Thankful For Her Read online

  Thankful for Her

  Alexa Riley

  Copyright © 2017 by Author Alexa Riley LLC. All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email to [email protected]

  http://alexariley.com/

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Edited by Aquila Editing

  Cover Designer: Perfect Pear Creative Covers

  Cover Photo by Sara Eirew

  Contents

  Thankful For Her

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  Epilogue

  Snow and Mistletoe

  Chapter 1

  Also by Alexa Riley

  Stalk the Author

  Thankful For Her

  by Alexa Riley

  Autumn has always felt a soul-shattering pull to her stepbrother, Hunter. The only problem is that they’ve never met. But this Thanksgiving they’re finally going to meet and when they do, all her desires will be confirmed.

  Hunter Danvers has lost a lot, and seeing his father marry a nightmare of a stepmother, he thinks he’s lost him, too. He reluctantly comes home for Thanksgiving. And then everything he knows to be true changes.

  Warning: Get stuffed with insta-love, a secret baby, and gravy puns galore! This glossed-over holiday just got a reason to be celebrated, and it has nothing to do with the cranberry sauce!

  To Beth P.

  Thanksgiving deserves a book too!

  We love you!

  Chapter One

  Autumn

  I stand in the hallway looking at his picture, something I shouldn't be doing. I'd die if anyone found the secret picture I had of him hidden away in a drawer in my bedroom. But this huge portrait on the wall is nothing like the one I’d stolen.

  Hunter Danvers.

  He’s the man who takes up too much of my thoughts. When I was sixteen his father married my mother and my secret obsession began. I was only sixteen at the time, but even two years later, I’ve yet to meet him.

  My mother and new stepfather were married before I could even blink. Not that I minded. I love Neil and he’s always so nice to me when I’m home. He makes me feel welcome, and he’s wonderful to my mom. He even went as far as to try to talk me into coming home from boarding school and going somewhere close by. It was a nice offer, but I politely declined.

  Not because I didn't want to, but because my mother would never want that. She’s always trying to get me out of her hair as fast as possible. It works out fine because I don’t want to live full time with my mother either. She's a hard woman to please and I find myself trying to make her happy even though I know it won't work. I can't help myself.

  I may not love boarding school, but I’m used to it. I like being there more than I ever liked being home. Though the silver lining to coming home is seeing pictures of Hunter. Every time I’m visiting I pray he shows up and I can actually meet him. But so far no such luck.

  This time, though, I’m set to be home for eight weeks. Normally I'd make plans to do something with a friend over the Thanksgiving break, but Neil insisted I come home. He made a big deal about having a family dinner together and how he was going to get a giant turkey so I had to come eat it. My mother wanted to appear like she was a good mom and went along with him. It’s something she does when she has a new husband. She pretends to care when they’re around. Normally it doesn’t bother me, but with Neil it feels different. He's not a jerk like most of my mother's exes. I like having him as a stepfather.

  An arm wraps around my shoulder and I look up to see Neil standing there. My cheeks warm a little as I wonder if he saw me staring at Hunter. The wall is littered with pictures, so maybe he thinks I was looking at all of them.

  “She's beautiful, isn't she?” My eyes follow Neil’s line of sight. He's looking at a picture of his deceased wife. Hunter's mother.

  “She is,” I agree.

  She looks nothing like my mother. She’s a bright light with blonde hair and blue eyes and full, round cheeks. My mother has midnight-black hair and dark eyes. Sometimes I think she looks like a porcelain doll. Her face is unmoving and her skin is flawless.

  I can tell from the picture she doesn't have a personality like my mother’s either. The woman is sitting at a table littered with paints, brushes, and drawings. It's a mess and there are two little boys in her lap. Hunter and his brother Vance. They’re both kissing her, their little hands are in her hair and on her face, getting paint everywhere. She’s laughing. The picture is so beautiful it makes my eyes water. I know two of the people in the picture are gone and it destroyed Neil’s life. I can tell he misses her. The look of loneliness is always on his face. I adore Neil, but I don’t know why my mom did marry a man whose heart she’ll never have. It’s clear one women would forever hold it and she’s gone. Then again, I guess it was never love my mother was after. It’s always about money and social standing.

  “It's like I've lost them all,” he says so quietly I almost don’t catch it.

  If I had to guess I think he’s referring to the fact that Hunter doesn’t come around much. Then I wonder if the Hunter Danvers in my head is one hundred percent fake. It breaks my heart a little to think I might have gotten it wrong. What if he’s cold and distant instead of what I imagine him to be?

  Neil lets out a deep sigh. “You'll bring him back.”

  I don’t know what he means by that, but he pulls me close and I lean my head on his shoulder. I’m not used to someone being so kind, and though it feels foreign, it’s so nice. It makes me wonder what my own father was like. And it makes me wonder how Hunter can stay away from a dad like Neil. If he were my dad I’d spend as much time with him as I could. Especially if he were the only family I had left.

  “Hunter is coming tonight,” he says. I turn to face him and see he’s smiling from ear to ear. “This is going to be the best Thanksgiving in…” He pauses as a sad look comes over his eyes. “Well, the best in a long time. And even better that you’re here, too. Your mother has invited half the town for a turkey celebration, but either way, I know it’s going to be wonderful having you with us.”

  I can’t help but smile back. I look at the dimple that forms in his cheek and I wonder if Hunter has it, too.

  “I want you to finally meet him. It's time.” He says it like he's been waiting for the right moment.

  I want that, too. I’ve wanted it from the first moment I saw his picture almost two years ago. What will he think of me? Excitement creeps into my belly and I feel myself get nervous. What should I wear? I picked out a white dress, but now I'm not so sure. Everyone always says I look young for my age. I want to look older, maybe even sexy. I don’t want him to think of me as his little stepsister. I want him to want me, to think I’m a woman, because I’m sure that’s all Hunter dates. The thought of him with other women grosses me out and makes me jealous. It’s irrational because I’ve never so much as met the guy. I know I’m being completely ridiculous. But I can’t he
lp but wonder if they’re all supermodels or movie stars. The excitement I was feeling lessens and a little bit of sadness takes its place.

  “Meet who?”

  My mother’s voice echoes in the hall and Neil and I turn to see her staring at us. Her smile is forced and I know it. I can always tell because it doesn't meet her eyes. Now, with all the botox she gets, it’s harder for her to fake it.

  “Hunter,” Neil says. The way he says his son’s name is filled with so much love.

  “How lovely. The whole family will finally be together for Thanksgiving.” My mom beams.

  I keep on smiling even though I want to roll my eyes. Maybe I’m more like my mother than I know. Being able to mask how I really feel is second nature. Growing up with her, there was no other option but to fake it. I had to learn how to do it or life would be harder.

  “Come, dear, let’s get you ready.” She holds her hand out for me to take it.

  Her makeup and hair people got here hours ago and she’s perfection. She got ready while I worked in the kitchen making sure everything would be to her liking. She didn't tell me to do it, but I thought it would be helpful. I know how she likes things done and I thought it would prevent her from making a few servers or cooks cry tonight. Plus, whenever she catches me sitting around reading she likes to make comments about me being lazy, which is her reason for why I’m so plump.

  I take her hand and she leads me away. The farther we get from Neil the tighter her grip on my hand becomes and I know she’s mad, though I don’t know why. She leads me down the hallway until we get to my room, then she throws the door open and drags me inside. I can tell it takes everything in her to not slam the door closed behind us. She shuts it and I hear the lock click.

  “What are you doing, Autumn?” she whispers harshly at me. I stare at her, not sure what she means. Sometimes I find it better not to speak at all. “You stay away from Neil. I won’t have you bothering him. We have a good thing here and you’re not going to mess it up.”

  “I’m sorry,” I say, simply because there’s nothing else to say. There’s never any reasoning with her. And I don’t want to fight. It’s Thanksgiving and if she gets too worked up she has these little breakdowns. As much as I can’t stand her, watching her have one always pulls at my heart. She’s still my mother.

  “You’re not coming tonight,” she tells me.

  My heart drops. Normally I’d jump for joy that she wasn't dragging me to one of her little events, but not tonight. Tonight I was going to get to meet Hunter. She walks over to my bed, where the white dress I was going to wear is laid out. “White. Really, Autumn? Could you be any more boring?” She shakes her head, walks over to my closet and puts the dress away. “If you want to be so plain wear black.” Her eyes roam over me. “At least it’s slimming.”

  She sighs and shakes her head like she’s exasperated with me. My eyes water, but I hold it back the best I can.

  “I’ll tell Neil you’re not feeling well. I’m sure he’ll understand. Then I want you to keep your ass in this room,” she says as she walks to the door and unlocks it. Turning to look at me, she says, “And stay away from Hunter Danvers.” Her voice is deadly.

  I could almost swear there’s a hint of jealousy in her words. But before I can think on it too much, she closes the door firmly behind her. Then I let the tears fall.

  Chapter Two

  Hunter

  “Sir. Your car is here.”

  I look up at my secretary Peggy standing in the doorway of my office. She’s changed. Well, at least I think she has. I would have noticed if she’d been wearing a gown all day at work. Her blonde hair is down like it usually is. She’s always reminded me of a Stepford wife. She’s almost robotic at times. I find it annoying, but she’s good at her job. She never misses anything. She must have something planned tonight. It’s Friday and I still need to change. Not that I want to go. I’ve been dreading this all week.

  “They’ll wait,” I tell her.

  I know the car is there. I ordered it to arrive twenty minutes ago so I’m sure it’s been there for over thirty. They will wait as long as I want. I’m not in a fucking hurry to get there. The later I get there, the sooner the night will be over. I look back down at my emails, silently dismissing her. I’m not in the mood to talk to anyone right now.

  “I know you don’t have a date for tonight, so I thought maybe I could go with you?” I look back up at Peggy, caught off guard by what she’s saying. “I could be a buffer between you and the party if you like. When we have to do some of these business dinners, I could step in,” she adds quickly.

  For the first time she seems off kilter and she’s stumbling over her words. She takes two steps into my office, and I debate her offer. Peggy’s professional when it comes to business. But this is personal. I’m going to my childhood home tonight—a place that's filled with so many memories that it’s hard to walk in the door. I used to love going home, but that feeling disappeared when I lost my mom and older brother.

  To top it off, my dad replaced my mom so quickly. I never understood how he could love her so much and move on almost immediately. I saw him after he lost them. I could have sworn he was going to follow them into the grave. I can’t blame him. I wanted to do the same. But all too soon he was moving on, and I still had not. I’m stuck in a hollow place, and I can’t bring myself to clear out my brother’s office. It’s across the hall from mine, and I let it stay the way he left it. I won’t let anyone enter it and I haven't even gone in it since he died. I know I’ve gone to the other extreme from my father, and I know it isn’t healthy, but I’m not ready to face it.

  Peggy clears her throat. Fuck, I’d forgotten about her, and then I realize I didn't even answer her.

  “No,” I say, and I don’t look at her.

  “But sir—”

  “I have an early conference call tomorrow. Be here on time. Have a good evening,” I tell her, cutting her off.

  I stand up from my desk as she exits my office and closes the door. I walk into my attached bathroom and put on my tux. I hate this shit. Almost as much as I hate my dad’s new wife. I don’t know why anyone would want a black-tie affair for Thanksgiving—this has to be her idea.

  I wish I only hated her because she moved into my mom's place too quickly, but the real reason I hate her is because I can see right through her. Plus, my mom would never have done shit like this. A fucking tux at the house for some party where we don’t know anyone. I grip the side of the sink thinking about how Friday night dinners at home used to be fun.

  I reach under the sink where I keep a bottle of liquor and pull it out. I pour some into a glass and shoot it back before doing it again quickly. I need to numb the flood of memories, but even the burn of the alcohol doesn’t stop them.

  Mom would make all of us help her cook. Then she’d pester us about when we’d be giving her grandbabies and daughters-in-law. I’d once entertained the idea of things like that, but not now. Now I know I’ll never marry or have children. If I lost them one day it would be more than I could bear. I’ve lost more in this lifetime than I can bear. I can’t imagine feeling that kind of pain again.

  I get ready slowly, trying to drag out the time, but all too soon I’m ready and in the lobby of my office building. When I walk outside, the driver opens the door for me and I slide in. I smile when I see there’s a bar and help myself to another drink. Maybe if I’m drunk enough my dad’s wife won’t fucking annoy me so much, or maybe I’ll end up saying something I shouldn't. Either way, I don’t care. I lay my head back, letting my eyes fall closed for a moment.

  “Sir, we’re here,” I hear the driver say. He’s standing at my door holding it open. I unfold myself from the car. I look around and see a good twenty cars filling the long driveway.

  “Fucking hell,” I mutter to myself. Maybe it will be so busy in there that I can sneak out without being noticed. “I’ll text you when I’m ready,” I tell the driver. He nods, closing the car door as I head toward the
front entry. I don’t bother knocking as I push through the door.

  I grit my teeth when it opens and I see the party is in full swing. People are laughing and wandering about.

  “Hunter!” I hear my stepmother Porsha gush as she rushes up to me. She tries to hug me, but I take a step back. Her hands like to roam and linger a little too long, something I’ve told my dad about before, but he just shakes his head as if it’s no big deal his wife is rubbing on anything with a dick.

  “Where is he?” I ask.

  My dad is almost as bad as I am at these things. I don’t know why he keeps letting her throw these parties if he rarely attends them himself. He shows for a few moments, then he disappears back into his office.

  She sighs. “You know where he is.”

  I nod and head toward the back of the house. When I get to his office, I open the door and find him behind his desk staring at his computer. I glance up at the enormous picture behind him. It’s of him and my mom when they got married. It’s been there for as long as I can remember. Nothing about the house has really changed except for the people inside it.

  “Dad.” I walk over to his mini bar, pour myself a drink and then drop into the chair in front of him. I pull at the top of my tux, undoing the tie. I think I had it knotted for all of twenty minutes.

  Dad’s face lights up when he sees me, and I feel like an asshole. “I see the gold digger is out there spending your money as fast as she can.”