Page 12 of Christmas in Kiwi Country

“I might have gathered that,” she says with enough tease to have her accent really shine through. It’s one of my favorite things about her and I could listen to her talk all day. Sexy and soothing, I can hardly get enough.

“When my sister-in-law, Naomi, passed away, we were devastated. I’d married her best friend, and I remember feeling so broken for my brother but also feeling so guilty thinking that my family was still intact. Carmen and I hadn’t been happy, really happy, in a few years but we’d been trying to make it work for Isla. Or I thought we had.

“I thought that losing Naomi would bond us together. That we could find that spark again in spite of such an excruciating loss, but”—I huff out a humorless laugh—“she’d met someone and had planned on leaving me. She stayed only until Naomi had passed; she couldn’t pack her bags fast enough after that.”

“Does Isla know?”

“She knows enough. She knows her mother left and that I told Carmen she would take our daughter over my dead body. I’m not sure what actual details she knows about that. We were all so consumed with being with Gene and Emerson. I took on twice the work while Gene grieved the love of his life. True soulmates those two.”

“So then what happened?”

“I never stepped back once he was able to resume his position,” I admit defeatedly. “I focused on expansion and gaining new contacts. I’d watch people abandon my brother because he hadn’t healed on their timeline. People in that world are cutthroat, but those people were supposed to be his friends.”

“It’s hard seeing that. People don’t always know how to act, but it’s also that you no longer fit into their world. I’d hate to say you’re no longer useful, but it’s true.”

I nod. “It hardened me. I threw myself into work so my daughter would always be taken care of, so we’d never have to rely on anyone else.”

“We’re not so different, you know.”

I scoff as I look at the gorgeous woman sitting next to me with her bright blue eyes and incredibly generous heart, and she chuckles.

“When Roger left, I’d been holdin’ on to a marriage for the sake of Cheyenne, but even then I was bein’ both her mama and her daddy. She remembers the good times mostly still and that’s okay. She was a little girl when he left, and I’d hate for her to have no good memories of him.” She sighs. “In a lot of ways I did Cheyenne a disservice sheltering her from what an asshole he was.”

“Do I need to have him taken out? I have people for that,” I say with a grin to let her know I’m only half-serious.

“I just bet you do.” She returns my smile, and I can’t help it, I lean in and give her a quick kiss on the lips. “Also, to answer your question, no. Roger is off doing whatever he’s doing and Cheyenne has made a life with Jake, and we don’t need any drama after we’re both finally happy.”

“Are you happy, Gwen?” She tilts her head to the side in contemplation, her lips pursed for effect, and I want to kiss the hell out of her until she says she is.

“I am.” I refrain from pulling her into my lap as I wait for her to continue. “I was afraid I’d forgotten what it was like to let another person make you happy.”

Leaning in, I brush the hair off her cheek as I cup her face and kiss her slowly, thoroughly, the same way I intend to make love to her later.

Pulling back, I say, “It’s hard to believe the best thing that ever happened to me was having a heart attack and watching my life flash before my eyes.”

“Fixed your priorities up real fast, huh?”

I nod and suck in a cleansing breath. This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about life and what’s brought us to middle age and beyond. Each time, it gets a little easier and the guilt I’ve carried lifts a little more, but the baggage still left to unpack could fill the apartment I sold back in Chicago.

7

CULLEN

“Hey sweetie, are you busy?” I ask as I walk into the house and kiss Isla on the cheek. With my conversation with Gwen the night before still fresh in my mind, I don’t want to put this off any longer.

“Not busy, just putting my feet up per demand of my husband.” She groans but I’m happy that he’s making her take time to relax. “I think there’s a snack in the fridge if you want to hunt around in there.”

“Anything in particular?” I ask with a small smile.

“I think there’s a flatbread pizza that I am ready for, but I’m probably not going to share that.” I chuckle as I pull out some of the incredibly delicious creations my son-in-law whipped up and bring them over to place on the coffee table.

The house is decorated with a smattering of Christmas knickknacks and I smile. “Feeling festive?” I motion toward the stockings over the mantel and the small winter scene on display.

Isla grins as she takes a slice of pizza. “I found a box of decorations when I was looking for something, and I put it out just to see Hank’s eye twitch.”

“That poor guy,” I say with a laugh and she shrugs. With a couple of months till Christmas I probably would have an eye twitch too.

“He’s not complaining anymore.” She smirks and I barely hold back a shudder.

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