A Perfect Bride For Christmas (7 page)

“Whose side are you on?”

“Michaela, Mia, and Macy’s.” Cherri twirled the cap back on the empty water bottle and threw it in the trash. “You and Alex are going to hash this out, but no one hurts those kids. Not even you, Mamma.”

For a second, Zoe was taken aback, and then

smiled. “I’m not looking forward to this. Amelia saw them when she came by here earlier in the week. I mean, they’re miniatures of Alex.”

“One thing I’ve got to say, working for you has 48

A Perfect Bride for Christmas

never been dull.”

****

Jacobs problem. But in the backup of morning rush hour, his mind kept wandering back to Zoe. He made it half the way to the office before he hit the menu on his GPS system and found the address to Zoe’s

business.

How could she have moved back to the Kansas

City area without telling him? He let his blood boil into a righteous anger that simmered down to a dull ache of hurt as the miles passed. Okay, he admitted, she’d made it clear she didn’t want anything to do with him, but it would’ve been nice to know if he ran into her—like yesterday.

Alex massaged his chest. The ache lingered

there like an old scar that acted up when the

weather turned bad. This was the last thing he

needed so close to his wedding.

Long ago memories of Zoe’s hands stroking his

body, the feel of her mouth on him, the way she opened up to him without reservations haunted him.

How could he have forgotten getting married when his body remembered the passion filled night. Even Sydney held part of herself back. Not Zoe.

Now Zoe’s ghost was flesh and blood.

He remembered the days when Zoe acted as his

confidant, his best friend, and now she’d turned into a stranger with a new body and attitude to match.

They needed to talk, to close up the loose ends before he married Sydney. It was weird to think of her catering his reception. He’d been so pissed off and headachy by the time he left his mother’s house yesterday, that he’d just wanted to go straight home.

Sydney kept yammering on about her surprise,

but he wasn’t in the mood. Usually, her surprises took form in some new sexual antic designed to drive him crazy. Yet, for the first time since he’d met 49

Dyann Love Barr

Sydney, Alex didn’t feel that strong sexual pull.

Whatever she’d planned would wait until later

today. She’d probably bought a new set of teddies to spice up their evening. Right now, he didn’t care.

Between Keeley Jacobs and Zoe Bennett, his focus on the women had to be from the neck up, not the waist down.

He lied. Zoe sent his blood pressure up. He

found it baffling, funny, and a little scary. She had the same smile; her cheeks were more defined. No one would call Zoe beautiful but she had a way, a charm that made her so damned cute—the kind of

cute that had his dick jumping up and down like a jack-in-a-box.

He pulled up at Classic Kitchen and turned off

the engine. Zoe had located her business in a large, two-story brick building in the middle of the

business district. The house stood out, but it

welcomed customers to the white clapboard addition to one side. A large sign hung over the door, much like an old tavern sign. Elegant, yet understated.

A large Christmas wreath hung over the door.

Instead of the usual pinecones and poinsettias, it looked like a large plate filled with cookies. For some silly reason, it made him smile.

The chime of a bell greeted his entry. He glanced around the neat little shop. Sydney and his mother would say his sense of interior design verged

on…pitiful would be generous. He looked at art the same way—he knew what he liked, and he liked

this, very much. Everything, even the Christmas decorations, had the same, soft greens, along with a touch of pink: Zoe’s favorite colors. The scent of something wonderful wafted through the store.

Meat, he smelled meat cooking. If his nose didn’t lie, it was a brisket. Barbeque.

His stomach growled in anticipation.

“Down boy,” he muttered as his nose breathed in 50

A Perfect Bride for Christmas

the enticing aroma.

He turned to look at the shelves lining one wall.

They held an assortment of gourmet mixes, jellies and other goodies from different companies around the area. A jar of colorful lollipops sat on the counter, and a small table with two chairs fit into the front of the bow window.

“Hello, Alex. What can I do for you?”

He jumped at the sound of her voice. She didn’t sound particularly glad to see him. Alex looked at her, taking in how sweet she looked, even with a scowl on her face.

“Did Sydney have any changes she wanted to

make?” She wiped her hands on the white towel that rested on her shoulder. A flush stained her porcelain skin; her eyes were huge in her face. The upturned nose didn’t look like a pig’s snout anymore. It was pert and dainty.

He still couldn’t get over the difference.

She came around the counter and rolled down

the sleeves of her chef’s jacket. An embroidered patch with the words
cordon bleu
and something else in French emblazoned the right pocket.

“No, I…ah…”

What had he been about to say? Hormones

rushed through his veins, begging him to take one taste of the luscious woman in front of him. Before he could change his mind, his hands swooped down to capture her face, to cover her mouth with his. For a second, maybe two, he felt her submit, to allow herself the luxury of feeling. She melted into him, but it lasted all of that single heartbeat. He couldn’t help it, he had to have one more taste of her. She’d been his wife, even if it were only for thirty-six hours.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Zoe

pried his hands away. Her face pinked with anger, but he saw a hint of arousal in her eyes.

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Dyann Love Barr

“Kissing you.” Had she always tasted this good?

In pale memories of his wedding night, he couldn’t remember. Right now, she looked like she wanted to slap him silly.

“Why?”

Alex took her by the shoulders to bring her

closer. He was hard, in need. Old habits slipped into place, the charming smile, the smooth voice, the practiced moves. “Because you’re so adorable, and I’ve never kissed a—”

“Fat girl?” She gave him a gentle push to the

chest and stepped away. “Hate to break it to you, Slick, but you’ve done more than kiss the fat girl.!”

“That’s not what I planned to say.” What had

gotten into him? He already had a fiancée for God’s sake, and here he was, trying to seduce his ex-wife.

Alex rubbed the bump on his nose. “A chef.” That sounded lame to his own ears.

Zoe threw him a wan smile and shook her head.

“Did you forget you’re engaged Alex? Why, I can read you like a book. You want what you can’t have. And you expect everyone else snap to, so you can obtain whatever you’re chasing at the moment.”

“No, it’s not like that. I didn’t come here with the intention of behaving like a caveman.” For a brief second he
had
forgotten about Sydney. “I kissed you because...

How did he tell her he wanted to see her, maybe rekindle the friendship they had so long ago? Alex knew she could heal the ache, fill the hole left by her when she disappeared out of his life.

“Then why did you come here?” She cocked her

head to one side, arms across her chest before taking another step back. “I’m waiting—and staying out of touching distance.”

“Fair enough.” Alex motioned to the table and

chairs. “Can we sit down?”

Zoe went to the table and sat. “I’m still waiting.

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A Perfect Bride for Christmas

There’s a lot of work I have to do before noon, so make it snappy.”

“To tell you the truth, I don’t know why I came.

You didn’t tell me who you were when you came by Mom’s house. Why?” He sat on one of the elegant chairs and leaned forward.

Her lashes fluttered down, shutting those

amazing eyes from his scrutiny. “It felt weird. You didn’t recognize me, and I wasn’t about to say, ‘Hey, Alex. Remember me? Wife number one is catering

for wife-to-be number two.’ See—weird.”

“Okay.” He nodded, trying to push back the

niggle of hurt in his heart. “We were friends for a long time before the Vegas debacle.”

Zoe sat straight in her chair, back stiffened,

anger flashing in her eyes. Right now, they were brilliant green. “I’m sorry you remember our
time
together that way. Yes, I won’t deny I had my

reasons for marrying you, but they are ancient

history.”

“Are you happy?”

For a second she stared at him like she’d been

pole axed.

“Happy?”

“Yes, it’s a simple concept. I know you lost your husband and I’m truly sorry. Tell me, what have the last five years been like? Did he treat you well?”

Zoe smiled. Her fingers traced little invisible designs on the tabletop. “Yes, I’ve been both happy and content. James made it a point to be the best husband and father possible.” She raised her eyes to his, her face serious. “Nothing can take that away from my girls. He loved being a father—I think, more than he enjoyed being a husband. The girls were his life. Even when he knew he was dying, he made DVDs for them, scrap books so they could

remember him, to remind them that he would

always be their father.”

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Dyann Love Barr

He frowned in confusion. What set that off?

A commotion made him turn around in his

chair. Three girls, identical except for their

hairstyles, came through the back door of the shop with a tall, woman who could have been the

embodiment of Nefertiti’s famous statue. They wore plaid school uniforms and blue wool coats.

“They’re all ready to go to pre-school. Do you

want to take them, or shall I?”

Zoe held out her arms, and the three ran to her.

“Michaela, Mia, Macy.” She kissed each on top of their heads. “This is Mr. King.”

All three stared up at him with bright blue eyes, the irises ringed in black. Just like his.

The one she called Michaela wore her dark hair

in a ponytail. Mia’s long locks were held back with a headband. And Macy, who gave him a calculating

look, sported long braids. Mia turned her face into her mother’s breasts.

“Mia is the shy one. Say hello, ladies.”

All three said hello at the same time. It was

then Alex saw something that struck the breath

from his lungs until he couldn’t remember how to breathe. Each girl had the King Notch on her left ear. His mother had always laughed about how each of her boys had been tagged from birth. Now, these three little girls carried the same birthmark.

They had to be his.

“Cherri, why don’t you take them to school

today? The Henderson’s brisket is taking longer than I thought.” She gave the children a communal hug.

“I’ve got a busy day, but I’ll see you before supper tonight. How about a movie and popcorn?”

The girls yelled their consent, arguing about

which movie to watch.

“We’ll decide later. Now go on.”

They followed behind Cherri like ducklings to

the pond. Michaela gave him the hairy eyeball. Mia’s 54

A Perfect Bride for Christmas

gaze scooted away, and Macy… He could swear

Macy curled her lip.

After the door closed, he jumped to his feet.

“When were going to tell me? Why
didn’t
you tell me?” A deep stab of anger pierced his heart. “My God, those are my children, aren’t they?”

Zoe’s face paled. “They are
my
children. You gave up every right to them when you had our

marriage annulled.” She got to her feet, came toe-to-toe with him, her finger punctuating each word with a poke to his chest. “I didn’t even think about the possibility of a pregnancy until three months after that night in Vegas. That’s when I found out.”

“How do you not know you’re pregnant?”

“I didn’t have any of the usual symptoms. No

morning sickness, nothing out of the ordinary. I even had a couple of periods, or that’s what I thought until I felt woozy and keeled over at the office.

James went with me to the ER.”

She moved away, crossing her arms over her

chest again. A typical Zoe defensive move. He’d seen a hundred times before.

“Besides, my weight issues, I had high blood

pressure, and to top it off, the doctors diagnosed me with gestational diabetes.”

“And you never called me?”

“Why would I?”

She had a good point. How would he have

reacted five year ago? To be honest, the idea of having a baby would’ve scared the crap out of him then. Three would’ve made him run headlong into traffic.

His reaction to this morning’s revelation hadn’t been a good start to fatherhood. He’d envisioned a day in the future when he would have children, but to have three all at once made his stomach turn into a greasy mass of nausea. What kind of father would he be,
could
he be?

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Dyann Love Barr

The knowledge she had no desire for him to be

in their lives scalded his ego and hurt like hell. She would turn to someone else rather than him?

“James Bennett married you because you were

pregnant with another man’s child—children? How did you manage that? How did you get him into your bed? Or did he have a thing for fat chicks?”

He wanted to throw up the instant the words

left his mouth.

Zoe paled, her eyes burned with anger while her fingers closed over the ornate top of the chair. “You are reviling a sweet man who was dying from heart disease. He wanted a wife and children, but he

thought it impossible until I came along. James had a kind and generous nature, and dear God, he loved those babies.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “As far as they are concerned, he was their daddy.”