The Other Brother (The Collision Series)

by Kristen Granata

  On Christmas Eve, it was finally ready. I waited until I was the only one left at work, and then I called Charlotte.

  “Hey, baby,” she answered. “Did you finish at work?”

  “I’m all finished. Can I pick you up? I want to show you something.”

  “Sure. You sound weird. Is everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine. I just want to show you something.”

  “Okay. I’ll be here waiting for you.”

  When I arrived at the bakery, Charlotte was bundled in a hat, scarf, coat, and gloves. I had to laugh. It was only December. She hadn’t even seen winter in New York, yet.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You. You look like the abominable snowwoman.”

  She smacked my shoulder though she was laughing. “It’s cold, okay? I’m not used to this kind of weather.”

  “I can’t wait to see what you wear in February.”

  “You love me. You’re not supposed to make fun of me.”

  “I love you, and that’s why I make fun of you.”

  “Fine. Now, what is this thing you have to show me? I have to get home to get the food started for tonight.”

  “I need you to come with me to the shop. We’ll be quick. I promise.”

  She raised a skeptical eyebrow but sat back in her seat without another word. I could see the wheels turning in her mind.

  Five minutes later, we were walking through the door to the garage. “You have to close your eyes.”

  Again, she gave me a look, but she didn’t argue. Her leopard fuzzy gloves covered her eyes.

  “No peeking.”

  “I’m not peeking, but you’re going to have to help me here.”

  I guided her through the garage door and positioned her in front of her new-and-improved GTO. “Okay.” I took a deep breath. “Open.”

  Her hands left her eyes and quickly flew to her mouth. “Is that my car?”

  “It is.”

  She was frozen where she stood. “Tanner, I can’t believe you did this! It looks like a brand-new car.”

  I stood behind her and wrapped my arms around her puffy coat. “Do you like the color?” I’d painted it teal.

  She turned around, her blue eyes filled with sincerity. “I love it. It’s perfect.”

  “You are perfect.” I kissed her lips softly.

  “My gift is not this amazing.”

  “You didn’t have to get me anything. You’re the only thing I want.”

  “Well, in that case,” she said, taking a step back and unzipping her coat. “I’d better give you what you want.”

  I grinned. “But I thought you had to get home to start cooking?”

  “The food can wait.” She tore her shirt off and unclipped her bra, tossing them both onto the floor. “We are finally going to have car sex.”

  I carried her to the car and lowered her inside the back seat.

  “We’re not always going to be able to have this much sex all the time.” She clawed at my shirt as I got on top of her. “We won’t be able to keep this up. Maybe we’re setting the bar too high.”

  I smiled as I covered her bare skin in kisses. “That’s exactly why we need to do this as much as possible now. Then, when we’re eighty, we can look back and remember the glory days.”

  “You think you’re still going to be with me when we’re eighty?”

  I took her face into my hands. “I think I’m going to be with you until I take my last breath.”

  Fifteen

  Tanner

  Christmas morning was bittersweet. I knew we were lucky to have one last Christmas with Dad, but it was difficult seeing how weak he was. His pale skin, frail body, and tired eyes were constant reminders of what was to come. He had gone to sleep as soon as we finished opening presents. Khloe kept busy playing with her new toys; Chase was occupied with Merritt. I helped Mom in the kitchen. She was going to take this the hardest out of all of us, and I wanted to be there for her.

  “If I would’ve known you were so helpful, I would’ve put you to work years ago,” Mom said.

  “I’m very helpful,” I scoffed, pretending to be offended.

  “You are extremely helpful, my baby boy. I don’t know what I would do without you.” She smiled and wrapped her arms around my waist. She was tall, but she still only reached my chin. Her body felt tiny in my arms.

  “Are you taking care of yourself? I know you’re busy looking after Dad, but you can’t forget about yourself. We need you.”

  She stepped away and waved her hand in the air. “I’m fine.”

  “I’ve got my eyes on you.” I pointed two fingers at my eyes and then at hers. “I’m going to make sure you’re eating enough.”

  She handed me a large pot. “Fill this up and put it on the stove.”

  I did as she said, knowing she would never admit that she was anything less than fine. She was as fine as she could be in her situation. She was about to lose her partner—the one she’d built her life with. Mom and Dad were supposed to be forever. That’s what they had promised. I couldn’t imagine going through that.

  “I’m happy Merritt will be having Christmas dinner with us.”

  I nodded. “She shouldn’t be alone.”

  “Do you have anybody you want to invite?”

  I smirked. She was fishing. “I do, actually.”

  “You do?”

  I set the pot of water on the stove and turned on the flame. “She won’t be able to come, though. She doesn’t want to leave her dad by himself.”

  “He can come too, of course. You know that.” She turned to face me, leaning onto the island in the middle of the kitchen. “Why don’t you want us to meet her? Is it too soon?”

  “It’s not too soon.”

  She reached out and touched my cheek. “My beautiful boy, are you in love with her?”

  I knew it was written all over my face. I couldn’t deny it. I’d never deny what I felt for Charlotte. “I am completely in love with her.”

  Mom blinked back tears. “I’m so happy to hear you say that. You deserve to be loved. You have so much love in your heart. I know you must make her so incredibly happy.”

  “I try to.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Charlotte. She just moved here from Florida a few months ago.”

  “Do you have a picture of her?”

  I took my phone out of my sweatpants pocket. I swiped until I found my favorite picture of Charlotte. It was a selfie she’d taken of us when we were out to dinner last month. I was smiling, my cheek pressed against hers, and she was smiling from ear to ear. Her eyes sparkled.

  Mom took the phone from my hands, and the tears spilled over her lids. “Tanner, she is beautiful.”

  “Why are you crying?” I asked gently.

  “You look so happy.” She covered her mouth to prevent the sob from escaping too loudly. “I’ve never seen you look like that.”

  I pulled my mother close and hugged her while she sniffled against my sweatshirt. “Her mom died from cancer when she was five. That’s why I haven’t wanted to bring her here.”

  “You don’t want her to see Dad.”

  I heaved a sigh. “I don’t want to upset her. I also don’t want her to love him and then have to go through losing him. I don’t want her in pain. I need to protect her.”

  “Always the protector.” She dabbed her eyes. “But I think it would be special for her to meet the father of the man she loves … and I think it would make Dad very happy.”

  I never thought about how Dad would feel to meet her. He would never see me get married; my children would never know their grandfather. This might be the only chance he gets to see his son happy. That hit me hard.

  “Oh, no.” Mom scrambled to get a napkin. “Don’t cry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m sorry.”

  I wiped my tears quickly. “It’s okay. Maybe I’ll invite her over.”

  Her face lit up.

  “Don’t get all excited. She might n
ot be able to come.” I left the kitchen with my phone in my hand and dialed Charlotte’s number.

  Charlotte

  I stared up at Tanner’s large colonial as I walked up the pathway. The window above the front door displayed a spiral staircase and a crystal chandelier. It was beautiful, and not at all what I expected Tanner to live in. I knocked on the wooden door and fixed the hem of my dress nervously.

  The door opened, and I had to look down to see who’d opened it. Standing before me was a small, blond-haired girl with wide hazel eyes. She wore a festive red velvet dress with white fur trim around the hemlines. I couldn’t help but smile as wide as she was smiling.

  “You’re Charlotte?”

  “I am. You must be Chase, right?”

  She giggled the most perfect little giggle. “No, silly! I’m Khloe!”

  “Oh, Khloe. That’s right. I got confused. You guys look so much alike.”

  She put her small hand in mine and pulled me into the house.

  A tall, slender woman entered the foyer from another room. Like Khloe, she was another spitting image of Chase. Did that mean Tanner looked like his father?

  She smiled and opened her arms as she approached me. “Charlotte, it is so nice to meet you. I’m Beverly.”

  Her hug instantly made me feel comfortable and welcome. “It’s nice to meet you, as well.” I held out a box of assorted cookies. “My dad baked these.”

  “Oooh, cookies!” Khloe took the box and scampered into another room.

  “Thank you. You didn’t have to bring anything. Let me take your coat.”

  Tanner finally emerged at the top of the stairs while I was slipping out of my coat. He was beaming, and I knew he was excited for me to be there.

  Tanner wrapped me in his arms so tightly, I could barely breathe. “Merry Christmas,” I choked out.

  “Merry Christmas, beautiful.” He gestured with his thumb to a doorway to my right. “Dad’s really tired. He fell asleep in the recliner. You’ll meet him when he wakes up.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t wake him just for me. He needs to rest.”

  Tanner laced his fingers with mine and led me into the dining room. Beverly had prepared coffee, tea, and several pies.

  “Mom’s an amazing baker.” Tanner pulled out my chair for me.

  “Not like your father, I’m sure,” she added.

  “This all looks wonderful. Thank you for having me over.”

  Khloe was busy piling a tower of cookies onto her plate. I stifled a giggle when Beverly’s eyes widened as she saw what her daughter was doing.

  “How was Merritt?”

  “She put on a smile, but I’m sure she was sad.” Beverly looked down at her lap. “It was her first Christmas without her father.”

  “This is going to be our last Christmas with our dad,” Khloe said matter-of-factly.

  “Oh?” Her bluntness took me by surprise. Was I the same when I lost my mom? I’d have to remember to ask Dad.

  “Yeah. Dad has cancer. Do you know what cancer is?”

  “Yes. My mom had cancer.”

  “Did she die?” Khloe’s eyes were wide with curiosity.

  “Khlo,” Tanner interrupted. “You can’t ask people that.”

  I put my hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. You can ask me anything you want to know. I’ll tell you whatever I remember. I was only five, so it’s not much.”

  “I’m almost five!” She shoved a powdered cookie into her mouth. “And you have blonde hair like me. It’s like we’re the same. Merritt’s hair is super curly. Do you know Merritt? She’s Chase’s girlfriend. I gave her a necklace for Christmas that says sister on it, because we’re sisters now. She’s going to marry Chase one day, and—” She stopped mid-sentence. “Oh, no!”

  “What’s wrong?” all three of us asked in unison.

  “I didn’t get a present for you, Charlotte! I didn’t know you were coming over.” Her big round eyes welled with tears, and her bottom lip trembled.

  “No!” I rushed over to her chair. “It’s okay. I didn’t bring you anything either. We’ll have plenty of time to give each other gifts one day, I promise.”

  She hugged me, squeezing me with her tiny hands. “You can come to my birthday party, and then I can come to yours!” She returned to her cookie, happy that she had come up with a solution.

  I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing as I returned to my seat.

  “I’m sorry Tim’s not here to meet you,” Beverly said. “He’s just been so tired lately.”

  “It’s fine. I understand.”

  “How was Mallory’s?” Tanner asked.

  “It was good … just loud.”

  He chuckled. “Mallory definitely fits the bill of a loud Italian.”

  “I didn’t mind, though. It felt nice to be surrounded by family.”

  “It’s just you and your dad?” Beverly asked.

  I had prepared myself for questions about my past. I didn’t want to act anything but perfectly normal in front of Tanner’s family. “Yep. It’s just us. We had friends in Florida that were like our family though.”

  “Why did you move all the way here?”

  “There was a bad fire at our bakery. Dad was upset over losing it and wanted to start over somewhere else.” I sipped my tea and did my best to ignore Tanner’s deliberate stare.

  “Oh, no. That’s awful. I can’t imagine losing your whole business like that.”

  “Yeah, it was tough for him. My mom had pushed him to open his own bakery. She painted it and worked the register. It held a lot of meaning for him.”

  Tanner suddenly pointed to Khloe. “Is she asleep?”

  Khloe was passed out with her head on the table and a cookie in each hand.

  I giggled. “She’s in a sugar coma.”

  Tanner stood. “I’ll take her to bed. I’ll be right back.”

  I watched with adoring eyes as he carefully slipped the cookies out of her hands, and scooped her tiny body up into his arms. He winked at me before turning for the stairs.

  “I have to tell you.” Beverly’s voice lowered. “I have never seen him like this.” She reached her hand across the table and gave mine a squeeze. “Thank you for making him so happy.”

  “I love seeing him happy.”

  “He has so much passion inside him. He’s a lot like his father.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh, yes. They wear their hearts on their sleeves and would slay dragons for the ones they loved. Chase, too. I’m hoping Khloe is the calm one.”

  I laughed. “Tanner is such an amazing person. All of your kids are.”

  “They are. I’m certain you are, too. I’ve always said it: the woman who harnesses that fire inside Tanner, without extinguishing it, is going to be one incredible woman.”

  “I’m not so sure I control that fire.”

  “You hold his heart in your hands. You control the fire. Don’t you ever forget that.”

  I nodded, as if making a silent promise.

  Tanner waltzed back into the room. “The kid’s going to have a mouth full of cavities. There was powdered sugar everywhere.”

  It was so heartwarming to watch Tanner in his home with his family. There were so many layers to him. Every time I thought he couldn’t be more incredible, he opened yet another layer that amazed me even more than the last one.

  Tim slept through the remainder of my time at Tanner’s, but I enjoyed talking and laughing with Beverly. She was everything I imagined my own mother to be, and I felt a sense of calm around her. Knowing her made me feel even more connected to Tanner.

  As Tanner walked me to my car later on, I gazed up at the huge smile on his face. “You are an amazing man, you know that?”

  His eyebrows lifted. “You’re an amazing woman. What made you say that?”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck, standing on my toes. “Because you are, and I don’t tell you enough. Plus, you looked majorly hot carrying Khloe to bed.”

  He laughed.
<
br />   I opened my car door and reached into the back seat, pulling out Tanner’s gift. “It’s not as cool as my shiny new car, but I hope you like it.”

  “I told you not to get me anything.”

  “Just open it.”

  He peeled back the wrapping paper and opened the box. His body stilled as he peered inside. “Where did you get this?”

  “Your father has a bunch of pictures taped inside his toolbox. I took this one of the two of you and had it made into a canvas.” I squeezed his arm. “You both look so happy in it.”

  Tanner blinked rapidly as a nostalgic smile stretched his lips. “This is better than a car, baby.”

  I smiled. “You like it?”

  “I love it.” He placed the gift on the roof of my car and took me in his arms.

  We kissed under the streetlight in the cold December air. My first Christmas in New York was incredible. Tanner and I were on a high after spending part of the holiday together, and with our loved ones.

  I’d hold onto this memory in the coming month.

  Sixteen

  Tanner

  I went to sleep with a smile on my face, and I awoke with it, too. Charlotte had that effect on me. It felt incredible to spend Christmas night at the table with her by my side. I was disappointed that Dad had slept through it, but I tried to stay positive. Maybe I would have her come over today to meet him. I hoped he would feel somewhat better.

  I could already hear Khloe downstairs. She was a ball of energy from the second her eyes sprang open. When I trotted down the stairs, Mom was in the dining room with Khloe eating breakfast. Chase was still asleep. Dad was in the living room. I walked in to sit with him.

  “I heard I missed quite a beautiful young lady last night,” Dad spoke, turning his head. His voice sounded hoarse.

  “You did. I’m hoping you can meet her today, if you’re up to it.”

  “I would love that. Mom hasn’t stopped gushing about her. She’s making me jealous.”

  I grinned.