“How long have you been there?”
“I came straight back, but wanted to avoid your father after having spent the night in his daughters bedroom doing naughty things with her.”
I grin and rolling from the bed, I throw myself into his arms. “Are you really going to take me with you?”
“Yes. You’ve lost all chance of escape.”
“I don’t want to escape.”
“Good, because we leave tomorrow.” He smiles and caresses my face. “Garrett is having the plane refueled and all the checks done first thing and the control tower has given us eleven-twenty-three as our departure time.”
“I’m excited.”
“I may have to do some work during the flight, and I am going to be busy at the office, especially as Alex has asked me to cover for him while he takes two days.” He frowns. “I hope you won’t regret coming home with me.”
“Michael, I want to be with you even if that means you’re going to be distracted with your work. I honestly don’t expect you to drop everything for me. I have a job outside of New York, but I can work remotely. I have my laptop with me so I’ll manage while you work.” I reach up and kiss his lips. “I promise.” Taking his hand, I add, “I need help,” as I pull him into my closet.
He groans, but his eyes light up when I shut us inside and turn the light off.
48
Michael
The view from my office always takes my breath away and it’s something that I look forward to every time I come back after being away. It only ever changes with the seasons.
“You’re back?” Alex mumbles. “I’m surprised you’re in the office today though.”
Turning, I unbutton my jacket and take my seat behind the desk. Looking at Alex, I’m surprised by his appearance. He usually never has a hair out of place, and only wears expensive business suits with the shoes to match. Today, he looks pale and wears an old sweatshirt and jeans, with boots on his feet.
He offers a wry smile when he sees me looking him over, and because he’s like a brother and the best friend I’ve ever had, I say, “Sit down before you fall down and tell me what’s going on with you. I don’t want bullshit that you tell everyone else. I want the truth Alex.”
He sits, but stays silent while a storm of emotions cross his face. The main one being anguish.
“I honestly don’t know what to say…where to start…or even if I can get the words out,” he admits. He looks damn tired as he sits sprawled in the chair as though he doesn’t care about anything.
“Answer me this, are you sick?”
He looks surprise. “God, no! And neither is anyone else we’re related to.”
I watch him and it’s on the tip of my tongue to ask him about Rachel when Charlotte comes bursting into the office. Her face is alight with happiness and I only just make it to my feet to catch her as she flings herself at me.
“I’m taking off. I’ll be on the cell if any emergencies come up.” He pauses in the doorway. “Only emergencies.”
I nod and he leaves, but I didn’t miss the relief on his face at the interruption.
“What was that all about,” Charlotte asks, perching on the desk the way she has done since we were toddlers and she had pigtails.
“I was about to find out, I think, when you interrupted.”
“Oh,” she winces. “I’m sorry. I was passing and heard you talking to Alex, so figured it was okay to interrupt. You know patience has never been my best quality.”
Rolling my eyes, I grin.
She frowns, narrowing her eyes. “Why do I get the feeling you’re about to start on me about something?”
“Probably because I am. You let Alex escape so it’s your turn.” I pause and then go for it, “Whose the guy, Charlotte?”
Her smile slips along with her color and tears fill her eyes. “Tanner Jackson,” she whispers as I pick her up and sit her on my lap. She chuckles, but lets her head fall to my shoulder.
“Why didn’t you come to me?” I’m unable to keep the hurt out of my voice even though I try. “I’m you’re twin. The one who you can tell anything to without being judged.”
Her tears fall at my words. “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t need an apology, sis. What I need is for you to tell me what this guy did to you, and where I can find him.”
She shakes her head and moves away from me. Grabbing tissues, she dabs at her face. “He didn’t do anything to me, other than made me fall in love with him.” She sniffles. “He told me that he’d broken off his engagement. Once he went home something must have happened because he was engaged again. I went with him with my eyes open knowing that it would only be one night…except the connection between us was off the charts.”
She sits on the sofa so I join her and take her hand. “Tell me.” I’m guessing there’s more.
“We exchanged numbers and chatted on a daily basis until everything just suddenly stopped. I’ve still messaged him daily...only once a day. He reads them but doesn’t reply…I didn’t know it was possible to miss someone after spending only one night with them.”
My mind wanders to Brooke and I know how I felt about her after only a few hours. “Anything is possible, and I wish I knew what to tell you…wait a minute, Tanner Jackson? He was at Sirena and Garrett’s wedding, right?”
Charlotte nods. “Yes. That’s where it all started. I know I need to let go and stop messaging him, but it’s habit and I’m not sure I can.” Silence follows and then she asks, “If it was you and Brooke in this situation, what would you do?”
“That’s easy. I’d turn up on her doorstep and tell her I loved her.”
She blinks and stares at me, and that’s when I realize my mistake. “Charlotte, look, are you sure he’d broken the engagement before that night?”
“He told me that his life was screwed up and about the engagement being off. He did say that no matter what happened between us, all it could ever be was one night.” Tears pop into her eyes again. “What we shared was real. I know what I felt between us.”
“I can’t believe I’m going to suggest this,” I brush my hand through my hair, “but I really do think that you need to just turn up at his front door. You need to know whether or not there’s any chance for you. You can’t move on unless you do, and you’ll always wonder. Maybe his life isn’t as happy it should be.”
“Why didn’t I talk to you first?” She slides to the side and rests her head on my shoulder so I put my arm around her shoulders.
“Because I’m your brother and don’t even want to imagine you getting up to anything with a guy.”
She giggles. “So when do I get to meet Brooke?”
“Everyone know?”
“Probably. I know that Mom is excited and can’t wait to meet her. So make sure you take her to the house soon. Call first though.” She shudders. “I turned up unannounced the other day and Dad’s shirt was missing and Mom tried to quickly straighten her clothes. She’d forgotten to do up her blouse.”
I groan and laugh at the embarrassment I can imagine Charlotte suffering. “What did you do?”
“I went bright red and got the hell out of there. I shouted over my shoulder that I’d call next time.” She shudders. “I love that our parents are still crazy about each other, but geez, I have no wish to ever see them, you know?”
Chuckling, she elbows me in the side. “Your turn.”
I frown. “I don’t have any secrets.”
“Oh yes, you do! You know what’s going on with Alex. He isn’t sick, is he?” She tugs her bottom lip between her teeth.
“He isn’t sick and I have my theory, but that’s not going to be voiced until its confirmed, and then it will depend on him.”
“I tell you everything and you won’t tell me a thing,” she complains. “He’s my cousin as well, and I love him.”
I cuddle her to me. “He’s a grown man and I think he knows he can talk to me if he needs to. Just stay out of it okay? Sort your own love life out f
irst.”
“Hmm, I think I might do just that.”
49
Brooke
Nerves have overtaken my belly as Michael tugs me out of his car at his parents’ home. It’s a beautiful wooden structure with lights glowing around the property.
Michael wraps an arm around me, and smiles. “Don’t worry. They’re not going to eat you.”
“I didn’t think I’d be this nervous, but it’s important to me. What if I do or say the wrong thing?”
He laughs. “I’m sorry, but my father is one of five brothers and if you’d ever seen them together, you wouldn’t be saying that. Trust me.” Kissing me on the cheek, he grins.
“Michael get in here before your mother drags you in.”
He laughs and whispers, “My dad.”
“I got that.”
His father smiles as we walk up the steps and onto the porch, which puts me at ease. The love and amusement I see when he looks at his son, settles me completely. I have this.
“Welcome to our home, Brooke,” he says, and Michael squeezes my waist.
“It’s nice to meet you.” I hold my hand out, but he shakes his head and steps forward. When his arms wrap around me, I surprise myself when tears spring to my eyes.
I return his embrace and smile when he gives me back to Michael.
“Never thought I’d see the day.”
“Dad, I’m only twenty-eight.”
“As I remember, you were a bit older than Michael when you met me,” his wife adds, her eyes alight with mirth. Reaching up, she kisses her husband on his lips and then turns to me, pulling me against her. “It’s so good to meet you.”
“Thank you.”
“Why are you still standing at the door?” she asks.
“Dad hasn’t let us in yet,” Michael drawls, ushering me inside. “Who else is here? I don’t recognize the cars.”
“Your Uncle Lucien and Aunt Sabrina are here in their new car, and Uncle Ramon said he’d come by if he made it back in time,” Lily answers and smiling, threads her arm through mine, tugging me along with her.
Michael and his father laugh. “Mom’s a force to be reckoned with so just go with it.”
“I’m in the kitchen with Sabrina, so let’s leave the men to it while we get tipsy on the left over cocktails my mother-in-law made.”
I grin at Lily who looks younger than she must be to have four adult children. She has long, dark hair, which she is wearing tied back. Her face is void of make up apart from mascara and lipstick.
She hurries me into the kitchen, and then another woman, who I presume is Sabrina, greets me. She hugs me in greeting as well before wobbling back into her chair.
“I knew I shouldn’t have started on this cocktail,” Sabrina drawls. “Pippa makes powerful stuff, after all these years, I should have learnt my lesson.”
Lily laughs. “We all should have.” She continues, softly, “I think she added more liquor than usual. I think she’s getting forgetful now that she’s in her eighties.”
“Hmm, I’ve noticed. I mentioned it to Lucien.” Sabrina looks into her glass and shakes her head.
“Oh, where are my manners,” Lily says. “Come sit, Brooke.” She pats the seat beside the one she takes. “Pippa is our mother-in-law, and in all these years that I’ve known her, she’s never changed…until now.”
I smile, and add, “Considering she’s in her eighties and only started getting forgetful, I think she’s done amazingly well.”
“Me too.” Lily pats my hand on the table and then, sighing, pours me a large glass of the cocktail they’re drinking. “Only one glass for you. I don’t want Michael angry with me for getting you drunk. I’m referring to your Michael.” She laughs. “I’ll let you in on a secret,” Lily pauses when Sabrina snorts, which has us laughing, “when we’re altogether we call your Michael, Mickey. He made us promise not to use that name around you.” She chuckles.
“Mickey, huh? I think I’ll have to tease him with that for a while.”
“You do that,” Lily encourages. “I’ll tell you something else as well,” she becomes serious, “this is the first time that he’s ever introduced us to a girlfriend. It makes my heart lighter knowing that he isn’t going to be a workaholic anymore.” She holds my hand. “I can see that on his face when he looks at you. He has someone at home waiting for him—a reason to go home early instead of working late…so thank you, Brooke.”
I don’t know what to say. I feel close to tears listening to his mom talk about him like this. So I give her something, “Michael makes me smile, amongst other things.” I blush.
“Oh don’t worry, we’re well aware of how good the McKenzie men are at ‘other things’,” Sabrina drawls.
My blush deepens as I meet the amusement in Lily’s gaze. “What I’m trying to say is that Michael means everything to me even though we’ve only known each other for a short time.”
“Trust me on this, I fell for Michael the minute I laid eyes on him and twenty-nine years later, I still love him with everything I have. He’s my soul mate and I can’t live without him.”
“Lucien was difficult and confused when we met, but my heart had belonged to him from the moment we met. I just wanted to wrap my arms around him and keep him.” Sabrina smiles as she shares her own story with me. “I did that, eventually, but it wasn’t easy at first.” She sighs. “I love him, Brooke…and if that’s how you feel about Michael, then tell him because I know my nephew and he’s already at that point with you or you wouldn’t be here with his family.” Sabrina grins and reaches for her purse.
“Now,” she continues, “he made his mom promise not to get the baby pictures out, but…he never made me promise.” She smirks.
I laugh as we huddle together and she opens a photo book. “I chose the best ones and put them together in here.” She shrugs. “I didn’t think Lucien would appreciate me hauling the lot with us.”
“Oh look,” Lily sighs. “Michael and Charlotte were a few hours old on this picture.”
“How did you give birth to twins and look like it was a walk in the park?” I mumble.
Lily laughs. “Trust me, it was no walk in the park.” She sighs and looks lost in thought. “Michael had stayed with me. He helped me get cleaned up while the twins slept. I was excited and so in love with Michael and the twins, I don’t think anything could have made me sad right then.”
“Oh, I love this picture,” Sabrina gushes as she turns the page. “That’s my Alexander with Michael and their cousins’ Paige and Rachel…Mmm…I think that was taken at a family wedding out in Montana.” She smiles. “The girls would follow the boys around everywhere. Michael used to get annoyed with it, but not my Alex.” She frowns. “It stopped once the girls went to college but I think it was more Rachel than anything. She has a love of horses like Alex so they’d spend hours out at the grandparents’ ranch riding. In fact, they’re both around today, out riding on the horses here…they might be back before you leave.”
“You included the family picture,” Lily adds, smiling. “We have this in a huge print in the dining room. I’ll show you later as you can see everyone more clearly on that. It was taken last year at Pippa and Elias’s anniversary party.
Sabrina smiles and rolls her eyes. “If you wore your glasses Lily then you’d see them just as clearly on here.”
“Tsk, don’t mention that word.”
I laugh at them and hope I have that kind of friendship one day.
I hold the picture up, searching and finding Michael amongst all his family. I notice Alex standing close with his arm slung around Rachel’s neck. She has her arm around his waist and clearly looks happy…I wonder…
“Look at this one,” Sabrina points out, “this was taken when we had the twenties dress up party a few years ago to celebrate New Year.”
I laugh when she holds it out to me. “Michael looks hot as a gangster,” I comment.
“They all look good. Took forever to get the right costumes. One of t
he best parties you’ve had here Lily.”
“Gosh look at all my babies,” Lily becomes sad. “That’s Joshua, my youngest, and those two hiding behind masks are Sirena and Charlotte. That’s Alexander’s sister, Olivia to his right, and Rachel to his left. Paige acting the goat with Dylan.” She smiles fondly. “I need to do another party, and get everyone together. It’s been too long since that has happened.”
She grabs my hand. “Of course, you’ll be there as well and you’ll be able to meet everyone. There’s a lot of us, but you’ll remember who we all are and our relationship to each other eventually. Might take a few years.” Lily laughs.
Coming through the backdoor is a man, who I presume is Ramon, which is confirmed when Lily jumps up and embraces him.
“I’m not moving because I’m not sure I’ll be able to walk straight if I do,” Sabrina winces. “I think I might need a strong coffee if someone wouldn’t mind making me one.”
Lily laughs. “I’ll get it.” She turns to the man “Ramon go and say hi to Michael’s girlfriend, Brooke.”
“So you’re the woman Rachel told us about?” He joins Sabrina and I at the table.
“I haven’t met Rachel yet,” I offer feeling confused as to why she’d be mentioning me.
He laughs. “News travels fast in this family. I wouldn’t worry about it.” He glances toward the front of the house. “The guys through there?”
“Yes,” Sabrina slumps forward in her chair. “Why do you guys always let me drink your mother’s cocktails?”
“Probably because she knows you’ll drink them without complaining,” Ramon adds.
“Yes, but she isn’t even here to see me right now.”
“Here,” Lily places a cup in front of her, “drink that and you’ll feel better.” She puts her arm around Ramon’s shoulders and he wraps one around her waist. She smiles and adds, “Ramon is Paige and Rachel’s father.”
McKenzie Cousins Box Set One: Books One, Two, Three Page 26