A Bravo Christmas Reunion

by Christine Rimmer

  Within hours, the P.I. got back to him with basic information about Kelly and Tanner Bravo. Things like addresses and phone numbers, where they worked and their marital status.

  Neither was married. Or ever had been. Kelly was the director of a family shelter. And Tanner owned and operated his own P.I. firm, Dark Horse Investigations.

  Marcus went to Tanner’s office in Rancho Cordova without calling first—and got nowhere. The office, in an undistinguished two-story building, was locked. No one answered his knock.

  So much for the advantage of the face-to-face approach. He called the number his own investigator had given him and left his name and cell number. Tanner returned his call within minutes.

  Marcus said, “I’m the father of Hayley’s baby. I’d like to meet with you. Now, if possible.”

  Tanner Bravo had one question—the right one. “Where?”

  “My hotel.” He gave the name and the address. “The bar off the lobby.”

  “Half an hour?”

  “I’ll be there.”

  Marcus was nursing a club soda at the bar, text messaging his assistant, when Tanner appeared. Dark-haired and dark-eyed, he bore only a faint resemblance to his sisters.

  “You’re Reid,” he said. “My sister’s former boss.” It wasn’t a question. And he didn’t offer to shake hands.

  Marcus grabbed his drink. “Let’s get a table.”

  They moved to a deuce in a shadowed corner. A cocktail waitress approached.

  Tanner put a ten on the table. “Water. Ice.”

  She trotted off and returned in under a minute.

  Marcus said, “That’s all.” And she left them.

  Tanner glanced at his glass, but didn’t bother to pick it up. He gave Marcus a dark look. “Welcome to Sacramento.”

  “Thanks. You should know I’m here to marry your sister.”

  The other man considered for a moment. In the end, he nodded. “Well. Good to know.”

  “She failed to mention the baby when she left me seven months ago. If she had, we’d be married now.”

  “And you wanted to meet with me because…?”

  “I want to…get to know her family.”

  Tanner simply sat there. Marcus knew he was waiting for him to get to the point.

  Might as well go for it. “She says she loves me. I’ve asked her several times in the past couple of days to marry me. But she refuses.”

  “Why?”

  Marcus didn’t want to go into how Hayley was so damn sure he didn’t love her because of Adriana. So he gave the other man a partial answer. “Hayley thinks I’ll resent her for forcing me into it.”

  “Will you?”

  “Resent her? Hell, no. It’s the best thing. I can take care of her and I want to take care of her.”

  “And you want my help with that, with getting her to say yes.”

  “That’s right.”

  Tanner seemed to be thinking it over. In any case, he sat unmoving and silent for an extended period of time. At last, he said, “I don’t want to butt in. I mean, you seem like an okay guy. But Hayley…she comes on all sweetness, with that big, bright smile. Underneath, though, she’s pure steel. She had to be strong to keep going, the way she grew up. It’s not a good idea to mess with her, you know what I’m saying?”

  “I’m not asking you to mess with her.”

  For the first time, Tanner smiled. He looked more like Hayley when he smiled. “Whew. Had me scared for a minute there.” And he was suddenly all seriousness again. “She trusts me, okay? But she doesn’t open up to me like Kelly does. I got time and grade with Kelly.” Tanner’s level stare assessed him. “Hayley tell you anything about our mother?”

  “That she was sick a lot and had trouble keeping a job. She put Hayley in foster care. And never told her she had a brother and a sister.”

  “Yeah.” Tanner picked up his glass then, and drank until it was empty. “She did the same to me. But I had this vague memory of a baby sister.” He set down the glass. “Kelly and I are four years apart and we went into the system at the same time, right after Kelly was born. Hayley came along later. I had no idea she existed until she showed up when our mother was dying. When I was twenty-one, I finally got our mother to tell me about Kelly, who was seventeen at the time. I got the court to rule that she could come and live with me. So Kelly and me, we’re close….” His voice trailed off. Marcus wondered about Kelly’s kid. Who was the little ballerina’s dad? Was he in the picture?

  He kept his questions to himself and stuck with the main point. “I can take good care of Hayley. And our baby. Plus, she does love me. She wants to be with me. She just refuses to believe that I want to be with her.” He slid a business card across the table. “You’re a P.I. Ask around about me.”

  Tanner took the card. “I’ll do that.”

  “And maybe, if you’re satisfied with what you learn, you’ll put in a good word for me where it counts.”

  “No promises.”

  “Fine. Whatever you can do.”

  “How long will you be in town?”

  “As long as it takes.”

  “Did Hayley mention the reunion in Vegas this weekend?”

  Marcus frowned. “Reunion?”

  Tanner grinned. “I’ll take that as a no.”

  Marcus said nothing. He knew his silence spoke for him.

  Tanner explained, “A couple of our half brothers run resort casinos there. Impresario and High Sierra. It’ll be one hell of a weekend. Bravos from all over. A Christmas family reunion.”

  The Las Vegas aspect was interesting. A good place for a nice, quick wedding. But by the weekend, he intended to be back in Seattle—with his bride.

  Marcus admitted, “No. She hasn’t mentioned it. Yet.”

  Tanner was giving him that measuring look again. Then he said, “Tell you what. Consider yourself invited.”

  Federico was up to his old tricks in the kitchen, swearing in Spanish and throwing the pans around.

  Sofia, the owner, put her hands over her ears and shouted toward the open doorway to Federico’s domain, “Will you turn it down in there? I can’t hear myself think!”

  Federico only swore louder and banged another pot. The phone started ringing.

  Hayley gave her boss a quick wave and headed for the back exit. Better to wait for Marcus outside, where he couldn’t hear the yelling. She pushed the door wide—and found him there already, standing by the car, not ten feet from the door.

  Behind her, Sofia shouted again and more pans went clanging. The door was automatic. It took forever to shut. Hayley leaned back against it and pushed until the latch clicked.

  Then, wearing her most cheerful smile, she headed toward the tall man with the scowl on his face. “You got here quick.”

  He went around and opened the door for her. She got in and buckled up as he went around to his side.

  He stuck his key in the ignition. “What was all that screaming in there?”

  She granted him a superior glance. “The chef is…temperamental. But harmless. And you’re exaggerating about the screaming.”

  “Sounded like screaming to me,” he muttered as he started the engine. “Where to?”

  “Just take me to my place.” She turned on the radio to a soft rock station, hoping that might keep him quiet for a while. She needed a break from his constant griping about her job, a complaint that was bound to segue into yet another proposal of marriage. Her ploy worked. The music filled the car and he drove with his mouth shut and his eyes turned to the road.

  At her place, she thanked him for the ride, thinking maybe he’d let her go for the day.

  Not a chance. He was right behind her when she got to her front door.

  She faced him. “Look. I’m just going to get my car and go pick up a few things for the baby’s room. Really boring stuff. You don’t want to—”

  “Why didn’t you say so? Let’s go.”

  Okay, it was sweet of him, really. To volunteer to drive her to th
e mall. And what else was he going to be doing in Sacramento that afternoon, anyway? “Maybe you have phone calls or something you have to make?”

  “Handled.”

  It was the unrelenting pressure he put her under, to surrender and say yes, that was the problem. It was just so difficult to constantly say no when her poor heart kept screaming yes. She chewed on her lower lip.

  And gave in. “All right. You can go with me.”

  “Well, of course, I’m going with you.”

  She raised a finger. “One condition.”

  “Damn it.”

  “Are you listening?”

  “Is there a choice?”

  She waited.

  Finally, he grumbled, “Let me have it.”

  “For the rest of the day you will not mention marriage or my job.”

  He scowled. “What the hell?”

  “Come on. It won’t be so hard. Just let it be, for crying out loud. You might even enjoy yourself.”

  He made a scoffing sound. “I’m not here to enjoy myself.”

  “Hey. Go with the flow a little, why don’t you, Marcus? You might be surprised.”

  “I don’t want to be surprised.”

  “Fine. Have it your way. Don’t be surprised. Don’t enjoy yourself. Be as tense and controlling as you always are, just don’t talk about my job or my marrying you. That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.”

  “But I think that you should—”

  She cut him off with an impatient sound. “Listen. Remember. No talk of marriage, no griping about my job. And you also won’t tell me a single thing I should be doing. Agreed?”

  “But if you would only…”

  That time she stopped him with just a look. It was progress, of a sort. Wasn’t it? She asked again, “Agreed?”

  Judging by the determined set to that manly jaw of his, he wasn’t the least bit pleased with her terms. Still, after several smoldering seconds, he gave her what she’d demanded.

  “Agreed.”

  Hayley was the one who ended up being surprised. Because Marcus kept his word.

  At the mall he was downright cheerful. And patient. He helped her choose a changing table, which the clerk promised would be delivered the next day. Hayley bought more receiving blankets and some onesies and rompers. He not only paid for all the baby things, he insisted on carrying the bags. And since she bought a few Christmas gifts, too, by the end of the afternoon, there were a whole bunch of bags.

  They did have a little argument about who was going to buy the ballerina Barbie for DeDe and the sweater that was just perfect for Kelly. But in the end, he gave up on trying to pay for her Christmas presents and let her use her own money for those.

  He was attentive, urging her to take frequent breaks to rest her tired feet. They would sit on the mall benches and talk about mundane things while the piped-in Christmas music filled the air.

  Twice, his cell vibrated. He took it out and checked the display, but for once he didn’t immediately start making calls or text messaging. He simply shrugged and put the phone away.

  And never once did he mention her job or the m word.

  It was…nice.

  Nice. A strange word to think of in connection with Marcus Reid. Marcus was exciting. Focused. Sexy. Intense.

  Nice, though?

  Not hardly. Not in her experience—until that lovely, gray December day.

  He bought her ice cream: mint chip in a waffle cone. They sat by the central fountain and she devoured the treat. “Good.” She groaned in delight as she sucked the last of the sweet, minty coldness from the heart of the cone.

  “You’ve got ice cream on your chin….” He dabbed at the sticky spot with the tip of his napkin—and she let him.

  “Tired?” he asked when they rose and tossed their napkins in a trash bin.

  She realized that she was totally exhausted. “Yeah. Ready to go home.”

  At her place, he carried all the bags up to her door and followed her inside. She led him to the baby’s room. “Just put it all down in here for now. I’ll sort it out later.”

  He set the pile of purchases on the floor. “A rainbow,” he said as he rose. Though his back was to her, she knew he was smiling. She could hear it in his voice as he admired the mural on the wall opposite the door.

  She’d had to get permission from the manager to do that mural, and to sign a paper that said she’d repaint the room a neutral color when she left—or sacrifice a substantial chunk of her deposit. “I painted it myself….” Along with the baseboard border of green grass and teddy bears.

  He turned and saw her sagging against the door frame. “You’re beat.”

  “Oh, a little. I get like this the past few weeks. All of a sudden, I can hardly keep my head up. An hour’s nap. I’ll be fine….”

  He put his arm around her and it felt so good—to lean on him.

  She let him lead her to the other bedroom. She drooped to the bed and he slipped off her shoes for her. With a grateful sigh, she sank back into the pillows, turning on her side, the position she found the most comfortable now she was so big. He waited, his head tipped to the side, looking a little puzzled, as she slid a pillow between her knees.

  “Increases blood flow,” she explained. “And enhances kidney function. Good things. Trust me.”

  He pulled up the blanket she kept folded at the foot of the bed and settled it over her.

  “I had a nice time,” she told him when he tucked it in around her.

  His hand brushed her cheek. “Me, too.” He said it as though he really meant it.

  And she couldn’t help thinking, If only….

  Oh, yeah. If only….

  “Rest now,” he whispered, leaning closer. She looked in those green eyes and knew he would kiss her. In a vague, disconnected way she knew that she should tell him no.

  But she didn’t speak. She wanted him to kiss her.

  And then it was too late for refusals, anyway. Slowly, so gently, those wonderful lips of his settled over hers.

  Chapter Five

  I t wasn’t a long kiss.

  But oh, it was one of the sweetest she’d ever shared with him. A tender kiss. A brushing kiss. A kiss that was…enough in itself, somehow.

  It was a kiss that made no demands, yet a kiss that conjured memories of the fine times they’d had together. Of the busy, exhilarating days and lovely, sexy nights.

  When he pulled away, she almost reached out to hold him there. But she caught herself in time.

  “We shouldn’t have done that,” she chided softly, speaking more to herself than to him.

  “Shh. It was only a kiss.”

  Her eyes were drooping. She burrowed more deeply beneath the blanket and let them drift shut. Sleep claimed her instantly in its dark embrace.

  Marcus left the bedroom quietly, shutting the door behind him.

  He started down the hall, but found himself drawn to the baby’s room. He stood in the open doorway and stared at the rainbow Hayley had painted on the far wall. It charmed him, that rainbow. It was…so like her, to paint a rainbow, a symbol of hope, on the wall of her baby’s room.

  She would be a good mother. Of that, he had zero doubt.

  Would he—could he—be a good father? The question echoed uncomfortably inside his head. Until now, it had never occurred to him that he might someday be a dad. He’d thought that was for the best. The world didn’t need more kids, not when so many children already grew up unwanted and unloved.

  Finding Hayley pregnant, though…

  Somehow, that changed everything for him, made him want exactly what he’d never expected to have, made him see at least the possibility of rainbows. Made him feel something resembling hope for the first time in a long while…

  He felt a smile tug on the corners of his mouth. Damn. He’d better be careful. A day away from work and an afternoon of mall-crawling and suddenly the world seemed a brighter place. If he didn’t watch himself, he’d be humming “White Christmas,” stringin
g popcorn, watching It’s a Wonderful Life and actually enjoying it.

  His phone vibrated. He should check the display, see if it was anything important.

  But he didn’t. Instead, for a while longer, he stood there in the doorway to his unborn baby’s room, staring at that rainbow, feeling strangely light at heart.

  Hayley woke as swiftly as she’d fallen asleep. Her eyes popped open. She blinked at the bedside clock. An hour and a half had passed since she dropped off.

  Marcus…

  She freed a hand from the warm cocoon of the blanket and pressed her fingers to her lips. He’d kissed her, hadn’t he? Just before she fell asleep. The sweetest, most tender kiss…

  Really dumb. To have let him kiss her again.

  Especially considering it only made her want to let him kiss her some more.

  And what was that smell? Like…

  Chinese food. Her stomach growled.

  She sniffed the air. Oh, yeah. Definitely. Chinese. She kicked away the pillow between her knees and shoved the covers aside.

  Out in the living room, she found Marcus watching Hardball and eating chow mein out of the carton.

  He turned and their gazes locked. The familiar thrill skittered through her and the world was a golden place, bursting with promise. Right then, in the span of that shared glance, she reevaluated. Everything.

  But all she said was, “What else you got in those cartons?”

  “Come and see for yourself.”

  So she went and sat beside him and enjoyed a little popcorn shrimp and a couple of egg rolls. When they were done he put the leftovers in the fridge. She turned off the TV and waited for him to come back to the living room.

  He sat down at her side. “Okay. I can hear your brain working. What are you thinking? What’s going on?”

  She took his hand. His eyes changed, went darker. He seemed surprised that she would make any kind of a move toward him—even such a simple thing as to clasp his hand. She heard herself admit, “Maybe I was wrong.”

  He put his other hand on top of hers, enclosing it between his palms. It felt really good. Cherishing, somehow. Protective. And it brought to mind the feel of his arms close around her. Funny that she always felt so safe in his embrace.