Merry & Bright: A Christmas Anthology (Nocturne Falls Universe)

by Fiona Roarke

  “Yes.”

  “Aren’t you going to open it?” It wasn’t curiosity that made her nosy exactly, but more like the item spoke to her, making her need to nudge him in order to see the task complete.

  He lifted one muscular shoulder and let it fall. “It’s from my brother.”

  “I think he’s getting married,” she blurted out.

  His brows shot up and a throaty laugh erupted from his lips. “Say what?” As if to verify if she was correct, he ripped open the envelope with clean manicured fingers. His jaw dropped. “Camille Nahuel and Nathaniel Newburg…Joyfully request your presence…In a celebration of our love.” He stared at the ceiling. “Awe crap.”

  “This isn’t good news?”

  “They’re getting married here, in Nocturne Falls. This weekend.”

  He didn’t go into more detail, just pulled his lips to one side. Somehow it made him look even more handsome. She bit her lip. “I’m sorry you don’t have more notice. The invitation may have sat on my counter a little longer than it should have.”

  As if coming out of his inner thoughts, he blinked. “Don’t worry about it. I appreciate that you delivered it to me. Thank you.”

  “No problem.” She rotated to leave.

  “Wait. Would you like to go with me to the wedding on Saturday?”

  His invitation startled her. She paused to peer over her shoulder, meeting his intense dark coffee brown eyes. He brushed a lock of sandy blonde hair from his forehead, waiting for her answer. There was nothing timid in the way he stood there, nor did she feel sorry for him, and yet it didn’t feel right to turn him down. And so she answered, “Sure. It will be nice to get out.”

  “Good. I’ll pick you up at 6:00 P.M. The ceremony will be held by the falls.”

  “Okay. That sounds like it will be beautiful,” she said. She lowered her lashes and then brought them up once more to peer at him.

  “Yeah.” But his definition of beautiful was standing right in front of him. From her strawberry-blonde hair framing her heart shaped face to the way she looked over her perfect shoulder to the V of her shirt and the pendant that rested against her delicate skin. She had what he thought was referred to as peaches and cream complexion. There was a softness and sensitivity about her that was so appealing.

  But she always seemed to know too much about him. Maybe it was the witch in her.

  He watched her walk away, waiting until she rounded the bend and moved out-of-sight before stepping backwards and closing the door. He stood there for a moment, staring across the room at the grandfather clock. One of the few things he’d hauled around with him from place to place when he’d moved over the last century.

  He had shocked himself with his invitation, asking her to go with him after he hadn’t called her in months. He didn’t know exactly why he’d asked her. It had simply been impromptu. Something had drawn him to her, and that, coupled with the sudden realization that he didn’t want to attend his brother’s wedding pathetically alone had spurred him into action.

  Regret was a foolish emotion. Especially remorse for what one had not done. Yet, he seemed to get caught wishing he could change things. So he’d learned to act, to trust his instincts, and never to second guess himself. The past couldn’t be changed, only the future.

  Jake considered the opened invitation. A spray of white flowers, magnolias perhaps, with dark green leaves outlined in gold embossed filigree curved around the names.

  Scratching bear claws. His brother was getting married. A December wedding right here in Nocturne Falls. He exhaled a cleansing breath of air as he flipped the invitation front to back several times, taking in the lovey-dovey ambiance clinging to the fine paper. He inhaled deeply of the scent that lingered on it, the spicy masculine aroma of Nathanial and a softer, sweeter feminine fragrance. He liked the latter. He and Nate had always appreciated similar things. Up until their falling out, that is.

  He didn’t really dislike his younger brother. Actually, quite the opposite. The thing was, after the war had put him in a wheelchair, he couldn’t abide Nate’s pitiful guilty mug. So he’d left Terror, Minnesota, and after years of bouncing around the country, eventually he’d settled in Nocturne Falls.

  And life had been good. Peaceful. Uneventful. Yes, okay. The founding family of Nocturne Falls was vampires. The Ellingham’s. He was a different offshoot of vampires than them. But that was neither here nor there. They got along just the same. Hugh was a standup vamp and they had become close friends.

  Besides, Jake’s adventures had pushed his body, if not his social circle. The people he hung with were others like him, who surged beyond their physical limitations.

  What his brother didn’t know was that over the past six months his body had slowly been healing, little by little. When he’d come across Nate in February at the Mardi Gras ball, he had still been in his wheel chair. He couldn’t dance. Didn’t want to anyway. In Nate’s mind, the chair defined him.

  That couldn’t be further from the truth.

  Nate had immediately whisked his culprit out of Nocturne Falls to Terror. Jake hadn’t had a chance to converse with his brother, catch up, or set him straight. Even after that, he’d thought he would have an opportunity to talk with him, perhaps when Nate came back into town to visit the girl he’d been with. But the word was that Camille had moved to Terror to be with Nathaniel.

  So there had been no revealing conversation between him and Nate.

  He grabbed hold of the cane and pushed off, balancing his forward step.

  It was about time he closed the distance between them, though.

  Chapter Two

  When she got home, Telia went straight to her closet and flipped through the dresses, trying to decide what to wear to the wedding. She had called Caroline Linzer during her trek home to find out more about the wedding. If anyone would know, it would be Caroline, who owned Crazy Critter Pets store. Sure enough, Caroline would be the maid of honor.

  The event was semi-formal.

  Telia wrinkled her nose. Nothing looked appropriate for a December wedding. And her wardrobe was mighty scarce. Her job kept her at the keyboard, so it didn’t matter what she wore. Sweatpants and sweatshirt were her preference.

  A whirl of anticipation circled through her at the prospect of going shopping. Yes, she needed a reason to buy a new Christmas outfit. And she would choose a dress she could also wear when she visited her parents. She smiled to herself, pleased she had agreed to accompany Jake to the wedding.

  She was over him, so it was no-big-deal.

  If she worked hard and got her client’s marketing campaign done then there would be time to visit Misty’s Boo-tique this afternoon. That was enough motivation to skip lunch and work continuously.

  She set up three blog hops, plus a social media campaign with awesome prizes. Author Roxy St. James, one of her clients and a local author, had given her a generous budget to work with.

  By two-thirty, she had accomplished all of the items on her list, with plenty of time to shop before the stores closed.

  She phoned her friend Alice Miller to see if she’d like to meet her at Misty’s. It had been so long since they’d been shopping.

  Later, as she tried on several dresses some of her excitement faded. What was she thinking agreeing to attend the wedding with Jake? She wondered if she was once again simply giving in to what was expected of her. To fall in line with what other people expected of her.

  She needed to face who she really was. A witch with sympath tendencies.

  Agnes bounced into the shop shaking her head, sending the teal and purple streaks in her hair waving. “You’re being too tame, girl.” She peered at Telia through her big, round, black-rimmed glasses, and her bright blue eyes squinting. “Try something bold, yet chic.” She glanced around. Like that, she pointed to a gorgeous long dress in dark green on a display mannequin. She sauntered over the display rack and removed a dress in Telia’s size, then held it out. “Here.”

  Telia compli
ed, changing in the dressing room and then modeling it for Agnes.

  Agnes whistled when she came to the three-way mirror. “There you go. That’s the dress, sweetheart.”

  Her heart skipped faster. The gown hugged her figure, but not too tight. The neckline was off one shoulder, with a dynamic lightning-bolt design. A slip of fabric draped over her upper arm.

  “Wear that gown and he’ll be yours forever.”

  “What if I don’t want him forever?” she quipped. She turned and looked at the dress from all angles. But she did want him, didn’t she?

  Jake paced, the tip of his cane striking the ground in an even thud. With practiced balance, he compensated by tightening his shoulders and back as he leaned on the cane. Maybe he shouldn’t go. After all, he hadn’t returned the online RSVP until a mere three days ago. His brother and fiancée probably had not even seen it. Wouldn’t plans already be set?

  He glanced at the clock. It was time to pick up Telia. He tensed the muscles along his jawline. He’d already made a commitment to her. And he kept his commitments…not that it mattered if his brother thought otherwise.

  He drove his SUV to her place, got out of the vehicle and lumbered to the front door where he rang the doorbell. As he waited, he noted how cheerful the porch looked. Christmas lights adorned the railing, framing the veranda. Snowflake decorations hung between the posts, sparkling with iridescent glitter.

  Jake inhaled a shaky breath. This was so not him. He faced death defying speeds, climbed grueling cliffs, and jumped out of airplanes to ride the wind. But let him need to converse with a gorgeous, sweet female, and, well, that frightened him.

  He rang the doorbell. A holiday tune chimed. He grinned. She really got into this, didn’t she? The door opened. His jaw dropped. Oh. My. Gods. She was stunning.

  Her brows shot up as she looked at him. “The cane adds a debonair touch. I like it.”

  “That’s good, I guess.”

  He nodded, sweeping his gaze the length of her. She wore a sleek dark pine-tree green dress. It had an angled neckline showing the tempting view of her shoulders. How he’d enjoy running kisses there. It was sleeveless and the figure-hugging fabric clung in all the right places. A slit up to the mid-thigh showed one leg. Sparkly shoes covered her delicate feet.

  She looked sexy as hell.

  “Too much?” she asked.

  “No. You look striking. The color suits you perfectly, setting off your hair.”

  “Thank you. I hope my mom approves when I wear it to a Christmas event.” She moved past him out the doorway. “Then again, I’ve promised myself not to let her opinion bother me.”

  “I’ll go set her straight,” he said, then thought better. It wasn’t his place to interfere.

  But the comment seemed to be okay because her smile brightened. And that outshone everything.

  “Be careful. My mother’s a crafty witch.”

  “Warning noted.” He extended his hand indicating for her to precede him.

  He escorted her to the passenger side of the Suburban and held the door for her, feeling her eyes on him as he walked around to the driver’s side and got in behind the wheel. A hint of self-doubt niggled at him. His movements weren’t smooth and fluid as they once had been. He started the SUV and drove.

  “I imagine the wedding will be small,” he said.

  “Probably. But Camille had made a lot of friends while she was here. Her dance studio was popular.”

  “Yes, of course.” Although that was one place he’d had no interest in going.

  The evening was like most others as he drove through town, the spectators milled about. Saturdays were the busiest. And Jayne Frost’s shop was rockin’. By the door, an elf held a sign reminding people that there were only seventeen days until Christmas.

  “I need to go shopping there,” Telia said. “I’ll probably be able to find a special present for my sister.”

  He didn’t have anyone to shop for, which was a sad and lonely thought.

  It was a clear, bright evening, making the drive to the falls quite pleasant. The sun dipped behind the trees. The sky dimmed to a peachy glow, then faded into a tinted blue-gray curtain as stars peeked out.

  He turned off the road onto a smaller, gravel drive. There were a number of cars already there, parked in a designated area of grass marked off by a rope.

  “The place seems magical,” Telia said, exiting the SUV and standing beside him.

  A golf cart pulled up next to the cars. “Want a ride to the falls?” Sam Kincaid asked with a smile.

  “Sure,” Jake answered and then waited for Telia to slide across the seat. Another couple sat on a bench in back and Ivy Merrow took the front seat. “What about Hank?” Sam asked.

  “He’s going to talk with the groom first. He’s giving the bride away, you know,” she explained.

  “Where is he?” Jake asked, looking over his shoulder.

  “Over in that camper,” she pointed at the RV among the trees.

  Jake clenched his jaw and swallowed hard. “Wait,” he said to Sam, and then touched Telia’s hand. “I need to speak to my brother. Do you mind going ahead and finding seats?”

  Her smile was sweet. “I don’t mind at all. Take your time.”

  Jumping off the cart, he headed toward the camper, tension winding inside of him with every step. He didn’t want to put a damper on the wedding. He just wanted to set things right between them. To let Nate know that no matter what, he could count on him. That the past was the past. He didn’t harbor bad feelings for Nate.

  And the bottom line, he wanted his brother to be happy. It was the reason he’d hit the road in the first place. Nathaniel had made himself responsible for Jake’s injuries. No matter how Jake denied that. It didn’t matter. And the truth was Jake couldn’t stand Nate’s guilt. So he’d left town.

  He knocked on the door. It opened. Nathaniel stared down at him.

  She didn’t have a problem going alone to seat herself. When Jake had touched her hand, his emotions had zinged straight into her. Hot and raw and confrontational and painful. He was sad and yet determined. Hesitant and yet bold.

  Whatever had transpired between Jake and his brother needed to be resolved. For Jake’s peace of mind.

  Telia turned her attention to the wedding decorations. She stepped from the golf cart. The setting was spectacular. An arch of flowers and netting framed the falls in the background. The water drummed a soothing rhythm, sending a misty spray over the rocks. About forty chairs made up the bride’s and groom’s sections. Twinkling lights filled the surrounding trees. She speculated for a second how it had been accomplished. A generator perhaps. Her guess was confirmed when she noticed a DJ table off to the side playing music and inconspicuously checking the microphones.

  Up the bank, on a large flat area, a huge tent was set up for the reception, with more lights and seating and tables. The place was beautiful.

  “This is gorgeous,” she said to Ivy as they approached the seating area. “I think I’ve discovered my new dream wedding.” As soon as she’d said it, she wished she could take it back. She hadn’t meant to share that she even thought about finding Mr. Right. A tiny nervousness set her insides into a twitter because she wouldn’t want them to think of her and Jake that way. As a couple. Even though the thought intrigued her more than a little.

  “Would you like to sit with me?” Ivy asked. “Hank will be giving Camille away. She doesn’t have family, you know. And we grew fond of her after she’d moved to town. We sure have missed her dance classes..”

  Telia open and closed her mouth to protest Ivy’s assumption that she and Jake were a couple. She said nothing. Instead, allowing the idea settle over her.

  And she liked it.

  “Yes. I’m sure that will be fine.”

  Ivy led the way, selecting a seat in the front. They chatted at how all this had been accomplished. Ivy speculated that Corette Williams may have had a hand at pulling this off.

  Telia intended to f
ind out. Just in case. One day when she was the bride this may be exactly what she wanted.

  Chapter Three

  It seemed to take forever before Hank stepped forward within the doorframe. A fistful of tension settled in Jake’s gut. This wasn’t how he’d envisioned making amends with his brother. Not at all. And adding to the situation, he didn’t intend to mess up Nate’s wedding.

  “Hi,” Hank said, lumbering out and down the trailer steps. “He cleans up pretty good.” Hank clasped Nate’s shoulder as he strode past.

  Jake nodded. He entered the motor home. Standing next to the kitchen counter, Nate turned his head. Their eyes met and held, and all the old childhood memories came rushing back, and like that, he was a proud brother again. Yet he knew it wouldn’t be that easy.

  “I wanted to come offer my congratulations before you got too busy,” Jake said, walking into the tight space that made up the kitchen.

  Nathaniel’s eyes settled on Jake’s legs. “What the…”

  Jake glanced to Val Langdale, the law of Terror, a dangerous dragon shifter, and next to him stood his cousin Patty. He stared at her for a millisecond, realizing how long it had been since he’d been back to Terror. She’d grown up.

  Recovering his composure, he shot his thumb over his shoulder. “Do you mind if I speak to my brother for a moment alone.”

  Val shrugged. “No problem. We don’t have long anyway. I’ll wait for you down the walkway, Nathaniel.” As he walked passed, he paused, saying, “It’s been a long time, man. Good to see you.”

  “Likewise.” Jake offered up his hand and tapped knuckles with Val.

  Inhaling and exhaling a long slow breath, Jake said, “I wanted to clear the air. I didn’t get a chance to when you were here earlier.”

  Nathaniel crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ve got my attention. You better talk quick.”

  “Right.” He leaned both hands forward, taking some of his weight onto the cane. “About six months ago, I felt a change. My body started slowly healing. Actually, I don’t use the chair much anymore. Except at the races I attend. It really depends on how tired I am.”