The Christmas Groom

by Taylor Hart

  She shook herself and scowled, picking up a pillow and slamming it into the bed. “I can’t think about him.”

  She wanted to brain erase the past three days. Why had he even come into her life right now? When things were complicated, when she had a plan to follow?

  Trying to refocus, she rushed to her closet and pulled back the clothes, revealing the dress she’d had cleaned last week.

  Carefully, she pulled it out of the closet and held it up in the sunlight. It had beaded pearls with intricate designs all over the dress. It was a princess cut, and she’d had the lady at the laundry place tailor it to fit her perfectly. She spread it out onto her bed and then went to her drawers and got the veil. She held it up. Perfection.

  When she turned back to her set of drawers, she saw the snow globe. She picked it up and shook it, watching the snow fall all over the skier inside.

  She’d loved it. How had he known she would like it so much more than flowers?

  Tears filled her eyes, and she thought of her mother. Without wanting to, but knowing she had to, she tugged on her snow pants and boots and rushed out of her room, taking her coat and grabbing the keys for the snowmobile. She had to go talk to her parents about this.

  Ten minutes later, she plodded over to their graves. All of the graves. She hadn’t been here since Grandpa’s death.

  Moving to her mother’s grave, she put her hand on the top, touching the flowers etched into the stone. As a child, she’d loved to trace the flowers, thinking of what flower might be her mother’s favorite. It had been a rose, but Storm distinctly remembered her mother saying once that sometimes favorite things changed.

  Tears welled in her eyes. “Mama, I’m marrying Sky today. I know that’s what you always wanted for me.” A tear got loose and slipped down her cheek. “But Mama, I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing. Remember when I told you he cheated on me all those months ago? I …” She broke off, bowing her head, trying to think, wishing she could know what her mother would say.

  Turning, she looked at the new headstone on her grandfather’s grave. She moved to it, running her hand over the smooth stone. “Hey, Gramps.” Her chest tightened and chills rushed over her arms and flushed through her whole body. “Are you here today?” she asked, another round of tears falling down her cheeks. Unwillingly, she laughed, knowing he was here. “I’m mad at you, just in case you didn’t already know that.” She bowed her head and cried. “Why did you do this? Why did you put me in this position?”

  She stood there unashamedly letting the tears run down her cheeks.

  Her head flew up, and she knew why she’d come. She patted the stone. “I do know what you would say about this whole situation though.”

  Turning, she jumped back onto the snowmobile and took off for home.

  Chapter 18

  Nathan waited at the baggage claim for his brother and new wife, mad as all get out. He’d been unable to shake his anger since he’d walked away from Storm last night. What was he doing, waiting for his brother like some lackey doing his bidding?

  He shook his head, thinking of all the times his brother had ditched him for some movie thing. The longer he stood here, the more he wanted to leave and just nix the whole thing. Plus, his brother could have chartered the plane but had chosen instead to fly first class and demanded that he pick him up.

  He stared at his phone. It was ten-fifteen.

  His cell phone buzzed, and a text from Sterling stated they had just landed.

  He moved toward the sliding doors and texted him back. I was waiting at baggage claim, but I’m going to get the car. Text me when you’re ready. Part of him felt bad that he wouldn’t wait to do the grand hugging entrance, the Christmas thing he saw other happy people doing.

  The truth was he just didn’t feel happy today. All he could think about was her in white. Would she wear a traditional white? Would she have a bouquet? Who the hell cared?

  He got to his Porsche and used the key fob to unlock it and then slid in. Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he felt ridiculous. He had trimmed the beard today, but now he brushed a hand down it and wondered whether he wore it because Storm had commented she liked facial hair.

  Sterling texted that they were waiting, and Nathan took off, going out the exit then back on the ramp for pickup. Pulling to the edge when he saw them, he couldn’t help but smile at the way Sterling and Sayla looked like a movie star couple, standing hand in hand.

  Nathan managed to get out and pop the trunk before Sterling pulled him into a hard hug, pounding him on the back. “Merry Christmas, brother!” Sterling exclaimed.

  Sayla pulled him into a hug next. “Merry Christmas!”

  “Merry Christmas to you guys too.”

  As they drove off, Sterling punched him lightly in the shoulder. “I told Sayla you’d been engaged.”

  It struck a chord. “I wasn’t engaged.”

  Sterling laughed. “Tell us what happened.”

  “Yes, Sterling said she was already engaged,” Sayla said. “Is she still getting married?”

  Nathan got onto the freeway heading back to Park City and checked the time. Almost eleven. “Uh, yeah.”

  Sterling pounded the dash. “C’mon, bro. Don’t leave us out of the loop. Give us the details.”

  Reluctantly, Nathan recounted the events of the last few days. As he told the story of meeting Storm, he found himself warming up to talking about what an amazing person she really was.

  When he was through, Sayla said, “You have to go stop the wedding.”

  “I agree,” Sterling said.

  “Uh, no. She made a choice. She’s doing what she wants to do.”

  There was a sound of a seatbelt release, and Sayla popped her head between the seats.

  Nathan frowned. “Get buckled, please.”

  Sayla and her mass of red hair didn’t budge. “Listen, obviously the girl has had some traumatic stuff happen. She has no one to talk to. No one.” She looked from one brother to the other. “I don’t know if either of you know how that feels. But I do. What you need to do is go talk to her again and help her understand it’s better to walk away than marry someone you don’t love. No material thing is worth that.”

  “It’s worth it to her.” Nathan knew he didn’t one hundred percent believe what he was saying, but he also didn’t believe she would change her mind.

  Sayla put a hand on his shoulder. “Go to her. Tell her you love her.”

  Sterling shook his head and gave his wife a frustrated look. “Did you hear the man? He asked her to marry him. What more can he do?”

  Sayla whacked Sterling on the shoulder. “This coming from the man who gave me a round trip ticket to anywhere. A man who stayed by my bedside and nursed me back to health when I told you to leave.”

  “He did?” Nathan asked, startled.

  Sterling let out a long breath of air. “I knew I’d regret that.”

  Sayla whacked his arm again. “Whatever.”

  Sterling laughed. “Bro, I think you have a wedding to interrupt.”

  “Why?” Nathan didn’t get it.

  Now Sayla whacked him. “Because if you learn anything from sappy romance movies, it’s always that the guy has to show up and fight for the girl.”

  Feeling the truth in that statement, Nathan pushed the pedal to the metal. “Fight emotionally.”

  “What?” Sterling turned to him.

  “Nothing.”

  At twelve-ten they arrived at Riverhorse on Main, and Nathan noticed there weren’t that many cars out front. Nathan barreled in, and to his surprise, even though the room looked like it was set up for the wedding, it was empty.

  A server came out front and said, “If you are here for the Sky Bartlett and Storm Goodman wedding, it’s been called off.”

  Nathan’s heart pounded in his chest. “What? How?” Could it really be true? He spun slowly in a circle, taking in the whole dining area. Then he pushed his way into the main room.

  “Sir.
” The waiter called “We’re in the middle of shutting it down. I can seat you on the other side.”

  That’s when Nathan saw him sitting at a piano. Not playing, just sitting there looking so forlorn.

  Sky. His head down, his golden hair pulled back into a ponytail. Wearing a baby-blue tux, he looked like he was straight out of a nineteen-seventies wedding.

  Nathan stopped.

  “What?” Sterling asked, eyeing Sky.

  Sayla was at Sterling’s side, out of breath. “What?”

  Sky turned, and from the anger flashing in his eyes, Nathan knew there might be another fight. “You.”

  As if Sterling and Sayla could sense it, they dropped behind him.

  Nathan didn’t know what was happening, but he knew if he had to kick this guy’s butt, it would be a pretty even fight, and he had to be ready for it. “Where is she?”

  Sky stared at him then laughed. “Right, like you don’t know where she is.”

  Confusion and hope filled him. “Where is she?”

  Giving him a long look, Sky stood and stomped toward him, stopping only a step from his face. He turned, pointing to the spot in front of where a lectern was standing. “She stood right there and told me she couldn’t marry me.”

  Nathan’s heart soared, and he felt lighter than he’d felt in a long time.

  Anger swept across Sky’s face. “Do you know what she said next?”

  Nathan knew it was a rhetorical question, but he couldn’t stop himself. “What?”

  “She said she loved someone else. Would you happen to know who she’s talking about?”

  Even though Nathan knew he would probably end up in a fight, he didn’t care. He hoped it was him. Hoped like he’d never hoped before.

  More than that, he was proud of her. Proud of the fact she was willing to walk away from it all, to give herself the gift of freedom and joy, the gift of living her own life.

  “Do you?” Sky puffed out his chest.

  Nathan knew the fight was coming. He stepped back, readying himself.

  “Nathan?” Sterling asked, clearly wanting to know if he needed the help.

  Sterling’s voice broke the moment, and Nathan realized he didn’t have time for this fight. Turning, he rushed toward the restaurant doors. “I gotta find her.”

  “Nathan!” It was the last thing he heard as he rushed to the car. Sterling and Sayla trailed after him, burst out of the doors, and hurried to hop in the car before he left.

  Chapter 19

  Storm sat in the front area next to the tree at Sagewood, surrounded by all her people. Shirley was next to her, her hand over hers, patting it softly.

  Harriet and George and Bob and Hank and a plethora of other onlookers all gathered around her. She smiled with tears drying on her cheeks. “I don’t regret it. I don’t.”

  Shirley sighed. “I know, baby, and it was a brave thing you did. We’re sad you’re losing the land you love. That’s all.”

  “And proud.” Hank added.

  Shirley nodded, giving her hand a squeeze. “And proud. Yes we are. It took guts.”

  Lying back into the cushions, Storm knew she’d done the right thing. She just wondered what she would do with her life from here. Where she would go? What purpose did she have now?

  “I’ll marry ya, Storm, if you want me.”

  Storm sat up, smiling at Hank. “Thanks, Hank, but I think I need to weigh my options and figure out what to do with my life without a man in it.” Letting out a breath, she stood, putting down the hot chocolate and starting for the door.

  She froze. There, standing in the doorway, was Nathan. Behind him stood Sterling, his very famous brother and a woman she assumed was Sayla, the sister-in-law. How long had he been there?

  Nathan stepped into the living room. “What will you do without a man in your life?”

  She stared, but the words wouldn’t come. She had never imagined he would be here.

  His hands gently grasped hers. “Well, what would you do?”

  She blinked. “I don’t know.”

  “You gave it all up. The marriage. The land.”

  She nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat. “I gave it up.”

  “Why?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Marrying Sky would have given you everything you wanted.”

  She stared into his eyes and felt like he could see every part of her soul. “But I wouldn’t have you.”

  The air was charged with tension as he grinned. “Guess what?”

  “What?”

  “I’m not a commitment-phobe any more.”

  She didn’t bother to hide her disbelief.

  “I’m not.”

  “How can you tell?”

  He pulled her in and slowly kissed her, taking her breath away. When he drew back, he smiled. “Because I want you.”

  Storm shook her head. “I don’t need to be saved. I don’t need to marry anybody.”

  Before she could protest any further, he slipped down onto his knee. “Don’t marry me because you need to. Marry me because you want to.”

  A giggle escaped from Shirley, and she yelled. “A Christmas groom! You got a groom for Christmas.” She chortled. “I need to go post this on my blog for people to vote.”

  Nathan laughed, but stared up at Storm. “Marry me.”

  “I told you I don’t need to marry you.”

  He kissed the top of her hand. “But I need to marry you.”

  The side of her lip quirked up. “Really, Mr. Pennington? Everything you own will be taken away if you can’t find a bride?”

  “Yep.” He kissed her hand again. “In fact, I must marry you today to ensure any type of happiness for the rest of my life.”

  She smiled. “I don’t believe you.”

  He stood and kissed her properly, slowly at first. “Please,” he said against her lips.

  “Why?” She hedged.

  “Don’t you see? My timing seems to be the best it’s ever been.”

  She laughed and hugged him tightly, and they kissed again.

  The old people and Sterling and Sayla cheered. Hank stepped into the room. “I hear you need a preacher. You know I am certified to marry people.”

  Storm couldn’t believe how quickly everyone got set up for the ceremony, and before she knew it, she was walking down the aisle to “Here Comes the Bride.”

  Sterling was Nathan’s best man and Sayla stood beside her with Shirley, of course.

  The words were short and meaningful, but she was surprised when Nathan pulled a ring out of his pocket. She frowned. “How? Please don’t tell me that was someone else’s.”

  In a blink, his lips were on hers, and the ring was slipped onto her finger. He pulled back. “Actually, it was my mother’s. I carry it with me to remember her. I hope you like it.”

  “I love it.”

  As the whole place cheered, Storm thought of her grandfather and wondered if he’d known all along what would happen and how happy she would be.

  Sterling put his arm around both of them and grinned. “Well, bro, who would have guessed you’d get to be the Christmas groom.’”

  Nathan shrugged, still staring into her eyes. “I don’t know, but I think I like it.” He leaned in and kissed her. “If you’ll take me for Christmas, I’ll stay.”

  She put her arms around his neck. “I think I’ll take you forever.”

  He laughed. “Sounds good to me.”

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  Chapter 1

  Damon Freestone stared down at the five-mile trail run he’d just done. It had been fun. As fun as Damon could deal with at the moment. Truthfully, he ha
dn’t even felt it. All he’d known when he’d gotten off his first full forty-eight-hour shift at Park City Fire Department was that he needed to do something to get his mind off everything.

  Sucking in air, he pulled the water bottle off his hip and took a long drink. Honestly, it hadn’t been that bad of a shift, considering it was his first one since he had come back from Boston. And he had been demoted to a truckie.

  His mind flashed to his first day as captain six months ago in Boston, to the burning building. At this point, he usually clamped down on the memory and refocused his thoughts. At least, that was what he’d been taught to do by the stupid shrink he’d been forced to see for weeks on end after it had all happened. The one who told him none of it was his fault. After all, he’d followed protocol. Squeezing the bottle between his fingers, he crushed it and then tucked it back into the water holster at his hip. Forget the shrink.

  His mind opened to that day—his first call as the captain at Boston Fire. He’d done everything right. They had vented the building first and then sent in the truck crew to make entry and start search and rescue.

  They’d pulled out twenty bodies.

  The fire was moving fast. He could hear his men clearing the rooms. He could see it in his mind as easily as if he’d been in there himself. They were good men, trained properly. His mind was clear as he barked out orders. Everything was going down perfectly.

  Until he heard Trev call out. “Chief, she’s hurt!”

  At that point, it was like lightning struck his heart, and he instantly knew who Trev was talking about.

  Jamie. The candidate. The new girl who had only shown up a week ago.

  Without thinking, his feet went into motion.

  “What the—!” He called, running to the truck and donning his air mask. He’d already had turnouts and SCBA on before they even arrived.

  Corey was by his side as he moved toward the building. “Cap, you can’t go in there. You have command. We need your eyes out here. There are still ten guys in there.”