Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Pierce

I t’s all George Michael’s fault. Had he never written the song “Last Christmas” and had his band Wham! perform it, I wouldn’t have heard it over the speakers in the airport store right before Brynn ran into me.

What is it about the holidays that make you relive life’s decisions?

It seemed like fate that she was there right after I told myself that as soon as I was back from holiday, I’d look her up and try to get in contact with her.

I walk back to the gate, still in disbelief that she exchanged phone numbers with me. That has to be a good sign. One that would suggest she feels the same as me—that our time together might not be done.

I’m so lost in my thoughts that it takes me a moment to realize my cousin and his wife seem to be having a disagreement. The urge to turn around and head back into the store with Brynn rises, but that would be a little much. I don’t want to push her too far, too fast.

“Hey,” I say, my gaze falling to the suitcase sitting across from them. I’d swear it was Brynn’s, but… “Where did this come from?”

Andrew looks at me. “It belongs to the woman I told you about.”

“Woman?” He hasn’t told me anything about a woman.

“You didn’t bother telling him? Do you ever listen to me?” Kenzie picks up a crying Nolan out of the stroller and walks away, rocking him.

“I did.” He pushes his hand through his hair. “Why is it always my fault?”

“Not that I’m taking sides, but you didn’t tell me.” I usually wouldn’t ask questions about the suitcase or bother Andrew when he’s clearly distracted, but it looks identical to the one Brynn wheeled down the hotel hallway last night.

He throws up his hands. “It’s Kenzie’s best friend’s husband’s sister. She’s on our flight.”

“Meaning she’s joining us for the holidays?” My heart shouldn’t soar with the thought that maybe it’s Brynn.

Andrew stares long and hard at me, his expression suggesting he wants to punch me in the face if I ask one more question. “Since she’s Tre’s family, yes.”

“Tre is the best friend’s husband?” I ask, sitting down next to the suitcase. If it is Brynn’s, I’ll be waiting right here for her.

“Want me to map out a family tree?” His gaze follows Kenzie, who I assume is behind me somewhere. “Yeah, he’s the husband.”

“Does she live in New York?”

Andrew’s gaze diverts to me, but only for a second before it returns to Kenzie.

“She has a crying baby, bloke. I don’t think anyone is going to try and woo her away from you.”

Now I earn his really pissed off look. The one I thought was only reserved for me when I beat him at Battleship.

“Well?” I ask.

“What?” He looks away from his wife and scowls at me.

“Does she live in New York?”

He shakes his head. “Here’re all the details so that you can get off me about this. She was here for a job interview.” He stops talking, and my heart picks up pace. Could it really be?

“Interesting…”

“So, she’s going to get on the plane with us, and we’re going to drive her to the mountain cabins we’re staying in, where she’ll be reunited with her brothers, her niece, her sister-in-law, and her parents. Is that enough information?” He stands—to walk toward Kenzie, I presume.

“What’s her name?”

His shoulders slump, and he looks down at me. “Brynn.”

He stalks toward Kenzie, and good thing because I’m at a loss for words. I reach for the tag on the abandoned luggage and flip it around to see Brynn Russell written there with a Portland address.

Holy shit. There’s no possible way.

“Okay, who do you know at the airlines?” Brynn’s voice rings out, and I swivel around to see her standing with a book in the crook of her arm, a bag of Skittles, a pack of gum, and a water. “And don’t touch other people’s suitcases.”

She winds around me, pushes her suitcase with her feet, and sits one seat away from me. Choosing to sit next to some random guy who is consuming a burger as if he’s been starved in a cage for the last week.

She must not know who I am to Andrew, and it pulls a satisfied grin out of me that I get to be the one to tell her.

“Why are you sitting at my gate, Pierce?” she asks, placing her purse on the seat between us and opening her Skittles.

“It’s a funny story actually.” I turn so I’m facing her.

Her dark eyebrows rise, but she looks bored with the game I want to play with her. “What? You’re going to Utah?” She rolls her eyes as though the idea is absurd.

“In fact, I am.”

She tears the bag open too forcefully, and Skittles topple to the floor. “I’m sorry, what?”

All the kids nearby fall to their knees, picking up the candies. Their parents tell them to stop, but one little guy gets a handful into his mouth, and I cringe, watching him smile as his mum pulls him up off the floor.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry.” Brynn abandons her half-full bag of Skittles and bends down to pick up the scattered colorful pieces.

I join her, both of us kneeling on the floor, scouring to find all the candies. I hope she knows I’d only do this for her.

She looks up at me with eyes full of shock and wariness.

“Oh good, you guys met. Why are you both on the floor picking up Skittles?” Kenzie says from behind me.

I stand, taking my handful of Skittles with me. Brynn does the same.

“I’m clearly missing something,” Brynn says before walking to the trash can and tossing the Skittles inside.

I throw mine away too, and Kenzie grabs wipes from the diaper bag, handing them over to us. We both wipe our hands.

“Brynn, this is Andrew’s cousin, Pierce. He’s joining us on the trip,” Kenzie says.

Brynn glares at me. “He’s what? I didn’t know anything about this.”

Andrew, who is now holding Nolan, joins us, lowering his face closer to Kenzie’s. “So, I’m not the only one who forgets to tell people things.”

She narrows her eyes and disregards him. Andrew sits in his earlier seat.

“Oh great…” Brynn starts before anyone can say anything else. “So, first my family outvotes me and decides we’re going to spend Christmas in some mountain town instead of the family home, then I run into my fling from London, find out he’s my competition for my dream job, and now I have to spend the holidays with said fling.” She throws her hands in the air. “Plus, my Skittles…” She looks longingly toward the trash can.

“Fling?” Kenzie asks. She turns to Andrew. “Did you know they knew each other?”

“Why would I know that?” he says.

Is this what a baby brings, testiness with one another?

Andrew and Kenzie stare at us, as does the burger-eating man and most everyone else around us. My gaze darts to Brynn. How much does she want to tell them?

“We’re going to start the boarding process now…” one of the airline attendants at the gate announces.

“We’ll catch up on the plane.” Kenzie turns to Andrew, who is already swinging the diaper bag over his shoulder.

Andrew hands Nolan to Kenzie and breaks down the stroller. They work it like an assembly line, and not for the first time in my life, I’m impressed by my cousin.

“You’ll understand when you have kids,” Andrew says as he passes me.

The two of them walk toward the gate to wait to be the first to go in since they have a baby, leaving Brynn and me by ourselves.

“I cannot believe this.” She puts her book in her purse and grabs the handle of her carry-on. “This is setting up to be my worst holiday ever.”

“I think maybe it’s a sign. We can use the time to reconnect.” I take my small carry-on and swing it over my shoulder.

“We’re not reconnecting.” She barrels by me.

The burger guy gives me that look to say, “Sorry, mate, she’s not interested.”

And maybe she’s not, but I can’t help but think this is my chance. How many times do you get a second chance to right a wrong?

We no longer have the problem of the university and me being her TA. Sure, we’re going after the same job, but that’s a problem for later.