Chapter Two

Jace:

It’s easy enough to find my room, and I admire the pretty surroundings as I walk up the stairs to the second floor. It’s obvious Alexis must’ve spent a good amount of money to renovate this place and turn it into a B&B. I can remember when it was still Edna’s place, and it had been in disrepair. Edna must have left Alexis enough money to do the renovations, so I wonder why she let the house get in such a state. Perhaps she had dementia or something.

The thought leaves me as I drop my duffel bag on the bed and go back to close the door. It automatically locks behind me, and I set the electronic keycard on the table arranged nearby.

I look around the room, and it’s a little fussy for my tastes. There’s furniture that I think is called Queen Anne? It’s all delicate and feminine. I’m almost afraid to sit down on the velvet-upholstered chair and use the table with its similarly spindly legs.

I do so gingerly, holding my breath, and I’m almost surprised the chair doesn’t squeak or crack underneath my large frame. It must be sturdier than it looks, because it seems like a ninety-pound elderly woman could break it just by perching on the edge.

I stare for a moment, contemplating if I should unpack the things in my duffel bag into the ornate dresser across the room. I’m only going to be here a few days, so it almost seems like more trouble than it’s worth. Especially in this room, where I don’t feel at all comfortable.

I briefly wonder if Alexis gave me this room to make me feel out of my element. I can’t imagine why she would, but she sure didn’t seem happy to see me. Thinking back, I recall the last time I saw her. That had to have been about six years ago, when Jamie and I were in the same city where she went to college. Annie had been along, meeting us there, so it had seemed natural to make it a foursome.

We’d met up with her for a drink over the summer holiday, before she came back to Sage Valley for the rest of the season. She’d been warm with Annie and Jamie, but he was her brother. I squint as I realize she had been standoffish with me then as well.

I can’t figure out why. As far as I know, Alexis has no beef with me. I’m her brother’s friend more than hers, so I was never that close to her, but I can’t recall any reason why she’s so cold. Why does she seem angry that I’m her reservation?

“And why didn’t I get a cookie?” I ask that question aloud while looking at the ornate mirror hanging on the wall opposite me. Does she think I didn’t notice the other guests got those parchment bags that smelled like fresh-baked chocolate cookies? Maybe it was an oversight, but I can’t help feeling it was deliberate.

I tap my fingers on the table, wincing when it wobbles, and immediately stop. I’m still contemplating why Alexis might be angry with me when my phone chimes to indicate I have a text. Jamie is sending me a message, inviting me to meet him, Lisbeth, and Ryder at the bar.

I text back my affirmative reply and get to my feet. I leave the duffel bag on the bed for now and scoop up the keycard on my way out the door. I pause to make sure it shuts behind me before heading back down the curved stairway. The place really is elegant, and I suppose it justifies the price per night I’m paying, but I can’t help noticing there don’t seem to be as many guests as there are rooms.

I also can’t help noticing Alexis looks tired as I walk past her to head to the exit. She’s occupied with the guests, so I don’t get a chance to stop and talk to her, or to ask how she’s doing, but her unwelcoming look in my direction makes me reluctant to do so even if she weren’t busy.

I’m still puzzling it over as I get in the car I rented when my plane landed at the airport. It’s a midsize SUV and much more comfortable than the fiddly room I’m staying in. This vehicle suits me and is similar to the rig I have at home.

I drive down Main Street, wincing at the kitsch. Sage Valley has gone all out with the typical decorations, and for preparing for the Light Festival, which is a big deal here. It draws tourists from around the area, along with several nearby states. Downtown is like a promotional video for one of those nauseatingly wholesome holiday movies.

It all sets my teeth on edge, but I try to ignore the churning in my gut. I’m not a holiday person. I don’t think I ever have been, especially not as an adult. My happiest holiday memory is of my parents’ divorce being finalized on December Twenty-Third when I was twenty-two.

I hadn’t even been home to enjoy the final peace that must’ve settled in the town—or at least on Elm Street, where we had lived all my life in Sage Valley—after they split, but I’d been thrilled at the dissolution. After seeing them spend years making each other miserable, it had been cause for celebration that they were finally giving up and trying to move on. That was the best Christmas present I ever received.

I grimace. Too bad they both moved on with partners closer to my age than each other. Mom’s boyfriend, who she lives with in the Caribbean, is a bartender at a local resort. He’s a nice enough guy, but is only three years older than me, which is awkward at best. My mother is a cougar. Yikes.

The last girlfriend my father had was actually younger than me, and when Dad was in the shower, she tried to get me into bed. She’d claimed to be intrigued by the idea I’m half-black and wanted to know if the clichés are true. Dad couldn’t satisfy her curiosity, being white, as she’d so blatantly told me. That was super awkward as well, and I’d ended up cutting short my visit. Both my parents have invited me to come spend the holidays with them this year, but I have no interest in doing so.

My plan was to ignore the whole holiday as usual, but then Lisbeth emailed me to remind me of our tentative plans to meet up ten years after we went our separate ways following high school. With nothing better to do, here I am, and I turn off the main street to take the side road that leads to the bar. I didn’t bother to ask which one, because there are only a couple of bars in Sage Valley, and I’m sure my friends picked the nice one.

It isn’t exactly a nice bar, but it’s not bad for bar standards. It’s certainly better than the dive bar across town favored by the cheaper drunks. That place has a surly, forlorn air exacerbated by the stench of stale cigarettes and spilled alcohol. Unless things have changed, and the old owner, Ernie, has improved it. I doubt that, based on past acquaintance with the man.

This place isn’t a whole lot better when I step inside, but the ambience is nicer, and it doesn’t have quite as many foul odors. As an added bonus, I don’t have not-so-fond memories of coming into this place multiple times when I was way too young to drink to retrieve my dad after yet another knock-down, drag-out fight with my mother.

I immediately see Jamie at a table, and I walk toward him. Lisbeth and Ryder are already there, and I’m not surprised to see how close they’re sitting together. They might not even realize it themselves, but it’s like there is a magnet drawing them toward each other. It’s always been like that though, and I won’t be at all surprised to find out they finally hook up now that they’re reunited.

I sit down on the only chair left at the table, leaning my chest against the back, which is facing the table. That allows me to stretch out my legs a little, though I’m careful not to bump into Brewster. “Where’s Annie?”

“Sleeping. As you can imagine, watching us drink didn’t appeal to her.” Jamie looks a little anxious, a little worried, and mostly proud. I can tell he’s excited to be a dad, which doesn’t surprise me. He’s practically a father to Brewster.

The dog sits calmly at Jamie’s side with his head resting on Jamie’s thigh. I’ve met Brewster before, since Jamie and I usually get together once or twice a year. He’s my best friend and one of the few people I make a priority.

Jamie, not Brewster.

Not that Lisbeth and Ryder aren’t priorities as well, but Jamie’s always been like a brother to me. Lisbeth and Ryder were always closer to each other, so Jamie and I had drifted into a closer friendship.

I reach out and stroke Brewster’s head. “How are you doing, buddy?”

The dog gives me a feeble tail wag without lifting his head. He’s the loyal sort, and I figure he must be comfortable like that, or he needs the contact with Jamie.

A pretty barmaid comes over, and she’s wearing a low-cut shirt. She seems determined to show me everything she has to offer as she leans forward and gives me a slow smile. “What can I get you to drink, sugar?”

“Mineral water and cranberry juice on the rocks.” I occasionally drink, but it’s rare after seeing my dad in his sorry drunken state too many times over the years. At least he was never a mean drunk. Just pathetic and maudlin.

She nods and writes it down, giving me a wink as she sashays away.

“You could unwrap that present any time you want,” says Jamie with a chuckle.

I shrug a shoulder. “I expect so.” She’s pretty enough, but she’s not really my type. I go for petite, curvier blondes with big blue eyes.

There’s a jolt my groin as I abruptly see Alexis in my mind. Holy crap, she’s definitely become my type. Either I didn’t notice before, or I tried not to let myself notice, since she’s my best friend’s sister. Alexis has grown into her curves, and I know for a fact that silvery blonde hair of hers is natural, because she’s had that tint all her life.

I shift in the seat, embarrassed I’m getting hard thinking about my best buddy’s sister while he sits right beside me. That feels all kinds of wrong, and I struggle to distract myself.

Instead of doing so, I somehow introduce her as the topic of conversation when I ask Jamie, “Is there any reason why your sister doesn’t like me?”

He frowns as he takes a sip from his longneck bottle. “What’d you mean?”

I shrug. “She didn’t seem too thrilled to see me. I have a feeling if you’d told her the reservation was for me, she would’ve claimed she was fully booked. For a moment, I thought she was going to tell me to get my ass out of her inn.”

Jamie’s frown deepens. “She’s never said anything to me. I can’t think of any reason why.”

Lisbeth scoffs then. “How about the fact you made her miserable as a kid? Neither one of you wanted her tagging along and following us around, so you were both pretty mean to her.”

I open my mouth to deny the allegation, but then I shift again, overcome by discomfort. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Thinking back, I was kind of a shit to Alexis. Jamie was too, but he was her older brother. I must’ve claimed proxy privilege to mistreat her. I can see why she might not like me.

“That doesn’t make much sense though, because she seemed to like you just fine as we got older,” says Ryder.

“Yeah, just fine,” says Lisbeth with a mysterious smile.

I think back to the past, recalling that Alexis and I eventually reached a truce of some sort. I put up with her, and she appeared to put up with me. I certainly hadn’t been pushing her buttons the last two years I’d known her.

To be honest, I hadn’t noticed much about her either way. Just that she’d stopped being an annoying little kid, but when she was with us, I can’t say I paid much attention either way. I still can’t think of any reason why she would actively dislike me.

“Maybe it’s just your naturally charming personality,” says Jamie with a chuckle as he nudges me with his elbow.

“I can be fucking charming if I want.” I grunt at him. “Remember those twins on our leave in Singapore? They both chose to leave with me instead of one going with you.” That was before he and Annie got back together after she finished college.

Jamie laughs again after a moment. “Are you talking about the same ones who drugged you and stole your wallet?”

I grimace, having forgotten about that part in my haste to put him in his place. “That might be, but they gave me an unforgettable night before.”

“It’s hard to forget being drugged and robbed,” agrees Jamie, deadpan.

Lisbeth snickers, and so does Ryder, and I take their contributions stoically. Let them have their laughs. If it were any of them, I’d probably react the same way. The twins had rocked my world, though it hadn’t quite been worth waking up with a hangover from whatever they’d slipped me, along with a few hundred dollars lighter from being robbed.

“Maybe you should just try being a nice human being,” says Lisbeth.

Ryder arches a brow and looks at me in a considering fashion. “Yeah, that might work. You could pretend like you have manners and stuff.”

“And for goodness sake, don’t remind Alexis how much you hate Christmas. That’s anathema around here, and she’s just as gung-ho for the holidays as the rest of Sage Valley’s residents.” Jamie offers me that advice as the waitress returns.

She places my drink in front of me with exquisite attention to detail, ensuring she flashes her cleavage my way the entire time. I avoid her gaze, not at all tempted. For some reason, Alexis pops into my thoughts again, and I try to pretend like my pants aren’t suddenly too tight.

I can’t actually be attracted to Jamie’s little sister, can I? Nah, it has to be tangled up with some kind of response from the way she’s disdainful of me. The alpha in me has to be responding to the challenge of getting her to like me, and I’ve got it twisted up as attraction instead of a challenge in my brain.

It’s a damn good theory, and I’m still clinging to it when I return to the B&B a couple of hours later. I’m certainly not drunk, but I still stumble when I climb the stairs. They aren’t any different in height than the norm, so I can see why she glares at me as I come crashing into the lobby. I have no explanation for the clumsiness, aside from being distracted by her. I’m not even going to let myself think about that.

I steady myself, and my normal gait returns as I walk closer to her. She’s seated behind the reception area with a large book, but I quickly realize she isn’t reading it. It must be her guestbook. I can tell she’s not reading it, because I can see an app open on her phone, and I catch enough of the words, even reading upside down, to realize she’s perusing one of those smutty romances she and Lisbeth like.

I’m suddenly overcome with curiosity about the state of her panties, wondering if she’s turned on by what she’s reading in the scene with one woman and two men. The urge to find out for myself nearly overwhelms me, and I bunch my hands into fists as I stand in front of her. “I want to say I’m sorry.”

She looks up at me as she’s tucking away her phone. There’s an expression of shock and something else I can’t read. “Really?” She says that breathlessly.

I nod. “Lisbeth reminded me that I was kind of an asshole to you when we were younger. I want to apologize for that.”

Her gaze dims, and her expression turns cool again. “Don’t even worry about it. We were kids, and that’s in the past.” The words are appropriate, but there’s a coldness to them that suggests she’s only saying them because it’s expected.

I lean in a little closer. “Seriously, I really am sorry about all that. I was just a kid, but I was a jerk.”

She looks over my shoulder, and I think she’s avoiding my gaze. Then I realize there’s a group arriving, and I have to step aside. I don’t get a response from her for my second apology, but I observe her as she checks in the late arrivals. She looks exhausted, and there are bruises under her eyes. She seems wan. Is she working herself into a stupor, or is she ill? I want to ask her, but I don’t have the chance.

One thing I can do to help is grab the luggage when she mentions she’ll have it brought to the room. I stay around long enough to hear the room number before scooping up the bags and carrying them up with me. If she has any objection to my help, or even notices, she doesn’t say anything.

I linger outside the designated room, quickly realizing these folks will be sharing the bathroom with me. When the group tromps up the stairs, the older man opens the door, and he steps back to allow me to enter with the luggage. I place it on the floor near the closet and start to leave.

“Hang on, fella.” He reaches into his pocket.

I shake my head and lift a hand in rejection. “No need. I don’t actually work here. I’m just giving Alexis a hand.”

“Is that the pretty girl behind the desk?” asks the younger man in the party. He’s only a few years younger than Alexis.

My hackles rise, and I hesitate to identify what I’m feeling as I observe a hint of interest in his expression. “Yeah, Alexis and I go way back.” I can’t help a hint of warning in my tone.

It must be enough warning to deter the young man, because his eyes widened, and he takes a step away from me. I don’t wait for anything else to slip out of their room and walk down the hall to my own.

I enter my room, still worried about Alexis. It’s a strange feeling. I haven’t gotten close enough to a woman in years to really be concerned about her well-being. I don’t even really know Alexis anymore, but it’s certainly more than just friendly concern on my part. I’m worried about her, and I’m attracted to her.

Since we didn’t finish our conversation, I decide to leave my room and return to the lobby. I hope to find her behind the reception desk, and I do. She’s still perched on what looks like a comfortable chair with her phone out again. I wonder if she spends a good portion of her time there, and then I wonder why she doesn’t have someone else hired for the position.

She looks displeased to see me as I approach, but I ignore that while leaning against the desk. “I took up the luggage for those people, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

Her expression thaws marginally. “Thank you for the help. I wasn’t looking forward to schlepping those bags upstairs.”

I shrug a shoulder. “It was nothing.” It really was no big deal. I’m used to benching far more than that, and a guy my size has little trouble handling a few bags. Heck, I could pick up Alexis and carry her with one arm up the stairs.

That thought inevitably leads to me carrying her into my room and lying her on my bed. I shut down that line of thought before it proceeds. I can’t be thinking about her this way.

“What happened your reservation at the hotel?”

Her words bring me back to the present. “They claimed it was an accidental double booking. I wonder if they were just hedging their bets this time of year in case someone canceled.”

She nods. “I’ve run across some shady tips since I opened the B&B. There are trade groups and forums online. You’d be surprised… Well, maybe you wouldn’t be surprised at all the underhanded tactics people employ.” She sighs and looks around. “I might need to implement a few myself. I really hope the Light Festival gives this place a much-needed infusion of cash.”

I’m almost surprises she’s being so candid with me, but I can see the exhaustion in her expression. Maybe she just needs to unload to someone semi-familiar.

“I hope you enjoy your stay here, because it might be the last opportunity you have.” She runs a hand through her hair, disheveling the wavy blonde locks from the ponytail trying to confine them.

Her hair is so fine and frizzy that it resists taming. I clench my hands into fists to avoid the temptation to reach out and touch it for myself. Dammit, I have to stop thinking this way about Alexis. “This place is beautiful. I don’t see how it can fail.”

A ghost of a smile passes her lips. “I once thought the same.” She looks melancholy before she blinks, clearly wanting to change the subject. “Did you come back for the reunion, or is there another reason you’re in Sage Valley?”

I ponder her question for a minute. “Yeah, it was mostly because Lisbeth reminded me we had an informal agreement to meet up in ten years. I didn’t have any other plans, so I thought, why not?”

She frowns. “What about your parents? Why not spend Christmas with one of them?”

“Things get awkward. Spending time with them when they were married wasn’t all that great, but it’s even worse now in some ways. Mom’s deliriously happy with a guy just a few years older than me, and Dad’s turned into a bitter divorcé full of regrets.”

“Fun,” she says with a sympathetic grimace.

“When he’s not dating someone young enough to be my sister, he’s angry that Mom has moved on. There’s never been a truly happy holiday pre- or post-divorce, and I couldn’t give two shits about Christmas anyway.” I wince as I say the words, recalling Jamie’s advice not to share my disdain of the holiday.

Her eyes narrow, and she clearly doesn’t like my words. “The Sage Valley economy relies heavily on Christmas tourism,” she says tartly. “So does my business. It’s unfortunate you don’t enjoy the holiday.”

I shrug. “I never really had much reason to.” I’m not looking for sympathy. I’m simply stating facts.

My parents usually went through the motions of putting up a Christmas tree and giving me and my sister gifts before she drowned when I was thirteen, but they were just as likely to be fighting on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day as they were any other time of the year, and most holidays ended with indigestion and disappointment. I can’t even claim they were happier before Karen’s death, because they argued just as much then too. They just got meaner with each other after her passing.

I saw no redeeming facets back then, and I still don’t to this day. Christmas is just an inconvenient and expensive time of year, and it’s also commercial. What’s the point? Of course, I don’t share those thoughts with Alexis. She already has a bad enough opinion of me.

“Christmas can be really wonderful.” She seems to be trying to convince me, and though her earnestness is cute, it doesn’t sway me.

“I have about as much use for Christmas as I do for marriage,” I say with a bitter twist of my lips. So much for not offending her.

I can sense her withdraw, and her gaze darkens as she looks away from me, reaching for her phone again. “If you need anything, you can dial zero on your phone, and it connects to the front desk, or it’s routed to my cell, so you won’t have to wait long for a response. I hope you enjoy your stay with us.”

Her tone is impersonal, and she’s clearly dismissing me.

I could fight it, but why bother? I’ve already put my foot in it enough tonight, and I’m sure I haven’t done anything to improve her opinion or outlook toward me. If possible, I’ve made things worse.

I don’t know why it bothers me so much, as I usually don’t care if someone has a negative opinion of me, but it doesn’t sit well with me. I think about it for the rest of the evening, and about Alexis, before finally turning in for the night. I expect to have trouble sleeping, since I often do, but the comfortable bed overwhelms me, and I slip into a dreamless slumber, finally able to stop thinking about Alexis.