Christyne Butler - His Destiny Bride

There was less than two years’ difference between them, but the man took his role as the eldest brother seriously. Always the protector, ready to knock heads together or defend any of the family if needed.

He’d also been away for most of his adult life, serving in the military.

Now retired, Adam had planned to center his life on his ranch, which butted up against the family’s land, until he found out Fay had become pregnant with his child after a one-night stand. He had rejoined the family business, and after a bumpy start, he and Fay were happily married with a son, A.J., not quite a year old, and another baby on the way.

“Well?” Adam offered a raised eyebrow.

Nolan thought about the agreement he and Katie had made that morning, but that was before she refused to look him in the eye. To talk to him. Before they started skidding around each other like a pair of new foals sharing the same barn stall.

Maybe he could get a little brotherly advice and still keep their secret.

“Yeah,” he admitted, still not sure he should be doing this. “I met someone.”

Adam nodded. “I figured as much.”

“How’s that?”

“Fay sent me on a late-night run for mint ice cream and corn chips.” He held up a hand. “Don’t ask. I spotted your truck in the Blue Creek parking lot.”

“So?”

“So, four in the morning and yours was one of only a half dozen vehicles still there. You’re not dumb enough to bring a date back to your place. Not with your kids around. You end up at hers?”

Nolan nodded, remembering how Katie explained the room at the boardinghouse. Had she dragged him back to her apartment, he would’ve figured out fast who Harley Quinn was.

Would that have stopped him from being with her?

Her bright yellow floral-print dress caught his eye from across the room. Katie walked among the guests, chatting while balancing a tray of goodies, pretty as a sunny spring day. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail that bounced when she moved, and matching yellow heels made her legs look fabulous.

Yeah, she loved her high heels.

He once asked her not long after she started working for them how she managed to keep her balance in those things. She’d said she took a special class in college. Squeezed it between Global Business Ethics and Corporate Law for Entrepreneurs her senior year.

He’d felt like a louse, but she’d laughed and waved off his apology.

She’d then proceeded to point out a missed loophole in one of their biggest contracts, saving them a sizable amount of cash.

“Hello?” Adam rapped a knuckle on the wood counter. “Earth to Nolan.”

“Yeah, I’m here.” He watched her offer the tray to a group of ladies. The move allowed that waterfall of red hair to slide over her shoulder. Just as it had that night. After the wig came off.

Only he hadn’t known the color of his companion’s hair then.

“And yeah, we ended up at her...place.”

“You going to see her again?”

“See who?” Bryant joined them. “Don’t tell me Nolan’s got himself a new girl.”

Nolan groaned. “Tell me why my dating life is so interesting to you guys?”

“Hey, you’re the only one left,” Bryant said. “Who knows when Ric will get home again and Liam and Dev are happily solvent on the other side of the ocean.”

“Stop talking like a finance guy.” Adam took a sip of his beer.

“I am a finance guy. What’s wrong with being solvent?” Bryant gestured his desire for a beer, too. “It’s important for a couple to be financially secure, especially once they decide to start a family.”

“You score points with the missus with all that money talk?” Nolan asked, getting his brother a cold one.

“Thanks to doctor’s orders, I’m not scoring much of anything these days.” Bryant grinned. “I’m okay with that.”

Nolan knew that to be true. Laurie had suffered through a rough miscarriage a year ago. She and Bryant were over the moon about this pregnancy and were taking every precaution the doctors handed down. He and Adam were the celebrating dads-to-be today even though their wives got all the attention.

“No worries,” Adam said. “Nolan’s getting the job done.”

“Halloween party, right?” Bryant asked, lifting the bottle to his lips.

Adam answered before Nolan could open his mouth. “I was about to find out if he plans to see her again.”

“See who?”

“Who is the question. He never told me her name.”

“Well, don’t let me interrupt your girl talk. Go on. Spill.”

Nolan stared at his brothers’ grinning faces. This conversation was getting away from him. Fast. He needed to come up with a diversion, but his mind was a blank.

Except for Katie.

Story of his life for the last two weeks.

He had projects up to his eyeballs. The kids were at each other’s throats. Mom’s accident threatened to derail her complex holiday plans for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Still, he couldn’t concentrate on anything but what had happened between him and Katie.

This had to stop. He had to find a way to fix things. Now.

Only once he let his brothers in on the truth, they would either kill him for dipping into the company office pool or bust his chops based on nothing but sibling code.

He was so screwed. “Forget about it.”

“No can do. Come on, who was she?” Adam pushed.

“No one.”

“No one important?” Bryant asked.

Nolan’s fingers tightened on his glass. “I didn’t say that.”

“So she is important. Or could be. Maybe we can help.”

Now he was confused. “Help with what?”

“You’ve been an SOB for the last week and if you can’t get help from your bros—” Bryant shrugged “—who can you turn to?”

“I haven’t been an SOB.”

“Yeah, you have,” Adam and Bryant said in unison.

“Hell, even Dad thinks you’ve gone off the deep end,” Adam continued. “You’re either snapping our heads off or shutting down completely. With everyone. Even—”

“Fine.” Nolan tossed back his drink, the rum burning his throat. “It’s Katie.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he wished for them back. Especially when the blank expressions on his brothers’ faces said they had no idea whom he was talking about.

“Forget I said—”

“Katie?” Bryant asked. “Katie who?”

At that moment the object of their discussion turned, her gaze catching and holding Nolan’s.

She stood on the other side of the room, near the dining room table covered with gifts. Too far away to hear, but something made her glance his way, her facial expression the same as it’d been since that night. Cool. Professional.

No matter, the stiff set of her shoulders said plenty. Someone called out to her and she turned away.

“Yeah, who’s Kat—” Adam started, then stopped. His head whipped to the crowd of ladies then back. “Wait a minute. You mean...” He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “That Katie? Our Katie?”

Bryant’s brows were dipped in confusion for a moment longer before understanding dawned. “Whoa, Katie? Are you nuts?”

Yeah, he was. Especially for opening his big mouth.

“Jeez, she’s practically family.”

He turned to Adam. “Don’t say that.”

“She’s been like a sis—”

“I really wish you wouldn’t say that.” Nolan cut him off, pushing aside his desire for another shot. He instead went for a beer and got two more for his brothers. They looked as if they needed them.

“What in the world made you pick her?” Bryant asked, matching his tone to Adam’s. “Of all people?”

“I didn’t exactly pick—we sort of ran into—hell, she was in costume,” Nolan growled. “So was I. She was drinking. I was drinking. It was late. It was dark—”