Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Brynn

I ditch my suitcase by the dresser and throw myself on the bed.

Seriously, universe? You pick right now to bring him back into my life?

I scramble to get up, grabbing my purse and digging for my phone. I need to talk to someone about what just happened.

Then I realize, I never told anyone about Pierce. And I don’t feel like going into the embarrassing story about how little Brynn was a foolish girl thinking one weekend spent with a guy she met in a different country was some form of kismet.

I shake my head at that version of me’s idiotic idea that the first guy she picked up at a pub was somehow waiting his entire life for her to walk through the door. As if there was a warm yellow glow lit behind her.

So naive.

So stupid.

So delusional.

But seeing him again stirs up all those feelings. His tall, lean, yet muscular frame still holds an air of confidence that he’s comfortable with himself. The way his eyebrows pinch together when he’s thinking about something. His stupid defined jawline and strong nose. He’s damn perfection, and even though it’s been years, the sight of him makes me draw a shallow breath.

A drink? Is he crazy? Hell no.

I lie back down and stare at the ceiling, my mind unable to avoid going back to the moment I’ve pushed away for years. Talk about Christmas magic, there was something in the air that night.

I had arrived in London three days before and was all settled in my dorm room. My mom wasn’t thrilled with me studying abroad for the semester. Especially with my brother in the military. I’d witnessed the fear for his safety keeping her up at night when my brother decided to join the army after high school. I didn’t want to add more worry to her shoulders, but it was only for a semester. Of course, because my mom is awesome, she told me I could do it on the stipulation that if she called, I had one hour to get back to her. So far, I’d talked to her three times that day.

My roommate, Molly, asked me to go out, and I almost skipped it because I hadn’t expected the feeling of being homesick to sink in so fast. London was an entire world away from everything I knew, and I was already regretting my decision. But I finally accepted trying to put myself out there and make a life for myself for the next few months.

I figured I’d have a couple beers, make small talk, and go back to my dorm room. I didn’t expect him .

I was at the bar getting a refill, since my dorm mate had insisted on buying my first beer. In truth, I smelled Pierce before I saw him. He was sitting to my right with his back to me, and his cologne was crisp and woodsy. I thought of my brothers and that maybe whatever cologne it was would be a good gift for the holidays.

His friend saw me first, eyed me, and I smiled politely, but I wasn’t interested. I tried not to pay attention, holding my money out for the bartender to come help me, but their conversation stalled next to me. When Pierce swiveled on his stool, it ran across my hip, and his knee ran along my outer thigh.

I glanced over, expecting to see a man, but not one so good-looking.

His emerald eyes challenged me to remember what I was doing moments before. It was his smile, though, the way it creeped up and up until his white teeth gleamed under his pink lips. He stole all my attention.

I knew he was older than me—that was evident in the way he didn’t seem at all fazed that I was tongue-tied and unable to stop staring at him. In the quiet confidence that surrounded him.

“What can I get you?” the bartender asked with impatience in his tone.

I turned to look, and he was nodding like “get on with it.”

“Oh…um…a beer.”

“Which one?” the bartender asked, looking down the line at the rest of the people he needed to serve.

“Um…that one.” I pointed at one of the beer pulls, hoping it wasn’t a dark beer.

“Pint or half?” The bartender blew out a breath and shared an annoyed expression with Pierce.

I felt my cheeks heating up and suddenly wanted to start my trek back to Oregon even if I had to swim across the Atlantic to get there. “Which one is smaller?”

The bartender looked again—this time at Pierce’s friend—and his shoulders slumped.

“May I?” Pierce asked me, his mesmerizing smile on display.

I nodded, unsure what to do.

“A pint of pale ale,” Pierce said.

The bartender nodded and started to pour my beer.

“Thank you,” I said.

“Tourist?” he asked, then leaned over and reached in his back pocket for his wallet.

“Kind of.”

The bartender interrupted us. Had he not, maybe I would have told Pierce I was there for school, and we would have discovered who each of us were to the other and that would have been that.

“Let me buy you a drink,” Pierce said, and the bartender disregarded my money and took Pierce’s.

I roll my eyes at the memory of being in the pub that night. Getting up, I grab my suitcase and unpack, pushing all thoughts of Pierce away from me. It was a momentary blip. I won’t see him again, and that will be the end of that.

My phone dings. I stop hanging up my clothes and answer the text in my family’s group chat, which is always out of control, but even more so with Christmas almost right upon us.

Tre: Still sour grapes about having to come here?

Attached is a picture of the inside of his cottage, complete with a roaring fireplace and Tessa sitting on the couch.

Mom chimes in immediately because I think her phone is glued to her hand until we’re all there safe and sound, together again.

Mom: Don’t get her all riled up before the interview.

Dad: She’ll be fine. She’s my rockstar. Everyone loves her winning personality.

Carter: Winning personality? I thought I was your rockstar.

Tre: Everyone knows I’m the rockstar. Hello, retired Army Ranger… I outrank both of you.

My thumbs hover over the screen because I’m not sure what to text. Pierce has my mind in a complete spin.

Tessa: Ignore him, Brynn. You’re going to have all the same comforts of being back home. Mom and I made sure of it.

I’m tired from the flight. See you all tomorrow night. Which one of your sorry asses is picking me up?

Silence. Which is never a good sign with my family.

Hello?

I feel as if they’re all waiting for one of them to tell me some horrible news.

Dad: It worked out well. Tessa’s friends Kenzie and Andrew are coming in on the same flight as you, so you’ll hitch a ride with them.

Okay, that’s not bad at all, why would they be worried to tell me that?

Cool.

I’ve met Kenzie and Andrew a handful of times, and they’re always nice. The only problem is that Andrew is English, and every time I hear his accent, I’m reminded of the jackass on the other side of the wall. But I can’t hate everyone in the entire country just because they share an accent with Pierce.

Tre: Phew, that was easy.

Why would I have a problem with that?

Carter: Because you’ve been whining and complaining like you used to when we wouldn’t let you tag along with us when you were a kid.

Signing off now. Catch you guys tomorrow, or maybe I’ll purposely miss my flight.

Mom: Keep that tracker on.

Dad: Stop it, boys.

Tre: I didn’t do anything.

Tessa: You know Christmas isn’t possible without you.

How did I score the nicest sister-in-law?

Tessa: Plus, this one is waiting for her favorite auntie.

She sends a picture of my niece looking adorable in a Christmas onesie.

Carter: Better hurry before she only wants me.

He sends a picture of my niece in his arms. Ryah is smiling with drool running down her chin.

She’ll always love me more. Just like Mom.

Dad: Okay, putting a stop to this. You can all volley to be Mom’s favorite when we’re all here together. We can’t wait to have you join us. I’d say good luck, but you don’t need it. If they don’t give you the job, then they’re idiots.

Thanks, Dad.

Everyone else sends messages like good luck and you got this. My family might give each other a lot of shit, but deep down, we all have each other’s backs.

I change into my pajamas and am about to crawl into bed when I hear Pierce’s door open and shut. I jog to the peephole, but I miss him. I don’t care that he’s probably on his way down to the bar to pick up some girl for the night. Nope.

Why would I care?

I don’t.

But I do hope he gets coal in his stocking this year and drinks spoiled eggnog.