The Weather Outside: A Holiday MM Mpreg Romance Read online

  The Weather Outside

  A Holiday MM Mpreg Romance

  Harper B. Cole

  Kyan Christopher

  1

  Corey

  A small knock sounds on my office door before Tiffany pokes her head through. “Corey, don’t forget about your meeting.”

  I look up at the time and realize I’m running behind. “Thanks, Tiffany,” I say, looking up at her with a smile. “While I’m gone, can you take a look and pull up information for Mrs. Craise. I swear her daughter graduates this week, and I want to send a card.”

  “Sure. I’ll look through your file notes.”

  “Thanks. Hopefully this meeting won’t last long.” I huff out a breath and sigh, thinking about all the work I need to get done before this weekend. My life is always busy, so there isn’t really a need for me to panic about what needs to be accomplished. But with Christmas only a week away, I still need to get to the stores this weekend and get gifts for my parents.

  I grab a notepad from my desk drawer, the mahogany wood weathered from years of use by so many of those who came before me. Snatching a pen from a cup, I head toward the conference room where my boss has requested an impromptu meeting with me. Hopefully, it’s good news that I’ve been waiting to hear, which would be the perfect present for me to get before Christmas. I walk down the long corridor to the main room where the partners of the investment firm I work for usually meet.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I whisper the words under my breath, but as I walk into the conference room, I’m surprised to see Danny sitting across the room in one of the many chairs surrounding the large, oblong table. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, and had we met outside of work, things might be different. Hell, we might even be friends. But ever since he started at the firm a few months after I did, he’s been nothing but a thorn in my side for the past two years.

  And now we’re up for the same promotion, which means the intensity of displeasure I experience when looking at him has only intensified. It’s true that we both started with the firm around the same time, but I transferred from another position where I’d been working for several years in the investment market before taking my current role as an investment specialist. Working with customers and helping them save for their future is something I love doing. So, when my boss let me know that I was being considered for a promotion for one of the junior partner openings in the firm, I was more than excited.

  It was only a few days later that I found out that Danny was up for the same promotion. The same Danny that started working here right out of college. In my opinion, he could barely put two and two together and get four, but I guess I’m not seeing something that the partners see. And the fact that I don’t see it won’t keep him from getting my well-deserved promotion. Putting on a fake grin, I head toward one of the chairs.

  “Danny. I didn’t know you’d been called in too.” I set the pad and pen in front of me, trying to keep my cool but realizing that this meeting is probably not what I originally expected.

  “Yeah, just found out about it thirty minutes ago. Wonder what’s going on?”

  I shrug, and then we both turn toward the entrance as a few more employees file into the room. One of the guys is Michael, who does a similar job to me and Danny. There is also a woman named Katrina who is from payroll and Stephanie, who is amazing with any marketing requests we make. Everyone finds a spot at the table before Misty Dawson and Ronald Mott walk in. Misty is the managing partner, and both are named partners for our company, Dawson, Mott, and Riley.

  “Good morning.” Misty carries herself well, commanding attention when she speaks. “I know you all have busy afternoons, so we’ll keep this brief.”

  “Every year,” Ronald picks up where Misty leaves off. “The partners gather for a holiday celebration at a hotel or resort. This year, we’ve decided to have a select few employees to join us for a weekend getaway. You five have been selected this year based on your sales volumes, work performance, and overall contributions to the company.”

  A buzz of energy releases into the room. Before anyone can speak, Misty interjects. “We’ve reserved a bed and breakfast for this year’s event, and we hope that you all can make it.”

  Stephanie raises her hand and speaks when Ronald acknowledges her. “When is the trip?”

  “This weekend,” Misty says. “I know it’s last minute, but we had to get all of November’s numbers together before we could make a decision for who to invite, and with the server issues we experienced a few weeks ago, it put the partners behind in looking at the data. But we still wanted to make the offer to those we felt had risen to the top of their departments this year.”

  “We understand that you might not be able to make it,” Ronald says, then shifts his gaze to me and Danny. “But for some of you, an important announcement will be made, so your presence is definitely requested.”

  I nod, knowing that whatever plans I had for the weekend just flew straight out the window. “The place is a couple hours north, so we will take a company car and leave after work Friday night.” Misty gives everyone a genuine smile. “I hope you all understand how much we appreciate your work this year and look forward to spending time getting to know you all better over this holiday weekend.”

  Ronald nods his agreement. “We will email you further details. But other than that, you’re all free to get back to it.”

  Everyone stands, so I grab my pad and pen and move toward the entrance. Misty’s voice pulls me back, however. “Corey, can you hang back?”

  “Sure, Misty. What’s up?”

  The room clears, leaving just the two of us. “I was going to go up to the place tomorrow, a day early, so that we have someone there on Friday to coordinate with the caterer and make sure everything is ready for the team this weekend.”

  Her cell phone buzzes, and she looks at it quickly, typing out a message before looking back up to me. “Unfortunately, my daughter has come down with the stomach bug, and I need to get her through tonight and take her to the doctor if she’s not better in the morning. Can I get you to go up for me and make sure everything is good?”

  “Of course. I’ll get Tiffany to reschedule a couple things and leave out in the morning.”

  Misty looks relieved, as if I might have actually told my boss no. “I really appreciate this. You really don’t have to do much. I’ll call the owner and let them know you’ll be coming up for the company. They’ll get your input on how to set up the common areas we will be using. And then the caterer will be coming Friday afternoon to start prepping for everyone else’s arrival.”

  “Is there anything in particular you want done with the space?”

  “Not really. It just needs to be set up for a buffet type environment. But no formal dining set up or anything like that. We want the group to mingle. Everyone is welcome to bring their spouses, so we want people to enjoy themselves and not feel like they’re at a fancy dinner part or anything like that.”

  “I can make sure that happens.” I jot down a few notes on my pad, glad now that I had it available.

  “Thank you, Corey. I really appreciate it.”

  “Of course.” The two of us step from the room. Making my way back to my office, the piles of work needing to be completed start to worry me. Luckily, the company has us all working with laptops that are docked at our desks, so I can take it with me and work at the bed and breakfast while I handle everything else.

  When I get back to my office, Tiffany is waiting for me at her desk, which sits right outside my door. “I found that information and have a card ready. Just need you to sig
n.”

  “Thanks. Listen, a business trip has come up, so I need to reschedule tomorrow and Friday’s appointments.”

  Tiffany pulls a pen from where it’s tucked behind her ear and makes a note on the page of a small book. “I can take care of that. Anything else?”

  “No, I think that’s all. Thank you.”

  With my weekend shifted, I suppose I’ll have to do my shopping online and pray that two-day delivery will still get things to my house so that I can have them wrapped before Christmas next week. This is what I get for waiting until the last minute to buy gifts.

  By the end of the day, I have everything copied to my desktop that I need to work on, just in case I can’t get good reception at the place to tether off my phone. It’s six o’clock before I step out of my office with my laptop and a few files in hand. The exterior hallways are quiet, since a majority of the staff leave at five.

  But now this weekend has me nervous. Danny doesn’t deserve this promotion as much as I do…at least he doesn’t from where I’m standing. But the fact that they are going to announce it this weekend means they still have time to change their mind. So, I need to do everything in my power to prove that I can handle both the small and large tasks assigned to me. And if that means making certain that the setup for this holiday weekend is perfect, then that’s what I’ll do.

  I swing by a drive-thru before heading home, my stomach grumbling from not eating all day. Then I head home, already trying to decide what I’m going to pack. When I walk in the door, I set everything down and pull up the weather app on my phone. It’s been unseasonably warm here in Connecticut, with the temperature staying in the upper fifties. Even the nighttime hours have only been falling to the upper forties, keeping the temperatures about twenty degrees higher than normal around this time of year. My glance at the weather forecast doesn’t show any expected change from our warm temperatures anytime soon.

  Sitting at the bar that opens into the living area with my food, I eat quickly while checking my personal email for the day and turning on the television in the den. Some corny Christmas movie is playing, but instead of trying to find anything else, I just let it play for background noise.

  Once I’ve finished my meal, I start packing. I grab several pair of sleep shirts, changes of underwear, a couple pair of jeans, and several sweaters that I can wear over the weekend getaway. Tossing everything into a suitcase, I head to the bathroom and grab the toiletries I’ll need.

  All the while, my stomach is turning in knots at the thought of Danny getting this promotion over me. I’ve worked too hard and stayed late too many nights to have it snatched away from my grasp. I go to bed with the thought on my brain and dream over and over of the partners making an announcement at Saturday night’s gathering that Danny is getting the promotion.

  Needless to say, my nerves are shot and it’s going to be a long, stressful weekend.

  2

  Brayden

  “Any why is it that you’re just putting this up now?” Rachel is staring at the string of garland I’m hanging on the mantel above the large fireplace in the den.

  “Is it straight and even?” I ask, giving her a scowl.

  “Yes, it’s fine. But seriously. It’s a week before Christmas, why even bother?”

  I step off the ladder and join her at the back of the room. “Because, I forgot that I had a group coming this weekend.”

  “A group? You haven’t had the place opened since…” Rachel gives me a soft smile. “Well, since Alex.”

  “Yeah. I know.” She’s not wrong. Ever since my alpha, Alex, died in a car accident back in the summer, I haven’t had our bed and breakfast open for guests. It was just too painful to think about running this place without him. Rachel had helped me get the few summer reservations we had cancelled, explaining to them that there had been a death.

  But somehow, this reservation slipped past us. And since I haven’t had any guests since, I didn’t think to check the books. When one of the assistants from Dawson, Mott, and Riley called confirming the address for them to send their caterers for their holiday employee retreat, I nearly fell over in my chair. And at this point a few days before they were coming, I couldn’t cancel on them…not right here at the holidays where they wouldn’t be able to get anything else booked.

  “Do you think it looks okay?” I look at the newly decorated mantel, with the thick evergreen swag covering the dark wood. Gold and silver ornaments hang from its limbs and white lights twinkle, causing the sparkly ribbon cascading across it to shimmer. Fake, glittered gifts are staggered across the top along with festive candle holders and oversized ornaments. This and the tree standing in the far corner by the window are all I’ve been able to put up so far, but hopefully by the end of the evening, I’ll have the dining room and hallway finished too.

  “I think it looks great. Now what are you doing about the outside?”

  I smack my hand to my forehead, realizing that the outside of the house doesn’t have any lights or other festive decorations. “God, I’ll never get this completed.”

  Rachel gets closer to me and loops her hand through the crook of my arm before leaning on my shoulder. “We will,” she says, emphasizing the we. “Besides, I’m glad to see you getting things setup and opening the place up again. Alex would be happy.”

  “I hope so,” I say quietly.

  “Of course, he would,” she says quickly. “You know how much he loved Christmas. It was his favorite holiday.”

  I know she’s right. I spent five years with him, and Christmas was definitely a favorite. And as his sister, Rachel knew him better than anyone. I’m grateful that she’s still in my life. They lost their parents when Alex was twenty and Rachel was sixteen, and until Alex and I mated and Rachel married Thomas, they were the only family I had for several years.

  But now, he’s gone, and I’m left to spend the holiday without my mate, the love of my life. A few tears form in my eyes, and I let them fall freely. “Yes, he would love to see me getting into the spirit of things. I just hope we can get this all done.”

  “They don’t arrive until Friday, right?”

  “Yeah,” I say before walking back to the mantle and straightening one of the ribbons that is folded wrong. “But they are sending someone tomorrow to tell me how they want the dining area set up and to meet with the caterers who are coming in Friday afternoon.”

  Rachel chuckles. “That’s a lot of people. Good thing this place is huge.”

  I look around the space, understanding what she’s saying. At first glance from the road, the house doesn’t seem very large. It’s an old Victorian cottage with a wrap-around porch. The house sits about a half a mile back from the highway, nestled in the woods about twenty miles from the nearest town. The three-story home took some work, but Alex had purchased it just after we met, and we worked to fix it up. The large den with its ornate fireplace is the perfect place for our guests to mingle.

  The dining room, however, needed a bit more work. But after we tore down a wall and expanded it to encompass the back room, which overlooks the pond behind the house, we realized the large area is perfect for small events. Several wedding parties have been held here as well as the occasional author group coming in for a writing retreat.

  The upper levels feature four bedrooms on each floor, with my room occupying a back room on the top floor with its own bathroom. The other rooms share three bathrooms, two on the second floor and one on the third. The place is a true accomplishment, and almost all of the credit goes to Alex for bringing his vision to life. But now it’s just me, trying to pick up the pieces of my broken life to help carry on his dream.

  When I walk back and look at the ribbon again, I sit on the couch and place my head in my hands. “Oh, sweetie, don’t cry.” Rachel comes and sits next to me, pulling me into a warm hug and keeping her arm wrapped around my shoulder.

  “Why do I think I can do this without him?” As much as I wish I could hold the tears at bay, they flow freely
down my cheek. “Alex was the one who could coordinate the guests and make sure everything was perfect. I just did what he told me to do. And now look–” I wave my hand at the scattered boxes still lingering around the floor. Half of them still hold decorations that would normally be placed around the house, making everything festive for Christmas.

  “Brayden listen to me. You are not alone. I’m here, and Thomas can help too.”

  I wipe at my eyes, whisking away the excess moisture. “Thank you, but I know the two of you have better things to do than worry about my business.”

  “Nonsense,” she states matter of factly. “I’ll text Thomas and tell him to grab us some food from that Eastern restaurant you love so much. Then he can work to put up the lights while you and I wrap garland around everything!” Her enthusiasm makes me laugh.

  “Can I have Mei Fun?”

  “And we’ll even splurge for dumplings,” she teases. “But just know that we love you. Alex may be gone, but you’re still family and Thomas and I both love you.”

  “Thanks,” I say, once again wiping at my tears. “You’re the only family I have left.” The statement was really more for myself, but Rachel rubs my shoulder.

  “You won’t be alone for forever. You know that right?”

  I snap my head up, looking at her with startled confusion. “He was your brother…”

  “I know. That’s why I know he’d want you to move on.”

  “Rachel, I loved him so much. I don’t think there could be anyone else for me.”

  “I’m not saying you have to hop on Growler this second and find another mate.” She chuckles and then stands, offering me her hand to pull me up. “But promise me you won’t let the love you have for my brother keep you from loving again. He’d want you to be happy, and not living alone for the rest of your life.”

  “I wouldn’t count on anyone wanting me…” Alphas usually want an omega who hasn’t been claimed or mated by another alpha. So, my chances of finding another alpha are fairly slim to none.