Before I Knew (The Cabots #1)(38)

“Alec’s changed,” Colby blurted.

“You make it sound ominous. He’s still Alec, just a little sadder.”

Clearly Sara had never heard him working in the kitchen.

“There’s an edge to him now. An instability.” Surely Sara and Hunter had noticed.

“No one is more stable than Alec. He just needs to find his footing again and move forward.” Sara glanced at Colby’s left hand, which Colby then withdrew from the table. “Come to think of it, you two could help each other. You’re both a little stuck.”

“I’m getting unstuck, thank you very much.” Colby gulped her wine and eyed the bottle to make sure there’d be more. She’d need it if Sara planned to keep needling her about Alec.

“With work, maybe. But don’t you get lonely?”

“I don’t really think about it.” She wouldn’t confess that the thought of dating was more terrifying than being caught naked in a crowd.

Because Mark and Colby had avoided family and friends whenever he’d swing to either extreme, Sara and Hunter had little idea of her marital ups and downs. Or of how difficult it had been to keep his secrets, even when she’d understood his concern. Mark hadn’t feared much, but that stigma had scared the shit out of him. He’d been convinced it would hurt his career opportunities by making his boss and peers doubt and fear him. And he’d already been somewhat of an outsider in her family, so she hadn’t wanted to widen that gap.

“I’m not suggesting you can ever replace Mark.” Sara squeezed Colby’s hand, apparently sensing her surge of sadness. “But you should consider your future and the family you may want.”

“Not everyone’s like you, Sara. Maybe some of us aren’t meant to be wives and mothers.” I failed miserably.

Sara frowned. “Maybe not, but you are.”

“She is what?” Gentry asked, having waltzed into the kitchen carrying some dirty dishes, which she set in the sink.

“Meant to fall in love again and have a family.” Sara smiled.

Gentry rolled those green eyes. “Why get married when you can date around?”

“You’re only twenty-five. We’ll see how you feel in another five years.” Sara laughed. “Or if you meet Mr. Right.”

“Mr. Right Now is just fine with me.” Gentry grabbed the bottle of wine and poured herself a fresh glass. “Not that you’d understand that. Jeez, you picked Hunter. Who could be more predictable than him? Clearly you and I don’t want the same things.”

Her tone had been light, but Colby noted a defensive sparkle in Sara’s eyes.

“We should be so lucky as Hunter and Sara.” Colby raised her glass like a toast. “They’re perfectly matched.”

Sara’s gaze wandered away for a moment. Before Colby could ask why, Sara said, “Let’s go back outside with the guys.”

“Actually, I’m going to grab my laptop from my car to show Colby the photos I took for the website. Hunter will probably want to see, too, even if he no longer gets a vote.” She flashed an impish grin and dashed outside.

“She’s so frank.” Sara wrinkled her nose. “One of these days her lack of discretion will be her undoing.”

“I know she drives Hunter crazy.” Colby sighed. Her type A brother couldn’t comprehend Gentry’s laissez-faire attitude, or the way Dad and Jenna pampered her. Neither could Colby, but it didn’t irk her the way it got under Hunter’s skin.

“Only because your dad tolerates so much from Gentry that he never let you and your brother get away with.” Sara pressed her index finger to her lips, ending the conversation just before they passed through the French doors to the slate patio.

Hunter’s Craftsman-style house, which clung to a wooded hillside, had a partial view of Lake Sandy. A vigorous fire burned in the copper fire pit, infusing the night air with heat and a smoky aroma. Summer evenings like this were the stuff of movies, not real life.

Colby slid onto one of the empty Adirondack chairs. Given Sara’s heightened observations, she made herself look at Alec and smile as if it were old times. Hopefully, the fact that she’d pressed her hand against her stomach to settle its cartwheels went unnoticed.

Gentry returned with her laptop and her camera bag. “Come see.”

Despite Gentry’s pretense of indifference, a spark of pride lit her eyes. Ah, good. Colby might’ve failed to save Mark, but she wouldn’t fail her sister. No more taking tomorrows for granted when it came to her family.

Gentry flipped open the laptop and began scrolling through her photos. She’d taken some artistic shots of the interior: wood and glass, tables and chairs, the modern chandeliers, and some of Alec’s dishes. The exterior shots were a bit more generic but did the job, showing the garden beds, gazebo, and lake views.