The Chef, The Holidays & The Husband (Country Brides & Cowboy Boots)

by Erica Penrod

  “Is that new?” Melissa picked up her wrist and examined the tiny gold charms.

  Lexi drew a breath and feigned a casual smile. “Yes,” she said. “It was a gift from my employer.”

  “Really?” Melissa released her arm. “That’s impressive. He must be some kind of boss.”

  If you only knew. “Yeah, he’s a good guy.” She ducked back into the car for purse. Lexi’s belly knotted with a twinge of guilt. Normally, she would’ve talked to her sister about Lucas, but she hadn’t mentioned anything in their brief texts. Melissa was busy preparing for finals and they agreed to catch up over the holidays. Her sister would be hurt for not saying anything.

  “My turn.” Her mother walked over as Lexi stood up. She gathered her prodigal daughter in her arms. “I’ve missed you.” She leaned back, looking over her child. “You look well. Much better than when you left.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Lexi said.

  “Which surprises me,” her mother added. “I wasn’t sure you’d handle living in the cold and snow, but apparently you have.”

  She met her father at the back of the car, putting distance between her and her mother. They collected the luggage, while her father gave her a knowing smile before he closed the trunk. Lexi clutched the strap of her bag as she walked into the kitchen after her mother.

  “Now Lexi, be a dear and let Brian’s family know you’re back in town for a few days. I know they’d love to see you.”

  Closing her eyes, Lexi gnawed on her top lip. Some things never changed.

  * * *

  Frost glistened across the pines and the snow crunched beneath his feet as Lucas headed back to the house. Lucas sent Bo, Brett, Hayden, Shaun, and Adam in for breakfast after the horses were fed and the stalls were cleaned. His mom and Eli arrived a day early, which was a blessing. Not long after Atiu and Lexi left, Lucas knew he’d underestimated his ability at running the household, moreover that he couldn’t be in more than one place at a time.

  Lucas kicked the snow from his boots, before he opened the door into the mudroom. His heart lifted when he heard his mother’s voice in the kitchen, grateful for the reprieve from missing Lexi. He’d been homesick for his chef and she’d been gone less than twenty-four hours, but he’d had time to take a step back and reflect on their relationship.

  Lexi still spun him out of control with her kisses, but he was okay with that. He discovered being with her didn’t make him someone else. He didn’t have to manipulate anything or anyone, because he would never do that to her—he had no desire to—but the best part was, Lexi didn’t care about his money or his name. She just wanted him, and she did that all on her own.

  Removing his coat, boots, and gloves, he padded into the kitchen in his wool socks. There he found the boys huddled around the counter, with Eli, his stepfather, frying up bacon, eggs, and hash browns, while his mom spooned in slices of fresh fruit into small cups of yogurt.

  His mom’s eyes lit up when she saw her son, and Lucas grinned. He missed her, because she was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. She was petite and her hair wasn’t much darker than Lexi’s. He got his blue eyes from her, but she was fair-complexioned and still looked like she was in her early forties.

  “Hi,” she said. “Have a seat. We’ll be ready in just a couple minutes.”

  “Let me wash up first,” he said, and headed to the sink. Twisting the faucet, he then pumped a spot of soap into his hands and scrubbed them together. Rinsing them in the warm water, the winter chill thawed, and when he heard his mom begin to recite her favorite Christmas childhood memory, he grinned to himself.

  Grabbing a towel, he dried his hands as he turned around to see the guys enthralled with her story of when Santa hid her family’s presents in the laundry room and the terror she felt until they were found.

  Gratitude for the amazing woman who was his mom enveloped him, and he knew he might survive the holiday after all.

  * * *

  The dining room in the Evanses’ home on any given day was exquisite, but on Christmas Eve night the space was a holiday wonderland. A centerpiece of fresh poinsettias, custom-made by her mother’s favorite florist, was the focal point, with a garland pine flowing from either side of the arrangement, entwined with red glass bulbs and lighted candles. Each place setting was a work of art, with napkins wrapped in their own holiday flare. The crystal chandelier caught the candles’ flames, casting shards of light around the room like incandescent snowflakes.

  Lexi, seated across from Melissa, lifted her glass of sparkling cider as her father made a toast. Before he could finish, the doorbell rang and they all glanced around from one to another.

  “I wonder who that could be.” Her mother’s eyes lit up.

  One look at her mother and Lexi’s stomach erupted with more than the carbonation.

  “Excuse me.” Her mother stood up, placing her napkin next to the plate of roasted duck, red potatoes, and asparagus in a rich hollandaise sauce Lexi had prepared. “I’ll be right back.”

  Lexi wiped her mouth and leaned back in her chair, anticipating what was coming next. Her mother was nothing if not predictable.

  “Look who’s here,” her mother said less than a minute later.

  Drawing in a breath, Lexi turned her head to see what her mother wanted most for Christmas for her daughter. “Hello, Brian.” She turned back to arrange her silverware.

  “Please join us.” Her mother took her seat at the head of the table.

  “No, I can’t,” he said. “I’ve got to get back to my family. I just wanted to bring by a gift.”

  “Thank you, Brian. That was so kind of you. You can set that right next to Lexi.”

  He placed an audacious fruit basket on the table while Lexi continued to examine her fork for spots. “I wondered if I could speak to Lexi for a moment,” he said.

  “Of course you can,” her mother said, ignoring her daughter’s glare.

  Lexi glanced up Brian, before she slid back her chair and stood up.

  She led him into the entryway. Merry Christmas to me.

  * * *

  Lexi squeezed the bridge of her nose, feeling the onset of a headache. “Brian, what do you want? I’d like to get back to my family.”

  “I wanted to see you.” He reached out and touched her face.

  “Don’t.” She pulled back and wished she didn’t take some pleasure from the feel of his hand on her cheek. But here, next to him and the familiar feel of him caressing her skin, her mind spiraled back in time to a place where he was everything to her.

  She let herself remember the place she fit, like pieces of puzzle, as he held her. The spot on the back of his neck, where her fingers entwined in his hair when she wrapped her arms around him and put her head on his shoulder. The way he put his hand on the small of her back when they walked into a room.

  “I do miss you,” he said.

  Lexi searched his eyes, desperately wanting that to be true. She didn’t want to feel like such a fool for believing he used to love her.

  “I miss you, too.” A tiny piece of her heart would always miss him. He was the first man she ever loved. “But what does that matter?”

  “I don’t know.” He folded his arms across his chest. “I just wanted you to know that.”

  Part of her wanted him to go on, but Lucas’s sweet face appeared in her mind and what she wanted was suddenly very clear. “I met someone,” she said, standing taller. “So whatever this is between us, it’s really over.”

  Brian’s eyes turned an incredulous shade of brown. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I’m in love with someone else.” Walking over to the front door, she grabbed the handle, but Brian reached above her, trapping her.

  “Are you serious?” he asked as she turned to face him.

  “I am,” she said. “Please don’t act like this really upsets you.”

  He stepped back like she’d shoved him, and everything that she’d wanted to tell him came to the forefront of
her mind.

  “You made me believe that I wasn’t enough for you, because of what I told you, but I want you to know I know the truth.” Lexi fisted her hands at her sides. “I know you used my condition as an excuse. I know about the other girl, the one you’d been seeing the nights you were working late. You’ve never been honest with me and I don’t know why I thought we could’ve ever been married.”

  “Lexi, I—”

  “Are you seeing her now?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Goodbye, Brian.” She threw open the door, pointed to the exit, and when he left, Lexi breathed a sigh of relief.

  * * *

  Lexi marched into the dining room and stood in front of her chair. “I have something to say.” She gripped the back of the chair. “Brian and I are over.” She looked to her mother. “I mean over. I don’t want to see him again.”

  “But Lexi—” Her mother dropped her napkin.

  “I’m serious. I have moved on and I am happy.” Her insides began to dance. “And I’m in love with someone else.”

  Her mother knocked over her glass. Lexi snatched her napkin, stepped over, and began blotting up the red wine.

  “That’s wonderful,” her father said, melting Lexi’s heart.

  “Who is he?” Lexi looked up to see her sister staring at the bracelet hanging from her arm.

  Lexi thought about Lucas and grinned. “Hold on. I’ll tell you all about him, but first …” She dropped the soiled napkin and walked around to her mother, whose face looked like Lexi had just ruined Christmas. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around her mother. “Mom, I love you and I appreciate you trying so hard to make sure I have a successful life, but I’m okay. I’ve made my own decisions. I enjoy my job and I love the people I work with.” Lexi gave her a squeeze. “Can that be enough for you? I don’t want you to be disappointed in me.”

  Lexi let go as her mother turned to her. Lexi knelt and saw the tears in her mother’s eyes.

  “I just wanted you to be happy.” She stroked Lexi’s cheek.

  “I know.”

  “Maybe you don’t need me as much as I thought you did. You found happiness all on your own.”

  Lexi smiled. “I’ll always need you.”

  “Now, who is he?” Melissa sat up in her chair.

  “Yes,” her mom said. “Tell us all about him.”

  Lexi stood up, and gratitude for her family filled her with joy. This was going to be a Merry Christmas after all.

  Chapter 16

  Lexi stretched out her hand and let the snow fall into her palm, welcoming her home. Atiu grabbed their bags and they walked towards the garage of High Country. An unfamiliar SUV and a Chevy truck were parked just outside, and she remembered that Lucas’s family was still here.

  Before she could wonder what that meant for her, Lucas bounded out the door and lifted her into his arms. Her head spun when she saw the happiness in his eyes.

  “Don’t mind me.” Atiu cleared his throat. “I’ll just take these inside and give you two some privacy.”

  Her cheeks blazed, but that was nothing compared to the way her lips burned once Atiu shut the door and Lucas kissed her like she was the best thing he ever tasted.

  “I missed you.” He pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. “More than you’ll ever know.”

  She studied his eyes, the truth of his words reflecting back at her. “I missed you, too.”

  * * *

  She shouldn’t be jealous, Lexi told herself as she watched Vivien Jameson arm wrestle Lucas at the kitchen island. The woman was his stepsister and his aunt, but with auburn hair in wild curls flowing down her back and hazel eyes glowing in victory, she wasn’t easily dismissed.

  “I won!” Viv shouted.

  “That’s because I let you.” Lucas stood upright and flexed his forearm.

  “You did not.”

  “You’re right,” he conceded as he kissed her on the cheek. “You’ve always been stronger than me.”

  Viv beamed in apparent satisfaction.

  “And you’ll always be stronger than me, as long as you keep training my cutting horses into futurity champions,” Lucas said. “And winning those big paychecks.”

  Boone walked over and stood behind his wife, wrapping his arms around her. Lexi smiled to herself as she watched Viv grasp on to her husband’s hands.

  “Well, that might need to change,” Boone said to Lucas. “At least for a little while.”

  “What?” Lucas said, his dark brows furrowed.

  “At least for nine months or so,” Boone amended, with a big goofy smile.

  Lucas’s eyes widened. “What?” He looked at Boone and then to Viv. “Are you …”

  “Pregnant!” she squealed.

  “Seriously?” Lucas said. “I can’t believe it. I’m so happy for you.” He leaped over and hugged them both. “I’m going to be an uncle and a cousin.”

  Lexi watched as the three of them were joined by Amanda and Eli. Laughter and tender embraces were passed between them. The joy they shared was tangible and when Lucas glanced at her with so much love in his eyes, she had to swallow back her emotions. She got up and walked towards her bedroom, before the tears fell from her eyes and before she had time to dwell on the fact that sometime soon … she’d have to break Lucas’s heart.

  * * *

  Lexi wasn’t surprised by the soft knock on her door; she expected it. But what she didn’t anticipate was how heavy her steps would be as she crossed the room and started down the road that would change everything.

  The door swung open and Lucas stood there, taking her breath away. The dark hair and thick brows, his famous eyes surrounded by a paparazzi of lashes, captivated her. His angular cheekbones and squared jaw, along with his articulate mouth, left her speechless. She felt herself forget her woes as she fell into his arms.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, pulling her close.

  She nodded. “Come in,” she said, stepping back and leading him into her room.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah,” she said, realizing now wasn’t the time to tell him. She didn’t want to do anything to take away from his happiness. Not today. “I just felt like that was private moment between you and your family.”

  Lucas smiled and she sat down beside him. “You don’t have to feel that way.” He took her hand in his. “Not with the way I feel about you.”

  She leaned in on his shoulder, wishing he could always be hers.

  * * *

  Lucas couldn’t stop himself. He imagined himself becoming a father. The joy he felt for Viv and Boone was overwhelming. He looked down at Lexi, and without a doubt, as certain as Viv’s baby would be born with boots on, he knew he wanted to share his life with Lexi and for her to be the mother of his children.

  * * *

  New Year’s Eve morning, Lexi buzzed through the kitchen with her sidekick, Bo. Together, they’d whipped up a buffet of appetizers, finger foods, and of course a batch of Bo’s best caramels yet. She planned to teach Bo how to make homemade root beer and had Earl pick up a batch of dry ice on his way back from his daughter’s house. For now, she was satisfied with what they’d prepared ahead of time and could enjoy the afternoon sledding with the boys.

  “Are you ready to go?” Lucas asked as he and the other boys headed to the mudroom. The three boys on the highest level were still with their families and would return the day after the new year.

  “We just finished.” She opened the fridge to slide in her veggie tray. “Bo, go ahead and I’ll be right behind you.”

  Lucas offered her a smile as he waited for the boy. “Come on, Bo,” he said. “Let’s see if you’re as good on a sled as you are in the kitchen.”

  * * *

  Behind the barn, there was a clearing across from the road she and Lucas had taken on their sleigh ride. Though the plastic sleds tied to four-wheelers weren’t nearly as romantic, the boys didn’t seem to care.

  About a half hour later, the fu
n came to a screeching halt. Bo’s sled hit a bump and was launched into the air and he flew into the clear blue sky, his arms and legs flailing like a fish out of water. The sled went one direction and his body went the other, hitting the ground with a thud. Lexi screamed when the boy didn’t move. She tumbled off her sled before Lucas came to a stop. Running to the boy, terror gripped her heart in a vice. She was running too hard to be able to tell if he was breathing. Worst-case scenarios fueled her pumping legs to go chew up the distance between them. Lexi hit her knees and slid through the snow to the boy. He let out a cry and held on to his arm.

  “Where are you hurt?” She searched for blood.

  “My arm.” Bo winced in pain. “I think it’s broken.”

  She ripped her gloves off, touching his head, feeling for any abnormality. He could have cracked it wide open on a fall like that. Or broken his neck. “Just your arm hurts?” she asked. “Let me see.”

  He lifted his hand off the injured arm for Lexi to examine. The last thing she remembered was the perverted angle of his forearm, and then the world went black.

  * * *

  Lexi took the cup of juice from Lucas as they sat in the waiting room of the clinic. “He’s going to be fine,” he said. “The doctor will set the bone and then wrap it in a splint. We’ll bring him back in a week for a hard cast.”

  She took a sip, letting the sugar work its magic, as she looked around the clinic. “I feel like an idiot. I can’t believe I fainted.”

  Lucas laughed. “Don’t worry about it. Besides, I think Bo was flattered. He could tell you were really worried about him.”

  “Of course I was.” She thought of her chef in training. He was so good to her. Always respectful and eager to learn. He hadn’t said much about his past or why he was in the home, but he was opening up, relaxing into their time together. And she was worried about him.