Chapter 1

1

Harper

“ Y ou’re here!” My best friend Kat squealed as she opened the massive, wooden door to a house that could have passed for a small castle. Kat hugged me so tightly it felt like I couldn’t breathe for a second.

“Wow, your hair is so… green,” I said as my friend finally let go of me. Neither one of us could quit smiling.

Kat’s hair was cut into a very short bob and colored a dark, emerald green that almost looked black if the light didn’t hit it just right. She had gained a new septum piercing, as well since the last time I saw her, which I was sure her traditional mother just loved.

“I thought it would be festive. And with your red hair, we’ll be extra Christmassy when we’re sitting next to each other.” She chuckled before grabbing my arm and pulling me inside the house. “Let me show you around.”

A quick glance to my right, through French doors, was a sitting room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Mont-Blanc in the distance. It still hadn’t fully hit me yet that I was in France; the last few days had been a complete blur.

“How was your flight? And the train from Paris?” she asked me.

“It was good, I slept most of the flight, thankfully. I hadn’t slept in days, but you know me, as soon as you get me into a moving vehicle of any kind, I sleep like a baby. And the train ride was beautiful, like a dream.”

“Good, I’m glad,” Kat replied as she led me up a spiral staircase to the second floor. She squealed again, and I nearly jumped backward. “Sorry, I just always imagined you being here with us, and I’m so happy I can finally show you where I used to spend all my Christmases as a kid.”

Kat and I had grown up together, friends since kindergarten. It was a good thing we met that young, because back then, we didn’t know that we lived such vastly different lives. Kat was the daughter of a prominent politician with a trust fund most of us could only dream of. Christmas in the French Alps, summer vacations in exotic locations that my child brain had never even heard about until she brought back photos and showed them to me.

My life wasn’t quite so glamorous. The daughter of… well, no one knew my father. My mother couldn’t even be sure who he was, though she thought it was some guy who used to work at the bar down the road from our house. She only knew his first name and he had left town as soon as my mom told him she was pregnant with me. My mom and I hadn’t spoken in years, her choice mostly. She never really wanted kids and I was an accident, a ‘blight upon her life’ as she once told me. As soon as I was legally on my own, that was it.

Most people might have envied their best friend because of the mansion or the luxurious vacations, but to be honest, I mostly envied the fact that she had a family.

“This is Jackson’s room, right next door to ours,” Kat said, rolling her eyes and pretending to gag herself as we walked by. “Aiden and Nathan are down the hall, and Mom is on the first floor, in her own private wing.”

Kat opened the door to the room we would be sharing ? sharing because I was a last-minute add-on and the home they rented only had five bedrooms.

“Jesus, Kat. This room is the size of my entire house growing up,” I said as I stepped into the bedroom. Considering that Kat was the youngest, it would make sense that she got the smallest room, but if that room was the smallest, then the others had to be ridiculous in scale.

A king-sized bed was centered in the middle of the room. The walls were a dark-colored wood and the bedding a rich, forest green which reminded me a lot of Kat’s current hair color. The comforter was thick and soft to the touch when I ran my hand over it. The pillows were large and fluffy. I yawned imagining collapsing into the big, cozy bed.

“You even have a fireplace,” I said, imagining how warm the room would be, curled up in bed with a fire crackling while staring out the large windows overlooking the snow-covered mountains.

“We have our own bathroom too,” Kat said, showing me the way.

Of course there was a bathtub large enough for four people, and a separate shower. Also with views of the beautiful mountains.

“This bathroom is bigger than my apartment in New York, you do realize that, right?” I laughed, but I noticed Kat wasn’t laughing.

“I know, I’m sorry about that,” she said. “I know my family has insane amounts of wealth and it sickens me, too.”

I went to my best friend and hugged her. “I didn’t mean it like that; you have nothing to be ashamed about. I’m just surprised at how big it is for a bathroom.”

“I wanted you to come here because I knew you needed to be pampered and spoiled,” she said, squeezing me tightly. “After everything you’ve been through, you deserve some luxury.”

She was right. I needed to relax and to forget about New York and everything that had gone wrong for me there.

Kat was actually supposed to be with me in New York right now, getting into the black dress she had picked out to stand by my side as my maid of honor.

“Thanks for inviting me, and I have to thank your mom for paying for my ticket.”

“She was happy to do so, she knows how special you are to me, bestie.”

“Your mom is truly one of the kindest people I have ever met,” I told her. And I meant it. Growing up, her mother always took me in when needed, making sure that I had shelter, food and nice clothes to wear. Sometimes it felt like she had adopted me as another daughter, and I owed a lot to her.

“It’s almost dinner time, and Marie is making coq-au-vin—trust me, it’s to die for.”

“Marie?”

“She’s the chef on staff here.”

“You know, I could really get used to living like this,” I said with a laugh.

“You’re always welcome to join us on trips, Harper.”

Between college and working a lot to survive, I often didn’t have the time, but maybe I would have to start making the time.

We heard voices coming from down the hall and my entire body froze. Another reason I often avoided family get-togethers with Kat was standing right outside the bedroom door. My heart raced and Kat must have seen the look of panic on my face.

“They aren’t as bad as they used to be,” she said quickly. “I mean, they’re still assholes, but less obnoxious with each passing year.”

Kat took my hand and led me out of the bedroom where we ran smack dab into her brothers. I wasn’t even sure which one was which at first since they all looked identical. Identical in the literal sense seeing as they were triplets.

“Harper? What are you doing here?” one of them asked.

His gray eyes were like the stormy seas, his hair chestnut brown and cut in a modern style. He had a jawline that would make the chiseled statues of Greek Gods jealous. Towering over me, I noticed he had grown, and not just in height—his build had filled out and he was larger, stronger than I remembered.

“Well, you guys got in late last night, and left early this morning for the slopes, Jackson. I didn’t have time to tell you.”

Ah, so that was Jackson Bishop. The cockier, more arrogant of the brothers. He had a sharp tongue to go with that jawline and always seemed to know how to dig deep enough to hurt while still making it out to be a joke. Last I heard, he’d graduated law school and used his daddy’s hookups to get him a prestigious job out of Charleston, not too far from where we’d grown up.

My eyes moved past Jackson and fell on one of the other brothers. His thick arms reminded me of tree trunks, and he seemed to be even more muscular than Jackson. His hair was military short, and I put two-and-two together.

“And you’re Aiden, did I get that right?” I asked.

“You did,” he said with a crooked smile. He had a slight southern twang, they all did, which made them sexier than ever when they spoke. “Good to see you again, Harper.”

Of the three, Aiden was the least obnoxious. A bit of a black sheep himself, he joined the military and was ready to leave his family behind before the “accident” that earned him an honorable discharge. But Aiden still had that sharp, Bishop tongue and, just like his brothers, his favorite pastime was picking on Kat and me growing up.

“And I’m obviously Nathan,” the third brother said.

My eyes shifted to Nathan’s, and the same gray gaze as his brothers stared back at me. The only difference between him and his brothers was his hair was a bit longer, softer at the edges. I offered Nathan a quick smile before looking away.

“So Carly isn’t joining you?” I asked.

The hallway went silent.

“Oh crap, I forgot. I’m sorry.”

It had been years since I had seen the brothers, and Kat and I didn’t talk about them too much outside of general updates, but I suddenly recalled that Carly and Nathan hadn’t been a thing for a few years.

“It’s fine, she’s actually getting married,” he said, in a tone that indicated he was far from fine.

Kat filled in the blanks for me. “She’s marrying Brett.”

“Brett Echols? Nathan’s—”

“My ex -best friend, yes.”

Nathan wasn’t too bad on his own growing up. He just happened to have the meanest friends in all of our school. It was because of them that Nathan was the one I had the biggest beef with, and one of the reasons I fled South Carolina as soon as I was old enough to do so.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” I said. But also not surprised, all things considered . Carly and Brett deserved each other as far as I was concerned.

“Anyway, Kat was just showing me around the house—”

“Dinner is almost ready,” Jackson said, interrupting me. “Mom asked us to get right back down there.”

“Alright then, guess we’re headed to dinner.” Kat grabbed my arm and led me back toward the spiral staircase we had come up before. My heart was still racing as I went over the few minutes we conversed with her brothers in my head. They hadn’t made one sarcastic or teasing remark the entire time. That had to have been a world record. Maybe Kat was right, they were getting older and less obnoxious. They certainly are getting hotter , I thought as I watched the guys start down the staircase.

I nearly missed the steps gawking at her brothers, but thankfully Kat was there to grab my arm. “Careful,” she said with a laugh. “I know the wood is slippery. They really should get a runner for these things. I fall down the stairsevery time we visit. I once took all three of my brothers down with me when we were younger.”

“Oh, what I would pay to have witnessed that.”

We were both laughing as we stepped onto the main level and Kat led me past the formal sitting room into a dining area with a carved wood table and enough room for about twelve place settings. A fireplace roared to life behind the table. The place had been decorated tastefully for Christmas. There were poinsettias on the table and a small Christmas tree on the mantle above the fireplace. Nothing in-your-face, but elegant and classic.

Kat took a seat and I sat beside her.

“Marie is possibly the best chef in all of Chamonix, I have no idea how my mother was able to book her over the holidays. Speaking of which, here she comes.”

Kat stood up as her mother entered the dining room and I did the same.

Rose Bishop reminded me a lot of Jackie O. Classic elegance might as well have been her middle name. Her gray hair made her look more dignified and was pulled back into a low chignon. Even though she was on vacation, she was wearing a powder blue suit with a white turtleneck underneath. Her makeup was impeccable yet hardly noticeable. Her skin, well, let’s just say she didn’t skimp on the plastic surgery, but she didn’t overdo it, either. She looked younger and refreshed, but not stretched and her brows weren’t frozen in place.

“Harper, dear, I’m so glad you were able to join us for Christmas this year.” Rose, as she had always insisted I call her, reached for my hands. A thin, dainty bracelet clung to her sleek wrist, and I noticed that her wedding diamond had been replaced by a large sapphire ring. She wasn’t shaking my hands, however, she took them into hers and gave them a firm yet warm squeeze while staring me straight in the eye and smiling genuinely. Rose had the charisma and charm to make anyone feel welcome and at home, and I had always envied Kat for having a mother as loving as she was.

“Thank you, Rose,” I said, offering a genuine smile of my own. “I’m so happy to see you, and I want to thank you for paying for my travel.”

She brushed it off with a flick of her wrist. “It was nothing, dear. I’m just happy you’re here, and I know Kat appreciates spending the holidays with her best friend.”

Voices in the hallway turned our attention to the entry, as all three of Kat’s brothers entered the dining room.

“Harper, have you ever been to the French Alps before?” Nathan asked, pulling my attention to him. As soon as my eyes fell on his gorgeous, chiseled features, my cheeks flushed.

“No, uh, I’ve never been to France before, actually.” Or anywhere outside of the United States for that matter .I kept that thought to myself.

“Really?” Jackson walked over to a bar near the dining room table and poured himself a drink from a very expensive-looking glass bottle. “I would have thought a girl as well-read as you would have loved to have visited France, at least Paris. Weren’t you a fan of Les Misérables growing up?”

“I was, yes, and still am,” I said softly. Kat remembered her privilege and didn’t rub it in my face or act surprised that I didn’t live as luxuriously as they did, but her brothers, especially Jackson, seemed to forget that I didn’t come from money like they did. Either that or he simply didn’t understand what it was like for us “normal” folks.

Kat sat back down and patted the seat next to her, so I joined her, turning my attention away from the brothers. Jackson sat across from me, sipping a brown liquor. Nathan sat beside him and Aiden on the other side. Their mother sat at the head of the table, and there was an empty seat on the other end.

A man entered with two bottles of wine in hand, a red and a white. “Would you like some wine, dear?” Rose asked me.

“Oh no thank you, I don’t drink alcohol,” I said.

“Still?” Aiden asked, sounding surprised as ever.

“I tried it once; it just wasn’t for me.” My eyes fell on Nathan for a split second before I looked away, trying not to remember the reason I had given up drinking even before I was legally able to imbibe.

Kat slipped from her seat. “I think I’m just going to take a cue from Jackson and have something a bit stronger.” She walked over to the bar and poured some clear liquor into a glass before heading toward the kitchen.

“Katherine, let Gerard get whatever you need,” Rose said.

“It’s fine, I can get my own mixer,” she replied.

Rose pursed her lips but didn’t argue with Kat as she exited the room. A moment later, she was back with a bottle of juice in hand. She plopped down beside me. “Want some? The juice, I mean. It’s a tropical fruit blend, passion fruit and papaya and some other shit.”

“Katherine Jane, language, please.”

Kat laughed but apologized to her mother before holding the bottle of juice up for me. “There’s also every soda you can think of, sparkling water, other juices…”

Kat poured as Rose said, “You can have anything you want, Harper. Gerard can get it for you.”

“Tropical juice sounds good to me,” I said with a smile. I didn’t want to be too difficult, besides, Gerard seemed to be busy pouring the wine and letting the brothers taste it as they chose between the two bottles.

“The 1912 is far superior to the bottle we had last night,” Nathan said as he sipped a glass of red wine.

“Agreed,” Aiden said, downing a large amount of the wine in one sip and getting a glare from his mother. He laughed as he tapped his glass and requested more from the server standing nearby.

Having had dinner with the Bishops a few times in my life growing up, there were no surprises so far. They enjoyed the finer things in life, especially a good wine and a good meal. Kat and I looked so out of place with our pinkish orange drinks in fancy wine glasses that I had to silently chuckle to myself.

That night, we were served a hearty French onion soup. While it might sound simple and not too fancy, it was easily one of the best soups I had ever had in my life. The broth warmed up my insides and was flavored perfectly, the onions cooked just right. I ended up finishing before anyone else at the table.

The main course was the coq-au-vin that Kat had mentioned earlier. Chicken cooked in a burgundy wine sauce, bits of bacon known as lardons, mushrooms and carrots. The smell as soon as it was placed in front of me caused my stomach to awaken and forget all about the soup I had eaten moments before.

I waited until Rose started on the meal before digging in myself.

“I thought about giving up meat,” Kat said. “Then I came here and experienced Marie’s cooking, and I just can’t… I don’t even understand how French vegetarians exist with all this amazing meat at their disposal.”

“So, you’ve never been to France?” Jackson asked me again, staring at me in disbelief. “Didn’t you take like four years of French in high school when most of us took Spanish?”

“Yes, that was me. I was hoping to read some of my favorite French novels in their original format.”

“And have you succeeded?” Jackson asked. Why did it feel like I was being interrogated by him?

“Well, somewhat. It’s a lot harder to become fluent, especially in the US education system.”

“You should have studied abroad,” Nathan piped in.

“I would have loved that, but my family could never afford to send me.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. I’m sorry, Harper,” Nathan said.

“It’s fine,” I said, waving it off. “I don’t need to be able to read French literature in French, the translations are good enough and there’s plenty of English books for me to study anyway.”

“Kat said you were studying literature?” Jackson’s tone told me all I needed to know about his views on my choice of degrees.

“Yes, well, I’ve always loved reading, it was an escape for me back when, uh, school was hard, as you know.” I turned and stared right into Nathan’s eyes as I said those words. The boys may be nicer to me now, but I remembered the way they treated me back then, and I wasn’t about to let them make me feel inferior anymore. Nathan looked away.

Jackson seemed oblivious to what I was getting at. “Still… what can you do with a literature degree besides teach?”

“What’s wrong with teaching? Didn’t our teachers set you up for success, Jackson?”

He smirked. “Sure, but you were valedictorian of your class, Harper. You could have gone to medical school or law school.”

“I’m not the lawyer type, Jackson,” I said coolly. “Besides, I don’t plan to be a teacher, I plan to be a professor. I’m working toward a PhD, so in that regard, I will be a doctor.”

“Academia is tough,” Nathan said.

“It is.” Tougher than you even realize, I’m sure , I thought to myself, but I held my tongue. I didn’t want to come off as feeling superior to them because I wasn’t. But I also wouldn’t let them talk down my career choices simply because I didn’t pick the same paths they did ? ones that would lead to money, success and praise. I didn’t need all of that.

“I think it’s great. Sounds boring as fuck, but good for you,” Aiden said as he finished off his dinner and sat back in the chair with a satisfied look on his face.

I managed a polite smile. Boring as fuck, huh? Yeah, well, I wasn’t surprised considering Aiden seemed to despise school.

Rose had some choice words for his language, though. Much like her scolding of Kat earlier, she said “Aiden, please. Don’t use foul language at the dinner table.”

“Sorry, Mom.” Aiden motioned for Gerard to pour more wine, and then Jackson pulled him over to pour him a glass. He continued asking him to pour more and more. Rose looked at her son with a frown but didn’t say anything about how much he was drinking.

“Do you like skiing, Harper?” Nathan changed the subject.

“I’ve never actually been.”

“Really?” Nathan then caught his mistake and said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean, ugh.”

“Not used to talking to people like me, I get it.” I finished the last of my meal and felt like I was ready to burst. My eyes were growing tired. It was early, but I was jetlagged from my long flight.

“I may head up to bed,” I whispered to Kat.

“What, before the cheese course? You can’t miss the cheese course.”

“Yeah, as you can tell, Kat hasn’t missed too many cheese courses herself,” Jackson said with a smug smile.

“Fuck off, Jackson.”

“Children,” Rose said, her voice remaining calm somehow.

“I know, I know Mom, language,” Kat muttered. “But seriously, I can’t believe swearing is considered worse than fat shaming someone.”

“Neither are okay, and both of you should know better at your age,” Rose replied.

“It was just a joke,” Jackson said while rolling his eyes. His words were a bit slurred as he reached for even more wine.

“Jokes aren’t an excuse to be an asshole,” I said, speaking up about something that had bugged me ever since we were children. “I mean, you always claim you’re just joking, and maybe you think you are, but your jokes aren’t funny. They’re just mean.”

I realized I had said “asshole” and waited for Rose to come down on me, but she actually smiled. “Well said, Harper. I couldn’t agree more.”

“Why does she get away with swearing when the rest of us get treated like children?” Kat asked.

“Because she’s a guest, Katherine. And unlike the two of you, she’s not swearing simply to be foul or insulting, she’s making a point. One with which I agree.”

“Mom always did like you better than me,” Kat said with a wink, seeming to take it all in jest rather than being insulted.

Gerard along with a few other staff members came in and cleaned the table off, replacing our dinner plates with smaller ones and a variety of different kinds of cheese.

“This cheese right here is called the Prince of Gruyeres, and that is an absolute understatement,” Jackson said, pointing to one of the cheeses with a pockmarked yellow rind. This one here is made with raw milk and has a hint of fruity flavor. It’s called Beaufort.”

Kat rolled her eyes and whispered to me, “Jackson likes to act like he’s an expert on cheese and wine or some shit. Just ignore him.”

I had to admit though, as pretentious as he may have sounded, I did find the introduction and explanation of the cheese to be rather fascinating.

“I personally prefer the Tomme de Savoie,” Nathan said, pointing to another of the cheeses.

“Not a bad choice, brother,” Jackson said. “Both have their place, even if I find the Tomme a little less exciting than the Beaufort.”

“Well good thing I can try both,” I said, even though my stomach was full.

“And finally, we have le Tamie,” Jackson said, pointing to a cheese with a beautiful gold color. “This is a very special cheese as it’s made by the monks in the abbey of Tamie.” He didn’t say much about it, no raving review or discussions about the flavor.

“Well I guess I will try a little of each then.”

“Smart woman,” Kat said from beside me. “You won’t be disappointed.”

Each cheese was unique and flavorful. I only had a small piece of each one since I was already feeling like I might burst, but each bite was a little piece of heaven.

“So, what’s the verdict?” Jackson asked. “Which one is your favorite?”

I had to stop and think about which cheese was which. I picked up le Tamie. “This one, I think. It was mild, but still a little nutty.”

“Ahh, yes, I can see why you like it. With hints of fresh cream, it is a good choice.” Jackson’s voice had shifted, something was off.

“It’s my favorite too,” Aiden spoke up, speaking about the cheese for the first time. “I think that the fact that you can only buy it from a local abbey just adds to the appeal.”

“I think that might be it for me too, knowing I may never be able to haveit again.”

“Well, Harper, dear. You are welcome to join us on our family trips and eat as much cheese as you like,” Rose said with a friendly smile.

I noticed Jackson was looking down. He finished his glass of wine then glanced over at the end of the table, the empty end.

Kat finally broke the silence. “That was our dad’s favorite cheese, too.”

“Oh,” I said softly.

I leaned back in the chair, as if I could melt into it and disappear. I didn’t know what to say. Sorry wasn’t nearly enough for the trouble I had caused all those years ago. Not that they were aware of it, or else I doubt I’d be welcome there at the table.

I stared at my hands. “I might go to bed now.”

“Before dessert and coffee?” Rose seemed genuinely disturbed by the idea of me missing dessert.

“I’m sure it’s very lovely, but I’ve had too much to eat already. I don’t know if I could eat another bite–”

Before I could finish, however, Gerard placed a chocolate mousse in front of me.

I had never been the type of girl who could resist chocolate.

“Okay, maybe I’ll stay for dessert.”

“Good girl,” Rose said. “It’s nothing too heavy, since we had a big meal and all, just something light and sweet to end with.”

The mousse was exactly that. Delicate and light, with a rich, dark chocolate that delighted my tastebuds.

“Worth sticking around for, right?” Kat asked as she licked the last bit of mousse from her spoon.

“Definitely. Oh my God, this is amazing.”

“And next up, we have some coffee,” Rose said softly.

Jackson didn’t say a word, he continued staring over at the empty chair. His brothers seemed to have lost some of their luster, as well. I had a hard time keeping my eyes off of them, though it made me feel terrible to be sitting directly across from them knowing what I had done.

As the clock ticked on, my body grew heavier and tired. “I’m not sure if I’ll make it up the stairs if I stay another minute,” I said as I slipped from my seat. “I hope that’s OK.”

“It’s more than OK, dear,” Rose said. “You’ve had a long trip. Please get some rest and hopefully you can enjoy the local scenery tomorrow.”

“Thank you again, for everything.”

I had a hard time meeting Rose’s gaze then. Would she be better off not knowing? Her family might still be together, though it would have all been a lie. Unless, of course, she knew about the affairs and everything else, simply putting up with it until it went public. I wasn’t sure if I deserved her kindness or not.

I said goodnight to everyone as I headed toward the stairs, forcing my legs to walk. As I reached the top, I noticed that the hallway was dark. I staggered down the hall and grabbed what I thought was the doorknob for our room.

“Hold up,” a voice surprised me from behind. “Wrong room.”

“Jesus, Kat. Did you tippy-toe up the stairs? You almost gave me a heart attack.”

She chuckled. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. But you almost entered Jackson’s room.”

“There’s so many doors.”

“Right? I almost do that every year we’re here, but thankfully, I never walked in on my brother naked or anything equally traumatizing.”

The idea of Jackson naked wasn’t traumatizing to me in the slightest. In fact, once I had the image in my head, I stood there in the hallway and forgot where I was for a moment.

“We’re right here, the room to the right of his,” she said, opening the door to our gorgeous space.

“Thank God,” I muttered as I collapsed into the bed. I groaned as I writhed against the comforter. “It’s so soft, it’s like sleeping on a cloud.”

It didn’t take long for my eyes to close and I fell asleep, clothes and all.