SEALed Under the Mistletoe

Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

VICKIE

V ickie stepped out of her rental car, inhaling deeply as the crisp mountain air filled her lungs. The towering pines and snow-capped peaks of the Rockies stretched as far as the eye could see. She paused for a moment, drinking in the breathtaking view.

“Oh wow,” she murmured to herself. “This place is even more gorgeous than I remembered.”

Grabbing her suitcase from the trunk, Vickie made her way up the winding path to the large rustic wooden lodge. The scent of pine needles and wood smoke filled the air. A pair of chipmunks scampered across the path in front of her. They’d vacationed at this exact location several times as children. It was her favorite escape. Growing up near the ocean in California, the only time she’d seen snow was when her parents took them to Colorado for Christmas. She’d acclimated to the snowfall in central Virginia the last couple of years and hoped to never move away from a place where she could enjoy all four seasons.

As she approached the entrance, Vickie felt a mix of excitement and nerves fluttering in her stomach. It had been years since she'd seen her whole family together like this. And then there was the wedding... having to give a speech, wear a fancy dress… Vickie shook her head, pushing those thoughts aside. This week was about celebrating her sister's happiness. Nothing else mattered. She would play her part and plaster on a bright smile.

“Grams, do you need help?” She turned to the older woman who’d just exited the vehicle beside her. The reason she’d moved to Virginia in the first place.

“I’m fine, dear. Stop worrying so much!” She waved off her granddaughter and Vickie sighed. Grams was nothing if not stubborn.

Taking a deep breath, Vickie pulled open the heavy wooden door, waited for Grams to walk through and stepped inside the lodge. The warmth from a crackling fireplace immediately enveloped her. She looked around at the high timber beams and rustic Christmas decor. She recognized the sound of her family’s laughter immediately. The wedding party had rented out the entire lodge and signs welcoming them to the wedding were on easels on the side of the room.

“This is going to be quite a week,” Vickie thought to herself with a smile, as she headed to the front desk to check in. As Vickie finished checking in, a booming voice echoed through the lodge's entrance. “Look who finally decided to show up!”

She turned to see her older brother, Jack, striding towards her with a grin. His salt-and-pepper hair was tousled from the wind, and his eyes twinkled with mischief.

“Some of us have actual jobs, you know,” Vickie retorted, rolling her eyes but unable to suppress a smile as Jack enveloped her in a bear hug.

“Oh please, like being a fancy realtor is harder than my construction gig,” Jack teased, ruffling her hair.

Before Vickie could respond and remind him that he sat in an expensive office all day, a whirlwind of floral perfume and jangling bracelets swept into the lobby. “Don’t start the party without the bride!”

Their youngest sister, Melody, made her entrance, dragging three suitcases behind her. “The drive from the airport was absolutely dreadful, but it’s nothing a good spa day won't fix. Vickie, come help me with these bags.”

Vickie chuckled, shaking her head. Her youngest sister had a flair for the dramatic and had, since birth. Quite literally, since their mom had to be induced with her at forty-three weeks pregnant. “Nice to see you too, Mel. How about a hello first?”

Vickie took two of the bags from Melody and followed her down the hallway to her rather large room. After dropping off the bags, she headed back to the lobby to check on her grandmother and make sure she’d made it alright to her room as well. Grammy had been talking to her daughter, Vickie’s aunt, when she returned.

Two more of Vickie’s siblings, the twins Eve and Eliza, arrived and Vickie and Jack went to greet them. As they stood in front of the fire talking, the lodge's front door swung open again, admitting a group of boisterous large men.

“I'm telling you, Carson, my last jump was at least twenty feet!” A tall, muscular man with a buzz cut insisted.

“In your dreams, Campbell,” another man, presumably Carson, shot back. “More like ten, tops.”

Vickie's breath caught as she recognized the man at the center of the group. It couldn’t be. There was no way. She grabbed the back of the armchair to steady herself. What the fuck was her one-night stand from three years ago doing here? Her family had rented out the entire lodge and he was not family. Was he related to the groom’s side? It didn’t matter why he was there. He was there. A man she thought she’d never see again, especially after moving across the country to Virginia. Yet, there he stood.

Knox.

He was scanning the lobby, a slight smile playing on his lips. Something was off with him. There were bags under his eyes and was he limping?

“Alright, ladies,” Knox said. “Let's get checked in before you start arm wrestling over who's buying the first round.”

As the trio of men made their way to the front desk, Vickie found herself unable to look away from Knox. She hadn't seen him in years, but the sight of him made her heart skip a beat. No matter what happened the morning after, there wasn’t a lack of sexual tension between them. He remained the hottest man she’d ever laid eyes on.

“Earth to Vickie,” Jack's voice broke through her thoughts. “You okay there, sis?”

Vickie blinked, forcing herself to focus on her brother. “I'm fine,” she insisted, plastering on a smile. “Just... lost in thought. It's going to be an interesting week, that's for sure.”

Melody’s excited squeal pierced the air as she bounded across the lobby towards her siblings.

“Vickie! Oh my gosh, you won't believe who just arrived!” She grabbed her sister's arm, practically vibrating with enthusiasm.

Vickie raised an eyebrow, at her sister’s excitement. “Who?”

“Gage's first cousins!” Eliza's eyes sparkled. “From what I understand, all of them are special forces operators and all of them are single! You know, in case you decide to hook up with one of the groomsmen…”

Vickie's stomach did a little flip as she glanced over at Knox and his group. “Really, Mel? It’s like you don’t know me at all. Since when am I the type to hook up with someone?” she managed, trying to keep her voice neutral. In her entire life, there’d only been one occasion where she’d allowed herself to have a casual hook-up. Although, at the time, it hadn’t felt casual. It’d felt real. Special almost.

“Yes! Aren't they hot? Much hotter than I expected,” Melody sighed, her gaze following Vickie's. “I mean, talk about a family of heroes. Gage's so excited to introduce them to everyone. From what I understand, they are more like brothers than cousins. His dad and their dad are identical twins.”

Vickie forced a smile, her mind racing. “That's great, Mel. I'm sure they'll add some... excitement to the wedding.”

Melody nudged her sister playfully. “Speaking of excitement, maybe you'll hit it off with one of them. I know you said you don’t do casual hookups, but maybe it could lead to something more? It's about time you got back in the dating game, sis.”

Vickie's smile faltered. “Melody, we've been over this. I'm not looking for a relationship right now.”

“But why?” Eliza, one of the twins, joined the conversation. “You deserve to be happy, Vickie.”

Vickie sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I am happy. I've got my family, my work, and Grams needs me. That's enough for now.”

“Grams wants you to live your life, you know,” Eve, Eliza’s identical twin, said softly.

“I am living my life,” Vickie insisted, her tone gentle but firm. “Just... in my own way. Supporting Grams, getting my business off the ground– that's what's important to me right now.”

Melody opened her mouth to argue, but Vickie cut her off. “Let's focus on your big day, okay? That's why we're all here.”

As Melody reluctantly nodded, Vickie's gaze drifted back to Knox. He was laughing at something one of his brothers had said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. For a moment, she allowed herself to wonder what might have been, before firmly pushing the thought away. She had made her choice, and she was sticking to it. No matter how handsome and how good in bed a certain Navy SEAL might be.