An unexpected grin tugged at his lips. Maybe his sister being a pain in the butt about his love life was their little tradition.
He swung open the door beneath the carport and found his brother standing in the kitchen, filling a glass of water. Justin wasn’t braced for the wave of relief that swamped him. He hadn’t realized how truly worried he’d been about his big brother until he was able to clap eyes on him, safe and sound and in person. But this Colin bore minimal resemblance to the formerly clean-shaven veterinarian who used to carry his son Danny on his wide shoulders.
Colin had always been tall, but his frame had been proportional. The weight he’d lost made him look longer, giving the impression that he towered over Justin even though there was only about an inch difference between their heights. His dark hair had grown shaggy and wild, and the beginnings of a beard stubbled his lean jaw. Only the piercing blue-green eyes beneath his bangs were the same.
“Damn, bro.” Justin stepped forward to give him a brief one-armed hug. “I see you finally gave up that pesky personal grooming that was keeping you off the cover of Axe Murderer Monthly.”
Colin shoved him. “Well, we don’t all have your vast supply of hair products and tanning spray.”
“Tanning spray?” Not bloody likely. Justin made a rude noise. “I oughta kick your ass for that.”
“Give it your best shot. Should make for an entertaining three minutes before I flatten you.”
“See, this is why you need to visit more,” Justin said approvingly. “Arden thinks sibling relationships are all about sharing feelings and telling each other how much we care.”
Colin shuddered.
“You have any lunch yet?” Justin went to the refrigerator, pulling out a soda and a container of deli-sliced roast beef.
“No, just got in. I could eat.”
They’d be having a big formal dinner at Arden’s that night, so they didn’t need anything fancy to tide them over. Justin’s plan was sandwiches and chips. But that plan went south when he realized he hadn’t bought any new chips since Kaylee had snacked on the last of them Saturday—and the only bread he had was beginning to show little green dots of mold.
“Grab your coat,” he told Colin. “We’re eating out.”
Before his brother could respond, Justin’s cell phone chimed. Probably Arden wanting to make sure Colin had arrived safely. Elisabeth’s number flashing across the screen was a welcome surprise.
He was grinning as he answered. “Miss me already?”
“Yes, that’s exactly why I called. Pining for you has sapped my will to live,” she intoned. “I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, I can’t update my Facebook status.”
“Wow, you’re in worse shape than I expected. Maybe I should take your mom up on that invitation to make sure you don’t waste away.”
There was a pause before she spoke again, her voice serious this time. “That’s actually why I was calling. I don’t want you to feel... Do you think... Isn’t Arden expecting you to spend Christmas with her?”
Justin leaned against the counter. “We’re having dinner there tonight. I’m going over for a few hours tomorrow, too, but she knows I have a patrol shift in the morning. And she’ll have a really full house tomorrow night. Garrett’s parents are coming in to be part of the baby’s first Christmas, and she’s invited Hugh and Darcy Connor over, too. I don’t think she’s really expecting me to stay for that.”
He knew Arden would be more than happy for him to have Christmas dinner with Elisabeth. His sister would probably turn freaking cartwheels. But what about Elisabeth? Did the idea of his joining the Donnellys make her happy?
She seemed undecided. “Kaylee would be thrilled if you could make it. My folks, too. And something about you seems to stick in my sister’s craw, which is fun to watch. But Kaylee’s already so crazy about you...”
What about Kaylee’s mother? It was a question he couldn’t voice. Because, deep down, he wasn’t sure what answer he wanted to hear.
“I have a radical idea,” he said. “You sit through a meal with my family tonight, and I’ll join yours tomorrow. Like...like a suicide pact, but with holiday dinners.”
Colin snorted.
“We have to work on your holiday cheer,” Elisabeth said, sounding as though she were trying not to laugh. “You honestly want me to come with you to Arden’s?”
He was as surprised by the impulsive invitation as she was. But given his options, it was an unquestionably logical choice. He could spend the evening with a sappy engaged couple who hadn’t seen each other in over a week and would spend the night mooning over one another, plus Colin—who tended to retreat into stony silence at these festive gatherings. Or he could enjoy the company of a woman who made him feel ridiculously good just by calling him and taking verbal swings at his ego.
A dinner spent listening to Arden’s unsolicited advice about who he should date, or actually bringing a date? No contest.
“Can you get your mom or Lina to babysit Kaylee for the evening?”
“Done. Mom already invited Kaylee over to make gingerbread houses tonight and have a sleepover so that Santa can stay home and tackle these damn ‘some assembly required’ toys without fear of being interrupted. I think Santa can justify a dinner break. The North Pole has labor laws, right?”
“Pick you up at six,” he told her, trying to pretend he wasn’t already counting the hours between then and now. “See you soon, Beth.”
Colin barely waited until he’d disconnected the call before asking, “Beth, as in Elisabeth?”
Justin nodded. “She and Arden are friends. I thought it would be nice if she joined us tonight. The more, the merrier, right?”
“I know I’ve been out of the loop, but didn’t you dump her? Or is this a different Elisabeth?”
“Same one. You ready to go?”
They stepped outside, but Colin didn’t drop the subject.
“You’re dating her again? I’ve never known you to circle back to the same woman twice,” he said as he opened the SUV’s passenger side door. “What happened, did you run out of new ones?”
That characterization stung. Justin had always enjoyed female company, but he wasn’t some pathological womanizer. Turning the key in the ignition, he informed his brother, “We aren’t dating.”
“Uh-huh.” Colin’s thick skepticism was annoying as hell.
But that was okay—Justin had the perfect idea on how to exact revenge. Many stores would be open until five today. “By the way, we’re gonna need to hit the mall while we’re out.”
* * *
“AM I OVERDRESSED?”
Justin knew that it wasn’t a rhetorical question, and he intended to answer it. He was simply having trouble finding his voice. Finally, he managed, “Wow.” Although Elisabeth’s clothes weren’t formal, she completely outclassed his jeans and zip-necked ski sweater.
Smiling in acknowledgment of the compliment, she turned toward the rack in her foyer and grabbed a sleek charcoal trench coat. He stood immobile, appreciating the view. The black pencil skirt hugged her butt in a way that should be illegal—though he was fervently grateful it wasn’t. Her black boots were sexy as hell and her silky, long-sleeved red top made him rethink his position that wearing red at Christmastime was a cliché. The color made her hair an even richer shade and brought out a wicked gleam in her eyes. The V-neck collar was going to distract him all evening.
Staring at her was definitely a better plan than listening to Arden and her cowboy exchange endearments.
“Red is your color,” he said.
She paused in the act of fluffing her hair to make sure none of it was caught in her jacket collar. “Thanks, I’m glad you think so. Can you grab that gift bag by the door?” she asked, reaching around the corner for her purse. “I got a bottle of wine for your sister. Figu
red it was only polite to bring a hostess gift.”
“What about for the guy who invited you to the shindig in the first place?” he teased. “Does he get a gift?”
“I’ll be seeing you on Christmas Day, so you’ll just have to wait.” She shot him a sassy smile as she double-checked her front door to make sure it was securely locked. “Patience and life lessons, remember?”
Wasn’t there some life lesson that championed instant gratification?
On the way to Arden’s place, she told him about the Christmas toys she needed to put together tonight and how Kaylee, though she seemed somewhat subdued regarding the holiday in general, was looking forward to making her first gingerbread house. “And she’s very excited to see you tomorrow,” Arden said. “When I told her you’re going to be joining us, I got a bona fide earsplitting squeal.”
“And how did she react to the other big news?”
“About not moving to California? She was as thrilled as expected. I had a long talk with her this afternoon about how this doesn’t mean she’ll necessarily live in Cielo Peak for the rest of her life. I have to evaluate opportunities as they come, and there may be a day when moving somewhere else makes the most sense for us. My job is to make the decisions, and her job is to communicate her opinions to me as respectfully as possible and trust me to do what’s best.”
All of the sudden, she sucked in her breath.
Justin laughed at her reaction to Arden’s house. “Sorry, forgot to warn you about Arden’s yard. Did you bring sunglasses?”
“That’s just, that’s... If you needed lights for your little tree, I don’t know why you resorted to bats. You could have lifted a dozen strands from here, and she never would have missed them.” She paused, wide-eyed, simply taking in the spectacle before her. “How are they not shorting out the entire block?”
“For all I know, her cowboy bought her a special power generator.” He turned off the car. “You haven’t met Garrett yet, have you?”
“No, but Arden makes him sound wonderful.”
When Justin had first learned his sister was accidentally pregnant with a near-stranger’s baby, he’d wanted to find the SOB and throttle him. But not even Justin was immune to the emotion between Arden and Garrett. Once the cowboy learned more about her past and forgave her for initially keeping the pregnancy a secret, Garret had fallen for her hard. And Arden had never been as happy as she was when she was with her fiancé.
The front door flew open, and Arden rushed out in a long knit tunic and a pair of leggings. “Elisabeth! I am so glad you’re joining us. It’s nice to have another girl in the crowd. Colin got here just a few minutes ago, and Garrett’s offered to mix up a batch of his grandfather’s killer eggnog for anyone brave enough to try it. You both look wonderful. Such a cute couple!” She fixed Justin with a pointed stare. “Who could have predicted you guys would look so good together, I wonder?”
She wasn’t even going to let him through the front door before starting up with this?
He sighed. “Of course we look good. She’s an incredibly attractive woman, and I’m...me. We’d have to work hard not to look good together.”
Next to him Elisabeth guffawed.
Arden rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why I invite you over.”
“Because your favorite pastime is meddling in my life and you get more fulfillment out of haranguing me when I’m actually around to hear it,” he suggested helpfully.
“I brought you some wine,” Elisabeth said, holding up the gift bag.
“Thanks. If I’m going to have to put up with him all night, I’ll probably need it.” Arden stuck her tongue out at Justin.
He laughed. “Good to see motherhood hasn’t aged you before your time.”
They all went inside, but Justin paused when Elisabeth tapped him on the shoulder.
“You know how everyone calls me the quiet, well-behaved Donnelly?” she whispered.
“That’s one interpretation.”
“I’ve decided there’s no such thing as the quiet, well-behaved Cade.”
He flashed an unrepentant grin. “My mama was always telling me to be good. She just never stipulated at what.”
When Elisabeth got her first look at Colin through the arched entryway to the kitchen, her step faltered. “Whoa,” she said under her breath. “Your brother is...different.”
“I know. All that hair, he’s like the Wolfman version of my brother. I hope he’s in town long enough for Arden to put some weight on him.” He studied Elisabeth’s face. “Wait a second. You’re not saying you find this look attractive?”
She hunched her shoulders in a very small, very rueful shrug. “What can I say? Some men make scruffy work,” she whispered. “He doesn’t look anything like I remember, and it caught me off guard. Have you had much of a chance to talk to him? Do you think he’s doing better than when he left town?”
“Better is a relative term. When it first happened, I didn’t think he would survive the week. But he manages to wake up every morning so I guess he’s ‘better.’ It’s been more than a year, though, and I’d bet his first thought each day is still wondering why the hell he’s here while Natalie and Danny are gone. I suspect it’s something he’ll carry with him for the rest of his life, like our dad did. Granted, the rest of Dad’s life wasn’t long.”
She stared, making him realize just how morbid his words were.
He cringed. “Sorry. I did warn you that jolly Christmas spirit isn’t in my wheelhouse.” But simple fun was. He’d long been known for his ability to show a lady a good time, and he was determined to tamp down this Yuletide gloom and make Elisabeth glad she was here with him.
She cupped the side of his face. “Your family’s been through so much.”
The sentiment, too close to pity, was discomfiting. He shrugged her words away, distancing himself from the loss. “Colin more than me.” Because Colin had taken the risk, gambled on joy. And paid the price.
For Justin, dating was like skiing. It was an exhilarating rush, but only the foolhardy participated without taking precautions to protect themselves.
Chapter Twelve
Determined to be a charming companion, Justin joined the rest of his family in the kitchen where he reacquainted Elisabeth and Colin, who gave a polite nod but said nothing, and introduced her to Garrett, who grinned from ear to ear.
“So you’re Elisabeth Donnelly. I’m glad we finally have a chance to meet. I’ve heard a lot about you,” he said, exchanging knowing glances with Arden.
My baby sister has a big mouth.
“Something smells good in here,” Elisabeth said.
“What’s for dinner, lasagna?” Justin guessed. Thank heavens his sister made a better one than Colin ever had. “Roast?”
“Greek food,” Arden said.
“Like...okay, I give up.” The only Greek food with which he was familiar was gyro sandwiches. Since he couldn’t recall his sister ever having eaten or cooked Greek food before, it seemed a somewhat random choice. Did Garrett have Greek ancestors in his family line somewhere?
“The main course is lamb,” Arden said. “Which is what smells so good. We’re also having stuffed grape leaves with a cucumber-yogurt dipping sauce and spanakorizo, which is a vegetarian side dish. There’s baklava for dessert, and if you’re already hungry there are pita chips and hummus on the table. Opa!”
Justin didn’t know what to make of the evening so far. Garrett wouldn’t stop smirking at him, Colin had barely said two words to anyone and Arden was all of a sudden throwing My Big Fat Greek Dinner Party. His only normal relative was Hope, who slept in a portable mesh crib between Arden’s sofa and the kitchen entryway.
Arden stirred the vegetable dish he’d never be able to pronounce, then set the spoon on the counter. “Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me, I want to show Elisab
eth the nursery.”
“She’s pretty,” Garrett said when the women were out of the room. “Elisabeth, I mean. Arden always said the two of you should get back together—”
“Someone should tell my sister that butting into other people’s lives is not an attractive quality.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Garrett said. “I find it fairly adorable when she’s giving you hell. No point in being mad at her just because she was right about you and Elisabeth dating again.”
“We’re not dating.”
Colin grunted. “He told me the same thing this afternoon. Sounded just as ridiculous then.”
“We’re friends who’ve known each other a long time.” Friends who had made out last night. And, with any luck, would again soon. He’d been dying to kiss her since she’d opened her apartment door and smiled up at him.
A few minutes later, Arden returned to the kitchen, but she was alone.
Heaven only knew what his sister was up to. “What did you do with my da—with Elisabeth?”
“She’ll be back in a second,” Arden said airily. “Now, why don’t you and Colin set the table for me since Garrett is changing the baby?”
But her request turned out to be a classic case of misdirection. Colin carried silverware to the table but when Justin tried to follow with a stack of plates, Arden discreetly kicked him on the ankle.
“Ouch,” he grumbled. “Damn it, woman, these are your plates. I don’t want to hear any complaints if you make me drop them.”
Her voice was an urgent hiss. “Spill. You spent all afternoon with our brother. Did he tell you where he’s been, where he plans to head next? How long he’ll be here?”
“Working on ranches, working on more ranches, and no.” He paused, staring at their brother in the next room. “Women don’t really think scruffy is attractive, do they?”
She frowned. “What are you talking about? Stay on topic. Do you think we can convince him to give up the rambling and come home?”
“No. Look, I worry about him, too. When he’s not here, I miss that sunny, winning personality,” he drawled, eliciting a giggle from his sister.
Second Chance Christmas (The Colorado Cades) Page 14