Forever With Me(79)

“Why does it have to be me?”

She just raises a brow. “Because if she’d been the one to screw up, you wouldn’t be chasing her the way you are.”

“I’m not chasing her,” I reply with frustration. “I’m simply trying to have a conversation with her.”

Nat nods. “Try harder.”

I glance down at her. “Thanks a lot.”

“You’re welcome.” She smiles widely and walks away, like the smart ass that she is.

Try harder.

I sigh and then follow the way Alecia just went, into the house, and find her in the kitchen.

“Alecia,” I say calmly. “I’d like a moment, please.”

Emily smiles at me and nods, then hastily walks out of the room, leaving us alone.

Alecia shakes her head and turns her back on me, uncorking more champagne.

“Alecia,” I try again.

“No!” She spins back to me, her eyes narrowed. “I. Don’t. Have. Time. I’m working, Dominic. Just leave it be.”

I study her eyes, and now I can see it. The sad. But I also see a new resolve that wasn’t there a few weeks ago.

And that’s what scares the fuck out of me. Is she resolved to live without me?

“I’ll leave you be for now, tesoro.” She starts to argue, but I lean in and make her look me in the eyes. “For now. But we will talk.”

“Fine.” She turns away again and resumes her work.

Jesus, everything in me wants to pull her into my arms and bury my nose in her hair, breathe her in, feel her against me.

I’m longing for her.

But I know I wouldn’t be welcome now. Not only that, I’m not sure that I welcome it. Not until I know what in the hell is going on.

I turn and leave the kitchen, running into Jules as I return to the backyard.

“Hey, big brother.” She smiles sweetly, and I have the distinct feeling I’m about to be set up.

“Hello, bella,” I reply. “What do you want?”

“I just want to talk.” She loops her arm through mine and walks with me to join Meg, Will, and Nate standing by Steven’s newest koi pond.

“What are we talking about?” I ask.

“We’d like to do a fund raiser for the hospital,” Meg says with a soft smile. “Nate thought it would be a good idea to have a dinner, dance, and silent auction, which they already do every year, but…”

“But rather than have it in downtown Seattle this year, we were thinking of asking if we can book the vineyard. Include packages in the silent auction of wines, and maybe a stay out there. Stuff like that.”

“Of course. The vineyard is always open to you. You know that.”

“Awesome!” Meg hugs me hard, then presses her hand on my chest. “You’re my favorite brother-in-law.”

“I was your favorite ten minutes ago when I suggested it,” Nate says with a smile.

“Shh,” Meg says, holding her hand over Nate’s lips. “Don’t ruin it.”

Alecia hurries past with Meredith, talking fast and completely ignoring me.

That’s the last damn time she’ll pretend that I’m not here.

“She went to San Francisco, you know,” Jules says quietly. My gaze jerks down to her.

“When?”

“A few weeks ago.” She shrugs and takes a sip of her drink. “She won’t say why. Just that she had some things to deal with.”

Her family.

She went alone.

What the fuck is going on?

Jules watches me for a long minute, her usual smile gone, replaced with serious eyes.

“I need to go talk to Natalie,” she says finally, and walks away.

“So the event will be in the spring,” Meg says excitedly, and for the next thirty minutes, she and I bounce ideas off of each other to make the event fresh and new.

“Dom, can you help me with something?” Natalie asks as she approaches me. “I’m sorry to interrupt. This won’t take long.”

“Of course. What’s up?”

“There’s a book on the top shelf of Steven’s study that I want to show Luke, and I can’t reach it. Can you get it for me? I’ll show you where it is.”

I frown down at her. “What about Luke?”

“He’s busy with the babies,” she says and grabs my arm, not giving me time to look around, and practically drags me into the house, through the kitchen and down the hall to my father’s study. “It’s right in here—”

She looks like she’s staring at the bookcase, then turns when she hears voices.

“Oh, hold on. Stay right here.”

“Nat, what’s going on?”

Suddenly, Jules and Alecia appear in the doorway.

“What is going on?” Alecia asks as Jules pushes her in the room, then Nat and Jules each grab a doorknob on the French doors and pull them shut.