Second Chance Christmas: BWWM Interracial Romance (Holiday Happiness Book 2) Read online

  Second Chance Christmas

  by Roxy Wilson

  BLURB

  Caterer Brielle Riley-Foster can't believe her luck when she runs into her ex-husband, Toby, at a pre-Christmas party. Four years after he suddenly filed for divorce, her heart still pines for him and the pain of losing him still sears.

  For Toby, the sight of his ex-wife brings back the sting he felt when she cheated on him. Unwilling to let her back into his life, Toby does his best to avoid contact, but Brielle has cooked up a scheme that is sure to make her indiscretion pale in comparison.

  Her desperate attempt to make her ex-husband answer her long-held questions isn't winning her any sanity points, and things get worse when heavy snow begins to fall and old hurts resurface. With no way out, the exes are forced to communicate with each other and soon discover some surprising things, things they never expected.

  Has too much time passed for Brielle and Toby to find their way back to one another, or is this love lost for good?

  Text copyright © 2014 Roxy Wilson

  All Rights Reserved

  Chapter One

  The pre-Christmas party was in full swing. Brielle Riley-Foster surveyed the scene in the kitchen. She was tired, yet fulfilled, and happy that everything was organized with military precision. Rarely did she ever lose her cool. And even now, as she observed the bustling activity, she didn’t become flustered. While the waiters carried out appetizers of sautéed black olives with tomatoes, bacon-wrapped dates, cucumber-rye tea sandwiches, lamb pizzettes, miso-glazed smoked sable on rice crackers, and spicy pecans, and the chef bellowed for more spices for the main course, she remained calm. She inhaled deeply, delighting in the heady aroma of the marmalade-glaze roast turkey, ham with five-spice cherry sauce, and the beef tenderloin with Parmesan-herb stuffing. This fare would surely delight meat lovers. She lifted lids and checked to make sure that the side dishes—jerked-spiced Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, chickpea, and warm mushroom salad—were to her specifications. A delicious warmth spread throughout her body. As always, her food was up to standards and she didn’t have any doubt that those she trained would do their jobs with her trademark efficiency.

  The tap-tapping of heels, announced Janay’s arrival, the youngest of the Riley sisters. She was the one who inherited all the temper in the family. And even now she looked disturbed, a sheen of sweat visible on her forehead.

  “What’s wrong?” said Brielle.

  “There’s an additional guest,” she hissed.

  Brielle raised a hand towards her chef. “John. We’ve got one addition.” She turned to look at her sister. “There. Problem solved. We’ll be able to serve him or her without a hitch.”

  “But what about the seating arrangement?”

  “That’s not my department,” said Brielle. “Ask Lexi. She’s the one who’s in charge of seating.”

  “I’ll go find her.” Janay drew in a deep breath and then expelled it slowly. “Why can’t the hosts plan better?” she muttered. “Inviting unexpected people at the last minute is a recipe for disaster.”

  Brielle smiled to herself as she took a tray from one of her waiters and sauntered out. Dismissing Janay’s concerns, she entered the dining room. Although she was the one who handled the catering, once in a while, she preferred to mingle with the guests and see their reaction to the cuisine herself. Regarding the extra guest, she had no doubt that her competent sister, Lexi, would be able to manage things on her end.

  It was Lexi’s idea to establish Grand Events with all three sisters, a company that had already acquired an excellent reputation in the past four years. Quietly Brielle served, observing the guests and their preferences for her food as she made her way through the hall where the pre-Christmas party was being held.

  As she glanced at the men and women who were dressed in their finery, her gaze stopped on a familiar figure. The hair at the back of her neck stood on end. Her breathing quickened. Her pulse raced. The tray wobbled in her hand. For the first, in a long time in her life, she actually felt dizzy. Pain, like a hard punch, hit her in the gut.

  She sucked in a deep breath of air and scanned the room. She clutched the arm of the waiter who was making his way back into the kitchen. “Nick, here take this.” She handed over the items she carried to the bewildered waiter, who ended up with two trays, and hurried away. She needed to get away. To compose herself.

  Lexi, the eldest of the Riley sisters, was conferring with the chef. She glanced up and smiled when she saw Brielle entering in. “Hey, Brielle, the hostess said to delay serving the main course, because he wants to take photographs first.” She gestured to the chef that still stood by her side. “I’ve told Tony to go slow with his preparations. We don’t want to serve cold food.”

  Brielle barely took note of what Lexi was saying. Her brain was muddled. She was vaguely aware that her gait was sluggish since her feet were heavy, as if they belonged to someone else. She hoped her sister was finished with her briefing.

  “…And guess what?”

  No such luck.

  “…The Johnsons called,” Lexi continued. “They cancelled their event that was scheduled for next week.” She frowned. “Apparently, they found someone else to manage it. They wouldn’t give me any reason.”

  Brielle opened her mouth to respond, but her throat was dry. She swallowed and tried again, but still no words could escape her lips. Without saying a word, Brielle crossed through, opened the door of the storeroom, and stepped inside. The noise faded as she closed the door. But a moment later, her sister walked in.

  “What’s wrong?” she demanded. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “He’s here.”

  Lexi frowned. “Who’s here?”

  “Toby,” she was aware that she spat out the word as if it was dirt stuck in her mouth.

  Lexi slumped against the wall. “Here? In this party?” Her gaze flittered around as if searching for the object of their discussion. “But…I thought he left town after your divorce.”

  Brielle rubbed a hand on her forehead, which was clammy with sweat. “He left…but I guess he’s back.”

  Her husband of two years walked out on her without an explanation or a word about four years ago. A month later, she received the notice of divorce in the mail. Despite her best attempts to contact him, she couldn’t get through. He’d left the country and had carried out all of the divorce proceedings through his lawyers. Even now, when she thought back to the callous treatment she got, her heart clenched with pain. How could he break up their marriage without telling her the reason for it? She’d made calls, sent emails, pestered his parents, wrote letters, sat in his lawyer’s office for hours, but there was no response. No one knew the reason why he wanted the marriage to end. And the one person who could answer her question was not in the country.

  The action was so uncharacteristic for him that it shook her to her core. He wasn’t the sort of man who shed his responsibilities without care. He was the man you could depend on, lean on in times of need, and take support from. Whatever made him change his mind about their future and marriage must have been momentous. But what was it? And why didn’t he tell her? When she didn’t get answers, Brielle moved on, albeit with a great deal of difficulty.

  And now, he was back. And damn it! He looked just as handsome.

  As usual, Lexi took charge without wasting time. “All right, here’s what we’re going to do. Everything’s ready, so all we need to do is serve the entrée. And John can manage if there’s a crisis. So why don’t you go back home an
d we’ll wrap this up on our own.”

  Janay opened the door and strolled inside. “What’s going on?

  “Toby’s among the guests,” said Lexi. “And Brielle’s leaving.”

  “That man is back?” Janay jammed her hands on her hips. Her nostrils flared; her dark eyes protruded. “Good. I’ve wanted to punch him for the longest time.”

  “We’re on a job. No punching,” said Lexi as she grabbed their youngest sister’s arm. “You can’t make a scene.”

  “Fine. We’ll kidnap him after the party is over and beat the crap out of him.”

  Brielle raised a hand before the discussion could get out of hand. “We’re not doing anything like that. Sooner or later, this day had to come. I’m not going to run away like a coward. I’ll face him, instead.”

  “No!” hissed Lexi. “That’s not a good idea.”

  “It’s a brilliant idea,” said Janay. “He’s going to take a look at our gorgeous sister and regret what he gave up for God knows what reason. And then he’s going to wallow in his misery for all of eternity. She pointed a well-manicured finger at Brielle “I mean, look at her. She’s beautiful and talented. He can never find someone like her again.” Her lips curled in a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “You go girl; face the scumbag. I didn’t think you had in you.”

  Brielle felt the beginnings of her headache. She rubbed a finger against her temple to ease it a bit. “I’m going to the washroom.” Although her sisters meant well, she didn’t think they actually understood the pain of being dumped without ever being told what she did wrong. She believed she and Toby were happy. They had a good life together, and they even talked about having children a couple of years down the line. Toby was kind, compassionate, and a committed husband. There wasn’t even a whiff of trouble—and then boom! He vanished without a word or trace.

  What did she do to deserve such treatment?

  Perhaps now she might get some answers.

  “Are you sure this is the right move?” asked Lexi as Brielle opened the door. “Wouldn’t it be better to just ignore him?”

  “No. I need to see him one last time and sort this out.” Of course, she didn’t know what the hell she was doing, but this was her last chance to know the reason. And she wasn’t going to let the man brush her aside as he did four years ago. “Don’t worry.”

  Leaving her sisters, she picked up her burnt-silver purse from the counter and marched into the adjacent washroom. As she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, Brielle recalled the happy days with her husband. Long walks in the park, romantic dates, weekend getaways, and conversations in their cozy apartment were the norm. And the sex…Lord have mercy, the sex was combustible. Her core clenched at the memory.

  Brielle had never met another man who completed her on so many levels. But there must have been something lacking in her that caused him to leave without saying good-bye. He owned a construction company and traveled a lot. Perhaps he met someone else but didn’t want to tell her? Or perhaps she bored him?

  Would he ever explain why he broke her heart into a million pieces?

  Brielle straightened. She would make him spill out the details, even if she had to tie him up to make it happen. Feeling motivated, she dug out her frosty-nude hydrating lipstick and drew it over her lips. After adjusting the collar of her crisp, alabaster-white shirt, she took a deep, steadying breath and marched out. Now, she was ready to face anything: her ex-husband, hell even the devil himself if she had to.

  Brielle re-entered the hall. In one corner, she saw Lexi talking to one of the waiters. But she had more important matters to think about than what time the food was supposed to be served. Rather than rush into the milieu and make a scene, Brielle decided to stand in a corner, which enabled her to be unobtrusive, but at the same time gave her a clear view of what was going on. Sooner or later, she would run into him again.

  Where was he?

  As she cast a glance about, searching for her ex-husband, a tap on her elbow made her jump. Her heart seemed to freeze and then rev up, pounding heavily against her chest. The sounds, the people, faded, and her eyes focused on his handsome face. Much to her delight, he looked just as shell-shocked to see her as she was when she saw him across the room, judging from the way his golden-brown eyes widened. At least, she was prewarned before coming face-to-face with him. A bubble of satisfaction bounced in her heart when she saw his thunderstruck face. Score one for her! Brielle turned her attention to the woman who hired them for the party and who seemed to have Toby in tow.

  “Gabrielle, I’d like you meet my husband’s new business partner,” said Sophia in her characteristic hyper voice. “Toby’s our last-minute guest, and I told him that he can’t miss our party and your divine food.” Her eyes sparkled even more brightly. “He was just praising the arrangements and the delicious offerings you made for us, so I thought I should introduce you two.” She giggled. “Perhaps, he might have need for you as he’s going to live here now.”

  Brielle turned slightly towards the hostess. “Thank you, Sophia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Then she thrust out her hand to her ex-husband.

  Would he tell Sophia about our past? Or would he bypass that awkward conversation?

  It appeared that he was all for maintaining appearances. He shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  God. That voice. So deep and naturally sensual. It always had a way of making her tingle all over, especially when he whispered sweet, naughty things he was going to do to her when they made love. Or when he’d reached his peak and climaxed in her waiting body. Brielle felt the slow glide of the perspiration that had gathered on her forehead despite the refreshing room.

  She nodded and murmured a response. His voice was a distraction. He was a distraction.

  Did their hands linger a little longer than they should?

  As if Toby read her mind, he released hers quickly.

  Lexi came by. “May I have a word with you, Sophia?”

  “Sure.”

  Sophia and Lexi drew to the side, leaving Toby and Brielle standing alone. She expected him to move off, but he didn’t appear to be in a hurry.

  His eyes flashed over her face. “You’re even more beautiful,” he said.

  Despite herself, she smiled, even as she felt the warmth creep up her face. “And you don’t look too bad yourself,” she answered, noticing those things that had always endeared him to her She longed to rake her fingers through his hair. Its silkiness was always enticing. The cleft on his chin was as devilish as always and his eyes still crinkled when he smiled. And even though his smile was not reflected in his eyes, he lifted his full lips at her answer. Even now, after all these years, her heart panged with pain. Losing him, she had felt as if she lost the best thing in her life.

  “It was always your dream to do something in the culinary arts.”

  “Yeah, it was.” But she only made a success of it after he left her broken and bleeding. She didn’t have any alternative but to pour her energy into something that would take up all her time.

  “I should go.”

  “Toby!” She clutched his arm. “Can we talk about what went wrong with our marriage? I’ve always wondered…”

  “No.” A scowl marred his handsome face. For a moment, she detected something in his eyes. Was it pain? Regret? Sorrow? It was gone before she could decipher it. And yet, she was sure that he wasn’t as dismissive of their marriage as he wanted her to believe. There was a secret buried deep within his decision and she needed to know what it was. But he seemed just as determined as before not to reveal his reasons. “No explanations, no excuses, and no lies. It’s over. Let’s just leave it at that.” And with that statement, he walked away.

  She ground her teeth. What the hell was that supposed to mean? How could he decide the fate of their relationship and then refuse to talk about it? Wasn’t she supposed to have any feelings or emotions? Weren’t her wishes important? Why did she even think that she needed him to explain his reasons? Who car
ed why he broke it off? The important thing was that she built a life for herself after his departure and there was no place in it for him.

  As she turned, someone put a hand on her arm. Brielle narrowed her eyes when she saw who it was. “Hands off!” she said.

  “Come on.” Sebastian laughed as he let her go. “It’s been four years. Is that how you treat an old friend?”

  Sebastian was Toby’s oldest friend. They went to school and college together He was almost as good-looking as Toby. They had the same blackberry-colored hair, the sharp, handsome face, but what Toby had in personality, Sebastian lacked in spirit and behavior. “You were never my friend.” Being in Sebastian’s presence always left a bitter tang in her mouth.

  “Don’t be like that, honey. I’ve always liked you. Toby always had the most fantastic taste in women.” Sebastian chuckled. “You’re as beautiful as I remember.”

  “Whatever!” She strode off without a backward glance. After she returned to the safety of the kitchen, Brielle shuddered as she realized how close she came to making a fool of herself in front of Toby. How could she behave as if she was desperate for answers?

  Because I am!

  Damn. Why couldn’t he tell her why he ended their marriage without a word? How could she make him talk?

  Something Janay said earlier triggered an avalanche of ideas. It was desperate, dangerous, and crazy but it might be the only thing that could help her get some answers out of him. If nothing else, once she knew his reasons, she might be able to achieve some kind of a closure in that chapter in her life.

  And in order to achieve that, she would have to take some drastic action. And maybe she’d stumbled on the perfect design to do so. All she needed was a little planning and some luck, and she would get the desired results. After all, this was her last chance and if she missed out, there might not be another one ever again. It was time to cook up something like she’d never done before.