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Although, I can’t help but wonder if her marriage with my dad would have gone better if she was all flirty and fun with him like this. I never once saw her acting like she is now. Maybe if she had put more effort into her first marriage it wouldn’t have fallen apart.
“So, how was Australia?” Brandon asks as he scratches behind Lucy’s ear. That dog is in heaven. “I traveled around there for six months when I was younger.”
“You never told me that,” Mom says, looking up at him in awe.
“I was with an ex-girlfriend,” Brandon says with a sly grin. “I didn’t want to make you jealous.”
She playfully swats his arm as her cheeks go red. “I’m not jealous.”
Yeah, right.
“Where did you go?” I ask.
“Up the coast,” he says. “We lived out of an old Winnebago we bought for five hundred bucks. It was as nice as it sounds.”
My mom giggles as she holds his arm a little tighter.
Watching them is surreal. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. They really are in love. Anyone can see that.
I never saw my mother this happy with my Dad growing up. Even during the best times.
We chat for a bit and I tell them all about my travels and the weird jobs I was working. Mom doesn’t seem mad or upset anymore. I think we’re both just relieved that we’re finally putting this long lonely stretch of time behind us.
They let me unpack in my room—a gorgeous bedroom in Brandon’s log cabin with my own bathroom and walk-out balcony—and then I take a long hot shower to wash that disgusting airplane smell off me.
I’m feeling much better and more relaxed as I head into the open kitchen to find Christmas cookies set up on the table with piped icing, a pot of coffee brewing, a fire in the living room fireplace, and my favorite Christmas song playing over the speakers—Mariah Carey’sAll I Want For Christmas Is You.
“I missed this,” I say as I slide into a chair and look at all of the delicious-looking gingerbread cookies in front of me.
My mother comes over, hugs my shoulders, and kisses the top of my damp blonde hair. “Me too.”
“That must be August with the Christmas tree,” Mom says when the front door opens. Her and Brandon rush into the entrance as I stay at the table with butterflies in my stomach.
Is he going to be mad at me for all the drama I caused? Is he going to hate me for missing the wedding?
I grab the stuffed piping bag of white icing and try to focus on decorating a gingerbread cookie in the shape of an angel, but I’m too on edge to make straight lines.
“I set up the tree stand by the fireplace,” Mom says as she hurries into the living room.
August and Brandon follow her in. August’s face is hidden by the enormous tree as he carries it over his shoulder. He’s so tall. Brandon is pretty tall too, but August has to be at least half a foot taller than him.
It’s a massive Christmas tree and he’s carrying it with ease. Even with that black winter jacket on, I can tell he’s got a large muscular frame. My stepbrother is jacked.
My eyes follow him as he walks over to the corner of the living room where the tree stand is set up.
“I got it,” Brandon says as he grabs the trunk and helps guide it into the stand.
My eyes are locked on my new stepbrother as they push the tree up and secure it. From behind, he’s gorgeous. A big strong back, broad shoulders, and a firm ass that looks deadly in those faded jeans.
Stepbrother, Harmony. He’s your freaking stepbrother.
When the tree is secure, he releases it and starts to unwind his scarf. I can’t take my eyes off him. He’s… He’s… He’swaytoo hot to be my stepbrother.
He still hasn’t noticed me at the table. Probably because I’m completely motionless, clutching the piping bag with a clenched fist while gawking at him.
My breath hitches as he unzips his jacket and peels it off his hard body. He’s wearing a light blue sweater underneath that looks tantalizingly soft. Probably Merino wool. It’s molding to his big round shoulders and muscular arms. My fingertips tingle with the desire to stroke it.
“Honey, you’re dripping icing all over the floor.”
