Becca, Reid’s live-in girlfriend, dropped by the desk. His smile for her was wide, his gaze filled with adoration as he looked at her. “Hey, B. Looking for me?”
She shook her head, ignoring his pout. “I’m looking for Sandy.”
“What can I do for you?” I asked with a fond smile. She was good for Reid, and I liked her a lot. She was strong, capable, and completely infatuated with him. They were a great couple and spent a lot of time with me.
“Are you busy on Saturday?”
“No.”
“Great. We’re calling girls’ time, and Emmy has booked a suite at The Four Seasons. Spa day!” She grinned.
“I see,” I murmured, wondering how much this had to do with the conversation I’d had earlier with Bentley. It wouldn’t surprise me that he asked Emmy to do something to cheer me up. Yet the thought of spending time with all the girls pleased me. And it would be a break from the constant quietness of the house.
“That sounds wonderful,” I told her.
She beamed, her relief evident.
“Awesome. We’ll go from here. Emmy has it all arranged. A driver, lunch, spa treatments, and pampering. Then to their place for dinner and movies afterward. He’s having the meal catered.”
“Wonderful. Thank you for including me.”
She waved her hand. “Of course. You’re one of us!”
She walked away, blowing Reid a kiss over her shoulder. He leaned close. “They want you there, you know.”
“I know,” I agreed. “It’s a lovely thought.”
He chuckled. “I made sure to add some of your favorite red wine to the menu.”
“Does Bentley know you did that?” I asked, one eyebrow raised in question, my theory now confirmed.
He grinned. “I helped choose the menu. We got everyone’s favorites. We’re gonna have a guys’ day at Bentley’s while you girls are busy. Well, us, and Addi.”
I laughed. Addi was doted on by all her uncles. She was a lucky little girl.
“I don’t think Addi is quite ready for pizza and wings.”
He winked. “We got chicken fingers and fries for her. Shake up that ‘bottle only’ diet thing she’s got going. Give her something new to try. I ordered the dipping sauce mild.”
I laughed at his silly comments. “Good luck with that.”
He became serious. “I want you to have a good time. Relax. Enjoy yourself.”
I stood and bent low, kissing his cheek. “I’ll try.”
“Please have a good time,” he whispered. “Max would want you to laugh and enjoy yourself.”
I nodded, unable to speak. He was right. Max and I had talked about his death a lot when we were first together. Given our age difference, it seemed a natural conclusion, one day I would be without him. But back then, it seemed far away and remote. It was easy to laugh and tease. To tell him I would get a younger man next time around. A boy toy.
“We’ll spend all your money on sex and booze,” I swore.
Max had laughed when I made that statement.
“You do that, my girl. Someone who loves an older, sexy woman. Make sure he treats you right while he’s spending my money. Make him earn it.”
I winked at him. “I’ll do that.”
Once he was diagnosed with late-onset MS, the conversations were numerous but not as funny. Even then, I was in denial he would ever leave me. I couldn’t imagine life without him.
Now, I was having trouble remembering life with him. Happiness seemed difficult to find and harder to hold.
Life was harder.
I cupped Reid’s cheek and offered him a tight smile.
“I’ll do my best.”
The suite rang with laughter. There were three different treatment areas set up, and I had taken advantage of them all. My skin was glowing, my nails buffed, and my toes sparkled with fresh polish. I sighed as I rolled my shoulders, the massage having worked wonders on my sore muscles. Max always teased me that I carried my tension in my shoulders. “Like cement,” he would mumble while trying ineffectually to rub them. While his embraces and soft words were perfection, his massage technique was terrible. After a few bumbling, inept attempts on his behalf to rub my shoulders early on in our relationship, he treated me to a bimonthly massage. After he died, I had stopped going. I stopped doing a lot of things.
I looked around the room, smiling at the girls. Young, happy, and in love, they all made me smile, even as my heart ached to remember that time in my life. I loved that they included me in their girl time. To me, they were all extensions of my family—adopted daughters—and I loved them all.
Becca came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a thick, white terry cloth robe. Her skin glowed—from the facial or the wine she had consumed I wasn’t sure, but she looked radiant. She had been late this morning, blushing as she rushed out to the car, Reid following her and catching her before she stepped in to kiss her long and lovingly. Judging from the smug expression on his face, there was no doubt as to why we waited for her, and it had set the tone for the day with constant teasing and banter.
She flung herself beside me with a grin. “How you doin’?” she winked and deadpanned. “Looking good, Sandy.”
I laughed. “So do you.”
Her phone buzzed and I chuckled. “I think Reid is missing you today.”
She rolled her eyes, but her grin was wide. “I think he is. My phone has been blowing up all day.”
I patted her hand. “That’s a good thing, Becca. Enjoy it.”
She nodded, her eyes on the screen. “I do. I love his silly texts and pictures.”
“He worships you,” I informed her.
Her cheeks flushed, and this time, I knew it wasn’t the wine. “The feeling is mutual.”
“I know.”
Cami and Dee strolled over to the seating area and curled up on the sofa across from us. Like me, they were both relaxed from their pampering. Liv and Emmy were finishing up with their massages and would join us. Bentley had arranged not only a light lunch, but a full afternoon tea to be served in the room. He knew how much I enjoyed a real afternoon tea, and I was touched by his efforts.
We chatted and laughed until the rest of the girls joined us. We sat, sipping our beverages and talking about a multitude of things. Life, houses, work, motherhood, and finally, the conversation turned to men. There was some oversharing, funny stories, and cute moments of the antics of all their men, and Becca turned to me.
“Sandy,” she began.
I shook my head. “I know what you’re about to say, Becca. I’m fine. Honestly, I am. I have bad days, and one in particular last week, but that is to be expected.”
Emmy leaned forward, taking my hand. “What brought it on, Sandy?”
With a sigh, I told them about the storm and my dream. They all had tears in their eyes as I recalled Max’s words.
“Do you think it was real?” Dee asked quietly. “Do you think Max was telling you it’s time to move on?”
I shrugged, unsure how to answer. It had felt real. His words had echoed the sentiments he had expressed so often when we would discuss the future and he would insist I had to accept the thought of one without him. How he wanted me to find happiness and love again.