His Last-Chance Christmas Family

by Michelle Major

  “It’s too late now,” she whispered.

  “He’s miserable,” Mara blurted out, then threw up her hands when Kaitlin gave her a quelling look. “What? It’s true.”

  “We weren’t supposed to say that out loud.” Kaitlin turned to Brynn, shifting Remi in her arms as she did. “This hasn’t been easy for Nick, either. To everyone’s surprise—including his own, I imagine—he liked having a baby in the house. And you and Tyler, too, of course. But he wants you to be happy.”

  “We all do,” Mara added.

  “He’s going to give you the time and distance you need, and he’s telling Finn and Parker that all he wants is to be your friend again if you’ll give him a chance.”

  “Do you think that’s true?” Brynn drew in a shaky breath.

  “I think you need to decide what you want from him and then be brave enough to ask for it.” Kaitlin dropped a kiss on the top of Remi’s head, then smiled. “To get what you want, sometimes you have to risk being hurt.”

  “I’m not great at asking for what I want,” Brynn said with a shake of her head. “I’m more the take-the-lemons-life-hands-me-and-try-to-make-a-whole-meal-out-of-them type of person.”

  “Remember—” Mara leaned in “—this is new Brynn. Brynn 2.0.”

  Brynn held up a hand. “Fine. But no more talk about a dozen dates. I’m done with playing games, even well-intentioned ones.”

  “I thought you’d been on your twelve dates,” Kaitlin said softly.

  With Nick. A slow ache expanded in Brynn’s chest but before she could respond to her friend, Tyler came running up to her. “Mom, you need to get Evie and Anna out of my room. They keep trying to touch my Lego sets. Anna wants to turn the fire station into a beauty salon.” He threw up his hands in obvious disgust. “Like where girls get their hair cut.”

  Remi began to cry.

  “She’s probably hungry,” Brynn said to Kaitlin. “Let me take her.”

  “Mom, you’ve got to make them leave.” Tyler crossed his arms over his thin chest. “I want everyone to leave.”

  “Ty, be nice.” Brynn bounced Remi in an attempt to quiet her, but the baby was having none of it. She smiled as several guests looked over toward them, familiar embarrassment causing heat to creep along the back of her neck. She didn’t need a baby and a boy meltdown at the moment. “Everyone is here to celebrate your sister.”

  “I’ll handle the girls,” Mara said, reaching out to pat Tyler’s shoulder. He yanked away with narrowed eyes.

  “They’re stupid,” he muttered.

  “Tyler.” Frustration made Brynn’s tone sharper than she’d meant.

  “It’s fine.” Mara headed for the stairs with Tyler stalking after her.

  “I think it’s also time for the celebration to wrap up,” Kaitlin said.

  Remi’s cries grew louder. “I need to get her fed.” Brynn took a premixed bottle of formula from the refrigerator and popped it into the bottle warmer Ella had brought over along with the other supplies from Nick’s house.

  “Don’t worry about any of us,” Kaitlin told her.

  But Brynn did worry. Once the bottle heated, she moved to the kitchen table and sat down with Remi. The baby sucked hungrily but remained uncharacteristically fussy. Her friends cleaned up the food and paper products, talking in hushed tones as if that would help Remi feel better.

  Maybe it would. Maybe, like Brynn, the baby was overwhelmed. Mara reappeared with Anna and Evie, both looking irritated, and threw Brynn an apologetic glance.

  Parker and Josh hustled the girls out of the house, and Mara walked toward the table. “Evie accidentally knocked down one of the completed sets. I helped gather as many of the scattered bricks as I could find, but Tyler’s pretty upset.”

  “Thank you. He’ll be fine. I’ll check on him as soon as Remi finishes.”

  She accepted hugs from both Mara and Kaitlin, and after another round of thanking them for their help and support, her friends left.

  Brynn blinked away tears. Not because she was overwhelmed at this moment. She’d had plenty of struggles as a mom and knew she could deal with cranky babies and angry ten-year-olds. But she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d done the right thing for all of them. Tyler, Remi and her. Was this new normal—the bumpy road of being a single mother to two children—the best future she could offer?

  She couldn’t imagine loving another man besides Nick, and now she’d pushed him away because of her anger and pride. What kind of example did that set for her children?

  Remi continued to fuss as Brynn patted the baby’s back to elicit a burp. After she’d taken the bottle, Brynn headed upstairs with the girl still crying. A nap was definitely in order, maybe for all of them at this point.

  She knocked on Tyler’s door and was greeted with a firm, “Go away.”

  “I’m sorry about your Legos,” she said through the door. “Do you want help?”

  “I want Remi to be quiet,” he shouted back.

  “Working on that, bud,” she told him. “I’m going to put her down for a nap and then we can spend some time together.”

  She took his silence for agreement and turned on the night-light and sound machine in Remi’s bedroom. The room was small and still held the bed and dresser from its previous use as a guest bedroom.

  Brynn changed the baby’s diaper while Remi fussed and then sang her several lullabies before placing her on her back on the gingham sheet.

  Remi continued to wail, so Brynn lay down on the bed, planning to watch the baby for a few minutes until she settled. She had a feeling Remi was simply overstimulated after so much attention at the party. Since it was out of character for the little one to cry this way, Brynn didn’t want to take any chances.

  Once she made sure Remi was okay, she needed to spend some quality time with Tyler. He’d been a trouper with all the changes, but she knew this transition would have a few bumps, and she needed to take care of her first baby as well as the new one.

  * * *

  “Your mom is going to be really worried,” Nick said, glancing into the rearview mirror as he drove the short distance between his house and Brynn’s.

  “All she cares about is Remi,” Tyler muttered. He used one finger to draw patterns on the misty window. “It’s exactly what Max said would happen. I hate Remi.” The last three words came out on a choked sob, and Nick immediately pulled over and shifted the car into Park.

  He undid his seat belt and turned to face Tyler, who looked as miserable as a grubby-faced boy could manage. Tyler had shown up at Nick’s house on his bicycle, winded and spewing a convoluted story about how Mara’s and Josh’s respective daughters ruined his most recently completed Lego set, the one Nick had given him for Christmas. He hated girls and he hated his new sister and he wanted to come and live with Nick where there were no females in the house.

  The boy had been brimming with frustration, and it took Nick a full five minutes to understand that Tyler had left the house without telling his mom where he was going. Nick had tried calling and texting Brynn but had gotten no answer. Once Tyler calmed down, Nick explained they had to return to his mom’s house so she wouldn’t panic when she realized he was gone.

  “Is that true?” Nick asked gently.

  The kid’s jaw worked for several seconds before he gave a sharp shake of his head. “No, but it’s her fault that Evie broke my Lego set. And Mom loves Remi better than me now.”

  “I know that’s not true.” Nick’s heart melted for the boy. Tyler had been a pint-size emotional rock during these past few weeks and in the months after his father’s death. Nick knew it couldn’t be easy to deal with all of the changes, especially when Tyler obviously felt like he had to be strong for his mom. “She loves you more than anything in the world, and she has since the day you were born. Even before. I was the first person she told she was having a baby.”
>
  “Even before my dad?” Tyler’s feathery brows drew together.

  “Your mom was my best friend back in high school,” Nick said instead of answering the question directly. “We told each other everything. She was nervous like young mothers are, but I could see in her eyes how happy the thought of you made her. I knew she’d be an amazing mom.”

  “I don’t want to hate Remi,” Tyler said. “I want her to be my sister, but I’m so mad.”

  “You’re allowed to be mad at your sister,” Nick assured him.

  “But she’s a baby.”

  “I know.” Nick smiled. “It’s still okay. It doesn’t mean you don’t love her. You do.”

  The boy drew in a shaky breath. “Yeah.”

  “I guarantee she’ll make you mad about a million more times in your life, but you’ll still love her. That’s how it is with brothers and sisters.”

  “Do you have a sister?”

  “No.” Nick shook his head. “I had a brother, but he died. I miss him every day. He was a way nicer person than I am.”

  “You’re nice to me,” Tyler told him with a sniff. “And to Mom. Are you guys still friends?”

  “I’ll always be your mom’s friend. She needed some time to adjust to the changes when Remi came to live with you, so I probably won’t get to see you as much now. Babies take a lot of attention, but she still loves you as much as she did before.”

  “You and I can still hang out, right?”

  Pain sliced across Nick’s chest at the expectation in the boy’s gaze.

  “I hope so,” he whispered, then turned back around and fastened his seat belt. “Right now, we need get you home.”

  A profusion of thoughts cascaded through his mind as he turned onto Brynn’s street. He’d hated everything about the past week and blamed himself for making her believe he didn’t have faith in her. If he’d only told the damn truth in the first place, maybe they wouldn’t be here right now.

  Or maybe they would. He still struggled to believe he could be the man Brynn deserved. But damn if he wasn’t going to give it his best shot. Not just because he loved her, though he knew no one would ever have the hold on his heart that she did. It was more than just their connection. He loved Tyler and Remi and the thought of the three of them becoming his family made a peace descend over him that felt like coming home.

  Now he needed to convince Brynn he could be her home, as well.

  His phone beeped as he parked in her driveway. “Brynn?”

  “Oh, my God, Nick.” He hated the panic in her voice. “Do you have him? Tell me you have him. I fell asleep and—”

  “We’re here, Brynn. He’s home.” He turned off the engine.

  She made a noise somewhere between a sob and a cheer and he heard a sound like she’d dropped the phone to the floor.

  Tyler was already climbing out of the back seat and looked over his shoulder. He flashed a sheepish grin. “I guess you were right. She missed me.”

  Nick didn’t have time to answer before they both turned when Brynn shouted for her son. Nick’s chest tightened as he watched Brynn tear across the front lawn and scoop Tyler into her arms, hugging him tight until the boy squirmed.

  “You’re squishing me,” the boy complained.

  “You scared me half to death.” Brynn drew back, holding Tyler’s thin arms. “I couldn’t find you, sweetie. I didn’t know what to think. Please don’t ever leave without telling me.”

  “You were asleep,” he said, and she frowned at the soft admonishment in his tone.

  “I’m sorry, Ty. But you can wake me. Please. I always have time for you.”

  “Don’t cry.” The boy wiped her cheeks with the sleeve of his striped sweater. “I was mad. Nick hadn’t been over to see the Colosseum since I finished it, and I wanted to tell him.”

  “I’m glad you had a friend to go to.” She bit down on her lower lip as she offered Nick a watery smile.

  “He told me you love me best of all,” Tyler said.

  Brynn’s gaze filled with gratitude before she returned her attention to her son, and Nick felt his heart stammer in response.

  “I will always love you with my whole heart,” she told her son, giving him another hug.

  “But now you love Remi, too.” Tyler pulled away.

  “There’s room in my heart for both of you,” she promised. “When Remi came into our lives, Ty, my heart grew with love. So much.”

  Nick stepped closer as the boy seemed to mull this over. “I guess that makes sense. But she’s annoying when she cries.”

  “There will be plenty of things your sister does over the years that annoy you.”

  “Nick told me that, too.” Tyler nodded. “He said I’ll love her anyway.”

  “Yeah,” Brynn whispered.

  “Mom, can Nick come in and help me start putting the Colosseum back together?”

  The way Brynn frowned made Nick’s stomach clench. Please don’t say no, he thought. “If he has time, it’s okay with me.”

  They both turned their attention to Nick, and he nodded, trying not to look like a lovesick puppy.

  “Maybe you can stay for dinner so you can visit with Remi, too?” Brynn straightened and a blush crept up her cheeks. “If you aren’t too busy?”

  “I’d love that,” he said, grateful when he managed to get the words out with a steady voice.

  Tyler grinned, then tugged on his mom’s hand. “Let’s go.”

  “You head in,” she told him and dropped a kiss on the top of his head. “Nick and I will be there in a minute.”

  “I’ll bring everything downstairs,” he told Nick, then looked toward his mom. “And I’ll be quiet, so I don’t wake Remi.”

  “Thanks, sweetie.”

  They both watched him walk away, and an awkward silence descended between them. Nick hated the damn silence. This was Brynn. His best friend. The love of his life, even if it had taken him far too long to realize it.

  “I’m sorry,” he said at the same time as her.

  His eyes widened as she offered a small smile. “Jinx,” she murmured.

  “Brynn, no.” His hands itched to reach for her, but he wouldn’t yet. If he touched her, he’d lose all ability for coherent thought and this part was important. “You have nothing to apologize for. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Francesca. It was stupid and selfish, which should come as no surprise from me.”

  “You aren’t stupid or selfish.”

  “Always so kind.”

  “Not always,” she reminded him.

  He nodded. “You were right to call me out on what I did, but I need you to know I have all the faith in the world in you. Just not in myself. Or in the fact that you would actually choose me if there was nothing to keep us apart.”

  “Nick.” She took a step closer.

  He lifted his hand, then ran it through his hair instead of pulling her to him. “I can’t promise I won’t keep screwing up, Brynn. I’ll probably be annoying and stupid and a huge idiot for the rest of my life.”

  She chuckled. “Is this the part where you’re pumping yourself up?”

  He dropped down to one knee. “This is the part where I ask you to love me anyway.”

  Her mouth formed a small o.

  “Please give me another chance and I promise I won’t waste it. Brynn, I want to spend the rest of our lives trying to do better. Trying to be the kind of man that deserves you.”

  “Silly,” she whispered and cupped his face with her palms. The warmth and softness of her skin against his made his whole body tingle with longing. “It’s always been you, Nick. I will always choose you. I pushed you away because I was scared, not because I can’t handle mistakes or missteps. We’re both going to make those. But I want to make them together.”

  It felt like a firework display erupted in his
heart, and he could lose himself in the bright intensity of it. “Will you marry me, Brynn Hale? Will you make me the happiest man in the world?”

  She leaned in and whispered against his lips, “Yes.”

  And Nick knew, with every ounce of his being, that he’d truly found his home.

  * * * * *

  Don’t miss Michelle Major’s next book, Her Texas New Year’s Wish, the first book in The Fortunes of Texas: The Hotel Fortune miniseries, coming January 2021 from Mills & Boon Western!

  And don’t miss any of these other great holiday romances:

  A Soldier Under Her Tree

  by Kathy Douglass

  A Firehouse Christmas Baby

  by Teri Wilson

  A Sheriff’s Star

  by Makenna Lee

  Available now wherever Mills & Boon books and ebooks are sold!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from For This Christmas Only by Caro Carson.

  For This Christmas Only

  by Caro Carson

  Chapter One

  Never meet your heroes. Wait until they are your equals.

  —How to Taylor Your Business Plan

  by E.L. Taylor

  It was her twenty-ninth birthday, and she was sinking in quicksand.

  Literally.

  Mallory Ames flailed about, trying to keep her balance as wet sand sucked her into its depths. Had this been a movie, a handsome and heroic Harrison Ford might have come out of the darkness and tossed her one end of his bullwhip to pull her to safety. But no—this was Mallory’s real life, which meant she was flailing about like an idiot in a town park while a children’s choir chirped Christmas carols and a massive Yule log burned brightly in the black night. At least she was flailing on the fringe of the crowd and not detracting from the little choir’s moment of glory.

  Because this was not a movie, she stopped sinking. After one more wild windmill of her arms, she stood upright, breathing heavily from the sudden exertion. She tried to lift her right foot free of the wet sand. Her rain boot didn’t budge.

  “Damn it, damn it, damn it,” she hissed under her breath as she kicked her right foot back and forth, back and forth, a quarter inch in each direction, trying to get loose. She couldn’t vent her frustration any louder than that, not with all the tiny tots running around the park with their eyes all aglow.