SEALed Under the Mistletoe

Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

VICKIE

L aughter echoed through the lodge's common area as Vickie and her siblings sprawled across plush sofas and armchairs. The crackling fireplace cast a warm glow over them and Vickie forced herself to concentrate on the conversation going on around her. She didn't know whether she wanted to march up to Knox and confront him or if she wanted to hide in her room and only come out when necessary. Thoughts of him, of that night, kept returning to her brain, uninvited by her heart, ever since she'd seen him. What in the ever loving hell was the universe doing to her? She'd planned on never, ever seeing him again. She'd consented to having one date with him and it'd been a great date, until she'd found out he was cheating on his girlfriend with her. The beautiful, perfect blonde who had bounced up the sidewalk after their one-night stand. Vickie had little room in her life for a man as it was, let alone a cheater. She knew what they said about cheaters: once a cheater, always a cheater. Besides, she wasn't a fool. She had the girl next door face with too many extra pounds cushioning her frame. Absolutely no comparison to the perfect looking girls a Navy SEAL attracted. Shaking her head to rid herself of the thoughts, she rejoined the conversation.

“Remember when Dad tried to teach us all how to ski?” Eliza giggled, tucking her feet under her. “Poor Jack ended up tangled in his own poles!”

Jack groaned good-naturedly. “Hey, I was only nine! And if I recall, you weren't exactly graceful on the slopes either, miss face-plant-in-the-snow.”

Vickie snorted, nearly choking on her hot cocoa. “Oh God, that's right! You looked like a snowman by the time we got you up.” Every couple of years, her parents would load all of the kids up and drive to Colorado, to this lodge, and spend Christmas break here. Her grandparents were part owners, silent partners so to speak, and the family always got an incredible discount. It was the only place they ever vacationed, even so, it'd never gotten old. Living in California, they had the ocean at their disposal. Escaping to the mountains during the winter was a dream.

As her siblings continued trading embarrassing childhood stories, Vickie let her gaze wander around the room. The rustic wooden beams, the cozy throw blankets, the twinkling lights strung along the windows – it all felt so perfect, so far removed from her hectic life back home. A pang of guilt shot through her as she thought of her receptionist that she'd left to work alone this week. But, she shrugged it off. She was paying her time and a half and let her work from home this week.

“Earth to Vickie!” Eliza's voice broke through her reverie. “You've got that faraway look again. What you thinking about? Are you keeping secrets from us?”

Vickie felt heat rush to her cheeks. “What? No! I was just... admiring the decor.”

Her sister's knowing smirk told her she wasn't buying it for a second. “Is there a man back in Virginia you haven't told us about?”

“No. Not at all. There's no man in Virginia.” She wasn't lying. There absolutely was no man in Virginia. What could she say? Her ex was here? He wasn't even an ex. He wasn't the man who got away. He was a two timing bastard who used her to cheat on his girlfriend. She wouldn't bring it up, didn't want any negativity or tension to mar her sister's big day.

Just as Vickie was about to steer the conversation back to safer territory, a familiar figure caught her eye. Knox was standing just a few feet away, his hands tucked in his pockets, his gaze fixed on her with an intensity that made her stomach twist.

“Vickie,” he said, voice low but resolute, “can we talk? Alone.”

The room fell silent. Her siblings exchanged quick, curious glances, the kind of silent communication that siblings mastered, all wondering at the tension that had just settled over them like a blanket.

Vickie cleared her throat, crossing her arms defensively. “Now’s… not a good time, Knox.” Her tone was clipped, colder than she intended, but she held her ground. The last thing she wanted was to hash out their past with everyone watching.

Knox, however, didn’t move. His jaw tightened just slightly, but he kept his expression neutral. “I know this might not be the best moment,” he said, softer now, “but it’s important that we talk. It’ll only take a minute.”

Vickie glanced around at her siblings, who were now pretending not to watch—badly. She drew a steadying breath, hoping her face didn’t give away the turmoil inside her. “Fine,” she replied, barely above a whisper. “We can talk… tonight. After dinner. When we have more time.”

For a second, she thought he might push back, but he didn’t. He looked at her for a long moment, as if trying to read her thoughts, then gave a single, curt nod. “Alright. No disappearing this time. I'm holding you to it.”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Vickie’s siblings visibly intrigued. Eliza’s brow shot up, and Jack glanced around with a smirk, waiting for her to spill the details.

“What was that about?” Eve asked, drawing out the question, her eyes dancing with interest. “Come on, Vickie. You’re obviously holding out on us.”

“Yeah, sis,” Jack added, leaning back with his arms folded. “Who was that?”

Vickie shifted uncomfortably, feeling her cheeks warm under their expectant gazes. She took a sip of her cocoa, gathering her thoughts before finally giving in. “Alright, fine. That was Knox. Apparently, he's first cousins with Gage. According to Melody, Gage's dad and Knox's dad are identical twin brothers.”

“So twins run on both sides of the family. You know what that means,” Eliza said with a smile. “Twin nephews or nieces are a big possibility when they decide to have kids.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Eve said. “Don't interrupt. I have a feeling this is going to be juicy. Did you feel the tension between those two?”

Jack squeezed Vickie's knee gently, encouraging her to continue. “A few years ago, Knox and I went on a date. Just one. And… we ended up spending the night together.”

Eliza’s eyes widened. “Well, well, big sis. And here I thought you didn't do casual.”

“It was… impulsive,” Vickie admitted, wishing she could brush off the whole thing as a simple fling. “But when I woke up the next morning, he was gone. Left me a short note. Supposedly got called away with the military on a mission. But then, just as I was leaving his house, I ran into this woman.”

“A woman?” Jack leaned in, brow furrowed.

“Not just any woman. Blonde, tall, gorgeous,” Vickie said, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice. “Looked like she’d just stepped out of a fashion magazine. And she seemed… very familiar with him. Enough that I figured out pretty quickly that he had someone back home, and I’d been nothing but an easy lay for him.”

Eliza’s expression softened, sympathy flickering in her eyes. “But did she say that? Anything to confirm they were in a relationship. I mean if I went to my boyfriend’s house and saw another woman coming out, I'd lose my shit.”

“No,” Vickie admitted, her voice a little strained. “She didn’t say it outright and I told her I was just a realtor that he hired, so she didn't know we'd just slept together. But she didn’t have to tell me they were together, either. It was just… the way she talked about him and them being together every day, the way she looked at me. Like I was disgusting. Almost with pity.”

Jack shook his head, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. “You sure that’s all there was to it? It seems kind of harsh to judge him just on that. Maybe there was more going on than you realized. We’ve all made assumptions about people without knowing the whole story. If she didn't say outright she was his girlfriend, maybe she was just a neighbor, or his sister or something.”

“Exactly,” Eliza chimed in. “You don’t even know for sure if she was his girlfriend, right? Did you ask him?”

“No,” Vickie admitted, feeling her defenses falter just a little. “But there were enough clues. I didn’t need to ask.”

Eliza reached over, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “I get it, Vick. I really do. But maybe you should hear him out. It sounds like there was some real connection there, or you wouldn’t have been so upset.”

Vickie looked down, not quite willing to meet her sister’s gaze. It wasn’t just that night that had bothered her; it was how much she’d thought about him afterward, how hard it had been to find anyone else who compared.

“Did you like him?” Eliza asked softly. “Before you ran into the blonde, I mean. Was he someone you could’ve seen yourself with?”

Vickie hesitated, memories of that night flashing through her mind—Knox’s easy laugh, his charm, the way he’d looked at her like she was the only one in the world. He'd seemed like a man right out of one of her romance novels. He said all the right things, did all the right things. She remembered him scolding her for talking poorly about herself. Remembered their conversation in the bar. In fact, his words, if you were mine , with the warning edge in the tone replayed freely in her mind ever since that night. “Yeah,” she admitted reluctantly. “I liked him. A lot, actually. More than I should have for just one night.”

Jack chuckled. “That’s the thing, Vick. None of us are perfect, but it sounds like maybe you’re holding him to a standard he didn’t even know existed.”

Vickie rolled her eyes. “Please, Jack. There’s no such thing as perfect. I just didn’t expect…” Her voice trailed off as she wrestled with the words.

“Look,” Jack said, softening. “You don’t have to go back there if you don’t want to. But maybe don’t judge the whole thing based on a bad first impression. Maybe there’s more to the story than you thought. We all know Gage, he's a standup guy. It would be odd for his first cousin to be a complete asshole. I mean, especially if they were raised near each other and their dads are twins.”

Eva nodded in agreement. “He seems like he really wants to talk to you, Vickie. Maybe there’s something worth hearing, even if it’s just for closure.”

Vickie bit her lip, uncertainty weighing on her. The thought of talking to Knox, of hearing him out, scared her more than she’d like to admit. But a small part of her, the part that had never quite let go of him, wanted to know why he’d left that morning and if there was any explanation that would make sense.

“Alright,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll listen. But can we keep this between us? Melody doesn’t need any distractions. It’s her wedding week, and the last thing I want is drama.”

“Of course,” Eliza promised, giving her an encouraging smile. “Our lips are sealed. But remember, Vick—sometimes things aren’t as black-and-white as they seem.”

Jack grinned, giving her a teasing nudge. “And if it turns out you are right, and he is a cheating bastard, don’t go easy on him just because he looks like he walked out of a romance novel.”

Vickie managed a small laugh, feeling a little more at ease. She took a deep breath, steeling herself. Tonight, after dinner, she’d give Knox a chance to explain himself.

With a sigh, she gathered her things, and they all stood up to head to their rooms to get ready for dinner. Her siblings walked with her down the hallway until they broke off at their own rooms. They exchanged quiet, reassuring smiles, and Vickie felt a flicker of gratitude for them. One thing was for sure, she'd been blessed with an amazing family and she knew how lucky she was. Not everyone had the support system Vickie did. And as she slipped into her room, she tried to convince herself that she'd made the right decision three years ago, not calling him and moving on as if they'd never shared that night together.