Read The Accidental Mrs. Mackenzie Online

Authors: Bonnie K. Winn

The Accidental Mrs. Mackenzie (20 page)

BOOK: The Accidental Mrs. Mackenzie
2.01Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads
“Work,” he chimed in.
“It has to be done,” Brynn explained with more force than necessary.
Matt looked at her quizzically. “Most work does. Mother’s been worried about you—says you’re not eating enough to keep a bird alive.” He shot a glance at Bossy. “But I guess that’s a matter of opinion.”
Brynn ignored the fact that she had indeed lost weight. “I’m eating plenty. There’s no need to worry. After all, I’m a big girl.”
“That you are,” he murmured.
His gaze warming her, Brynn felt a familiar jolt in her midsection. Why couldn’t she have met him under different circumstances? Instead of ones that no daydream could change. “Well, I’d better head to the lodge,” she managed. “I have to get back to—”
“Work,” he finished for her.
Helplessly she gazed at him for a moment before calling her animals and fleeing back to the lodge.
Matt watched as she disappeared. He’d seen so little of her in the past weeks that she could be the figment of his wishful imagination. The telltale tracks in the snow convinced him otherwise.
But Matt knew what Brynn doing. She was slowly disappearing, distancing herself so that the break wouldn’t be as severe when she left. Still, the distance would be there.
And though he still fervently prayed for his brother’s safe return, Matt knew that once Gregory was back, that distance would be in place. Permanently.
 
BRYNN STUMBLED THROUGH the darkened lobby, wondering what was going on. An urgent call from one of the staff members had brought her downstairs. Since the call, apparently either a fuse had blown or the electricity was out. Luckily one of the candlelit sconces in the hallway had illuminated the stairway.
Running her fingers across the wall, she looked for a light switch just in case it had been accidentally turned off.
So far she’d managed to knock down the MacKenzies coat of arms and tip over an oil painting of Gallagher MacKenzie. Brynn figured that at this rate, she could single-handedly destroy the lobby.
Hearing a quiet noise scuttle close by, Brynn hesitated. Was she not alone? A shiver danced down her spine and she turned to investigate.
As she did, the room burst into a kaleidoscope of light, noise and motion.
“Surprise!” a chorus of voices shouted.
Pure shock kept her frozen in place. It wasn’t her birthday. Had she intruded on someone else’s surprise and ruined it?
But the women were all crowding around her and somewhere in her brain she registered the wording on the banners and decorations. Congratulations?
Ruth and Miranda pushed forward. “It’s a bridal shower for you,” they explained together. “We thought with an elopement there couldn’t have been time for a shower and with your family living far away, we doubted you’d had one afterward, either.”
“Well, no, I haven’t,” Brynn managed, overwhelmed by the roomful of beaming faces.
“It’s one thing to skip the wedding,” Ruth told her. “It’s another entirely to miss the shower.” Then her face beamed. “And with the encouraging fax about Gregory yesterday, we thought we should make up for lost time.”
“The guests didn’t mind clearing the lobby.” Miranda grinned. “For such a good cause—plus we set up a complimentary buffet on the deck.”
Pulled to the center of the room, Brynn looked at the beautiful cake that held the place of honor on the buffet table. Her name and Gregory’s were twined together beneath double wedding bands. A rush of uncertain emotion choked her. “You
really
shouldn’t have done this.”
“Pish,” Miranda dismissed. “What’s the fun of getting married if you can’t have the parties?”
“I’m not sure,” Brynn admitted, realizing there was little she
was
sure of anymore.
“The ballroom’s set up for dinner,” Ruth told her, taking her arm. “And your place of honor is at the head of the table.”
Brynn clutched Ruth’s arm for support. She’d thought the buffet table looked scrumptious, but once inside the ballroom she was staggered by the exquisite formal dinner. Apparently the buffet table was the dessert course.
Throughout the meal, Brynn could only battle her amazement. These wonderful people were far more than she deserved. And they deserved far more than her deception. Yesterday’s fax, though reassuring, hadn’t provided any real reassurances. The negotiations were proceeding and hopes were high. But Gregory was still in the hands of his captors. They had learned that the kidnappers were low-level South American Government officials. They had known Gregory would be there for negotiations, hoping to build a new plant. They’d taken advantage of a pre-planned meeting to swiftly abduct him. And Brynn didn’t believe she could wait out his release.
Even as she graciously dined with her new friends, Brynn thought about what she must do. First, she had to determine if Frank’s health was steady. If so, it really was time for her to leave. She simply couldn’t continue to lie to the nicest people she’d ever known. Brynn’s throat constricted as she thought of leaving these new friends, the cozy town, and her adopted family.
And her heart felt as though a fist had clamped around it as she thought of leaving Matt. When had that feeling become paramount? And what was she to do about it? Confess that she’d lied and deceived him and somewhere in the process, tangled her feelings irretrievably with his?
The dinner drew to a close and the women strolled back into the lobby. A few of them nibbled on the pastries and chocolates lining the buffet. But most of them gathered around an armchair that was surrounded by a huge pile of gifts.
Seeing the presents, Brynn could scarcely stifle her cry of dismay. “You really,
really
shouldn’t have done this.”
“A shower without gifts is like Christmas without Santa Claus,” Ruth told her.
“Or Christmas without gifts,” Miranda added in a droll tone, making everyone laugh.
“But this isn’t necessary, and—”
“Come on, kiddo,” Miranda intervened, taking her arm. “This is your chair—the place of honor, so to speak. And the way you’re dragging your feet we won’t get those gifts open till next
Christmas.”
More laughter erupted and Brynn allowed herself to be ensconced in the huge leather chair. Meeting several pairs of curious, cheerful eyes, Brynn knew she couldn’t stall much longer. Still, her hands moved slowly as she pulled the ribbon and bow from the first package.
“I’ll take the bow,” Becky offered, her hand out. “I’ll make a wreath out of them.”
“That sounds nice,” Brynn murmured, not caring what happened to the bows.
“The way the bows line up tell you how many children you’re going to have,” Becky informed her.
Brynn nearly choked. ‘“Children’?”
“Sure. It sounds silly, but the wreath from my shower was right on.”
Brynn turned her eyes heavenward. Where was a good strike of lightning when you needed it?
Ruth’s eyes softened. “Children are always a blessing.”
Brynn silently agreed. Right now she wished she had one in the lobby screaming its head off to divert all the attention turned on her.
“That package won’t open itself,” Miranda reminded her. Brynn peeled back the wrapping paper, revealing an expensive, cream-colored box with a distinctive engraved store emblem. She barely contained her sigh. The hole she was digging for herself could stretch nearly to China.
Removing the lid and lifting back the tissue paper, Brynn saw a beautiful, cream-colored negligee. Tiny, exquisite satin rosebuds decorated the silk bodice. It was both simple and elegant. Nestled in the folds of silk, Brynn spotted a small card and picked it up.
 
With love, Aunt Miranda
 
Brynn’s eyes misted, because in her heart, the woman had become family, someone for whom she truly cared. Someone she would miss dreadfully.
“Now don’t go all maudlin on me,” Miranda warned, a suspiciously hoarse note in her voice, as well.
Brynn reached out to hug the older woman. Miranda returned the embrace, then cleared her throat as she patted Brynn’s back.
“Now, now, you’ve got other presents to open.”
Brynn brushed away a tear and accepted the next present she was handed. Taking less time with this one, she wished she’d lingered when she saw the contents. An outrageous bit of fluff that could be loosely termed lingerie emerged.
“Let us see!” the women urged her, then broke into a chorus of oohs, aahs, and laughter as they saw the garment.
Hoping it was one of a kind, Brynn opened the next present and saw something so similar it could have been its twin. Gamely she held it up. “This one’s red instead of black.”
“Can’t have too much of either color,” Jean told her with a broad wink.
The next two boxes contained flimsy bras and minuscule panties that Brynn doubted she’d ever have the courage to wear. She could just envision herself lying in a hospital emergency room trying to explain them to a stern-looking nurse.
Attempting to maintain a smile, she dived into the next box. At first she was relieved. Sweet-smelling lotion was perfectly normal. As was the matching talc. Pulling out a third bottle, she paused. Body oil. So far, so good. Continuing to read the label, her eyes widened as it proclaimed to be edible and highly delectable.
“Showers are different than in my day,” Ruth said with a sigh.
“More interesting now,” Miranda observed, handing Brynn another box.
This one contained another provocative gown. Holding it up so that the women could show their appreciation with hoots and a few embarrassed titters, Brynn glanced up herself. And met Matt’s smoldering gaze.
For a moment she faltered. Was he imagining her in the gown? Or in his brother’s arms?
Before she could more than wonder, he disappeared.
Prodded by the women, Brynn continued opening gifts, mouthing all the appropriate words, but her thoughts were far away—with the man who’d walked into the room and left with her heart.
Chapter Fifteen
B
rynn tossed the ball for Lancelot to chase, watching him bound over the snow-covered ground as though he was used to walking through several feet of snow every day. The animals were so acclimated to Eagle Point that she knew they’d have to readjust to her apartment when they returned.
Brynn had given up the idea of complete reclusion. The MacKenzies simply outmaneuvered her, drawing her out, refusing to let her hibernate completely. And since the shower, Brynn had been awash in mixed emotions. Each time she’d brought up the subject of leaving, she’d been swamped with pleas for her to stay. Ruth had cautioned her about Frank’s precarious health; and Matt’s silent, watchful gaze left her completely unsettled.
As Brynn glanced upward, the ski lift cycled again. Last-minute checks were all that was left before the season opened. The phone lines were jammed and everyone had been pressed into taking reservation duty. Some were new reservations, some were changes. People anxious to hit the famous powder. When Brynn had left the main building, she’d spotted Ruth in the office taking the switchboard’s helm.
While Thanksgiving was a special holiday for all of America, it held exceptional significance for ski resorts. With full bookings and record snowfall, Eagle Point was particularly thankful.
Seeing Andy across the way chasing the dog, Brynn frowned. Lancelot still didn’t openly accept everyone. The only person other than Brynn that he’d completely accepted was Matt. For him, the dog would roll over on his back, exposing his vulnerable belly in the ultimate gesture of trust. And Matt, with his easy, consistent ways, had continued to hold that trust.
Lancelot loped toward her, Andy following close behind. As the boy thundered to a stop, Brynn caught his arms, preventing a skid. “Whoa! You’ll take the knees out of those new jeans and your mom won’t be happy.”
Unconcerned, Andy reached over to pat the dog. “He won’t ever let me catch him.”
Brynn gentled her voice, yet her concern crept through. “I’ve tried to explain about Lancelot, how he came from an abusive home. It’s hard to understand how people can be cruel to animals, but sometimes they are. And because he was mistreated, it’s hard for him to trust people.”
“He trusts you,” Andy replied.
“That’s because he’s lived me with for quite a while now. He knows what to expect from me.”
“But he hasn’t known Matt that long and he likes him.”
“True,” Brynn agreed, equally puzzled. “But Lancelot just seems to know that Matt won’t hurt him. And that’s surprising, because it was a man who was unkind to him, so Lancelot never likes men.”
“Maybe he can tell that Matt was going to be a vet.”
“A vet?” Brynn echoed in utter surprise.
“Yeah. Long time ago. He had to decide between running Eagle Point and being a vet. Mom said he used to fill the lodge with stray animals till she thought they were going to have their own animal hospital.”
So that was it
. “Really?”
“Yeah. He even hid elk in the sleigh barn so they wouldn’t get shot during hunting season.” Andy’s expression turned fierce. “It wasn’t dopey. Just ‘cause some people like to shoot ’em doesn’t mean everybody has to.”
Touched both by Andy’s devotion to his brother and her discovery of Matt’s soft spot for animals, she draped an arm around the child’s shoulders. “Of course not. I wish no one ever had to shoot another deer or elk or moose. I’d like to see the woods filled with wild creatures.”
Andy looked undecided, not certain whether she was simply humoring him. “Really?”
“Absolutely. That’s why I bring home the animals nobody else will have. I guess I hide my own elk in a way. No one wanted a dog that growled at everyone who tried to pet him...or a cat that was going blind.... Or a bird with...well, not always the nicest things to say. And if I hadn’t taken them home...”
“They’d shoot ’em?” Andy questioned, horrified.
“Not exactly. But I’m afraid you’ve got the idea. So, you see, I believe in protecting creatures that can’t protect themselves.”
“Just like Matt.”
She ruffled his hair. “Yeah. Just like Matt.”
“Good.” His brows grew together in obvious thought. “’Cause we’re family now and we should think good stuff about each other.”
That hitch was finding a permanent place in her heart. “You’re right about that.”
“Is your other family like that, too?”
Brynn’s eyes flickered shut as she thought about her selfabsorbed mother. Always chasing an elusive piece of happiness—and never finding it. “Not exactly,” she answered briefly. “But I always think of Stephanie as part of my family.”
“Yeah,” Andy replied, understanding dawning. Then his brightness dimmed. “But she’s acting awful goopy lately.”
“‘Goopy’?”
“Yeah. She used to be really cool, but now she’s all goony over this guy. Before, she would’ve done something really awesome to him, but now she’s acting all
nice
.” His intonation indicated “nice” was the worst possible description for his favorite comic character.
“She really seems that different?” Brynn asked, appalled at what was dawning on her.
“I’m not even sure she’s Stephanie anymore,” he replied, as guileless as he was tactless. “It never used to be a girls’ comic strip, but now it is.”
That term needed no translation. As her own feelings had changed, apparently she’d put Stephanie through a metamorphosis of her own. And now she’d spilled out her own feelings for the entire comic-reading world to see.
Cocky, fearless Stephanie had fallen in love—sweetly and with all her heart. Brynn had created a carbon copy of herself—a woman never before touched by love, charmed by her new prince and totally captivated by him.
And acting completely out of character.
Brynn’s lips firmed into a grim line.
Face it
, she told herself.
You’ve given Stephanie a personality transplant.
Unable to prevent it, Brynn groaned aloud about the consequences of her own transparent feelings.
“You okay?” Andy questioned. “You don’t have a stomachache or something, do you?”
“No. Just a headache thinking about all the work I have to do.”
“More dead stuff?”
“Deadlines,” she corrected, a touch of humor returning.
He shrugged. “You coming out of your room this time?”
Brynn withheld her groan this time. “Sure.”
“Cool. I gotta go inside. I have to stuff envelopes.”
Even Andy and Heather had been drafted into service. “See you later, then.”
Andy reached down to give Lancelot one more pat. “After he gets to know me better, he’ll trust me, too.”
With that he was running through the snow, leaving a powdery trail in the crisp air. Brynn knew her creative block bad just been smashed open. It was time she got Stephanie back on track. It was a wonder other readers and her publisher hadn’t complained. Stephanie had to regain her edge and return to her wacky, tortuous self.
An image of her own leaf-jumping escapade came to mind. With a few twists, Brynn could take that episode and turn it completely to Stephanie’s advantage. And restore the star of her strip as the independent woman she was, rather than a transparent carbon copy of herself.
Glancing toward the lodge, Brynn watched Andy disappear, realizing in that moment there could be no more time for Andy to bond with Lancelot, or for her to continue accepting the MacKenzies’ hospitality. Andy had opened her eyes. If even her comic strip had dramatically and visibly altered, it was finally time to do what she should have done long ago.
And with Thanksgiving only a few weeks away, Brynn needed to be with her own mother—to prove to herself that she didn’t need to “borrow” someone else’s family.
And Thanksgiving would be the perfect break. The MacKenzies would have to understand that she should be with her own family for the holiday. With the excitement and rush of the start of the season, her departure wouldn’t be as traumatic. The family would be too caught up in attending to the surge of guests. It would be difficult to bid them goodbye. But if she put it off any longer, it would be unbearable.
 
BRYNN WIPED HER perspiring palms against the jeans she now wore with ease. Collecting her courage she dialed the phone, her never completely quenchable optimism in hand, along with a great deal of need. While she and her mother didn’t make it a habit to celebrate holidays together—mat simply wasn’t in Charlene Magee’s game plan—Brynn needed her mother now. Needed to know that when she walked away from the MacKenzies she would still have someone to reach out to—someone who would care about her.
“Mom!” Brynn spoke in a rush, glad to hear the familiar voice.
“Brynn?”
Great deductive powers, Brynn couldn’t help thinking, since her mother had only one child. “Yes, Mom. It’s me.”
“Is something wrong?”
Brynn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “No, Mom. But Thanksgiving’s just around the corner. I thought we could spend it together. It’s not like we have a whole lot of family to gather, but we could still roast a mean turkey and I have Grandma Magee’s recipe for Irish whiskey cake—I know how you love it—”
“Brynn.”
The tone alone stopped her flow of words. And she waited.
“I...I didn’t expect you to call about Thanksgiving. You’ve been so caught up yourself, lately. And actually... Well, I’ve made plans to take a ski vacation....”
The irony wasn’t lost on Brynn.
“Of course, I’m planning to go to the eastern slopes,” Charlene continued.
Of course. Especially since she had a daughter in the western Rockies only minutes from the country’s finest ski resorts. But she couldn’t give up. Not yet. “I could meet you, Mom.”
“Well...Brynn, the truth is I’ve met someone new.”
Brynn had lost count of all the “someone news” her mother had met over the years.
“And Brynn...it would be hard to explain a daughter your age.”
“How old is he?”
Charlene stalled, then finally sighed. “Twenty-eight, okay? But he thinks I’m ten years younger than I am, which makes our age difference just a small gap instead of a glaring gorge. But if you show up, he’ll know I can’t have a daughter your age and be—”
“Mom. It’s okay.” Brynn clutched the phone a little closer, wishing for the zillionth time that she had the storybook family she’d always dreamed of. “It’s last-minute, anyway. Flights would be difficult to get—”
“Impossible,” her mother interrupted, hope singing through the phone lines.
That same hope killed Brynn’s. “Right. And what do we know about cooking turkeys?”
“Best left to the experts,” Charlene agreed with relief. “What else are chefs and restaurants for?”
Cold, lonely holidays. But Brynn didn’t share that with her mother. “Exactly. Maybe...maybe I’ll try skiing myself this year.”
“Well, you’re in the right place for it.”
A tear squeezed past Brynn’s tightly closed eyelids, despite her intention not to cry. If only her mother knew. Or cared. “And I have a ton of work to do. In fact, I’d better go and get on it. Deadlines.”
“Of course. We’ll talk again. When all this mad rush of holidays is over.”
Realizing her mother had just dismissed Christmas along with Thanksgiving, Brynn managed to say goodbye, her hands shaking as she gave in to the tears she couldn’t hold back any longer.
Downstairs, Ruth’s hands were shaking as well as she hung up the switchboard master line, having overheard Brynn’s conversation. Initially, she’d just wanted to break in on the call to tell Brynn that her publisher was holding on another line. Hearing Brynn speaking to her mother about Thanksgiving, Ruth decided it would be best not to interrupt and was about to click off when she heard Charlene’s excuse for not spending the holiday with her daughter. Knowing she was shamelessly eavesdropping, she couldn’t stop, worried about the girl who had grown so dear to their family.
And now shock battled with a need to protect. How could any mother be so callous? Especially to a girl as sensitive as Brynn? Mindful of everyone’s feelings, considerate to a fault, it was hard to believe she came from a mother who possessed neither quality.
Ruth knew she had to convince Brynn that she was needed here at Eagle Point for the holiday. Otherwise, she suspected that Brynn might escape to lick her wounds, unable to deal with such a family-oriented holiday without any family of her own.
As she worried about Brynn, Ruth also thought about Frank’s faulty health—the effect her departure would have on him. This past week he’d looked paler. His sleep was uneven, his appetite all but nonexistent. With no real news of Gregory, his spirits were fading. With all the fierce instincts of motherhood, Ruth believed her firstborn was alive, that she would know in an instant if her son had been taken from her. Matt had flown again to Washington, but he had returned frustrated, feeling he hadn’t accomplished anything that would help Gregory. Still, Ruth believed.
BOOK: The Accidental Mrs. Mackenzie
2.01Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

The Perfect Life by Robin Lee Hatcher
Wedding Bell Blues by Jill Santopolo
Abandon by Stephanie Dorman
The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan
Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey
Love in La Terraza by Day, Ethan
Hunting Witches by Jeffery X Martin