Steele Brothers Christmas

  Steele Brothers Christmas

  Special Edition Novella

  Cheryl Douglas

  Copyright © by Cheryl Douglas

  Smashwords Edition

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, including photocopying, graphic, electronic, mechanical, taping, recording, sharing, or by any information retrieval system without the express written permission of the author and / or publisher. Exceptions include brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Persons, places and other entities represented in this book are deemed to be fictitious. They are not intended to represent actual places or entities currently or previously in existence or any person living or dead. This work is the product of the author’s imagination.

  Any and all inquiries to the author of this book should be directed to: info@cheryldouglasbooks.com

  Steele Brothers Christmas © 2015 Cheryl Douglas

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  Chapter One

  Jaci

  It was surreal to think I’d be Nex’s wife in less than a week. I was counting down the days, hours… minutes.

  “You’re not having second thoughts about getting hitched, are you?” my fiancé asked, coming up behind me as I admired our newly decorated tree. The base was overflowing with gifts we wouldn’t be there to open, since we’d decided on a Christmas wedding in Colorado.

  I’d always dreamed of a white wedding, and being the amazing man he was, Nex had agreed without hesitation. While most people were coming to Florida in droves to get away from the snow, we were leaving to catch a glimpse of the white stuff.

  “Are you kidding?” I asked, wrapping my arms around his. “I can’t wait.”

  He kissed my cheek, whispering that he loved me. No matter how many times I heard him say it, I’d never tire of hearing those three little words.

  With a smile, I said, “I love you too.”

  My smile spread as I thought about what we had to look forward to. The resort we’d chosen was stunning, with a spread that boasted several thousand acres and snow-capped trees. The sprawling log-hewn resort captured the homey feel while providing every amenity their discerning guests expected.

  “I feel kind of guilty about dragging everyone away for the holidays,” I said, sneaking a peek at Nex over my shoulder. “It is Christmas after all, and everyone has their own traditions.”

  We’d invited only close friends and family, so there were seven dozen people in total, which meant we had the entire resort to ourselves.

  “Are you kidding?” He laughed. “I don’t know about your family, but mine would have flown halfway around the world to witness this.”

  “Mine too.” I thought of the aunts, uncles, and cousins who were making the trek for our wedding. All of them had told me they couldn’t wait to see me marry the man of my dreams. But no one was more excited than my mama, who’d come to love Nex, claiming he was the son she’d always wanted. “But do you think it’ll be awkward with Brody and Riley?”

  My future brother-in-law had been moping around ever since his ex told him she was seeing someone else. And since Riley and I had become good friends because of our vested interest in the bakery I co-owned with my sister-in-law, Mac, and her mother, Mary, I’d asked Riley to be our wedding planner.

  As one of the most sought-after wedding planners in the city, Riley was usually booked out a year in advance, but she’d squeezed us in as a personal favor, claiming she’d known Nex since he was a little hell-raiser and wouldn’t miss the opportunity to see him get married.

  “Probably, but at least she’s not bringing her boyfriend, right?”

  Since she was sacrificing her holiday for us, I’d felt obligated to extend an invitation to Riley’s boyfriend as well, but apparently he had plans with his family. Thank God. I would have felt terrible, subjecting Brody to the sight of his ex-girlfriend cozying up to her new lover for five days.

  “No, she’s not. You know, since we started working together, I haven’t heard her talk about him all that much. Maybe it’s not as serious as she led Brody to believe.”

  Since I specialized in baking wedding and shower cakes, we’d become Riley’s first stop with clients. She was the reason we now had more business than we could handle, and because of her friendship with Mac, we had become fast friends as well.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if she was using that guy to protect herself from Brody.”

  I turned into his arms, frowning. “Riley would never use anyone,” I said, indignant on behalf of my friend. “She’s not like that.”

  He chuckled, kissing my cheek. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant having another man in her life was the only way to keep Brody at arm’s length. From what I understand, things were hot and heavy between them even after they broke up. Years went by and they were still sleeping together whenever Brody passed through town. Riley probably realized if she allowed it to continue, she’d be single for the rest of her life.”

  I sank down on the sofa, tugging Nex’s hand to bring him with me. “I don’t get him. He clearly loves her. He hates that she’s with someone else. Why won’t he just tell her how he feels?”

  “I’m pretty sure he has told her,” Nex said, fixating on the lit nine-foot tree as though he was deep in thought. “But put yourself in Riley’s place, hon. Would it be enough for you to know that some guy loved you if you knew he could never give you what you needed?”

  “You’re talking about marriage and babies?” I knew my friend was looking forward to having a family. She practically gushed when she came into our store as I was working on a shower cake. She’d often pick up a little pink bootie I was using as inspiration for my cake décor and sigh, telling me she couldn’t wait to have one of her own.

  “I’ve never met a girl so caught up in the fairy tale.”

  “Can you blame her?” I asked, running my hand over his thigh as I admired my engagement ring under the twinkling Christmas tree lights. “Given what she does for a living? She sees everyone getting their happy ending, marrying their soul mate. It’s only natural she would want that for herself.”

  “Yeah, but I’m sorry to say she’ll never get that with my brother. I can’t imagine him ever wanting to settle down.”

  “She said her parents had a real problem with her dating Brody?”

  “Yeah, they’re religious and think gambling is a sin. It doesn’t matter to them that Brody is one of the most famous poker players in the world and earns millions of bucks a year. As far as they’re concerned, gambling is gambling. Even when it’s your J.O.B.”

  My mother was religious too and shared the sentiment, so I could only imagine what Riley must have gone through, trying to defend Brody’s choices to her parents.

  “You think Brody will ever want to give up that lifestyle?” Of all of my future brothers-in-law, I spent the least amount of time with Brody, since he travelled the world chasing tournaments.

  “I doubt it.” Nex slid his hand through mine. “He says he does it for the rush. Without it, he’d feel dead.”

  “I’ve never understood why people need to chase thrills,” I said, shifting my body so I was leaning my back into Nex’s chest. “Why can’t they be happy with what we have: love, family, work they enjoy…”

  He laugh
ed. “Honey, if we were all cut from the same cloth, life would be pretty boring, don’t you think?”

  I sighed, wishing I could argue. “I guess, but it just makes me sad seeing Brody so unhappy. He says he loves gambling, but I can’t believe he loves that half as much as he loves Riley. I’ve seen the way he looks at her, and it breaks my heart.”

  “Riley’s the best thing that ever happened to him, no doubt about it. We all still consider her family, but now that she’s got someone else, it’s been hard to maintain a relationship with her. I’m glad you and Mac have found a way. I hated the thought of losing touch with her just ‘cause she and Brody aren’t together anymore.”

  “What do you think will happen between them at the wedding?” I asked, tipping my head back to look at him.

  He grinned before kissing my forehead. “You’re just as bad as Riley, a hopeless romantic. But, baby, it would take more than a Christmas miracle to bring those two back together, so don’t get your hopes up, okay?”

  Too late for that. If there was anything I could do to help two of my favorite people find happiness, I would.

  ***

  “You’re amazing,” I said, reaching across the small table to give Riley a one-armed hug.

  She’d come to see me at the bakery so we could go over the last-minute wedding details before we all flew out tomorrow. Nex was going all out, chartering a plane to fly us to the venue, and everyone was, for once, looking forward to the air travel.

  “I couldn’t have done this without your help,” I said, smiling at the images she’d produced.

  There was the three-tier cake with red roses we’d designed. The red velvet bridesmaids’ dresses, my white fur-trimmed cape, the horse-drawn carriage to take us from the small building where the ceremony was being held to the main inn where we were hosting the reception. She had literally thought of everything.

  “These flower arrangements are going to be amazing,” I said, admiring the photo of the cascading bridal bouquet with white lilies, red roses, asparagus ferns, white dendrobiums, and white freesias.

  “And remember,” Riley said, pointing at one of the photos she’d pulled from the venue’s website, “we’ll have flowers lining the aisle runner, which will be red velvet.” She flashed a smile. “And the table centerpieces will include the same flowers as your bouquets.” She produced a picture the florist had provided from the sample she’d made. “Along with candles. And the entire place will be lit up with clear, twinkling lights.”

  She sat back, clasping her hands. “It’s going to be everything you wanted it to be, Jaci. Festive and romantic, but most importantly, breathtaking.” She reached across the table and clasped my hand. “You deserve the wedding of your dreams, and I’m just grateful you guys are letting me be a part of it.” Her blue eyes dimmed when she cast a quick glance at the photos spread out before us. “You, uh, never really said. Was it tough to talk Nex into using me as your wedding planner?”

  I was shocked that she thought my fiancé harbored any ill will toward her. He adored her, just like the rest of his brothers. “Hey,” I said, covering her hand with mine. “No one blames you for what happened with Brody. They all know you didn’t have a choice. You two were at a crossroads. You wanted different things out of life.”

  “Yeah,” she said, sounding bitter as she collected her glossy images. “He wanted to have his cake and eat it too. He wanted to know that I was keeping the bed warm for him at home while he got his kicks travelling the world with his cronies.”

  I knew Brody attracted a lot of attention, including media and followers who hoped to one day be just like him, dominating the professional poker circuit while taking home bags of cash. “Did you try to make it work?” I asked, reaching for my green tea. “You know, while he was out on the road?”

  Riley hadn’t opened up about her relationship with Brody, and since I assumed it was a sore subject, I didn’t push.

  “For a while,” she said, curling her hands around the white ceramic mug bearing our pink-and-black logo. “But we fought a lot. He never called when he said he would. He missed all the important events back home because ultimately he decided that money was more important than what he had waiting for him here.”

  There was no question Brody enjoyed the finer things in life, but like the rest of his brothers, family came first.

  “I guess I was having trouble trusting him too,” she admitted. “He said he would never cheat on me and I had no proof that he did, but…”

  I was dying to know what she was going to say, but I didn’t want to pry.

  “Brody was… is… has…” She blushed before leaning in to whisper, “A serious sex drive. It was hard for me to believe he wasn’t getting any on the side, especially when we went weeks or even months without seeing each other.”

  “Did you ever ask him about it?” I asked, hanging on her every word. “You know, if he’d ever cheated on you?”

  “Sure. We fought about it practically non-stop toward the end. That’s one of the main reasons I broke up with him. The constant fighting was just wearing me down. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

  “Yet you kept seeing each other even after you broke up? Why?”

  She ran her hand through her long, light blond hair as she offered me a rueful smile. “You’re marrying a Steele. I don’t have to tell you how irresistible those men can be. When they set their mind to something, they don’t stop until they get it.”

  I could understand how impossible it had been for her to resist Brody, especially since their history dated back to high school. She’d once told me he’d been her first and only love. I’d been tempted to ask if her new boyfriend had changed that but, in the end, decided it was best to let that question go unasked.

  “So how did you two start hooking up again? Did he call you? Did you run into him…?

  “He showed up on my doorstep one night, believe it or not,” she said, sounding annoyed. “He didn’t even call first, to make sure I was alone. He just assumed I would be. We hadn’t seen each other in months, yet I barely had the door open before he backed me into the wall and started kissing me.”

  I reach for one of the pamphlets she’d left and used it to fan myself as I imagined the scene she described. All of the Steele brothers shared similar physical characteristics: tall, broad shoulders, dark hair, and in my opinion, their best feature were those piercing blue eyes. “Wow.”

  “Yeah.” She sank her teeth into her glossy lower lip. “The whole time I kept telling myself that I was being an idiot for falling back into bed with him. I loved him too much to have a casual relationship with him, but that’s exactly what it led to. We never talked about whether we were seeing other people, but I think we both knew it couldn’t be mutually exclusive.”

  “So you finally decided to end it when you met Stephan?” I asked, referring to the doctor she’d been seeing.

  “Yeah.” She drained her cup before setting it aside. “When I met Stephan, I told him about my history with Brody, but he didn’t seem to mind. He said he knew I wasn’t the kind of woman who would string two men along at the same time and if our relationship evolved, he trusted me to tell Brody I couldn’t see him anymore.”

  “How did Brody take it when you told him about Stephan?” I asked softly, wondering if I was crossing the line by asking her to talk about what must have been a painful conversation for both of them.

  “He was crushed,” she admitted. “In typical Brody style, he just showed up at my door one day, assuming I’d be good to go. But I’d already been out with Stephan a few times.” She shrugged. “We’d shared a few kisses and I knew it could only get better, if Brody wasn’t in the picture to distract me anymore.”

  “So what did he say? How did he react?” I no longer cared about being gauche. I had to know!

  “He said I was crazy if I thought I could ever stop loving him.” She released a shaky breath as she traced the rim of her empty cup with her fingertip. “He said I’d be thinking of him ev
ery time I slept with Stephan.”

  I gasped at Brody’s audacity, not that I could claim to be surprised. He was very bold and opinionated, especially when he was passionate about something. “Goes to show he doesn’t know as much as he thinks he does,” I said, trying to support my friend.

  “Doesn’t he?” She raised a fair eyebrow when my mouth dropped. “What can I say? Brody’s a part of me, probably always will be.”

  “Are you saying you think about him when you’re with Stephan?” I whispered, trying to ignore the giggling college girls in the far corner of the bakery.

  She shrugged. “I try not to. But you know how it is. Sometimes your mind just wanders. You can’t control it.”

  I couldn’t imagine thinking about anyone else when I was with Nex, or how he’d react if he thought I was fantasizing about another lover. No question about it, he’d go ballistic. “Do you think Stephan knows you still have feelings for Brody?”

  “I don’t know.” She sighed. “The other day we were going through some things in my storage room, looking for Christmas decorations, and we found a box of pictures and photo albums of me and Brody. He offered to toss the box in the Dumpster for me, but I wouldn’t let him. Things were weird between us after that.”

  I could understand how she felt. I’d had a long-time boyfriend before I met Nex. We dated through high school and part of college, and while I no longer harbored any feelings for him, my mother still had a few mementos from our relationship tucked away in her attic. “Do you regret not getting rid of that stuff?”

  “Not really.” She laced her hands on the tabletop. “I just wasn’t ready. Someday I will be. But not now.”

  “Do you think that’s a reflection on your relationship with Stephan?”

  “I know he thinks that.” The cell phone she had resting on the table rang, and her boyfriend’s name flashed across the screen. She reached for it before pulling back. “I’m not in the mood to talk to him right now.”