Brandon

by Anne, Melody

  She didn’t hesitate to give him the time. She was enjoying herself too much to tell him not to come. Maybe something would come up, and if it did, she’d try not to be disappointed, but for now she was enjoying this too much to turn him down.

  His phone rang, and he sighed as he looked at the caller ID. “I have to run. I promised my brother Noah I’d meet with him at the center. But I’ll see you at four,” he said. He answered the phone. “One second,” he said. Then he pressed the mute button and grabbed her.

  He gave her one heck of a kiss that nearly had her falling off her barstool before he let her go and ran from the room as he began speaking to Noah. She got up on wobbly legs and walked to her teakettle and refilled her cup.

  She was moving slowly this morning, but that was okay. The night had been heaven, the morning just as good, and she had a feeling this night was going to be the best of all. Each moment with Brandon surprised and delighted her. She was really starting to get used to it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Joseph sat at Chloe’s bar and grinned while he sipped on a glass of her finest scotch and munched on some freshly baked blueberry scones. It was an odd combination, but the man would never be one to be placed in a category. That was for dang sure.

  “You realize it’s Christmas Eve, don’t you?” Joseph asked her.

  “Yes, I do. Why aren’t you at home with your hordes of family members?” she asked.

  “I had to do a little last-minute Christmas shopping,” he said. “I was surprised to see you were open. I figured you’d be with that nephew of mine.”

  She smiled as she leaned over the counter and looked Joseph in the eyes. She was more comfortable with the man now, which shocked her. He certainly still intimidated her, but she now knew he was a good person no matter what his net worth was.

  “You aren’t matchmaking, are you, Joseph? I’ve been warned of your antics.”

  He spluttered and set his glass down as he gave her a firm look. She could see in that moment how he’d been such a fierce force to be reckoned with in the boardroom. She wouldn’t admit she was intimidated, but she was.

  “I’m offended,” he said. “I’d never do anything against anyone’s will.”

  She smiled. “But you might try to nudge people along?” she pushed.

  He smiled as he lifted his drink again and took his time answering. “Let’s just say that I sometimes see things others might miss,” he conceded.

  “And did you happen to see something between Brandon and myself?” She really wasn’t sure where this brave new her was coming from. But she was feeling pretty good. She’d fought having anything personal to do with Brandon and had failed miserably, so she might as well go with it now.

  “I’m pleading the Fifth,” Joseph told her with a sly look in his eyes.

  “Then I am, too,” she assured him as she refilled his glass.

  She was shocked when he laughed. “That’s why I like you so much, Chloe. You’re a spitfire, and I love it.”

  The praise was pretty amazing coming from a man like Joseph. “I can’t sit here and chat all day. It is Christmas Eve, after all, and I have a lot to get done before I can leave.”

  He laughed. “I don’t like holding people up.”

  “I don’t think that bothers you one little bit,” she told him.

  “What are the two of you smiling about?” Sarah asked as she joined them, plopping into a chair next to Joseph. “I want a really, really strong mocha,” she added. “It’s been a killer day.”

  “We’re smiling because it’s Christmas Eve,” Joseph told Sarah. “And why has it been a day?”

  Chloe began making Sarah an eggnog mocha, her most popular order of the day, while Sarah sighed. “Noah has been secretive all week and leaving hints he wanted me out of the house, though not very good ones. I think he’s making me something, and he’s behind. Brooke wasn’t feeling well, so I found her and did some shopping, but she’s exhausted, and I still have a bunch of presents to wrap. Every year I think I’ll be more organized, but it only seems to get worse as time goes on.”

  She thanked Chloe when her hot cup of coffee was set down in front of her.

  “Maybe I should be grateful I’ve been here all day. It seems much less stressful and certainly calmer,” Chloe said. “That is, when I’m not interrupted a dozen times.” Her smile took away any sting to her words.

  “You love us visiting, so don’t try any guilt trips,” Sarah said. “This is the best coffee I’ve ever had. Yummy.”

  “You should try some tea; it’s healthier and calming,” Chloe said as she sipped on her own cup. “And you look mighty jittery as it is. I’m a little worried about giving you more caffeine.”

  “I do love a good cup of tea with a ton of honey in it,” Sarah said. “I’ll have that next, with a blackberry scone.”

  “Coming right up,” Chloe said.

  Sarah and Joseph chatted while she made more drinks and grabbed pastries. With how many she’d been eating that day, she was going to be lucky if her pants buttoned by the end of the shift. And though she’d been on her feet for hours, her staff were incredible, and they were getting everything finished.

  They had a very limited menu that day, as they used the week of Christmas to make to-go meals. It brought in a nice bonus flow of cash at the end of their year. Knowing the amount of work it took to prepare a full holiday meal, if she wasn’t already a chef, she’d probably order it out like so many others were doing more and more each year.

  The cost might’ve been a little high, but the savings on time made it totally affordable. She should’ve ordered the smallest package for herself to take home for Christmas, but by the time she was done cooking the stuff for a week straight, she was sick of looking at turkey and stuffing. She wasn’t sure she could eat it again Christmas afternoon.

  Now, the pastries were a whole different story. She could eat those day in and day out. She was really grateful for a fast metabolism. She’d probably die if she were forced to go on a keto diet. No bread, pasta, or potatoes was the cruelest form of torture, in her opinion.

  Her bell chimed again, and she smiled as her mother walked in, looking beautiful in her red jacket and leather boots. She moved to the counter and sat beside Sarah.

  “How are you, darling? I haven’t seen you in forever,” Genevieve said.

  “Wonderful, Mrs. Hitman,” Sarah said as she hopped off her stool and gave her a hug.

  “That’s fantastic,” Genevieve said, then turned to her daughter. “I want your strongest, sweetest coffee. Merry Christmas.”

  “I thought you and Father were going to be on a plane today,” Chloe said as she began making her mother a white mocha eggnog latte. It was extra sweet and extra decadent.

  “Yes, yes, but there are delays as usual, so I wanted to swing by to see my only child before we head off to the sunshine.” Chloe’s parents had been heading to the Bahamas for Christmas since she’d gone off to college. They’d invited her every year, but she preferred to be in the cold for the holidays. She’d done one in the Bahamas and discovered it didn’t feel like Christmas at all. She was so used to her parents being gone it didn’t upset her at all.

  “Why would you leave during Christmas?” Joseph asked.

  “My husband and I get too restless without some sunshine. We definitely love this area, but we need to get away every few months, or we fear we’ll wrinkle up and fade away,” Genevieve said.

  “I can’t imagine being anywhere but here for Christmas,” Joseph said. “But I do know many who like to get away.”

  “We try to talk Chloe into coming with us, but neither her father nor I have ever been big on the holidays, and Sarah and Brooke are as much family to her as her father and I, so we don’t feel too guilty about it.”

  For the first time in her life, Chloe noticed that there did appear to be some guilt on her mother’s face. This was the way it had always been, so she’d never questioned it. But maybe just because it had always b
een that way didn’t mean it was the way she’d have to be. It also didn’t mean she had to be upset with her mother or father. They loved her. She knew that. They just showed it in different ways than the Andersons did. Which way did she want to show love? Which did she feel was right? Had she been afraid to be in a relationship because she wasn’t quite sure how a relationship was supposed to be?

  These were all things she’d have to think long and hard about. But for this moment she just wanted her mother to have a beautiful Christmas, guilt-free.

  “I know how much you love me, Mother. And I’m glad that you get to enjoy Christmas your way. I do have family I’m with every year, so there’s no reason for you to feel guilt,” Chloe said. She set her mother’s coffee down, then walked over and gave her a hug.

  “Thank you, Chloe,” Genevieve said with a smile and what appeared to be a sheen of tears in her eyes. She turned away, and when she looked back, those tears were gone. Maybe Chloe had only imagined them.

  Soon Joseph, Sarah, and her mother all left to get on with their days, and Chloe was sad to see them go. But then it allowed her to get back to work. Her staff were already moving one hundred miles per hour. Chloe really was thankful for all she had.

  She wondered if she was getting a little bit more this holiday season—in the form of a six-foot-plus man with eyes and a body that made her fall into heaven.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Brandon almost didn’t recognize himself as he strolled down the brightly decorated sidewalk, through the small town that would be his forever home, the town he and Chloe were making their own, where their families were, where their life would remain.

  They hadn’t slept much the night before, but he didn’t care. He could live on sex alone, he’d decided. He’d loved having a nice breakfast with Chloe. He enjoyed a lot of things when it came to her.

  Was it too soon for a marriage proposal? Yeah, probably. He’d scare the hell out of her if he pulled out a ring. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

  Today was a busy day for her at work. It was almost all bakery items, but they were also doing a Christmas-dinner package, and a lot of people would be picking those up. She was closed on Christmas morning, of course.

  Brandon whistled as he walked in and out of businesses, the owners cheerful as they got in their last-minute sales and handed out candy canes and Christmas wishes. There was a time he would’ve never thought such a simple, uneventful day could make him so happy. It was almost as if he’d slipped into an alternate universe. He used to feel a need for adventure. Now he was ready to settle down.

  There was no work for his crew today, and he wasn’t in a hurry, as he had hours to kill. He had a mission to find the perfect present for Chloe. He’d picked up a couple of items and was looking for that one thing to tie it all together. He needed it to be special, and he needed her to understand how he felt about her and that he knew her. He’d been more than clear that he wanted to be with her, but he was beginning to realize he wanted it to be forever.

  Maybe it was the magic of the season—maybe it was his discovery that he was all-around happier with her in his life. Whatever it was, he wanted her by his side, and he had to make sure he proved himself worthy and stable, because she deserved that. She deserved the best, and she wasn’t the type of woman to settle for anything less than that.

  Brandon was far from perfect, but he’d been raised by a loving mother and with four siblings who had guided him through life, showing him what it meant to be a good man. He should buy them all thank-you gifts. It was odd how the love of a good woman could make a man a better person.

  A smile permanently on his face, he stepped into another crowded shop and looked around. It was antiques. He didn’t think there was anything in there he’d be looking for, but he wandered, anyway, and it wasn’t long before he was stopped in his tracks. When you found the perfect gift, you just knew what you had.

  Chloe had said her favorite gifts were the ones that showed a person knew her. Well, he was beginning to think he knew her quite well. Her passion was cooking—and, he hoped, lovemaking, now that the two of them had discovered the magic they could bring each other. But he’d watched as she’d designed the kitchen in the center, and he had a good idea of what would make her smile.

  He gazed down at the case with his goofy smile in place. The shopkeeper stood behind the counter, and when he met her wise eyes, she was looking at him in a knowing manner that shook him even further. He’d always been an open book, but maybe it was becoming even easier to read him now.

  “Can I have this gift wrapped, please?” Brandon asked, his voice slightly choked.

  “This is why I love my store so much. There’s magic in here when the right item is found,” the woman said as she pulled the gift from the case and held it in her wrinkled hand.

  “Yes, I believe I found exactly what I was looking for,” Brandon told her. “Can you place these inside first?”

  The woman took his items, then put his gift in a box and handed it to two high school kids sitting at a table, wrapping items. It took them about thirty minutes to get to his gift, and Brandon didn’t let it out of his sight the entire time, too afraid of it being lost. He paid the shop owner and tucked his package away, then began walking to the restaurant.

  It was closing time, and he wanted to be there to help. She was swamped, and he knew she wouldn’t leave the cleanup to her crew to take care of on Christmas Eve. Brandon couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually used cleaning supplies. He might be more of a hindrance to Chloe than a help, but wasn’t it the thought that counted? He sure hoped so.

  He entered through the front door as the last of Chloe’s customers were gathering their items and wishing everyone a merry Christmas. The staff all looked exhausted, but they still wore smiles on their faces.

  “Okay, crew, you did fantastic this year. There is no way this business would be even half as successful without all of you. There aren’t words to express how grateful I am to you all,” Chloe said as she spoke to the employees, who were all still smiling. “Now take your bonuses, grab your gifts, and get out of here to celebrate Christmas Eve with your families.”

  “We need to help clean up this mess,” one young girl said as she looked around at the messy restaurant.

  “Nope. Not today. Go home,” Chloe said as she began passing out presents.

  The rest of the crew didn’t argue, and Brandon made his way to the counter and sat. Chloe smiled as she moved over to the coffee machine and began making a few shots.

  “I need a triple,” she said with a laugh. “What do you want, Brandon?”

  “I can make it myself,” he told her, feeling guilty having her do anything extra.

  “There’s no way I’m letting you handle my machine,” she said with another laugh. She looked tired but happy. He could get used to seeing that expression every day for the rest of his life.

  “I’ll have an eggnog mocha, four shots,” he told her. “And if all of the pastries haven’t been cleared out, I wouldn’t mind something to go with it,” he added with a hopeful smile. He hadn’t eaten since their breakfast together.

  The doorbell rang, and Chloe groaned. “I forgot to lock it,” she said in a bit of panic. Brandon didn’t think she could refuse someone if they wanted a last-minute item. He sure as heck could, though. He’d turned to shoo them away, until he saw who it was.

  “Please tell me you still have coffee,” Brooke said with a sigh as she plopped down next to Brandon and dropped her bags to the floor. “I’m exhausted.”

  Brandon and Chloe laughed. “I’m sure it’s been rough shopping all day,” Chloe said with a smile and roll of her eyes.

  “You wouldn’t believe the mob out there. I thought shopping in our small town would be safer than Seattle. Boy was I wrong,” Brooke said as Chloe continued making coffee. She knew what her bestie liked.

  “You poor, poor thing,” Chloe said.

  “Why isn’t your husband carrying bags
for you?” Brandon asked.

  Brooke laughed. “Because I needed to find him something. I’ve been terrible this year,” Brooke told them.

  “Well, get off your behind and go grab the tray of goodies I have stashed in the back,” Chloe said.

  Brooke didn’t have to be told twice. She practically flew into the kitchen and came back with a large pile of sugary deliciousness. She set it on the counter, and Brandon’s mouth watered at the sight. Chloe and Brooke took a stool on either side of him. Each of them snagged a doughnut and sighed in pleasure.

  “There’s nothing better than hot coffee and pastries,” Chloe said with a sigh, a bit of sugar on the corner of her mouth. Brandon wanted to lick it off but barely managed to hold himself back, since they did have company now. He decided to focus on anything other than licking and kissing Chloe.

  “You’re very good to your crew,” he told her.

  “I couldn’t run this business without them,” Chloe said. She finished her doughnut and reached for another as she drank down large sips of coffee. “Most of the kids who work here are in their last couple years of high school. They’re eager to earn a paycheck, and the customers love having them here.”

  “I’ve noticed teenagers in several of the businesses down the street,” Brandon pointed out. “It’s one of the things I love about this town.”

  “We do take care of each other here,” Chloe said. “It’s why I’m so in love with it.”

  “Yeah, I don’t know why anyone would want to live in a city when they can have the closeness of a small community. Sometimes it’s stifling, but most of the time it’s safe and pleasant,” Brooke added.

  The three of them shared small talk while they drank their coffees and cleared off the platter filled with treats. Brandon found he was having a more perfect Christmas Eve than he could ever remember. It was because he was with the woman he loved, and he was no longer trying to protect himself from feeling those emotions of love and happiness.