domestic responsibilities.

  Alex had never had a family that was a haven, caring and supportive—even when they tried to interfere. Despite that, he had taken a chance by loving Kim, and he’d lost her. Shannon had wondered how many times a shattered heart could heal, and she was afraid Alex was beyond that limit. He was hurting, and there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

  “Meoowr?” Magellan cried and jumped onto her lap, looking at her anxiously.

  “I’m afraid it’s over, baby,” she whispered.

  He lapped a tear that had fallen onto her hand, then rested his chin on the spot.

  Shannon looked around her home and realized there was something she could do to help Alex, but not with useless crying or reminding him of what they might have had together.

  A strength she hadn’t known she possessed filled her. She would call a Realtor first thing in the morning and list the condo for sale.

  “Are you sure you can’t stay longer?” Alex asked his sister as they waited for her plane to board.

  “I wish I could, but I didn’t plan this trip enough ahead of time.” A light blush spread across Gail’s cheeks. She had admitted to impulsively deciding to visit Seattle after his telephone call, only to be riddled with second thoughts of how he’d feel about seeing her.

  “I’m glad you came,” Alex said. He meant it, though he still winced when he thought of how he’d overreacted to Shannon’s “surprise” two days before. Even at the time he’d known his response was hugely out of proportion. She hadn’t interfered; her loving spirit simply couldn’t imagine a sister being anything but a welcome visitor—especially not on Christmas day.

  The O’Rourkes celebrated Christmas with all the excitement of small children, but they hadn’t forgotten its meaning. Alex, who’d smugly told Shannon that he wanted his son to understand the spirit of giving, had lost its meaning completely.

  The boarding call came and Alex hugged Gail close, only to find heat pricking his eyes. “You’ll call,” he said gruffly. “When you get in?”

  “Of course.”

  “And if there’s anything you need…anything, you let me know. We’ll be on the next plane.”

  It didn’t help his own composure when she gave him a watery smile. “Yes.”

  “Bye, Auntie Gail.” Jeremy gave her a noisy kiss. “You promise to come see me again?”

  “I promise.”

  Alex knew Gail would keep her promise. They had only begun talking, sorting out the tangle of their childhood, but it was a beginning that was long overdue. He and Jeremy would visit her in Japan, and Gail would come to Seattle. And in the meantime, they would force themselves past the awkwardness of talking on the phone, and find a way to be brother and sister, rather than strangers.

  Thanks to Shannon.

  The thought was uppermost on his mind during the drive home. Shannon had reshaped his life, and all he’d done was wound her, like all the other men who hadn’t valued the remarkable woman inside that sophisticated package.

  He wasn’t ready to end things between them, no matter how often he’d thought it would be for the best. But what could he do to fix what had happened? Fixing relationships wasn’t his forte; he was better at screwing them
up.

  When Alex turned into their shared driveway, he braked to an abrupt halt.

  A For Sale sign stood on Shannon’s lawn.

  He cursed.

  “You said a bad word, Daddy,” Jeremy said placidly. “Can we go see Shannon? I miss her a whole bunch.”

  They were going to see Shannon, all right. He was going to find out why she was leaving without even telling him. Jeez, one little fight and she was bailing out.

  “Stay here, Jeremy. I’ll see if she’s home.” Alex left the heat running in the Jeep, then stormed up to Shannon’s door. He pounded on it furiously. “Shannon, what in hell is going on?”

  It opened abruptly and he scowled when she didn’t say anything right away.

  “Explain that.” He pointed to the Realtor’s sign.

  “Where is Jeremy?” she asked instead. He wanted to shake her.

  “Jeremy is in the Jeep, keeping warm.” Alex looked at her hungrily, aching at the dark smudges beneath her eyes. “I don’t understand. I was a jerk the other night, but that’s hardly a reason to do something so drastic. Can’t you just blame it on faulty male chromosomes?”

  “It isn’t that simple. I really can’t—”

  “I just want an explanation,” he shouted, not caring who heard him, or what they’d think. That was what Shannon had done; she had finally made him as nuts as the insane people he’d grown up wanting to escape. “Please explain,” he said more quietly. “Please, Shannon.”

  “I … I know that it’s hurting you, me being here.”

  “It isn’t that bad,” he said, his throat tight from everything he wanted to say, but couldn’t.

  “Yes, it is. We’re tearing each other apart. We can’t keep living next to each other, and since I don’t have a child to think about, it’s only right that I’m the one to leave.”

  Alex stared. The stark unhappiness in Shannon’s eyes wasn’t about wounded feelings. She loved him, with more intensity and goodness than he could ever deserve.

  Memories flitted through his head: raging battles between his parents, the big and small cruelties they’d handed out on a daily basis. They’d loved each other, too, before it turned to hatred. But he finally knew why they could hurt each other so badly…it was because they’d cared more about their own concerns and well-being than about each other.