by Laura Pavlov
Peacekeeper
Montgomery Brothers, Book 2
Copyright © 2020 by Laura Pavlov
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Caroline & Brock,
I dedicate this book to you both as you get ready to walk down the aisle in just a few days. You are everything a great love story should be…two amazing, kind souls that found one another. You have a history together, you survived the distance during your college years, and your love for one another never wavered. I am honored to have been a part of your journey and am so excited for your big day!! Cheers to you and many, many happy years together!
10.24.2020
Love you,
Laura xo
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Acknowledgements
Other books by Laura Pavlov:
Follow Me...
Chapter One
Laney
I tossed a few T-shirts in the suitcase and slipped two dresses in my garment bag.
“This is why moving in with me would have been a good idea,” Charlie said, sprawled out on my white duvet.
“Yeah. Had I known this was going to happen, I probably would have taken you up on that.”
“We could always pack this place up and store your stuff at my apartment.” He pushed up to sit and reached for my hand. This man knew how to calm me when I was in a manic state.
And I was definitely in a manic state.
“I have a few months left on my lease. I had it all planned around the wedding, you know?”
“Yep. Four months and counting. All right, don’t worry about anything. If you need help covering the rent, I’ve got you.”
I dropped to sit on his lap, needing his warmth more than ever. More than I liked to admit. “Thanks. I have some money in savings, and hopefully, I can find something temporary in Napa. Dad and I will take shifts with Mom, and I can work a few hours a day.”
“Just go and do what you need to do. Don’t stress about money. I can help too.” Charlie wrapped his arms around me, and his chin rested on my shoulder.
“Okay. And you’re fine meeting with Sabrina on Saturday to handle the tasting on your own?” I asked.
Sabrina was the event coordinator at Hopper Hotel in Chicago where we were having our reception. We had so many things that required our attention these next few weeks. A lot I could do remotely, but Charlie would have to cover the rest on his own. Everything had happened so fast.
I was going home to help care for my mother. She’d been diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer and she would start chemotherapy tomorrow. Hopefully, it would shrink the tumor and make it easier to remove in a couple of weeks. I needed to be there, and if that meant postponing my life—then so be it.
“Yes, baby. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ve got it covered. You just go and take care of your mom. I wish I could go with you, but work is crazy. I’ll come out when I can, and hopefully, you’ll be back soon. What did Margo say?”
I turned to face him. “She understood. She said she can’t promise me anything when I get back, but she’ll try to hold my position. You know, the show must go on, I guess. There are parties to plan and she’ll most likely need to fill my position.”
I understood it. I’d waited a long while to become an event coordinator at the W Hotel. I’d started as the assistant to the assistant and finally earned my rank as one of three head event planners. We did a slew of weddings, bat mitzvahs, bar mitzvahs, quinceañeras and other celebratory events, and had waitlists of up to one year. My job meant everything to me up until a few days ago, but today, I didn’t really care whether it would be waiting for me when I returned. I was focused on my mother. The woman who had always been my pulse, my North Star, my biggest supporter. Hearing that she was sick, well, it was like a punch to the gut. I just wanted to get home.
It had been years since I’d had any desire to return to Napa. I normally flew in and out quickly for the holidays and encouraged my family to come visit me in Chicago as often as possible. Home held too many painful memories that I normally dreaded. But right now, I didn’t care about any of that. I just needed to be with my mom.
“We’ll figure it out. Hopefully, the surgery happens soon, and she’ll be good to go in a few weeks,” Charlie said.
He was hopeful. I was a bit more realistic. I’d read a lot about what my mom was about to go through. This wasn’t going to be a sprint. It would be more like a marathon. I’d know more once I got there. I’d spent the last forty-eight hours taking care of everything here because I didn’t know how long I’d be gone.
“Yep. And I’ll FaceTime you tonight when I get there.”
“Sounds good. You ready?” He reached for my bags and we trekked out to the car.
I’d have a few hours on the flight to think about everything, as I hadn’t had much time to process this. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. My mom was one of the healthiest people I knew. This came out of left field.
And I’d be back home.
The place I’d been raised.
Where my heart had crumbled into a million little pieces.
I’d most likely have to see Harrison Montgomery. Charlie knew I had an ex-boyfriend back home. But that didn’t begin to describe what Harrison had been to me. How do you tell your fiancé that your ex-boyfriend was also your best friend, your soulmate—your first and last everything? Sure, I’d moved on, and I’d found my own happily ever after with Charlie. My feelings for Harrison Montgomery were in the past. And that’s exactly where they needed to stay.
“I ran into Monica Montgomery at the market,” Mom said, pausing to pass me the salad as we all sat around the farmhouse table we’d had for as long as I could remember.
“How is she? I haven’t seen her in a while.” Dad refilled my wine glass and winked.
“She’s well. I told her what was going on and that you’d insisted on coming home to help me through this.”
“What did she say?” I asked quietly.
Monica, Harrison’s mother, had been like a second mom to me growing up, but I’d cut ties with all the Montgomerys when Harrison and I broke up. Hell, I’d cut ties with this whole town. The Montgomerys were everywhere. Three br
others that oozed charm and charisma, and everyone wanted to know them. It had always been Harrison and me from as early as I could remember. We were the best of friends, and then we fell madly in love. I’d never existed in Napa without him by my side. But grief could be a cruel mistress—and people changed. I’d received a front row seat to that life lesson.
“Well, I told her you were taking a leave from work but that you were hoping to find something temporary here.” Mom paused to sip her water. “She said they were overwhelmed right now with all the events at the winery and she could use the help if you’re open to it.”
I took my time chewing my food. Seriously? Of course, I loved Monica, and I’d practically grown up at the Montgomery vineyard. Hell, I lost my virginity out in the barn on their property. But I assumed Harrison spent a lot of time at the winery, at least that had always been his plan—to take over at some point. And seeing him again daily would be difficult. Impossible. My family didn’t know just how bad things had ended between us. We’d never spoken much again outside of an awkward run-in during one of the short stints when I was home.
No.
Harrison turned his back on me. He was a wound I had no desire to reopen.
“Well, I was planning to stop by a few places for possible jobs tomorrow when we get home, but I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Honey, this is as good as it gets. It’s temporary, and she’ll work around your schedule and my treatments. That’s going to be hard to beat. Her face lit up when I told her you were coming home. She looked like I’d stabbed her in the heart when I broke the news that you and Charlie were engaged a few weeks ago, so maybe seeing you will be a good thing. Give everyone a little closure.” Mom shrugged.
“I agree with Mom. You should jump at this,” Dad said.
My older brother’s gaze landed on me. Sam knew how difficult it was for me to be home. Submerged in all these old memories.
“Give the girl a day to get settled and put out her feelers. They’re all going to line up for the famed Laney Mae Landers, party planner extraordinaire, to work for them.”
I laughed. Sam lived in San Francisco but was just a car ride away from home. He was busy since becoming a partner at an accounting firm. My brother and numbers—well, they were one. He and his long-time girlfriend, Gia, had an apartment in the city, but they visited my parents often.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence. Tell Gia she needs to come visit a lot while I’m home.”
“I will. She had the late shift tonight,” Sam said. Gia was a pediatric nurse at the hospital.
“So, are you ever going to propose to the poor woman?” I raised a brow in challenge as he passed me the basket of rolls.
“Well, that’s something I wanted to discuss with all of you. I actually bought a ring. I was thinking of waiting to pop the question until after your wedding, Laney. But with everything going on right now,” he paused to smile at Mom and her eyes glossed over with emotion, “I thought it might be nice to have even more to look forward to.”
I fist bumped the ceiling. “Freaking finally. You took long enough. And don’t be silly. I think having two weddings to look forward to is great.”
“I can’t think of anything better. Both of my babies finding the people they want to spend the rest of their lives with is more than I can ask for.” Mom pushed to her feet and hurried over to hug us.
“Her parents will have to pay for this one, right?” Dad said with a wink.
He was teasing, but it sent a pang to my chest. My parents were both teachers. They taught at the private school my brother and I attended from kindergarten through twelfth grade. That’s the only way we could have ever afforded the hefty tuition. And with Mom’s current medical situation, I knew they were tight on money. Thankfully, their house was paid off, as this was the home where my father had grown up. My parents rented it from my grandparents for many years until they signed it over to Mom and Dad officially a few years ago. But I worried about how they were going to cover the cost of my wedding. I’d insisted on having it at a less expensive venue than the place I worked, which was ridiculously priced. Even with the employee discount, it was more than I wanted them to spend. Truth be told, I was starting to wonder if Charlie and I should just elope. We hadn’t sent out invites nor put down much of a deposit as of yet, so there was still plenty of time to make a change.
Charlie would understand. He was probably the most understanding man I’d ever known. He’d picked me up and put me back together over the past three years. There wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for me. But I knew he wanted to have a big wedding back in Chicago where he’d grown up, and I didn’t want to take that away from him unless I absolutely had to. I’d get a better feel for Mom and Dad’s situation now that I was home for a while. They’d insisted it was fine and gave me a budget to work with, but I worried they’d be stretching themselves thin to pull it off, especially now with Mom’s current situation.
“Yes, Gia’s mom tells me every time we have dinner with them that they’re biting at the bit to plan a wedding.” Sam rolled his eyes.
Gia’s father was a prominent attorney in the city, and her parents would want to throw the gala of the year. She was their only daughter and I’m sure they would spare no expense. Gia was the opposite of her parents—down-to-earth and sweet. Most importantly, she was perfect for my brother.
“Phew.” Dad wiped at his brow and we all chuckled.
When I looked up, Mom’s gaze locked with mine. Her blue eyes were sparkling, and she nearly took my breath away when she smiled. I’d been trying to hold it together since I’d heard the news, but now that I was here, in this safe space, with my family—I lost it. Tears sprang from eyes and I covered my mouth to try to muffle the sobs.
Mom gasped and jumped back to her feet, coming to my side of the table and wrapping her arms around me. “My little Laney Mae, don’t you do that. Everything is fine. I’m just so happy to have you home.”
“Honey, you know I was teasing about paying for the wedding, right?” Dad asked nervously.
I laughed through my tears. “Yes. I’m not upset, I promise. Just happy to be home.”
And terrified that Mom won’t be okay.
That nothing will ever be the same.
Mom kissed the top of my head. “How about we let the boys clean up this mess and we head upstairs and get you unpacked and talk about the wedding?”
Mom was starting chemo tomorrow. The wedding was the last thing I wanted to talk about. It was odd that I was an actual wedding planner, and I’d prefer to elope. But I wouldn’t deprive Charlie of the wedding he wanted after all he’d done for me. I put a lot into the planning of other people’s big day, but it just wasn’t something I really cared all that much about for myself. But if this was what she wanted to talk about tonight, then so be it.
I plopped down on my bed. My room smelled like watermelon bubblegum. The walls were a pale pink and decorated with posters and photos from my childhood. It was like stepping into a time machine—nothing had changed. I’d never taken down the pictures of Harrison and me, for whatever reason, but I’d definitely be making some changes to my room now that I’d be home for a while. I glanced on the nightstand and saw my senior prom photo. I swear I put that one away the last time I visited.
“Did you take this picture out of my nightstand?” I asked my mother who’d stretched out beside me on the bed.
She stroked my hair when I settled back down and faced her. “Yes. I found it in the drawer. I love that photo.”
“Mom, you do realize at some point my future husband is going to visit, and I think he might be offended by the shrine to Harrison Montgomery.” I laughed, reaching for the photo again and studying it. We were so young. Seniors in high school. Ready for our next adventure. We’d chosen the same college because we couldn’t stand to be apart back then. Or as my mom once reminded me, he’d picked the school
he wanted to attend, and I followed. But he’d begged me to, and I’d obliged all too eagerly.
“Harrison is a part of your past, Laney. You can’t just pretend it never happened.”
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
“Isn’t he the reason you never want to come home?”
“I come home at Christmas.” I chewed the inside of my cheek.
“Oh yes. The forty-eight hours you spend at home each year. You’ve never even brought Charlie here to see where you grew up.”
“You like coming to Chicago. And that’s where my life is now,” I said, closing my eyes as her fingers stroked my hair.
“Well, I’m glad you’re home now, baby girl. I’m sorry you had to leave your job and Charlie, but I’m sure glad you’re going to be here with me through this.”
I opened my eyes and studied her. Under all that bravado, I saw the fear. The worry.
“It’s okay to be scared, you know. But you’re going to kick cancer’s ass. And I’m going to be right beside you cheering you on.”
“I know you will, my love. Thank you.”
Fuck you, cancer.
You don’t get to have my mom.
Not now and not ever.
Chapter Two
Harrison
I’d been in a funk since hearing about Lyla Landers. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that she had breast cancer. It didn’t surprise me that Laney was coming home to help her mother through this. That was Laney. She was loyal as hell and always there for everyone. She’d stayed far away from Napa since our breakup, which had surprised the hell out of me because she was so close to her family. I heard her parents and her brother flew out to visit her often. I’d only seen her twice in the five years since we’d ended things. And both times had been uncomfortable. Icy. Distant. Laney hated me now. I’d thought I was doing the right thing by ending it with her. Forcing her to go back to school and move forward with her life while I stayed home to help my family pick up the pieces. Her mom had been right—Laney had done everything for me. She didn’t need to stay behind while I wallowed in grief. So, I’d set her free.