Caitlyn's Christmas Wish Read online

  “I doubt that. It was just a fluke. Where would you like to go for lunch?”

  “Since I’m not too familiar with the area, what would you suggest?”

  He named a small family-owned restaurant located in downtown Casper. They talked about inconsequential things on the drive there and throughout their meal. Although Ridge had known Caitlyn for quite some time, he was startled to realize that he didn’t really know her. During their conversation, they discovered many interests in common. She was aware of current events and enjoyed learning new things.

  When she disclosed the fact that she was enrolled in health and nutrition classes, he said, “Sounds like you’ve got your future mapped out.”

  “Not really. My mother always put me on a strict diet, though health had nothing to do with it. Once I started eating better in rehab, I wanted to continue when I was released. It’s so easy to fall back into your old pattern, you know? And the more I’ve studied healthy eating concepts, the more I realize I want to help other women who may be struggling with body image or maintaining a healthy lifestyle.”

  “Fascinating stuff,” he said dryly.

  Caitlyn smirked. “I agree. Even though my mother didn’t use the right approach, I’m grateful for gaining that discipline. I’m trying to implement healthy patterns in my life and Brody’s.”

  “You’re obviously not a vegan,” he observed, watching her slice off a piece of chicken.

  “No, but I choose to eat grass-fed beef, organic vegetables, and cheese substitutes, although I have to specially order. Things like that.”

  He’d noticed how particular she had been with the waitress while ordering her food. “Which is all well and good until Brody goes trick-or-treating for his first time. Then you’ll be singing a different tune.”

  Caitlyn pulled a face. “Tell me about it. This morning, your dad slipped Brody a small candy cane. He had pink drool dribbling down his chin.”

  Her soft laugh blended in with the soft ambience of the restaurant. Her sparkling blue eyes and sweet smile drew Ridge in. Before he knew it, his hand was over her warm and velvety one. Her breath caught.

  Ridge mentally shook himself. What was he doing? This was his brother’s ex-wife, his nephew’s mother. He wasn’t looking for a new relationship now or ever. He’d worked steadily over the past five years with an architectural firm before deciding to venture on his own. Now he was focused on getting his business off the ground. Sure, he could have joined a firm in Cheyenne or any other place, but this was home and with the internet, he was able to find enough freelance work to meet his needs. But he’d never be insanely rich like Caitlyn—or Grant, for that matter.

  Just thinking about Grant made his jaw clench. So what if Grant’s band had been a stunning sensation a few years ago? They weren’t so hot now. In fact, last he’d heard, Grant had a falling out with his lead guitar player. And his drummer demanded more money, leaving Grant to shell out more bucks just to keep the punk on. Of course, a five-month stint in jail due to a drug overdose earlier this year also put a serious damper on Grant’s career.

  Why couldn’t he realize it was time to cut his losses and come home? Or check on his kid once in a while?

  Pushing the unpleasant thoughts from his mind, Ridge signaled to the waitress that they were finished. He and Caitlyn ended their outing with some serious shopping (meaning toys) for Brody at the mall. Caitlyn laughed as Ridge dumped several Legos kits and Star Wars action figures into their cart. “Um, I don’t think Brody’s old enough for those yet.”

  Ridge sent her a wicked smile. “Who says they’re for him?”

  “Oh, I suppose you’re also shopping for Sierra’s son.”

  Ridge pretended to consider. “Max might get one of them, sure. And when Brody’s old enough, I’ll buy him some, too.”

  “You’re going to spoil your nieces and nephews.”

  “What can I say? I wanna be their favorite uncle.”

  “In Brody’s case, you’re his only uncle.”

  “Moot point.”

  “You’re a nut.”

  “Hey, every kid loves Legos. I think that’s why I decided to become an architect.”

  Caitlyn rewarded him once again with her beautiful smile. Feeling light-hearted after their bantering, he offered to buy her a cappuccino, which she accepted. By the time they were finished, Caitlyn was anxious to get back to Brody so they called it a day.

  They chatted like old friends while returning to Danzy. When Ridge pulled up in front of his parents’ home, he was surprised to see a battered four-door sedan with chipped brown paint sitting outside. Who was here? He helped Caitlyn unload her packages.

  A piercing cry ended their camaraderie. “Brody!” Caitlyn dropped her shopping bags on the walkway and raced up the porch stairs. Ridge’s heart hammered in his chest, fearing that she’d fall on the icy steps.

  He followed as quickly as he dared but stopped short when he entered his parents’ home. Standing squarely before him, holding his son in his arms, was Grant. How had he gotten here, anyway? Ridge hadn’t seen one of the many flashy cars he liked to drive or his usual entourage of band members and personal staff. And even though Ridge hadn’t seen him in several months, he noticed something different about him right away. He couldn’t figure out what, though. It was certainly not his smug smile. But something.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Chapter Five

  Caitlyn stared in stunned surprise at her ex-husband, whose hair had grown down the length of his ears and looked like it needed a good washing. Despite noticing the way his muscular arms filled out the black T-shirt that sported the logo of his band, a surge of anger rushed through her. Before she knew what she was doing, she rushed toward Grant and grabbed her son from his clutches. As Brody settled into her arms and stuck his thumb in his mouth, his hiccupping sobs gradually faded.

  The look Grant gave her before glaring at Ridge sent shivers down her spine. Charles and Jacinda entered the hallway as Grant said, “What a nice greeting. I’m fine, thanks. And how are you?”

  “We’re glad to see you, Grant, but—”

  “But what?” Grant sneered, his left eye twitching. She wondered if he was drunk. And what was up with his voice? It sounded fuller somehow. Not lower, especially. Richer. Not so nasally. “Can’t I be here for the family celebration, too? I noticed you all invited my wife without inviting me. Rude!”

  “Ex-wife. And there’s a very good reason, Grant,” Jacinda remarked.

  “Yeah, we like her,” Sierra said, tongue in cheek, as she and Scott rounded the corner.

  “You wound me, sis.” Grant placed a hand over his heart, staggering backward. Again, the thought skittered through Caitlyn’s mind that the reason he was so convincing was because he really was unstable on his feet.

  Sierra playfully slapped his arm. “You know we love you. But we don’t always like your theatrics.”

  “Why didn’t you all tell me you had this gig going on, Mom and Dad? Good thing I happened to see it mentioned on Facebook when I checked in to see what’s going on in good ol’ Danzy.”

  Caitlyn shook her head at the man she’d thought she loved. She’d fallen for that act one time too many, but surely his family could see how heavily he was laying on the guilt. Grant couldn’t possibly have not known about the Winter Festival. Jacinda confirmed her suspicion by saying, “I’m sure I did tell you about it, Grant.”

  “Oh. Well, I guess it’s been a while.”

  Charles and Jacinda exchanged a meaningful look. “Why don’t we all go into the living room and have a seat? Maybe we can straighten this out.” Charles turned in that direction and the others followed.

  As Caitlyn passed Jacinda, the kindly woman gently pulled her aside. In a low voice, she said, “Caitlyn, dear, why don’t you take Brody upstairs while we speak with Grant? His arrival less than an hour ago was as much a surprise to us as it is to you.”

  Caitlyn hesitated. The sane part of her wanted to avoid Grant
at all costs. After their clean break, they had nothing more to say to each other. The more unsure side of her, however, wanted to be reassured that no harm would come to her or her son. Or the Reels, for that matter.

  Jacinda apparently understood her dilemma because she added, “It would be better if you allowed us to speak with him privately.”

  Then there wasn’t much else she could do. With a short nod, Caitlyn turned toward the staircase when Grant’s voice stopped her. “Leaving so soon, Caitlyn? When I just got here? You know, I’d really like to spend some time with you and our son.”

  She spun around so fast that Brody’s weight nearly pulled her down. Quickly righting herself, she fixed a hard glare on Grant. “Why do you think he was crying so hard when you were holding him? He doesn’t know you.”

  Grant nodded sadly, his penitent eyes imploring hers much like a new puppy’s would. Her heart constricted. “That’s why I want to spend time with him. I’m sorry for all the things I’ve missed out on. Brody looks a lot like me, you know.”

  Darn if the man wasn’t right! Instinctively, Caitlyn’s arm tightened around Brody while her eyes sought Ridge, who was standing—well, rigidly—against the wall across the room, his face set in stone. Their gazes met and he gave her a silent nod. Taking that as another affirmation to let them deal with the wayward son, she turned and fled up the staircase to the guest room, shivering the entire way.

  ***

  The heavy silence that filled the living room after Caitlyn fled left a sense of foreboding in the pit of Ridge’s stomach. Charles heaved a sigh before turning to Sierra and her husband. “Sweetheart, why don’t you take your family out to dinner before heading over to the festival?”

  “No can do, Dad. Jacey is asleep in her playpen upstairs.”

  “We’ll listen for her on the monitor,” Jacinda said. “Take Max out to see a movie instead. By the time you’re finished, Jacey should be awake.”

  Sierra quirked a brow at Scott. “What do you think?”

  “Works for me.”

  “Okay.”

  The little family quickly gathered their coats and headed out the door with Sierra calling out last-minute instructions to their mother if Jacey woke up earlier than expected.

  “I know.” Jacinda waved a hand at her while following them to the front door. “I was a mother before you, silly goose.” She shut the door behind Sierra with a decisive click. Coming back around the corner, she addressed Ridge. “Why don’t you—”

  “Have a seat? Thanks.”

  Ridge ignored his parents’ frowns and settled himself on the sofa, all the while keeping his brother in his sights. Grant’s jaw hardened as he took a seat across from him in a wingback chair. A rush of satisfaction hit Ridge from knowing that he’d gotten to him. It was appalling the way this guy had treated Caitlyn and continued to do so, always toying with her emotions, like a pendulum that kept swinging back and forth.

  “Ridge, let us handle this,” Charles said in a tone that hinted at his weariness over having to deal with Grant’s antics over the years.

  “Ordinarily, I would, Dad. But you didn’t see Caitlyn’s happiness today at just being here with all of us. You didn’t hear her talking about the life she’s created in Las Vegas for herself and Brody after mucking through all the junk her parents and then Grant put her through.” Ridge aimed a glare at his brother. Words spewed forth, words that he’d been holding back, that he never realized until now that he wanted to spear him with. “She went through rehab on her own while she was pregnant with your son. Did you care, if not about her, then at least about her giving birth to a healthy child? Heck, no. Mom and Dad had to get her there when you should have shared the responsibility.”

  “Ridge, please,” Jacinda interrupted. “We’re just happy she went through the program and got well.”

  “Yeah because for the first time in her life, she had someone who cared about her. Where’ve you been all this time, Grant?”

  “On the road trying to make a living,” he snapped. “It may not be something you’d choose, but it’s what I wanted to do.”

  “I’m happy for you, man. You’ve made a success of your career. But what about Caitlyn and your responsibilities toward her?”

  Grant shot back, “Hey, I loved her. In fact, I still do.”

  Ridge shook his head at Grant’s carelessness. “Not enough to be faithful to her.”

  A telltale flush suffused the cheeks on Grant’s otherwise good-looking face. A face that women practically drooled over. And his muscular chest—the one that peeked out from muscle shirts in his stream of music videos—yeah, women fawned over that, too.

  A tiny spurt of jealousy surprised Ridge, not for his brother’s macho image or many fake love interests, but for the idea of someone wanting him in her life, valuing him in a way that a pair should value each other. He’d thought Amelia loved him. How wrong he’d been.

  With effort, Ridge softened his voice. “You really hurt Caitlyn.”

  “She told you that?” Grant said, leaning forward.

  “Not in so many words. I can tell from bits and pieces of our conversation.”

  “You’ve always seemed to be more intuitive to my wife than you shoulda been. How is it you always know what she wants or needs?”

  For once, Ridge didn’t have a comeback. It was true. Even while figuratively drowning in sorrow over the catastrophe of his daughter’s and ex-wife’s departures from his life, Ridge had seen Caitlyn’s plight. Maybe he grappled her own pain because of his hardships. Maybe he’d been the only person who could have caught onto her struggles at that time because of what he’d gone through. In guilt, Ridge turned away from Grant’s smirk.

  “Have you always been in love with my wife?” Grant persisted.

  “Ex-wife. And no. I loved Amelia with my whole heart. When she packed her things, I thought I’d die. My wife and baby were taken from me, Grant. And yet you threw yours away as if they didn’t matter. You had no idea what you were holding in your arms at the time.”

  Grant averted his gaze, swallowing hard. After a long pause, he said, “You’re right. I didn’t. I guess I just got caught up in the sudden wave of popularity.”

  “How did you know Caitlyn and Brody were here, son?” Charles asked.

  One corner of his mouth lifted as he answered, “A wild guess. Whenever Mom calls, she’s always talking about wanting to spend more time with her grandson and wishing he could visit. The holidays seemed like a good time to do that.”

  “We haven’t talked in a while. Frankly, I’m surprised you remembered,” Jacinda said, not unkindly.

  “I’m not a total imbecile, Mom.”

  “I know you’re not, son.”

  Sure, Ridge thought wryly, every mom had to say that. Okay, he was being mean-spirited. He’d try to give his brother the benefit of the doubt. But it wouldn’t be easy. “How long are you staying?”

  “Only for a few days. I’ve got a benefit concert lined up on New Year’s Eve in Atlanta. Several top performers will be there. It’s gonna be great!”

  Ridge noticed he didn’t mention New York City or Los Angeles. In that moment, with his grin stretching from ear to ear, Grant looked like a kid whose favorite baseball team just won the World Series. This was the brother Ridge had played cops and robbers with all those years ago, the brother he tackled on the football field a time or two, the brother he missed. “I’m sure it will be.”

  “Son, I hate to put a damper on things, but with Caitlyn here, it would be a bad idea for you to stay,” Charles said.

  “I agree,” said Jacinda.

  “He could stay with me,” Ridge heard himself offer.

  “You wouldn’t mind?” Grant asked before he could take it back.

  Ridge swallowed hard. He had plenty of room to spare. That wasn’t the problem. What worried him was which brother he would be dealing with over the next few days. If it was the brother who loved showing off to the world, heaven help them all.

  Ch
apter Six

  Somehow, Ridge got stuck carrying Grant’s suitcase that weighed a ton up to his doorstep while his brother carried a lightweight backpack and one of the guitars he’d brought. Another guitar rested in that piece of junk Grant had driven over here, along with a hanging suitcase. When Ridge asked his brother why he was driving such a crappy car, Grant answered enigmatically, “Sometimes I gotta keep under the radar, you know what I mean? Too many fans. Oh, wait. You don’t know what I mean. Sorry.”

  Ignoring the thoughtless remark, Ridge said nothing.

  “Did I hear Mom and Sierra talking about a polar bear plunge? And a cookie dough bakeoff?”

  “Yep.”

  “Sweet. I’ve also heard there’s a mistletoe kissing booth at this shindig. What a great idea! Who thought of it?”

  “A city councilman’s teenaged daughter, I’m sure.” Ridge rolled his shoulders after plunking the heavy suitcase down on the hardwood floor in the entryway of his home.

  “Hey, watch it. I’ve got a pair of expensive boots in there. Classics that once belonged to Johnny Cash.”

  “Sure you do.”

  “No, really. I bought them at an estate auction. That’s one thing I love about my job. I’ve got more money to burn than I’ll ever know what to do with.”

  Along with a brain to match.

  Be nice, Ridge reminded himself. He really did love his brother. But sometimes the guy could be obnoxiously stuck on himself. Like when his phone rang earlier and he chewed his unfortunate publicist out for not securing an interview with a trendy morning news program. And when his accountant called a few seconds ago and Grant snarled, “Yeah, tell them to quit their whining. Don’t worry. They’ll get their money soon enough.”

  “Anyway, about the mistletoe kissing booth. Who’s manning it?”

  “A couple of college kids, I think,” Ridge answered, leading Grant further down the hall to the living area.

  Grant followed. “I could draw quite a crowd if Mom and Dad wouldn’t mind me volunteering.”

  Ridge ground his teeth. “You’ll have to ask them. Look, I took this morning off to run errands for Mom and I’ve got some work to catch up on,” he lied. “I’d better get back to the office. Make yourself comfortable.”