by Melissa West
“Two?”
“The Rare Treasures team will get those two, so there’s no point in staying.”
Kylie rose onto her toes to peer around the building. “But maybe they miscounted or something. Maybe it’s worth staying.”
Bree and Nina both shook their heads. “No point. Trust us. They already opened all their boxes from their shipment. They only have the two.”
“So then what do you do?”
“You try again tomorrow,” Nina said.
“And it’s supposed to be in the teens in the morning,” Bree added.
Kylie followed the women toward the parking lot, her hands icy, her toes numb, and suddenly there was a new number one on her to-do list for the season.
She would find this doll.
* * * *
Brady opened the door to Merrily Christmas slash Southern Dive & ETC, the new name they’d given to the shop, for his brothers. It had taken him weeks to get his side of the shop organized in the way he wanted without killing the Christmas vibe that Kylie and Franny needed for their shop. Finally, he’d decided to have a rustic, wooden counter in the center, a giant trophy fish on the wall behind it, and then shelves on either side with bait, hooks, and all the goods that an angler might need, whether he was heading out to salt or fresh water. Then Brady had the rest of his stock and all packaging in the back.
Kylie had agreed to give him extra workspace if he agreed to allow her to use the tables whenever she needed to wrap gifts. It worked out, and already he had solid foot traffic coming in to buy this or that.
Zac and Charlie paused in the middle of the shop, one facing Southern Dive’s side, the other Merrily. Charlie was the first to ask “And whose idea was this again? Why not just buy the whole shop? Where you going to put the rods when they deliver?”
The brothers had enough requests for specialty rods and reels that they’d decided to expand their collection. Again.
“We talked about this,” Brady said, fighting the annoyance he felt. Why couldn’t they ever just go along with what he said or did? Why was it always a battle or a surge of questions? “This was we make half the investment and still have everything we need. And when the Christmas shop fails, we’ll get the rest of the building for a steal. It’s smart business.”
Zac turned around to face him now. “And what if it doesn’t fail? Are you prepared to do what you have to do here? Without feelings involved?”
At that moment, Kylie walked in the main door, her cheeks bright red, her eyes glassy. Her entire body was tensed up, and she was dressed like she’d just hiked through a blizzard.
“Sure, no problem,” Brady said, distracted. “Hey, y’all heading back over to the other building? I’ll come over in a bit.”
“Brady, we need to talk about this.”
“We will,” he said, half there, half already to Kylie. “Later.”
“What about the rods?” Charlie called after him.
Brady waved through the air nonchalantly. “Delivering on Monday. I’ve got it. Promise.”
He knew they were watching him, not at all confident in what he said, but they could go screw themselves. He would handle business, and if push came to shove, he would buy the rest of the building and put Franny out of business. He could do that, would do that. Somehow.
“Hey there,” he said as he approached Kylie. “Didn’t realize the snowman look was the trend these days.”
She shot him her trademark you’re-about-as-funny-as-dirt look, and he smiled still brighter. “You know, I think I liked it better when we weren’t really talking.”
“Now, now, you know you don’t mean that.”
“No, I don’t,” she said, her eyes meeting his, and for a second, he was lost there, swimming in a sea of blue, wondering how he was going to pull himself away and find air again.
Clearing his throat, he forced himself to look away. “So, what’s the story here. Car trouble or something?”
“No. Toy trouble.”
Brady eyed her. “You didn’t.”
“I did.”
“Damn. How long did you wait and where?”
Kylie rubbed her hands together, but she didn’t remove her gloves. He fought the urge to take her hands in his and warm them himself. “About an hour at Target. Only to find out the stupid store only received two. Which, according to Rick, Nina, and Bree, went to the stupid Rare Treasures team of chicks that show up every morning at the crack of dawn to buy the dolls all up and then sell them for five times the price in the eBay store.”
“You’re joking? And who are Rick, Nina, and Bree?”
She busied herself with trying to remove her gloves. “You know, just the regulars that go there every day to try to get one for their kids.”
“You befriended the regulars? Of course you did.” He bit his lip as he stared down at her frozen fingers trying to work off her gloves, before deciding he couldn’t watch the mess any longer. It was like watching a dog chasing its tail.
He grabbed her hands and eased the gloves off each, then closed her hands together and rubbed them between his. “Dang, you are freezing. Let’s get you some coffee.”
But she had stopped moving and was staring at him, her body trembling slightly, yet he had a feeling it was less to do with the cold and more to do with the fact that they were touching. A decade had passed, and he was back here, taking her in and making her a part of his world again. He needed to take a step back, needed to go back to his side of the shop and find his brain, but he couldn’t make himself move.
“Hey, B-man, need to see you for a second.”
Brady drew a slow breath at the old nickname and glanced over his shoulder to find both his brothers still there, both still watching him. Both still judging him. “Right.” He blew onto Kylie’s hands and then rubbed them again. “Go grab coffee. I set up a Keurig in the back and stocked it with k-cups. There’s some travel cups under the counter where it’s sitting. Take whatever you need.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said.
“I know, but your coffee maker was trash. Couldn’t go all day without good coffee. Now go get you a cup. Grab me one while you’re at it,” he said with a wink, then walked over to his brothers, each step locking up his heart and creating that solid armor he wore whenever he was around anyone but Kylie. If only he could find a way to wear it around her, too, then maybe he could have saved himself the last time. Maybe he could save himself this time.
“What?” he asked once Kylie went to the back.
Charlie wasn’t looking at him, which meant he was going to force Zac to say it.
“What the hell is going on here?” Zac asked, never one to beat around the bush.
“What are you talking about? And can you hurry up with it? I’m slammed here. I don’t have time to guess what’s going through your head.”
“Yeah, you look super busy,” Charlie said, facing him now. “Just not in the way we thought.”
“What is that supposed to mean? Seriously, what is with you, two? I thought you’d be excited to see all the progress. I have this place operational, and in no time at all. What did you expect here? Oh, right, not like I’d ever meet your damn expectations, right?”
Zac threw up his hands then. “All right, stop. We’re not trying to fight. The shop looks great, and we all agreed to move forward with the plan to buy half now, half later. We’re good there. It’s not the shop we’re worried about―it’s you.”
“There’s nothing to worry about with me. I’m good.”
Charlie nodded slowly. “Right, so why are you staring at that door?” He pointed at the door to the back, the door Kylie had disappeared through and hadn’t yet returned. Brady didn’t even realize he was staring at it until Charlie mentioned it. Maybe he wasn’t so good and fine after all. But he couldn’t admit that to them.
“I’m no
t,” he said, focusing on his brothers. “Now if there’s nothing else…”
“Tread carefully, little brother.” Charlie was never as forceful with his opinions as Zac. For him to be giving them now meant he was worried, and he was always the one in the family to do the shrink thing and help each of them through their crap. He knew more than anyone what had been in Brady’s head after Kylie left―how dark he’d gone and long it had taken him to come back to the light.
“I’ve got this under control.”
Kylie appeared then and instantly Brady glanced over, his heart picking up speed, the desire to check on her so great he thought he was losing his mind. Maybe he was.
“Clearly,” Zac said, and Brady shot him a look.
“You need anything else? Or you going to just stand here and interpret every move I make all day?”
“Nah, I’ll leave that for Ms. Franny. Seeing as how she’s staring between the two of you like she’s already got you figured out.”
Brady turned around to find Franny watching him with that sad puppy expression that so many wore around him in those first few days and weeks, once he showed his face.
“Yeah, anyway, I’ve got some inventory to unpack. See y’all at Mom and Dad’s for dinner tonight.”
He walked off before his brothers could ask anything else. Now to figure out how to get out of dinner so he wouldn’t have to face the twenty-twenty twice in one day.
Brady went to the back, then, realizing he needed more distance, pushed on out the back door and outside. Chilly wind hit him immediately, and he embraced it, letting himself feel the cold so he wouldn’t have to think about everything his brothers had said. And how right they’d been.
He shivered beneath his fleece pullover, but he allowed himself another minute to clear his head before going back inside, only to find Franny standing there, waiting on him.
“Hi,” he said. “You okay?”
She laughed. “Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing.”
Brady ran a hand over his head. “Seems to be a popular question these days.”
“I’m betting your answer could stop the questions. Assuming it’s that you’re being smart about this, taking it slow, and keeping your head on straight.”
Brady cocked a grin. “Y’all are all talking like I’m the woman in this situation. I’m the dude. The one who’s detached and needs poking and shit. I’m not the one you need to worry about falling apart here.”
But even as he said the words, he didn’t believe them. And by the look on Franny’s face, neither did she.
Franny gripped his arm and squeezed once. “All right then. I’ll let you be.”
She headed toward the back door and Brady opened it for her. “Heading out for the day?”
“Just a doctor’s appointment. No big deal.”
“Okay, feel free to call me if you need anything. You have my number, right?”
A smile curved her mouth. “I do indeed.” She winked and continued on outside, leaving Brady alone once again.
Christmas music poured out from the shop, through the walls and doors, hitting his ears, and for the first time in a long time, he didn’t wish someone would turn it off. Maybe he was insane for allowing himself to be open with Kylie, to take the risk of falling for her all over again, but wasn’t it worth the risk to feel something rather than to go a lifetime feeling nothing at all?
The door to the shop opened, and Brady peered over.
“Thank God,” Kylie said as she peeked her head around the door. “Annie-Jean down the street has agreed to supply cookie dough for that little cookie baking thing I brought in, but I can’t decide on two flavors. Can you help?”
Brady set down the box he’d just lifted to open up, and walked over to her. “Sure. What do you have?”
“All right, so don’t kill me, but it doesn’t really help if you can see them. So…” She stepped out from behind the door, one hand behind her back, and stopped right in front of him, an uneasy expression on her face as she used her free hand to turn him around.
“Yeah, not loving having my back to you. Am I about to get covered in cookies instead of simply tasting them?”
Kylie laughed. “Hey, there are worse punishments, right? But no, just close your eyes okay?”
“And how exactly am I supposed to pick up a cookie and take a bite if I have my eyes closed?”
She pulled back as if it should be obvious. “Easy. I’m going to feed you.”
Brady cocked an eyebrow. “You’re going to feed me? Sounds a little kinky.”
“It’s cookies, for Christ’s sake.”
“Hey, sweetheart, you can call it whatever you like. Wouldn’t be the first person I heard use food references.”
“You talk like there have been a lot of them.”
He continued to stare at her. “Would it bother you if I said there was?”
She didn’t answer immediately, and the Christmas song changed, “Silent Night” starting up. With the smell of cookies wafting from behind her, that innocent look in her eyes, and Christmas all around them, Brady couldn’t help thinking of how many kisses he’d stolen in this shop. How many times he pulled her behind a display or into the back, all for a soft kiss that never appeased him, yet he couldn’t resist. She was an addiction he would never overcome, and just how deep that addiction ran in his bloodline became more and more apparent every time he was around her.
“So, the cookies?” he asked, because while he’d love nothing more than to stay here and ignore everything else, this was a one-man shop here for his end of it, and he was that one man.
Kylie cleared her throat. “Right. Cookies, which are not at all a metaphor for anything else,” she said, then swallowed hard. “Okay, close your eyes.”
Licking his lips once, Brady did as she asked, then lowered his head a bit so it was directed toward her. “Ready when you are.”
The smell of freshly baked cookies hit his nose, and then he felt her fingertips graze his lips, and he fought the urge to groan.
“Open,” she breathed.
Brady’s heartbeat picked up speed, everything around him disappearing as all his senses honed in on her fingertips. He opened his mouth and she dropped the cookie bite in. It took every ounce of his control not to suck her fingertips in with the bite. This woman was going to be the death of him.
“So?” she asked, her voice a whisper, like she too felt the intensity of the moment. There couldn’t be a foot between them, and no one around to watch. No one to see Brady lean into her.
“Oatmeal raisin.”
“You like?”
“All will be revealed in the end,” he said with a grin. “Bring on the next.”
He licked his lips again to remove the cookie crumbs, and could have sworn he caught a sigh from Kylie before she said, “Option two.” Her fingertips rested against his mouth again, and this time he opened without her having to ask. A bite dropped onto his tongue, and he closed his mouth and chewed, the cookie melting in chocolaty goodness. He moaned as he took in the flavor.
“I need another taste of that one. Just to be safe.”
A giggle sounded from Kylie’s direction and he smiled. “No way.”
“Saving the rest for yourself?”
“You know it.”
His grin spread. “All right, so that was double chocolate chip. An AJ&P specialty, and I already know it’s gonna be my favorite.”
“Now, now, I may just have a surprise for you. This is the last one.”
Brady opened up, but this time, when Kylie dropped the bite inside, her finger lingered, and he closed his mouth around her finger, licking the tip before releasing, and instantly, his eyes popped open and his gaze dropped to her lips, the urge to kiss her so great it hurt.
Instead, he let his eyes flick back up to meet hers and held as he chewed slow
ly. He took a step toward her, invading her space, his chest pressing against hers.
“What do you taste?” she asked.
“Cinnamon.” He took her hand, ran his thumb over the finger he’d licked moments before. “Sugar.” He eased her toward him. “And something else. Something I know by heart, yet I can’t quite make sense of.” He drew a slow breath, let the moment hold. “This is the one.”
You’re the one, he thought, the words on the tip of tongue, right there, eager to be spoken. But instead of saying them, he took a step back, breaking the hold and taking a breath.
So much for treading lightly…
Chapter 8
“Just go home,” Kylie said to herself. She’d stopped at a traffic light, and turning one way would take her on to Franny’s house. Which was the safe choice―the right choice.
But turning left…
She put on her right-hand turn signal and nodded to herself. “Good choice.”
And then the light turned from red to green, and Kylie spun her wheel left instead.
“All right, so what are you going to say when you get there, huh?” she asked herself. “Hi, I don’t know why I’m here, but I couldn’t stop thinking about you, so it seemed only fitting that I show up at your house unannounced. Again.” She hung her head. “God, this shouldn’t be this hard, right?”
Automatically, she took the next right, then turned left onto his street. The problem with his house was that you couldn’t stalk it. There was no driving by and him thinking it was just a random car. Oh no. His driveway was longer than some roads, which all meant that if she made the decision to pull down the driveway, there was no going back.
Ugh, ugh, ugh.
“Okay, you just need an excuse.” She glanced around in her car, at her phone, then rummaged around in her purse. There was absolutely no reason for her to be there, and people didn’t drop by for coffee at eight o’clock at night.
Wait…coffee. Coffee!
A grin spread across Kylie’s face, and she pressed the accelerator as she turned down Brady’s driveway.
The lights were on inside, the occasional flash of a TV showing that he was awake and watching a game.