“Good for you,” she said to me with a smile. “Someone has to keep the two of you in line. I’m starving, let’s get something to eat.”
“I like that idea,” Miller agreed, leading us out the front door and to the valet.
“We’ll meet you at the restaurant,” Ashton called over his shoulder, climbing into the back of a waiting car.
I heard a chuckle from behind me and glanced over at Miller. “My brother would rather fuck around with Elena while they are riding back from a performance than drive himself.”
“I guess that means hands off until we get home.”
He smirked. “I never said that. Just wait and see.”
Heat flooded my core. I needed to change the subject fast.
“She’s very excited to see you with someone.”
“Elena and my mom have been trying to get me to settle down for the last year. I think she’s just happy that it’s finally happened.”
“This is what you call settling down?”
The car pulled up in front of us. “Saved by the bell.” He winked.
I decided not to bring up the question again while we were driving. It was the type of question where I wanted to be able to look into his eyes while he answered.
We arrived at the restaurant in no time. Ashton and Elena stood on the curb out front, waiting. Ashton’s hair still looked good, but no longer perfectly styled like at the theater, and Elena’s dressed had a few wrinkles. She adjusted the bodice and tried to flatten her hair. I might have been a little jealous.
Once again Miller valeted the car and we walked through the door and were immediately shown to our table.
Ashton took the liberty of ordering two bottles of wine while we studied the menu. In no time, the waiter returned to take our orders. Elena reached for her glass. “Tess, tell me about yourself.”
I picked up my own glass, fiddling with the stem. Questions about myself inevitably made me nervous. I was always worried that I would overshare as I had a tendency to babble when I was nervous. I thought about taking a drink of my wine, but then realized that imbibing wouldn’t help keep my tongue in check. I took a breath and went with the basics. “Not much to tell. I moved out here a few years ago to go to school for nursing. I’ll have my license in a year from now.”
“That’s really exciting. Nursing can’t be easy. All of those medical terms, not to mention the blood.” She shivered and I giggled.
“Yeah, I don’t think the blood is for everyone. Then again, trust me when I tell you that you never want to hear me sing.”
She laughed. Elena was so down to earth. I had to admit, I was shocked. Ashton had been extremely nice the first time I met him, but there was a power and a menace behind that calm façade. It probably never saw the light of day very often, which was why I hadn’t known what to expect when it came to meeting Elena. I needn’t have worried, though.
After hearing she worked as an actress I’d been expecting her to be a bit of a diva, which wasn’t the case at all. She was kind, funny, and did a wonderful job at pulling everyone into the conversation.
The room around us grew quieter as the evening wore on and the other patrons left. Between listening to the antics of the brothers growing up and marveling at some of the many things Elena and I had in common, I felt I belonged somewhere for the first time in a long while. Soon we were the only people left; the staff loitering at the edge of the room, waiting for us to go so they could start clearing up.
Miller and Ashton led the way to the front of the restaurant, arguing over who would cover the cost of dinner. Leaving them to it, Elena looped her arm through mine and steered me toward the doors. “I wanted to tell you, you are perfect for Miller in every way,” she whispered. “You keep him on his toes, which is exactly what he needs. I’m so glad he finally found someone like you.”
Her words meant a lot to me. It was nice to hear from someone who didn’t work for Miller how good we were together. The truth of the matter was that I’d completely fallen for him but was afraid to say anything. What if he didn’t feel the same? Knowing his family felt that way about me was comforting. I never wanted to be a part of a family where I was seen as a burden again.
The guys joined us and Ashton held the door open. Elena made Miller promise to give me her number so we could set up a coffee date before Ashton whisked her off in the direction of their car.
“Thank you,” I said when Miller opened the car door for me. “I had a lot of fun. It was nice to feel welcomed by a family for once.”
“You know how you can thank me?”
“Don’t even say by letting you buy me a car.”