Elkin Brothers Christmas: The Complete Series

by Leslie North

  Her mind raced with possibilities, and each one had her angrier than the last. “So, you’re going to what—give him all the details you got by spying on me?”

  “Maybe,” said Gabe hotly.

  What the hell was happening? Jonas clearly wasn’t the only bossy Elkin at the resort, and it made her furious that Gabe was blindsiding her like this. And—if Jonas had just come clean to his grandmother and his family right away, this entire mess could have been avoided.

  Rachel didn’t need this hassle. Not after a lifetime with her mother. Not after Daniel. Not after this week with Jonas, which had been unbelievably tumultuous for a photography job. “You know what, Gabe? Come with me. Right now.” Rachel whirled around, letting the door start to shut.

  Gabe stopped it with his hand. “Into your room?”

  “No,” she snapped. She grabbed her coat from where she’d thrown it on the sofa and put it on.

  “Are we going outside to fight?”

  “Would you prefer that?” Rachel stalked past Gabe, pulling the door shut with a confident hand. “No, we’re not fighting.” She moved quickly for the stairwell exit, Gabe sticking close behind.

  They went through the lobby and out into the crisp chill of the evening. The last light from the sunset was fading, a golden orange in the sky. Gabe didn’t have a coat, not that she cared.

  “If you have something to say—”

  “I don’t,” she said, her words coming out clipped. They crossed the grounds of the resort and headed straight for Jonas’s front door. Rachel raised a hand and knocked on the thick wood. “Your brother does.”

  “I came to talk to you, not—” The door opened, and Jonas stood there. “Not Jonas,” Gabe finished.

  “What’s happening?” Jonas looked from Rachel to Gabe.

  Scott came running from the living room, his feet quick on the floor. “Hi,” he chirped, and then he was gone again, his footsteps receding back to the living room.

  “Your brother is a jerk,” Rachel burst out. “He came to my room to interrogate me about my personal finances. He’s questioned my honor. And then I think he tried to threaten me by saying he might tell you about my finances. This is your problem. He’s not my family, and he’s not my brother, thank goodness.” She turned to leave, and Jonas caught her by the elbow. Their eyes locked, the touch moving through her like a song, and her anger cooled—but only a few degrees.

  “Wait,” Jonas asked, holding his free hand up. “Wait.” He gave her elbow an affectionate squeeze and released her. Jonas’s gaze snapped to his brother. “What were you thinking?”

  “I was worried for you,” Gabe countered, heat rising in his voice. “I didn’t want you to get tricked by someone out to—”

  “Out to what?” Jonas looked horrified. “Get money from me? It doesn’t matter. We have plenty of money. More than enough money for everything. And you thought you were going to pressure Rachel into what, exactly? Leaving? You should never have done that, Gabe. You are way out of line.”

  Some of the tension left Rachel’s shoulders. Jonas was on her team and not against her.

  His eyes met hers, and when he spoke again, his voice was soft, but determined. “I care about you.” The words sent a shudder of relief through her. He turned back to his brother. “I genuinely care about her. And I’m trying to see if we can make this work.”

  Gabe sighed, looking down at his shoes.

  “Go home, Gabe. This is between Rachel and me.”

  Gabe held up both hands, turned on his heel, and left without a word.

  Jonas pulled Rachel into the house, shutting the door behind them. They returned to the living room to check on Scott, who was playing with the stuffed elk on the rug.

  Rachel ran a hand through her hair. She had never been so hopeful and so terrified by his declaration. “You want us to work out?” she asked.

  “I don’t want to pressure you, but I have to be clear—I want you and Scott in my life. I’m sorry that I missed so much of his life already.”

  “I’m sorry you did, too.” Hope displaced fear. Maybe there was something to this—that she could stay. And just maybe, they could build a life together.

  “And no matter what my brother said—” Jonas shook his head, brows knitting. “I don’t care about your finances. If you’re having trouble, then what does it matter to me? I want to provide for all of Scott’s needs.” He looked over at their son again, face softening. “I want him to have the best schooling, the best housing, the best of everything. And I can give that to him.” Jonas met her eyes again. “Of course, I want to give that to you, too.”

  Oh, no. The best, the best, the best. It reminded her of her mother. It reminded her of Daniel. They’d both wanted the best in life, and Rachel hadn’t been the best. She’d never even come close to measuring up. It hit her like a cymbal crash, loud and startling and still somehow familiar. It was a short distance from I love you to I’ll handle everything, because you can’t handle it yourself.

  No. Everything in her recoiled from that message. Rachel didn’t want to be cosseted or controlled. She’d made it with her son this far, and she could keep doing it for the rest of her life if necessary. An ache in her throat forced her to swallow, and she straightened her back. If there was really no pressure in his offer, then he would accept it if she left.

  “Thank you for that,” she said, as gently as she could. Except the steel in her voice didn’t send the same tone as her words. “I need some time. I’m going to be taking Scott back to Denver, and I’ll be in contact with you later.”

  Jonas’s face drained of color. There was a long silence between them, filled only by the sound of Scott, babbling to the elk. “If that’s what you need, then you’ll have it,” he said finally. “I meant what I said.”

  It made her want to kiss him, but she braced herself against that possibility. If she kissed Jonas now, she would never walk out of here. “I think it’s best if we leave now. I was on the last page of the scrapbook, and your grandmother will love it. I’ll leave everything in my suite.”

  Jonas turned and went into the living room. He came back a minute later with the diaper bag over his shoulder and Scott in his arms. He hugged his son tightly, and then handed him over to Rachel. “You’ll let me know if you need anything before you go?”

  “Of course I will,” she said, the weight of her son in her arms grounding her. But Rachel knew she wouldn’t ask Jonas for anything at all.

  14

  Jonas sat at his desk, staring blankly at his computer screen, feeling like his brain was on fire. It had all gone so horribly wrong. More like the worst possible scenario, and now, Rachel was gone.

  He hated the idea of her out on the highway, driving home with Scott in the dark as she headed back to Denver. She’d made her position clear, and he’d waited until the front desk called to tell him that she’d left before he went to collect the scrapbook and any extra unused photos.

  Everything had been stacked in a neat pile on her desk, symbolizing the finality of her decision. A decision that broke his heart.

  “You okay?” Gabe asked, entering his office and dropping into one of the chairs across from his desk. “I know she left.”

  Jonas tore his eyes from his computer and glared at his brother. “No, I’m not,” he answered. “Any other questions?”

  Chase came in next, looking sheepish, and stood behind Gabe’s chair. “Don’t be mad at us too long, Jonas. It’s the holidays.”

  “The holidays,” he scoffed. "Is that why you’re both acting this way? What has gotten into you? First, you—” He stabbed a finger at Chase. “Showing up at my house uninvited to question me about something personal, and then you—” He waved in Gabe’s direction. “Coming after Rachel like that? Yeah, happy holidays.”

  “We were only trying to protect you,” Gabe said. “You’ve used that argument a million times over the years, usually to justify your own pain-in-the-ass behavior.”

  Jonas saw the truth in
his brothers’ eyes. He had said that to them, usually when he wanted them to go along with his plan for the lodge. Maybe there was a point where he should let go a little more. But he didn’t think now was the time. “I’ve tried to be the best older brother possible for you. I’ve tried to fill our grandfather’s role at the head of the family. Ever since Mom and Dad died—”

  “We’re worried,” Chase cut in. “Worried she’s using you or trying to get her hands on your money. We know how hard you’ve been trying since we lost Mom and Dad. I swear we know.” Chase and Gabe shared a glance. “That’s why we’re asking questions. We don’t want you in some situation where you lose what’s important to you and everything you’ve given your life to make a success.”

  “She doesn’t want my money,” Jonas insisted. “I offered her money. She wouldn’t take it. Rachel is proud and strong, and if anything—she’s trying to keep her distance from me.” The weight on his chest pressed deeper. Each minute that passed took Rachel further from him.

  Regret lodged deep in his heart that he’d let her walk out without a fight. Even if he left now, it would be impossible to catch up with her, not to mention more dangerous as the temperatures dropped toward freezing, and the roads became less manageable. “Are either of you planning to tell Grandmother what’s going on?”

  Silence.

  Gabe shifted in his seat. “Not yet.”

  “What does that mean?” Jonas snapped.

  “It means we’re not going to tell her just yet,” Chase said, shaking his head. “We won’t tell her until you’re ready.”

  “But?” Jonas could hear the unspoken word in his brother’s comment.

  “You’ve got a week. Don’t keep secrets from her too long, Jonas. She—” Chase looked away, and Jonas’s stomach twisted.

  Another long silence took over the office. The computer hummed in the background, and Jonas felt the way he had after they’d heard the news their parents were dead. Adrift.

  “Have you eaten?” Gabe asked.

  “What?” Jonas was bewildered by the question.

  “Did you have dinner?” Gabe rubbed a hand over his face. His concern came a little too late. Not to mention that if he was so concerned, then he shouldn’t have butted in at all. Rachel had driven away, and nothing was bringing her back. “You can’t work all night. It’s not good for a person.”

  The last thing Jonas wanted was to go to dinner with his brothers and act like there wasn’t anything wrong. But the computer screen glared at him, taunting him with emails that he’d read three times but couldn’t make sense of. There was a strange pit in his stomach. Hunger. Except it wasn’t food he wanted. He wanted Rachel.

  “I haven’t had dinner.” He stood up from his desk and switched off the monitor. “I’m going down to the restaurant to eat and if you’re coming with me, I don’t want to talk about this. And try not to make fools of yourselves.”

  Scott had been fussy since they pulled away from the Elk Lodge. Rachel knew it was her fault. They’d left past his bedtime, and he didn’t want to be in the car seat. She’d passed back toy after toy but had run out only thirty minutes into the drive.

  Scott started screaming. Apparently, dropping his stuffed elk was the last straw. Her head hurt from the intensity of his sobbing complaints. “Hey, buddy.” He wasn’t paying her the least bit of attention, but she had to try. “I’ll get you your elk as soon as I can find a place to stop.” There was no way she was stopping on a remote roadside in the dark and with the snow coming down way heavier than it had been when she first left the lodge.

  She’d gone just far enough that it made no sense to turn back. Especially given the tension and situation she’d left behind. Her only hope was to drive slowly.

  Scott’s screams dissolved into furious howls. Rachel turned on the radio, hoping to find a station that would soothe him. Just get through the drive—one mile at a time. Rachel tried to focus on something other than Scott.

  Something like her future. She still had her photography business and her son, and that would be enough to keep her going for years. What she didn’t have was Jonas. What she didn’t have was a concrete plan for keeping her son’s father in his life.

  She let out a laugh that sounded more like a cry. Had it felt this anguished to drive away from Montana, where she’d grown up? Rachel couldn’t remember. The future loomed ahead of her in the dark—more like ahead and behind. In front of her was a mother, disapproving and wanting her to be someone she wasn’t. And her studio. Behind her was Jonas and all hope of a family and a normal life—something she’d begun to crave while staying at the Elk Lodge.

  Scott had started to wear out from his incessant cries.

  A love song came on. “Ugh.” Flipping to the next station, she nodded. Hard rock wasn’t her favorite, but it would do. Except the hard rock disagreed with Scott, who started screaming again, pained and shrill.

  Her phone rang on the center console, vibrating crazily. The call could wait. The call would have to wait. She couldn’t help Scott calm down and answer the call, and anyway, she had no interest in talking to anyone right now.

  Rachel patted behind her, trying to find the elk. It was huge. How could it be so difficult to find right now? She finally grasped one of its legs. “Here you go, buddy,” she said, putting it in Scott’s lap. He quieted down instantly. Rachel pulled her arm forward, the awkward position causing her to cramp. She stretched and massaged the muscles, trying to get relief, accidentally bumping her phone in the process.

  “Hello?” her mother’s voice burst from the phone’s speaker.

  Why me? If Rachel had been parked, she’d have put her head down on the steering wheel and had a good cry.

  “Rachel? Are you out driving in this storm?”

  The smallest thud came from the backseat—Scott’s elk hitting the back of the seat. His scream was instantaneous as it fell out of his reach.

  “What’s wrong with Scott?”

  “Yes, I’m driving. His elk just fell on the floor. Mom, I can’t talk right now,” she shouted above the noise. “We’re fine. I’ll be in touch soon.”

  “Rachel, we need to discuss this vacation you’ve taken.” Her mother didn’t notice that she’d said anything at all. “It’s not right of you to keep Scott from his grandparents at the holidays. We need family pictures. I want family pictures,” she amended. “It’s important for me to spend time with you, and—”

  “I can’t talk right now,” Rachel cut in. “I’m hanging up the phone. Please don’t call back.”

  “I’ll call back, sure,” her mother said. “It must be patchy service. I’ll hang up and then—”

  “No,” Rachel shouted. “Do not call again.”

  “There’s no need to shout,” her mother scolded. “I’m only trying to talk to you about—”

  “I just can’t talk right now. I’m driving, and it’s dark, and whatever you want—”

  “It’s not about anything that I want,” her mother continued, going on and on.

  Rachel was on the verge of screaming herself. What did she have to do to get her mother to stop? A moment’s peace, that’s all she needed. Scott’s wails got louder. The stuffed elk wasn’t in reach this time, and Rachel felt a certain panic at her core. The snow fell thicker, whipping up and across the windshield, and it was getting harder to see.

  “I’m hanging up, Mom.” She reached down, keeping her eyes glued to the road, and hit a switch on the phone, cutting her mother off in the middle of whatever it was she was going to say. Rachel waved a hand in the air, trying to get Scott to pay attention to her. Now was not the time to lose her mind.

  “Row, row, row your boat,” she sang, trying to distract him. What she needed was a side road to turn off on so she could pick up his toys. They were approaching an intersection, and Rachel sent up a quick wish for the light to stay green.

  It turned orange.

  Rachel tapped the brakes to stop, watching as an oncoming vehicle slid into the interse
ction. She pumped her brakes harder, fear lodging in her throat as her vehicle didn’t respond, the tires slipping instead of gripping the road.

  It all played out as if in slow motion, the car heading straight toward them, headlights glaring. Rachel turned the wheel sharply, trying to avoid a collision.

  The screech of metal and the force of the impact seemed to take forever. Rachel’s head went to the side, and she gripped the wheel tightly like she could stop all of this through willpower.

  Scott stopped screaming. It was eerily silent in the car as it spun around several times. And then her car slammed into something hard and unyielding. She let out the breath she’d been holding, immediately turning to check on Scott.

  He appeared okay—mostly terrified.

  But they’d survived.

  15

  There was no way Jonas could live with the waiting. Not anymore. He finished up the last of the mashed potatoes on his plate and wiped his mouth with his napkin. His brothers watched him, a habit that was becoming more than slightly irritating. “Are you two done?”

  The waiter came to clear away their dishes, and the three of them stood to leave. Jonas had decided it was past time to tell his grandmother the truth. Waiting like this was going to give him an ulcer. He couldn’t afford the stress and all the mistakes that came along with stress. Letting Rachel and his son leave, the biggest one yet.

  Outside the restaurant, the three brothers paused. “I’m headed home,” Chase said. He lived in one of the properties near Jonas’s place with Tana and Lindsey. “I’ll see you guys.”

  Jonas headed up in the private elevator and hesitated outside his grandmother’s door. Doubts reared up, larger than life. What he needed was a medical opinion. He went down the hall to a secluded alcove to make the call.

  Their grandmother’s doctor was a man from town who had overseen her care for over fifty years. He was part of a team of specialists now, people coming together to help manage her cancer—and later, her pain.