The Christmas Wish (20 page)

He wrapped Brinn in his arms and planted a giant kiss on her lips. She stiffened and then relaxed. He’d claimed her as his in front of nearly all of Powder Springs, on a giant stage in the center of the Grande Hotel. This was what he wanted, and damn, this was what she wanted too. They were both scared as hell. He sure was. He released her lips but continued to hold her tight.

“Congratulations, baby, you did a hell of a job.”

She leaned in and kissed him again, then quickly jerked away from him. He turned. There stood Barbara and Bea Bartoli.

“Ma! Nonna!”

Tyler turned to Barbara and hugged her. “Didn’t Brinn do a great job, Barbara?”

Once she was out of Tyler’s hug, Barbara pressed her fingertips over her black skirt and then patted her hair. She put a pinched smile on her face. “Yes, yes, of course.”

Barbara was uncomfortable with Tyler’s display, but he didn’t care. He wanted the world to know that Brinn was his and that he was proud. She’d built a brilliant Christmas castle.

“Mrs. Bartoli.” Tyler hadn’t seen Brinn’s grandmother in years, but of course he knew her. As a child, he’d seen Bea in her bakery and at school events. His grandmother still occasionally played bunco with Bea.

“Tyler, you are such a handsome devil.” Nonna reached up and cupped his chin with her hand. “And since you’re sleeping with my granddaughter, you may call me Nonna instead of Mrs. Bartoli, fair?”

Wow, Nonna did not mess around. Went straight to the heart of things. But as Brinn said, Bea didn’t have time to mess around. When you were eighty-plus, you might as well do whatever you wanted.

“Sounds like a plan.” Tyler clasped Nonna’s forearm and held tight. She was a tiny fireplug of a woman, but there were a lot of people on the stage waiting to congratulate Brinn and get a piece of the Morgan family. He wasn’t about to let go of Nonna. She didn’t dodder, but he wouldn’t let her get bumped on his watch.

Once Nonna and Barbara and Dom, who had cautiously ascended the stairs, congratulated Brinn and departed, Tyler walked over and placed his arm around Brinn’s waist. The crowd on stage was finally thinning but the line to see Santa was still pretty long.

“Charlotte’s in line to see Santa. Want to meet me in the ballroom in about forty- five minutes?”

“I’d rather see Santa.”

He clasped his fingers through Brinn’s and they wove through the milling crowd, sipping hot chocolate and eating Christmas castle cookies until he spotted Chuck and his parents near the front of the line. Dad held Charlotte in his arms. Her little cheeks were flushed, and she rested her head against her grandpa’s shoulder.

“How you feeling, bug?” Tyler pressed his hand to Charlotte’s forehead. She didn’t feel any warmer than before.

“She’s starting to get tired.” Carol shifted Charlotte’s coat in her arms. “Hi, Brinn.” Carol leaned forward and pecked Brinn on the cheek. “The castle is amazing! Congratulations. Really, you should be so proud.”

“Thank you.” Her smile was bright and bold but when she looked at Charlotte, her eyes clouded over. “Not feeling so great, lovey?” Brinn reached out and brushed her fingertips over Charlotte’s flushed cheek.

“I want to see Santa.”

He’d never convince Charlotte to come back tomorrow when there would be no line, especially now that she’d waited for nearly a half hour.

“Well, bug, it looks like we’re close.” Tyler surveyed the number of bodies in front of them. There appeared to be four more families. The elves working the camera and getting kids seated on Santa’s lap were efficient little helpers.

Hans walked toward them with a hard look on his face. “Brinn, shall we do the repair now? The crowd is thinning.”

“Yes, of course.” She turned to Roger and Carol and said her good-bye. “Charlotte, I’m sorry I won’t be here when you sit on Santa’s lap, but there’s something that needs to be fixed on the castle.”

Charlotte nodded. She wrapped her tiny arms around Brinn’s neck and pulled her close. “It’s a beautiful castle, Brinn. I love it.” Charlotte pulled back and planted a kiss on Brinn’s cheek. The smile on both their faces warmed Tyler’s heart. He loved what he saw. What he saw was a future. Not a perfect future with a perfect family, but a future with mended hearts and people who loved each other.

As long as the foundation was solid, anything could be fixed. He wrapped Brinn in his arms and kissed her. The foundation was solid; he could feel it in his bones. They both wanted the same things: family, home, Powder Springs, happiness, joy… They could weather anything and come out the other side.

“I’ll meet you at the party?”

“Be there soon.” She slipped from his arms and followed Hans toward the castle where Hans’s assistant waited with a chef coat and a bag of frosting.

Fifteen minutes later, Roger set Charlotte on the ground. Her smile brightened as she walked over to Santa and sat on his lap. She sat tall and she and Santa whispered back and forth. He’d love to hear exactly what Charlotte shared with Old Saint Nick.

Santa smiled and nodded.

“Look over here!” The elf with red hair popped behind the camera. With a quick click, they were finished. Charlotte pecked Santa on the cheek and scooted off his lap. Another elf handed her a candy cane, and Roger and Carol got the pictures.

Tyler bent forward and looked into Charlotte’s eyes. “Okay, bug, so what did you ask Santa for?” He hoped and prayed it wasn’t the same Christmas wish she’d been making.

“Daddy, I told you. I wished for Santa to bring Mommy here for Christmas.”

“Okay, bug, but you know, Santa might not have room in his sleigh.”

“I know. That’s what he said.” Charlotte took a big breath and let it out. “I told him I’m going to see her right after Christmas.”

Tyler’s heart felt like it might break.

“So I told him about my other wish.”

“Other wish?”

“Look how beautiful you are.” Mom bent down and held the picture of Charlotte on Santa’s lap out for Charlotte to see. His poor girl looked exhausted.

“Let’s go home, dolly.” Tyler’s dad lifted Charlotte into his arms.

“Maybe I should come with you?” He wasn’t certain the right place for him tonight was at a Christmas party. Charlotte was tired and she might be coming down with something.

“Go. I love what a fantastic father you are, but this is Brinn’s special night. Go celebrate with her.” His mom tugged at the lapels of his shirt collar. “Besides, don’t you have news to share too?”

Tyler nodded and smiled. But then his eyes trailed to Charlotte, who was nearing sleep in her grandfather’s arms.

“You’ll call me if she spikes a fever or gets sick?”

“I will. As I mentioned, my love, I did make it through four boys and more recently two other granddaughters. She’s in good hands.”

“I know, Mom.” Tyler ran his fingers over Charlotte’s forehead. “I just don’t like being away from her when she doesn’t feel well.”

“You’re a good father, my son.” Carol pulled him close. “We’ll get her home and in bed. We’ll watch her close, and I’ll let you know if anything changes. Okay?”

“Okay.” Tyler leaned forward and pressed his lips to Charlotte’s cheek. “Goodnight, bug.”

“Night, Daddy. Have fun at the party. See you later.” She lifted her tiny hand and waved. “Give Brinn a kiss.”

“Will do, bug.” Tyler stood in the center of the lobby with the crowd milling around him and watched his mom and dad carry the most important thing in his world out into the swirling winter snow.

Brinn and Hans patched the castle’s turret. The repair looked solid. The new piece of gingerbread seemed like it would hold. She’d gone to the second floor of the hotel and held her arms out through the slats of the balcony and managed to press the piece of gingerbread securely to the spot. The hairline crack that she’d repaired before the unveiling seemed solid.

Hans cocked an eyebrow and appraised Pieter. “You will remain with the castle until the crowd has dispersed.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Brinn, I will see you at the party soon. I want to check on the pastries for tonight, and then Edgar and I will be in to say our hellos.” Hans leaned closer to Brinn, “And I may just have a touch of brandy before going home. So happy am I that the castle seems to be secure.”

“Me too, Hans.” Brinn walked around the perimeter of the castle and surveyed each side. Many people came up and grasped her arm and told her congratulations. She took a step back and looked at the fondant snow-covered trees that she and Hans’s staff had placed around the perimeter of the castle.

“So much attention for some flour, sugar, and egg.”

Brinn turned toward the sharp voice that was familiar. “Mrs. Dumont, we keep running into each other.” Brinn maintained her smile. One of the first rules of growing up in a small town was realizing that you could say anything to anyone as long as you smiled when you said it.

“Hmm, guess everyone gets a gift. Some of us get beauty and some of us get the ability to bake.”

She wouldn’t let this coldhearted woman get to her. “You know, Mrs. Dumont, I believe Charlotte is still here. She’s in line to see Santa. Tyler mentioned you haven’thad time to visit here since they arrived three weeks ago.”

The color drained from Mrs. Dumont’s face and her pretty pink lips tightened into a thin, mean, line. She took two steps toward Brinn. The scent of bourbon hovered around her. She was beautiful to look at, but a cold hardness clung to her like ice on a pond.

“You can keep your commentary about me and my family and my granddaughter to yourself. Got that?”

Brinn nodded. This woman was sad. So very sad. She wasn’t going to see her granddaughter sit on Santa’s lap. Not tonight. Behind Mrs. Dumont, Brinn recognized Mr. Dumont, a tall man with a sharp jaw and gray hair. He was good-looking too, and yet just as cold.

“Let’s not waste time on this here.” He reached out and grasped his wife’s arm. His eyes roamed over Brinn. Her stomach grew queasy with his look, as though something slimy and unseemly had just touched every bit of her flesh. “Come, Tricia.”

Mrs. Dumont took a sharp inhale of breath and turned to her husband. When her gaze met his, something surrendered, as though the fight had drained from her. “I’d like to see Charlotte.”

“Not tonight, dear.” Mr. Dumont wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist and, without another look toward Brinn, steered her toward the front door of the Grande.

A shiver chased down Brinn’s spine. How odd. Such erratic behavior from Mrs. Dumont. Wow, what the hell was going on there? Beautiful people with messed-up lives.

Brinn finally turned away from the castle, satisfied that it was secure for the night. She would come back by to check the foundation and some of the seams before she left the Grande tonight and then every morning she would stop by to check on the castle until it was taken down on New Year’s Day. God, please let it last until New Year’s Day, or at the very least until Christmas. Please let it last until Christmas.

Ten minutes later, after an elevator ride and more of congratulations, Brinn walked into the main ballroom of the Grande. Her heart leapt to her throat.

The room was an enchanted winter forest kissed by frost. Tree branches were high in the room and decorated with silver and white lights. White rose petals decorated the table surfaces. White roses, even white poinsettias, white couches and rugs. The entire room looked like a stunning winter wonderland. Brinn walked through the room and headed toward the bar.

“Hey, beautiful lady.” Tyler grabbed her into his arms and pulled her close to him. She felt his arousal at her nearness and heat crept up her body. He wanted her, even here. He wanted her always. He kissed her and then brushed his lips by her ear.

“You feel that? I’m always ready for you Brinn. I always want you.”

Heat flamed through her. She’d never been with a man who always wanted her. Who always seemed ready to take her.

“How long do we have to stay here?” His lips pressed against her neck.

Her nipples hardened beneath her dress, and suddenly she felt that any amount of time they were in this ballroom would be too long.

“At least until we say hello to Hans and Edgar and Annalise.” They’d paid her an outrageous sum to build the Christmas castle, and she needed to take a moment to thank them.

“Word on the street is that you’re the lady building the Christmas castle next year too.” They stood beside the bar and Tyler reached out and took two glasses of champagne. He handed one to Brinn.

“That’s a piece of gossip that I hope is true.” Brinn sipped her drink and let her eyes roam around the room. The ballroom was filled with the elite of Powder Springs. The sheriff and his brother, Cade Montgomery. Tulsa McGrath Montgomery was here, and  with her, Savannah. Also, the mayor and his wife and daughter.

The arrival of Annalise on her dad’s arm was met with applause from their guests. Annalise and Mr. Morgan waved and then moved discreetly toward the center area to say their first hellos to the mayor and his wife.

“The Grande is such a huge part of Powder Springs.”

“Thunder Ridge Mountain is our face to the world. Best skiing in the Rockies. Employs a ton of people, and soon to be the world’s biggest resort.” He tilted his champagne glass to his lips. He stopped his words, but he couldn’t stop his smile.

“Why are you smiling?” Brinn’s brows creased and she took a step closer to Tyler. “You’re keeping a secret. Or you look like you’re keeping a secret. What is it? You know something. What do you know?” She tilted her head and she looked at Tyler as though she would definitely get it out of him. “You heard about the expansion!” Brinn said, nearly breathless. “You got the expansion, didn’t you? You got it!”

Tyler’s smile it took over his face and Brinn jumped into his arms. “Oh my God, Tyler, congratulations! Good news for you is good news for me.” Brinn’s heart fluttered in her chest. She was falling deeply and madly in love with Tyler. Her heart and her world would never be the same. The band struck up “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” and Tyler pulled Brinn into his arms. He moved her toward the dance floor, his hand on the small of her back. She rested her head on his chest as they swayed to the music. This spot, this lovely, warm, wonderful spot, was where Brinn could stay for the rest of her life. She pulled back and tilted her head up toward Tyler. “I’m happy. I’m really, really happy.”