“It was that.”
His hands are in his pockets as he looks around the room. “Guess I need to rearrange my plans, then. Find someone else to take home tonight. I thought I had a sure thing once I saw you.”
His words bring a grin to my face. “Sorry to be a night ruiner. I’m sure there’s a line of ladies waitin’ for their chance.”
“Yeah, yeah. You don’t have to butter me up after you break my heart,” he jokes.
My eyes move past him as Anna walks up. “Alina, hi.” She smiles.
Logan leans in to kiss my cheek. “It was good to see you, Lee. Don’t be a stranger.” He turns and tips his head to Anna. “Mrs. Adams.”
“He’s such a sweet boy,” Anna says as she watches him leave.
“Mmm.” I sip from my wine, unsure of what to say. I’m surprised she’s even over here in the first place.
“Alina, I wanted to talk to you. This may not be the best time, but I’m not sure if I’ll have the chance again. I don’t see Chase willingly bringin’ you around again after the way I acted.”
The wine flows down the wrong pipe, and I bite back the cough. Is she apologizing? I wave her off. “Oh, no, Anna…”
“No, no. Let me say this.” She puts her hand on my arm. “I’ve been placin’ blame on your shoulders when you don’t deserve it. Chase chastised me good and well for it the other night, and it’s been on my mind ever since. I don’t know what all Chase has told you, but Sam and I struggled with conceiving. I prayed for children every day. Having Chase and Lily come into our lives was God’s answer.” A small smile graces her face as she thinks of her children. “Then they met you, and you lit both of them up from the inside. Especially Chase. Truly, I’ve never seen anything like it. When I lost them both, you were the easiest person to shift the blame to.”
The sting of her thoughts bites at my sensitive heart.
“I’m not proud of the way I’ve acted toward you, but there’s nothin’ I can do to change it. I also won’t lie to you. I’ve had years of buildin’ up the blame in my head, and as much as I’d like to pretend I can turn it off with a flip of a switch, it’s not that simple.”
Now that I understand. “I appreciate your honesty.”
“But I want you to know I’m gonna try like hell. I don’t want to lose Chase again, now that I’ve got him back. And I can see how happy you make him. How happy you’ve always made him.” She swipes a fallen strand of hair from her face. “Sam tells me I need to suck it up and just get outta the way, let love take its course.”
Her words don’t ring of a blossoming friendship, but they give me hope. “Thank you for tellin’ me. And for bein’ honest.” I respect that she came to me. If anyone understands not being able to turn feelings off, it’s me. I can give her time if that’s what she needs.
Anna pats my arm. “Oh, look who just showed up.” She points to the entrance. Daddy walks in followed by Eli and Sarah. My nerves sprout like weeds, wrapping around my chest and squeezing. At least Daddy’s still walkin’ in a straight line.
“I’ll let you catch up with your family, Alina. Thank you for givin’ me a moment of your time. You make sure that boy keeps comin’ home, you hear me?” She gives me a look that only a Mama can give, and I find myself smiling at her. I think we’ll be okay.
I head toward Eli and Daddy, figuring I might as well get it out of the way. “Hi, y’all.”
Eli grins as he sees me, and Sarah lifts her hand in a dainty wave. Daddy grunts and shoves past me, walking straight to the bar. Okay, then. We’re still in the ignore Alina phase, I see.
“I gather he’s in his usual form.”
Eli watches Daddy’s retreating back with a furrowed brow. “Yeah. I tried to convince him not to come. It caused a big thing at home.” He runs his fingers through his blond hair, disheveling the strands. He looks tired, like being home has sucked the joy out of his soul.
“Hi, Sarah.” I turn toward her. “How goes the weddin’ stuff?”
“It’s going okay.” She smiles. The energy between the three of us is stilted and awkward. I’m dying to ask Eli about visiting Mama’s grave. But this isn’t the right place, and we have a host of other issues we need to work through. I stare at my big brother, drinking him in. The years have been kind to him, but I can see the stress he holds in both his posture and the few fine lines on his forehead. His eyes are stone, not giving anything away. Growing up, they were the window to his soul, and he always let people glance inside. I wonder what happened to make him feel like he needed to put up shutters.
Just as the thought crosses my mind, devastation swirls in his irises, the grief stealing my breath away. It’s just a second. A flash. But it’s there. The space between my brow wrinkles as I watch him.
“Guess who the cat drug in?” Jax’s voice comes from behind me and I spin to face him. He’s got his arm thrown over Becca’s shoulder, a lazy grin on his face. Becca stares straight at Eli. I look back and forth between them. Eli’s jaw is tight, and he reaches around Sarah’s waist, pulling her to his side, leaning into her. Like she’s a crutch.
Becca snaps her head to me and
