Holiday Homecoming Read Free Page A

Still, Connor had a childish urge to demand Josh “take that back,” the kind of demand that had resulted in more than one teenage brother brawl.
    â€œI think the lady dumped our baby bro their last year of college,” Josh said.
    â€œSomething like that,” Connor mumbled, glad that Josh didn’t know the full story. Even though the two of them were close, Josh had a reckless streak that had stopped Connor from telling him beforehand that he was going to ask Nat to marry him, despite Connor having been certain at the time that she’d say “yes.” That move had saved him from the embarrassment of having to share being shot down.
    â€œYou guys still on for helping me with the cottage Saturday morning?” Josh asked.
    For once, Josh’s habit of making things all about him didn’t bother Connor.
    â€œWe’ll be there,” Jared said. “Brendon can’t wait. I got him his own scaled-down tool belt.”
    Connor admired the way his oldest brother had bonded with his stepson and went out of his way to be a father to him in a way their father had never been to them.
    â€œConnor?”
    â€œSure, as long as nothing more pressing comes up.” Connor couldn’t think of any reason right now that he wouldn’t be able to help Josh work on the decrepit lakeside cottage he’d bought to fix up and sell. He was being contrary. Josh had a way of bringing the worst out in him.
    His brother frowned.
    â€œLike an emergency with one of my parishioners.”
    â€œRight. See you Saturday.” Josh left.
    â€œI’m going to do a walk around to make sure everything is turned off before I lock up,” Connor said to Jared. “Catch you at Josh’s Saturday.”
    â€œYou can’t get rid of me that easy,” Jared said. “I need a lift home. I told Becca if she finished earlier than we did to go ahead home, and I’d get a ride from you.”
    â€œPretty sure of yourself.”
    â€œYeah.”
    Connor tossed his car keys at his brother. “Make yourself useful and go run the heater so the car’s warm when I get out.”
    A couple of minutes later, Connor joined Jared. He put the car in Reverse to pull out of the parking space.
    â€œNatalie Delacroix,” Jared said out of nowhere. “I knew I recognized her.”
    Connor hit the brakes harder than necessary and skidded on the icy parking lot. Recognized her from where? She would have been eleven when Jared left Paradox Lake for the motocross circuit.
    â€œWhen I was racing in the Midwest, she was a reporter on one of the local stations,” Jared said.
    Connor shrugged and put the car in Drive. “She had a mentor her senior year who was an anchor at one of the Chicago affiliate stations. He was a guest instructor at Syracuse. She’d talked about him helping her get a job when she graduated.”
    â€œNo, this was a smaller, local station. But I’m sure it was her.”
    â€œMaybe. After we broke up, I didn’t keep track of her. It was part of my ‘get Natalie out of my system’ program.”
    â€œThat bad?” Jared asked.
    â€œThat bad.” Connor considered telling him about his proposal, but thought again.
    Jared nodded and went quiet for a couple of minutes. “Kirk Sheldon. Was that her mentor?”
    â€œSounds right.” Connor knew it was right.
    â€œYou can take this for what it’s worth. I only know what I read on the ‘People’ page of a suburban Chicago newspaper.”
    Connor glanced sideways at his brother. Jared looked like he was weighing whether to continue. “Since when do you read gossip pages?” he asked to fill the lull.
    Jared glared at him. “Since my publicist suggested it. The page had a story about me that she’d wanted to make sure I read as a lesson in what I shouldn’t be doing.”
    Connor snorted. “You’re going to tell me there was a story