Holiday Homecoming (7 page)

Sierra reached
out to hug Liam. “We couldn’t have chosen a better man for our
daughter.”

Alisa’s eyes
welled with tears as she watched the exchange between the four
people she loved most in the world.

A light tap on
the door drew their attention and Abby smiled at the baby in Trey’s
arms.

“Can anyone
join the party?” she asked, locking eyes with her dad.

“Come here,
you,” Liam said, walking toward her, his hand outstretched to pull
her into the room. “There’s someone we want you to meet.” He led
Abby to the baby and put an arm around her shoulders as she gazed
at him in wide-eyed wonder. “I want you to meet your baby brother,
Trey Matthew Bryson.”

Abby pressed
her fingertips to her lips and stared at him for a moment before
she said, “Look at him. He’s perfect.”

Liam pressed a
kiss to her temple and winked at Alisa. “We think so.”

“Would you
like to hold him?” Trey asked Abby.

“Do you mind?”
Abby asked.

Trey grinned.
“Of course I don’t mind. If I know your old man, he’s gonna keep
you busy babysitting whenever you’re at home.”

Abby looked up
at her dad. “This does feel like home,” she said quietly. “I wasn’t
sure that it would. I mean, I grew up in San Fran, and I spend the
better part of the year in New York, but being here with all of you
feels right, like I’ve figured out where I belong.”

Liam drew his
daughter into his arms and Alisa saw how much it meant to him to
know that Abby was happy with the choices he’d made.

They’d both
given up their lives in San Francisco to build a life here with her
and she was grateful not only to have Liam in her life, but to have
a relationship with his daughter that went beyond anything she
could define. She loved and respected the teen. Abby taught her
more about herself than she ever expected when she took on the role
of being her stepmother.

Abby accepted
the baby and Trey rubbed her back as he took Sierra’s hand. “We’ll
be back in a bit. I’m sure everyone’s dyin’ to see this little
one.”

Alisa glanced
at her husband. He was so engrossed watching his two children, she
had to clear her throat to capture his attention. “Honey, do you
mind if I have a minute alone with Abby?”

“Of course
not. I could use a drink. Can I get you anything?”

“No, I’m fine.
Thanks.”

His eyes
traveled over her face and he mouthed the words “I love you” before
he left the room.

Abby sat down
in the chair at the edge of Alisa’s bed. “I can’t believe how tiny
he is.” She slipped her index finger inside his fingers and smiled.
“I haven’t had much experience with babies.”

“How do you
feel about having a brother, Abby? I mean, I know we’ve talked
about it before, but it’s different now that he’s here. I know you
must have mixed feelings about having to share your dad.”

Abby didn’t
respond at first. She simply stared at the baby in her arms. “I
don’t think you realize what it was like before my dad met
you.”

Over the past
two years, Alisa and Abby had many meaningful talks. She thought
her stepdaughter had confided everything in her, but she suspected
this was different. “What do you mean, sweetie?”

“He was so
unhappy. You have no idea.”

Alisa’s heart
clenched when she saw how much it cost Liam’s daughter to
acknowledge the truth about her father’s emotional state. “But he
had you, a business he was passionate about—”

“He threw
himself into his business because he felt it was the only thing he
had, aside from me.” She brushed a finger over the baby’s chubby
cheeks. “Sometimes I looked into his eyes and it scared me to see…”
She shook her head. “I don’t know how to describe it. It just
looked like he wasn’t really there, ya know?”

“I think
so.”

“The first day
he came home and told me about you, there was this fire in his
eyes. He was excited about something other than business and I
can’t tell you how relieved I was.” She lifted her head to meet
Alisa’s eyes. “I think I loved you before I even met you because I
knew you were the person who could make my dad happy.”

Alisa reached
for a tissue on the bedside table, giggling through her tears. “My
hormones are all over the place, and you’re just making it worse. I
hope you know that.”

Abby smiled as
she readjusted the baby’s blanket. “I just want you to know that
whatever happiness you and dad are able to find together, I’m all
for it, Alisa.”

“I love you,”
she whispered. “I know I’ve told you that before…” Alisa cleared
her throat, trying to get the words past the lump in her throat.
“Not just because I see so much of your dad in you, but because of
the person you are. You’re sweet and smart, creative and funny. If
I’d imagined my daughter, I’d have imagined someone just like you,
sweetie.”

“It hurt,”
Abby said, her voice breaking, “knowing my mother didn’t want me. I
always wondered what I’d done to drive her away. I mean, did I cry
all the time or scream all hours of the day and night? Did I refuse
to eat for her, or… did I just make her crazy?”

“You didn’t do
anything,” Alisa said. Her heart broke because she knew that even
with all of Liam’s money and power, he’d never been able to give
his daughter the one thing she so desperately wanted:
a
mother
. “Some people don’t deserve to be parents.” She knew it
was harsh, but her resentment toward a woman she’d never even met
had been building since the day she met Liam and his daughter. She
didn’t know how a woman could
choose
not to be a part of
their lives.

“And some
people were born to be parents, even to children they didn’t give
birth to.” Abby reached for a tissue and brushed at the tear
sliding down her cheek. “I know I was practically grown by the time
you met my dad, but still, you’ve had a huge impact on my life. I
hope you know that.”

Tears
obstructed Alisa’s throat, so she nodded.

“You convinced
my dad to let me go so I could pursue my dream. I don’t know if you
realize how much that meant to me.”

“You earned
that right all on your own.”

“You’ve become
more than a step-mother to me. You’ve been a friend, someone I can
talk to…” She reached out to squeeze her hand. “Someone I can count
on, and for a kid who grew up without a mother, that means
everything.”

“Come here,”
Alisa said, reaching out to draw her son and stepdaughter into the
circle of her arms. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you
and your dad came into my life.” She kissed Abby’s tear-streaked
cheek. “You mean everything to me. Both of you.”

Trey had
escaped to his study for a few minutes to try to process everything
that happened tonight when his best friend, Luc Spencer, opened the
door and strode in. Luc didn’t bother knocking. The two men had
been friends too long to stand on ceremony.

“How does it
feel to be a granddad?” Luc asked, grinning as he crossed the room
to claim one of the leather club chairs in front of the stone
fireplace.

“Incredible.
Surreal.” Trey shook his head as he sat down across from Luc. “I
still can’t believe it, if you wanna know the truth.”

“Marisa and I
just peeked in on them. Let me tell you, that is one good lookin’
kid. Thank God he looks like his old man and not you, right?”

Trey chuckled.
“Smart ass.”

“They told me
his name. That’s pretty cool.”

Only someone
he’d known most of his adult life would understand how much being
honored that way meant to him. “Ya know, I’ve won lots of awards
for makin’ music. I’ve got platinum records linin’ the walls, but
the three best days of my life, without a doubt, were the day I
re-married Sierra, the day Alisa was born, and tonight.”

“What about
the first time you married Sierra? That doesn’t make the list?”

“I didn’t know
what the hell I had until I lost her. You know that. I’m ashamed to
admit that I was so wrapped up in makin’ a name for myself that I
didn’t realize none of it meant a damn thing without her.”

Luc smiled.
“Now you’ve got it all, buddy. The wife, the career, and family and
friends who’d do anything for you. That’s a hell of a lot more than
most people.”

“Don’t I know
it.” Trey took a deep breath. He’d played this conversation out in
his mind the better part of the last year. “I’m thinkin’ it might
be time for me to pack it in, Luc.”

Luc looked as
though someone had knocked the wind out of him. “You can’t be
serious. Your last tour sold out every major city in fifteen
minutes or less. You’re still one of the hottest tickets in any
town.”

“That’s the
way I wanna go out. On top.”

Luc looked
into the contents of his crystal glass a long time before he said,
“I can’t say I don’t understand how you feel. Hell, I was ready
when the time came to pack it in, but you, you have the music
inside of you, Trey. You think you can just turn it off?”

“Probably not,
but I can write music from anywhere in the world. It’s time for me
to devote the rest of my life to re-payin’ my wife for puttin’ my
career first all these years. We both know how much she’s had to
sacrifice.”

“I can’t argue
with that.” Luc grinned. “My son is gonna go crazy when he hears
about this.”

“I’ll talk to
Evan about it after the holidays. I wanted you to be the first to
know.”

“What about
Sierra? You haven’t told her yet?”

“I kind of
wanted it to be a surprise. I thought I’d wait until New Year’s Eve
to tell her. You know, new year, new beginnin’s and all that.”

“Sounds like a
plan.”

“Yeah, but I’m
startin’ to re-think that. What better time to tell her than the
night we welcome our first grandchild into the world? Talk about
startin’ a new chapter, right?”

“You got that
right.” Luc closed his eyes and sighed. “Ah, Trey, how the hell did
we get here? It seems like just yesterday we were startin’ out,
workin’ our asses off to make it in this business, now here we are,
thinkin’ about retirin’ and movin’ on. I don’t feel old enough to
be retired, if you want to know the truth.”

Trey laughed.
“Trust me, you are.”

Luc kicked his
friend’s knee with the toe of his cowboy boot as he hid his smile
behind his hand. “I see my kids makin’ some of the same mistakes I
made, and it kills me. I just wanna grab them and shake them
sometimes.”

“What do mean?
Your kids seem to be doin’ well. Evan took over for you like he was
born to the job, and all the talent thinks Ryan’s cooler than you
ever were.” He winked. “Trust an insider, I know what they say when
you’re not around.”

“Shut up. Who
the hell asked you?” Luc laughed when Trey gave him the finger.
“Seriously, I see Ev throwin’ himself into the company, tryin’ to
prove himself to everybody…”

“What’s wrong
with that? He’s driven, determined, just like his old man.”

“Yeah, but
Erika’s not like Marisa.”

“What do you
mean?”

“Marisa worked
in the industry, hell, she’s your sister. She saw how much you
sacrificed to make it to the top. I don’t think Erika wants this
lifestyle. She’s gonna be a vet soon, join her father’s practice.”
Luc sighed as he set his drink down on the table beside him. “I
think she wants the simple life. She wants to get married, settle
down, have a couple of kids, a dog…”

“And Evan’s
not there yet?”

Luc rolled his
eyes. “How can he make that kind of commitment? His assistant tells
me he doesn’t have time to eat most days.”

“They’ll work
it out, don’t worry.”

“I’m not so
sure.” Luc linked his hands in front of him and leaned forward. “I
was watchin’ her tonight, watchin’ them. I’m thinkin’ this might be
the end of the road for them.”

“Come on, man.
They’ve been together, what, five years? That’s a lifetime when
you’re their age.”

“I know. She’s
a great girl. Marisa and I think the world of her, but I just don’t
think my son can make her happy anymore.” He placed his hands
behind his head. “I can’t help but feel responsible. If it wasn’t
for the business…”

“Hey, you
can’t blame yourself. Evan loves that company as much as you did.
You couldn’t have kept him out even if you wanted to. It’s in his
blood.”

“Yeah, I
know.” Luc chuckled. “I’ve got one son who refuses to leave the
office and another who rarely remembers to come in. What’s up with
that?”

Trey laughed.
“Don’t sell Ryan short. He’s damn good at what he does. The talent
loves him.” Trey smirked. “Especially the ladies, from what I
hear.”

“Yeah, I know.
That’s part of the problem. Makes me wonder if that one’s ever
gonna settle down and get his act together.”

Trey masked a
laugh behind a cough as he fisted his hand in front of his mouth.
“This comin’ from the guy who made datin’ an Olympic sport when he
was single.”

“Don’t remind
me.”

“Good thing
you came to your senses when you married my sister. You ever
cheated on her and I’d have kicked your ass.”

Luc looked at
the platinum and diamond wedding band that had been on his left
hand for the past three decades. “Marisa’s the only woman in the
world for me, Trey. You gotta know that.”

“I do. Hey,
don’t worry. Your sons will find that special one, too. The girl
they can’t live without.”

“Yeah, I just
hope it’s sooner rather than later.” He pointed to the silver
streaks in his black hair. “I’ve got enough gray hair already.”

Sierra peeked
into the study and found Trey sitting alone in front of the
fireplace. “Hey, what are you doing in here all by your lonesome?
We’re making pancakes. Aren’t you going to join us for
breakfast?”