6 Mountain Brothers for Christmas

by Rye Hart

  “I was really sad after my mom died,” Tommy said softly. “Really sad. We didn’t talk about it much, but I know Dad and Sarah were sad too. Now, I don’t feel sad anymore. I still miss my mom, and I always will, but I think you’re kind of like a mom too. You take care of us. You love us.”

  “Yeah,” Sarah said, jumping up and walking over to me. “I love you a lot. I don’t really remember my mommy very much anymore. I still think about her a lot, and I think she’d really like you. She would want you to take care of us and Daddy. She still loves us, just like you do.”

  “Emily,” Sean said, pulling my attention back to him. He was kneeling in front of me, his hands outstretched, holding open the box.

  Inside was a sparkling diamond ring that took my breath away. I felt tears slide down my cheeks as I stared at it, my mouth hanging open. When I finally looked back at Sean’s face, he was crying too. He cleared his throat and held the box out to me.

  “Emily Ward,” he said softly. “I am so in love with you. You are the piece that was missing from our family, and now, we’re all whole again. So, will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife and spending the rest of your life as part of this little family?”

  I couldn’t speak. My throat felt tight, and tears were still streaming freely down my cheeks. I cried with earnest, unable to stop. Finally, I nodded my head and fell into Sean’s arms. He caught me and kissed me quickly, wrapping his arms around my body and holding me tightly against him.

  I sobbed into his chest while the kids surrounded us with hugs. Sarah wedged herself between us for a group hug, and then Tommy did the same. We held the kids and all laughed together, happier than we could ever remember being.

  That night, Sean and I tucked the kids in bed in their room and then closed the door. We had adjoining rooms and were eager to be alone. We didn’t speak. We didn’t need to. Everything had already been said, and when we fell into each other’s arms, it felt like coming home.

  We made love that night, slow and sweet. Our eyes never once fell from each other’s faces, and our hands never stilled as they moved across each other’s bodies. Sean whispered “I love you” in my ear, over and over again, creating the perfect soundtrack to the perfect night.

  The End

  DADDY’S GIRL

  CHAPTER ONE – VIOLET

  Breathe, Violet. Breathe, I told myself as I waited outside Sebastian Townsend's office. I tried to convince myself that it was no big deal, that I'd been to his office countless times before. But this time was different and I knew it. This time, I wasn't here on a social call with my father. No, this time I was interviewing for a job – a job I needed very badly.

  When Sebastian had initially offered me the opportunity to interview, I worried it was out of pity or even out of some sense of obligation to my father, and I balked. But now, well, things had changed and I couldn't afford to be picky.

  Far from being the hot commodity I thought I'd be, this was the only interview I'd had in weeks.

  My stomach lurched and his office door opened, and Sebastian – or rather, Mr. Townsend as I probably should call him if I were to work for him – stepped out. And I stared up at him like I always did – with the wide-eyed wonder of a little girl with a major crush.

  Because the fact of the matter was, potential boss or not, he was drop-dead gorgeous – even if he was my father's age.

  “Violet, how nice to see you again,” he said, his smile going all the way to his blue eyes.

  Even though I knew – or at least, based on what my father had told me – Sebastian could be absolutely brutal when it came to business and tended to take no prisoners, he always had such a genuine kindness and gentleness about him. It was one of the reasons I admired him as much as I did.

  “It's nice to see you too, Mr. Townsend,” I managed to croak.

  He waved me toward his office. “Come on in and let's chat.”

  I stood up and shook his hand, making sure my grip was firm and professional, and went through all the normal pleasantries of small talk as we walked into his office. I sat down in a chair across from his desk, the skirt of my business suit riding up and showing a little more leg than I'd intended. I fought to pull it down without looking too obvious about it, but it was too late. He was already looking down at my leg and doing his best to not laugh out loud and make me feel any more awkward than I already felt.

  “Excuse me,” I said, the color rising in my cheeks. “New suit.”

  “It's all good, Violet,” he said. “So, tell me, what have you been up to since college?”

  He ran a hand through his dark brown hair, and I watched his every movement with wide eyes and an open mouth. Seriously, Sebastian could have stepped right off the pages of a fashion magazine or a TV show like Mad Men; he was that beautiful to look at. It was almost distracting.

  Damn. This was going to be hard.

  “Well, to be honest, I'm just trying to find a job, as you know. I've applied at a number of different companies, had a few interviews, but nothing has panned out just yet,” I admitted. “They all want experience I don't have yet, which is part of the problem with just getting out of school, I suppose.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I understand. Believe me, I do. The market is tough right now, especially in real estate development,” he said. “A lot of companies downsized after the bust and many are still leery about hiring new people right now. They don't want to take on too much in labor before they know if the market is truly solid again.”

  “Exactly,” I said. “And as you know, things with my family have made it a bit harder. I had to take some time off for my father.”

  Sebastian grimaced, and I felt bad for bringing it up. He and my father had been close since college, and he knew all too well the toll it took on our family when my father had died. I didn't want him to hire me out of pity, but it was the truth.

  I hadn't been able to look for work while caring for my dying father and after that, planning a funeral – all things my mother couldn't deal with. And now, I was rushing to find a job since I was the one trying to keep a roof over our heads – something else my mother was incapable of doing.

  “I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you,” he said quietly, looking down at his hands. “I was around your age when I lost my father, and the funeral was up to me too. It's such a tremendous burden to put onto a child's shoulders – especially one who's just graduated college and is trying to get on their feet. But you did a wonderful job of holding it all together. I commend you for that, Violet. I know that your father would have been proud of you.”

  Hearing such high praise from Sebastian was nice, even if it was about something so depressing. It was nice to know that someone felt I had it all together. Because honestly, it didn't feel that way to me most of the time. I felt like I was being held together by rubber bands and scotch tape – and that the slightest breeze would bring the whole house of cards crashing down on top of me.

  Before I could thank him for his kind words though, Sebastian spoke again, “And that is why I asked you in here today. I could use someone with a level-head and your organizational skills around here,” he said. “I've been considering hiring an assistant for some time now. I know that I desperately need one, but I could never find someone I trusted enough to do the job. And after watching how well you handled everything, under the enormous burden of pressure and stress on your shoulders, I knew you'd be the right person for the job. So, what I'm saying is, the job is yours if you want it.”

  My mouth was hanging open and I wanted to say something, but I couldn't find the words. So instead, I merely smiled, “Thank you, Sebastian. That means a lot to me. More than you know, actually.”

  “When can you start?” he asked, opening up a planner and looking up at me.

  “I can start whenever you need me,” I said. “You're the boss. You tell me and I'll be here with bells on.”

  “How about tomorrow? That way we can get you prepped for the trip to Bali in the
next couple of weeks and –”

  “Bali?” I almost choked and stared at him with what I was sure was a dumbfounded expression on my face. “Seriously?”

  “Yes,” he said with a smile. “Being my assistant comes with a few perks now and again, trust me. You'll be traveling to some pretty cool places, I have to admit. We're opening a new resort in Bali and I need to travel down there to personally oversee a few things. And I could use your help with it.”

  Bali. Wow. I'd walked into his office an unemployed mess and I was walking out as his personal assistant who was getting an all-expense paid trip to Bali. I had to wonder if his friendship with my father had anything to do with it, but I wasn't complaining because hey, Bali.

  “Wow, I don't know what to say, Sebas – Mr. Townsend. Thank you,” I stammered. “For everything. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the opportunity.”

  “Sebastian,” he said. “No need to go making me feel older than I already do.”

  “Sebastian, then,” I said, a broad smile on my face. “I won't let you down. Thank you so much.”

  “No, thank you, Violet,” he said, smiling, those baby blue eyes boring straight into my soul. “Thank you. I know you're going to be amazing.”

  CHAPTER TWO - SEBASTIAN

  Violet had grown into quite the young lady, I had to admit. Having been around her most all of her life, I still pictured her as a child. It was easy to do. But having watched her handle herself so well during her father's illness and subsequent death, I saw firsthand how grown up she was now. It blew me away. She was most definitely not the precocious little kid I'd known.

  Yes, perhaps I felt a little bit sorry for her. But I knew how hard things had been on her and all she'd had to endure and overcome. But feeling sorry for her wasn't the only reason I'd hired her. Sure, Chuck would have been grateful to me for taking on his daughter like I was doing, but that wasn't the reason I'd given her the job either.

  In all truthfulness, I was impressed by her. She was a lot stronger than I think even she realized and she truly was a remarkable young woman.

  Violet intrigued me in ways very few woman had before – probably because I'd watched her grow from a small child into the beautiful woman she was today. Even still, knowing all I knew about her, it was easy to forget that this was Chuck's daughter. She was so mature, so well-spoken, so smart, and most of all, so grown-up.

  With her auburn hair pulled back in a bun, and a suit that was tailored to her petite, but curvy frame, everything about her cried out straight-laced and professional. And when she spoke, you could tell that she knew what she was talking about and was probably the smartest person in the room. The fact that it was so hard for her to get a job was crazy to me – but then again, her resume was pretty bare. Which was why I was there to help her.

  It might not be the exact job in her field she'd always dreamed of, but it was a foot in the door.

  As she left my office that day though, I caught myself staring a little too long as she walked away. Yeah, she was all grown-up alright. Beautiful woman with just the right number of curves she seemingly developed overnight. It was abundantly clear that she was no longer the little girl I'd known and was all woman now.

  Don't worry, Chuck, I thought to my deceased best friend, I won't go after your daughter, I promise.

  I silently vowed to do everything in my power to protect her, in fact. A moment after Violet had left the office, my cell phone rang – Jessica's ringtone. I groaned, contemplated not answering but realized that would be a dick move. With a sigh, I picked up the phone and connected the call.

  Before I could even say “Hello,” she was already attacking me.

  “Sebastian, I really need to get back into your place. I left some stuff over there, and –”

  “Chill,” I said, “Calm down, Jess. It's okay. You can come over after work today and pick up the rest of your stuff.”

  Her voice softened. “So, you're going to be there?”

  “Yes, I will be,” I said as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world – because it was. “It is my house after all.”

  “It was our house,” she said quietly.

  No, not really. It had always been my house, I thought to myself. Jessica had just sort of wedged herself in and I didn't stop it because the sex with her had been amazing. But to be honest, the more time she spent over there, the more I came to despise her. She was clingy, jealous, needy, and bossy. All things I could never accept in a partner, not when I worked as much as I did.

  “You can come by after work, it'll be fine,” I said with a sigh.

  “What about Bali?” she asked me. “Am I still going with you?”

  “That's off, Jess,” I said with a sigh. “We've been through this already.”

  I was already second guessing having her come over at all that night. I didn't want the headache, the hassle, or the scene I was afraid she'd make. Maybe it would be best if I packed up her things and set them outside for her to grab – or would that be a dick move too?

  “But maybe it would give us a chance to work on our issues,” she said, her voice tinged with hope. “I mean, it could, don't you think?”

  “It's a work trip, Jess. Not a vacation and most certainly not a couple's retreat.”

  “You're taking someone else,” she said. “I knew it. There's someone else.”

  I sighed and rubbed my temples; I could feel a whopper of a headache coming on.

  “No, Jessica. There's no one else. Like I said, it's a work trip. I only invited you along because you asked me to,” I said.

  Though ‘asked’ was putting it nicely. It was more like she'd begged, pleaded, pouted and cried until I said it was fine, but that was beside the point. The point was, she wasn't going.

  “Work trips are just that: for work,” I said firmly.

  “Doesn't mean you can't have a little fun too,” she cooed.

  She was really grating on my nerves, especially since I told her it was over a week ago. And yet, the near constant phone calls, the texts, the “stopping by because I missed you” visits. All of it was too much. If I ever had a doubt that this girl was too much for me, well, the last week proved it. I didn't have time for her drama. Nor did I have the inclination to deal with it.

  “Bye, Jessica,” I said. “I really have to get back to work now.”

  I could hear her arguing on the other end of the line as I hung up. Tonight will be so much fun, I thought. Hopefully this would be the end of it, though. She could get the last of her shit and get out. For good. Though deep down, I knew it wouldn't be that easy.

  It never was with Jessica.

  ***

  “The only things of yours are your toothbrush, which needed to be replaced anyway, and a t-shirt I let you sleep in a few times. But I guess it's yours now?”

  Jessica was walking through the house, slowly and deliberately, pretending to look for stuff. This was just another of her tactics to get me face to face, and it worked. I was a damn fool.

  “I swore I left my iPod over here.”

  “When's the last time you used a damn iPod, Jess?” I asked.

  She shot me a look of death. “What's it matter? It's mine, so I want it back.”

  “Do you? Do you really?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Or is this just another story designed to get me to talk to you because you think we can work this all out and get back together?”

  “Oh seriously, Sebastian,” she rolled her eyes dramatically. “Get over yourself.”

  Well, I'd be more than happy to get over myself if she stopped harassing me. I was ready to move on, and it was clear as day that there was no fucking iPod anywhere in my house.

  “We should get together for lunch before you leave for Bali,” she said, changing her tone entirely. “You know, just to talk some things out before you head overseas with God knows who.”

  “I'm not going with anyone,” I muttered.

  Which wasn't entirely true. I had Violet coming with me now, a
s an assistant. But Jessica wouldn't believe it and would likely just make trouble for me if I told her. So, I let it go. Not like she deserved to know. We were broken up after all. I owed her nothing.

  “Sure, whatever you say,” she said, rolling her eyes again.

  Jessica was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt about that. Long, blonde hair, blue eyes, and a killer body – the stereotypical Southern California beauty. It's why I initially fell for her, of course. But her personality made her less and less attractive over time. The more we got to know one another, the less I cared for her. I was starting to think I might end up alone, a bachelor for life, at the rate I was going. A bit fatalistic, perhaps, but it seemed like all I had was just one failed relationship after another, and it was growing old.

  Jessica stopped digging through a desk drawer for her non-existent iPod, closed it and turned toward me with a mischievous look in her eye. Licking her lips suggestively, she sidled up to me, draping her arms around my shoulders and stared straight into my eyes. The old me would have been hard in an instant, ready to take her to bed. But now? I didn't even want to be this close to her.

  “So then,” she purred, “if you're not seeing anyone – ”

  “No,” I said, removing her arms from around my neck. “We're not playing these games, Jessica.”

  With a huff and a well-practiced pout, she turned and walked away, which I hoped meant she was leaving. I listened for the front door, hoping she'd slam it as she left, but instead, I heard her footsteps as she walked upstairs.

  “Jess!” I called out to her, hurrying after her as she ascended the stairs.

  She stopped and smiled at me, crooking her finger and motioning for me to follow her.

  “What in the hell are you doing?” I roared.

  “Figured I'd slip into something more comfortable, Sebastian. Maybe take a dip in the pool, like old times? Come on, Sebastian. One more time just for old time's sake. What can it hurt?”

  Without waiting for me to answer, she walked down the hallway toward my bedroom.