A Winter Wedding

Really? Kyle hadn’t acted as if he had any plans with his ex—or second thoughts about her. “Does Kyle know you’re here?”

“No. I wanted to surprise him. And instead...look at you! I’m the one who’s surprised. Wait until I tell everyone at work that we have another celebrity in Whiskey Creek, and that you’re staying for a few months. Simon O’Neal comes here at least three times a year, but he never stays long. Why would he, when he has half a dozen dream homes all over the world? If that was me, I’d never come here.”

Lourdes raised one hand. “You said you were going to tell everyone at the bar about me. But please don’t. I... I’m here to work.”

“Are you putting on a show? Where?”

“No, I mean I’m going to be writing songs for my next album and I’d rather not be disturbed.”

“Oh.” She didn’t seem nearly as excited about that idea.

“What did you say your name was?” Lourdes asked.

“Noelle. Noelle Houseman.”

“I’m sure Kyle will appreciate the food, Noelle.”

Kyle’s ex eyed what she’d created with satisfaction. “It’s all his favorites.”

“That’s...nice of you.”

“Thanks.” Intent on making everything perfect, she went back to her preparations. “I have to go,” she said a few minutes later. “But I’m leaving the lemon chicken and the baked beans with pineapple in the oven on warm, so remind him to take those out when he gets home. The heat won’t hurt the beans, but I’d hate for the chicken to dry out.”

“Will do,” Lourdes said.

After taking a final look, Noelle hurried to the door, where she turned back at the last second. “Oh, and if he asks, will you say you let me in?”

Lourdes felt her eyebrows go up. She’d assumed the door had been unlocked. “Um...since I’m here, he probably won’t ask.”

“Good point.” She hesitated again. “I can’t believe Lourdes Bennett is renting the farmhouse,” she said. “Wow. I’m going to kill Kyle for not telling me! Wait until I get a hold of him!”

“It’s my fault he didn’t tell you. I asked him not to.”

“Oh. Gotcha. Well, when I come back, can I get a picture with you?”

Hadn’t Noelle been listening to what she’d just said? “Are you coming tonight?”

“No, I work late. But how about tomorrow?”

Lourdes hoped she wouldn’t come back ever. “Sure. Provided I’m...prepared for company, of course.”

Noelle’s gaze ranged over her. “What’s wrong? You sick?”

“Sort of.” Breathing a sigh of relief when the door closed, she walked over to the note Noelle had propped against the bottle of wine she’d placed in the center of the table.

Lourdes knew she had no business reading it. It was for Kyle. But there was something about Noelle’s visit that didn’t feel right, and that made Lourdes curious. Was Kyle still seeing her or not?

She slid the small card out of its envelope. Thanks for helping me yesterday. It’s marvelous to have hot water again. I owe you—and I’d be happy to pay up. XOXO

Her phone, which she’d left in the bedroom, rang, and Lourdes stuffed the card back in its envelope so she could go answer. She thought maybe she was finally hearing from Derrick. But it wasn’t him. Her mother was trying to reach her—no doubt to make certain that Lourdes had arrived safely in California.

Lourdes sank onto the bed as she held her phone and stared at the incoming call. Her mother wasn’t pleased that she’d decided to leave Tennessee right before Christmas. “You’ll be back for the holidays, won’t you?” She’d asked that at least half a dozen times before they got to the airport.

Lourdes didn’t want to go back for Christmas. She didn’t even want to have Christmas. She was pretty sure this was going to be the worst holiday of her life.

The call transferred to her voice mail—and Lourdes couldn’t make herself call back.

* * *

Brandon showed up as Kyle was getting ready to leave for the day. With Lourdes at his place, probably needing a meal, since he hadn’t bought any more groceries yet, he felt he couldn’t stay late.

“There you are,” he said when Brandon rapped on the open door before strolling into his office. “I thought you’d changed your mind about coming over.”

His stepbrother closed the door. “No, I didn’t want to interrupt your work, and I figured you’d be winding things up about now.”

“I am. Your timing’s excellent.” Except that he’d had to spend the whole day wondering what the hell Brandon planned to talk to him about. “Want to sit down?”

“Sure.” He collapsed into one of the two chairs across from Kyle’s desk.

“Everything okay?” Kyle asked.

His stepbrother crossed one leg over the other, then switched them. “This is going to be an awkward conversation, but I care enough about you that I want to have it.”

That lead-in did nothing to put Kyle at ease. “Go on...”

“We haven’t always gotten along, but...I’ve come to look up to you. No matter what happened or didn’t happen in the past, I know in my heart that you’re a good man.”

Kyle might’ve been flattered. Brandon didn’t talk this way very often. They’d just moved on without addressing the past, since there wasn’t a whole lot anyone could say that would change the situation or make it any better. But I’ve come to look up to you felt like a setup. “I’m almost afraid to thank you, because I can tell something else is coming.”

“As you’ve probably guessed, this is about Olivia.”

Kyle’s stomach tensed. “What about her?”

“Frankly, I feel bad being with the woman you want. And that’s gotten harder and harder the more I care about you. The weird thing is...I thought we were getting past it.”

“We were,” Kyle said. “I mean, we are.”

“No.” Brandon shook his head. “Lately, things seemed to have reversed. I get the feeling the past is coming between us again, and I’d like to stop it.”

“The past isn’t coming between us. Nothing can come between us. And just so you know, I’m being honest when I say that I would never hope for you and Olivia to break up. It’s not as if I’m sitting over here, greedily rubbing my hands and hoping that someday I’ll have another chance with her. I’ve always wanted to tell you that. I’m glad you’re happy together. You deserve each other. For the record, I’d do anything I could to keep either one of you from ever getting hurt.”

Brandon pursed his lips as he formed a steeple with his fingers. “That’s just it. I don’t doubt that. I believe you’d rather see me happy, even if it means you live without. And that only makes the situation harder.”

“You’re overthinking it,” Kyle said. “Stop worrying.”

Brandon got to his feet. “I can’t help it. You got a bum deal with everything that happened. I’m still shocked that you stepped up and married Noelle. I told you at the time it was foolish, but...it was also noble. That’s the part I never mentioned until now. I’ve secretly admired you for it.”

Kyle stood, too. “Don’t feel sorry for me, Bran. That just makes it worse. I brought what happened on myself, as you well know.”