I hear the laughter and the voices before we reach my mother’s favorite sitting room. I walk in with Dad to find Blue holding court among my family. She appears to be completely at ease, telling a story about the first time she tried snowshoeing.
My mother and siblings are rapt. Not a one of them is on their phone or distracted. That’s the effect Blue has on people. She’s a charmer, even when she’s being obnoxious and difficult.
When I move closer, she sees me and her shoulders drop, her expression relaxing. As happy as she looked in here without me, the way my presence brings her comfort warms something in me, makes me feel like I could walk on water.
I’m the one this charismatic, successful, brilliant woman wants to be with, at least in this house.
She smiles, her eyes lighting and, for just a moment, I let myself imagine this is real. I’m the first Riverton son to bring a partner home and she is incredible, and she loves me more than anyone else in the world.
Obviously, I stuff down the feeling immediately. This isn’t real. It can never be real. I don’t want real.
I can’t have real until my business is truly successful and firmly in the black. I can’t have real until I have a staff who can cover me so I can give a partner the time and energy she deserves. Until I have time for a family.
I make my way over to Blue and sit on the small couch right next to her. She reaches for my hand and I lace my fingers through hers. It feels good to have someone on my side as I face my family, even if it’s all for show.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Blue
A fire burns brightly in a massive fireplace in the sitting room that’s larger than my entire apartment. I’m cozy, wrapped in a blanket on the couch, a mug of hot chocolate in one hand. I scroll through the pictures Cherry sent me of Lilith spread out on the couch at her house.
Lilith has spent enough time with Cherry and Xavier to settle right in at their house. It’s definitely cozier than my apartment.
Garrick sits in a leather armchair within spitting distance of my seat, a mug in his hand, Barry at his feet, his gaze on the fire.
Everyone else has gone to bed, finally. They’re a lot. Talking over each other, teasing, and laughing. There were a ton of inside jokes I didn’t understand and talk about the business was sprinkled in like they were discussing the weather.
Garrick was quiet throughout, laughing sometimes, but mostly just watching everyone. He’s quiet now, and I’m not sure I want to interrupt his thoughts and bring that intense gaze on me.
I’m still up because his mother showed us the bedroom we’ll be sharing before dinner. There’s only one bed. I’m not eager to be in a room with a bed alone with Garrick.
I have no idea why he’s still up. I was kind of hoping he’d head up first and be asleep by the time I crept into bed.
Maybe I should sneak up and go to sleep, spread out on the bed like a starfish, but I’m too wide awake. Too energized by hanging out with people who don’t expect me to be professional all the time just because I’m the mayor.
“Your family’s a lot nicer than I expected based on you needing me as a buffer,” I say when I can’t take the silence a moment longer.
He looks over at me like he’s forgotten I’m here. “Yeah, they’re, uh…” He rubs a hand over his face. “Let’s just say they’ve mellowed out in a big way since the last time I saw them.”
“Your mom did mention she’s sorry you didn’t come back to work in the family business after college.”
He snorts. “More like they wanted to keep me where they could see me so I didn’t make too big a mess of my life.”
“Or.” I hold up a finger. “Just playing devil’s advocate here, but maybe they love you and want to be close to you.”
He stares into the fire. “Maybe.” He leans back in his seat and crosses one leg over the other, setting his mug on the small table next to his chair. He looks over at me and there it is, the intensity of his gaze pinning me to the couch cushions. “What kind of kid do you think I was?”
That question is out of left field. Except, I’ve been thinking about it a lot today. Especially after meeting his niece and nephew, who are adorable mini versions of their mother, Maisey. They have Maisey’s eyes, which are also Garrick’s eyes.
As a kid, I dreamed of a family like this. One with loving parents and a whole gang of kids who could be each other’s best friends when life got tough, who could look out for each other.
Maybe I wanted to have help taking care of Peach or maybe I saw some movie that idealized big families. Wherever it came from, the reality for the Riverton family seems like a wonderful dream.
I can’t imagine how Garrick walked away from them.
“I think you were a kid who had everything you ever needed and wanted. I think you spent as much time as you could outside. You did alright in school. You didn’t flunk, but you didn’t work too hard because you had a career path all lined up for you if you needed it. I think you dated whoever you wanted, but didn’t get serious about anyone.” His expression hasn’t changed, and it occurs to me this might be too brutally honest for a guy I have to share a room with tonight. “You had a good, safe life with an amazing family, Garrick. That’s all.”
He’s staring at me, but he doesn’t seem offended. “And you didn’t.”
