“You already own a perfectly fine mansion.” Matías protests, slumping into a seat beside me. “Emma, you don’t need another property.”
“An inner-city apartment, though. Wouldn’t that be cool?”
“It’s not even a twenty-minute drive from where you already live, Em.”
She sighs. “I suppose so.”
“She never did like it when other people got new toys,” mutters Beck. “Christmas can be all-out war.”
Emma also pulls up a seat, inspecting our dinner. “Pot roast?”
“Would you like some?” I ask. Because one of us needs to act vaguely hospitable.
“No.” She sighs. “I’m still in the I want to hurl twenty-four/seven stage. It’s like being constantly seasick without having the joy of being on a yacht in Ibiza.”
Beck points toward the kitchen with a fork. “Dinner’s in the fridge if you want any, Matías.”
“Already ate. Thanks.” Though the man is on his feet heading toward the kitchen and opening cupboards. “I’ll have a glass, though.”
Emma pouts. “You’re just drinking because you know I can’t.”
“I meant a glass of water,” says Matías. “And I’m getting one for you too.” Can’t tell if he’s lying or not.
“I’ve decided we’re having the baby and Matías is going to be a stay-at-home father,” announces Emma. “We’re going to give both therapy and marriage another go. It’s not like we were really into the whole divorce thing anyway. Otherwise we would have actually finalized it at some stage and stopped sleeping together.”
“Don’t get us wrong, the separation was fun while it lasted.” Matías returns to the table with two glasses of ice water. “But we’re ready to move on and get back together now.”
“Stay-at-home dad, huh?” asks Beck, setting down his cutlery.
Matías nods. “Yep.”
“Cool.”
“We’ll have a nanny too, of course,” says Emma. “What if Matías goes out or something? I can’t be expected to change diapers like an animal.”
Beck just blinks.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than prepared to love and interact with the baby. I’m not Giada or Dad…or Grandma, for that matter. Did you know she never even fed, burped, or bathed our father? Not once. Like ordering a silver rattle from Tiffany’s and dressing the kid in ugly lace frocks to pose for family pictures actually counts as making an effort.” Emma folds her arms across her chest. Her boobs do look bigger. Not that I generally notice other women’s breasts. But in the low-cut white sheath she’s wearing, it’s kind of hard not to notice.
“The tit fairy has been,” she comments, noticing the direction my gaze has taken.
“Sorry,” I say. For the tits or for looking, I don’t know.
Matías leers. There’s no other word. “They’re wonderful.”
“Whatever.” Emma looks to heaven.
“Back to a topic that’s not my sister’s breasts,” says Beck. “We definitely descended from generations of warm and loving people setting us the ultimate example in quality parenting.”
Emma shakes her head. “Thank God for Mom.”
“Thank God for Rachel,” agrees Beck.
“You’ll make a great mother too.” Matías sits down and takes Emma’s hand.
“I hope so.” She frowns. “Oh, by the way, Giada has been spotted in London on the arm of an elderly lord. It’s quite the scandal in the British press. The Elliot Corp. PR department are working on damage control, but basically we’re all instructed to say no comment.”
“Has anyone warned Henry?” asks Beck.
Emma nods. “I called him.”
“Okay,” says Beck. “Well, he can have one of the bedrooms upstairs. I don’t want him going back to Bertram Street on his own again.”
“On that we agree. I’d be happy to have him at my place, but we always end up arguing for some reason.”
“I can’t imagine why,” says Matías.
Emma just flips him the bird.
“Sounds like you’ll be busy enough with the baby.” I set aside the remains of my dinner. It was yum, but I’m full. “And there’s plenty of room for Henry here.”
The doorbell rings again and Emma smiles. “That’ll probably be Penny and River. They were worried after the drama the other night, so I told them to come on over.”
Beck just looks at her.
“What? It’s like a housewarming and you didn’t even have to organize it. You’re welcome.” She rises from her chair. “Come on through, guys!”
It’s sweet really, how much they obviously missed him while he was away. How much they want to be around him now. For all of the hijinks and shenanigans, some of his family are great.
Along with the two ladies, Ethan walks in carrying a bottle of wine. He looks around, taking in the room. “Not bad. Though there’s no real view, to speak of.”
“I like it,” says Aaron, entering behind them holding a bouquet of flowers. “It’s got character.”
Emma immediately confiscates the flowers. “They’re beautiful.”
“They’re not for you.”
Mrs. Francis gives us a concerned glance before helping Emma out with the vase. I just smile and nod. The poor woman. Guess she’s used to actually announcing guests. Perhaps even dealing with people who show some sense of decorum. But she’s rolling with it, which is great. Winston the majordomo would be having a meltdown by now. He’d probably attempt to send us all to bed without dinner regardless of age. Soon music is playing and more bottles of wine and sparkling water are being opened and we have a small party underway.
Beck leans closer to whisper in my ear. “Sorry about this, beloved.”
“Don’t be. This is nice.”
It’s been a while since I’ve been comfortable with people in this way. Surrounded by friends. And it feels like that’s exactly what they’re becoming. Penny and I talk about the foundation Beck has set up while River (who, it turns out, is a pediatrician) answers a barrage of questions for Emma and Matías. Ethan, Aaron, and Beck discuss his plans for the Boulder hotel among over things. It’s nice to belong. To be a part of a close group. After the boyfriend from hell experience decimated my self-esteem, I shut myself away. That’s the truth. I got hurt so I made my world small and safe. And being lonely was the price I paid. But I don’t need to do that anymore and it’s such a fucking relief.
Even with Mom coming, and his grandmother hating me, and the various disparities between us—I think everything’s going to be okay. I really do.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Mom?”
Smith escorts her in midafternoon the next day and I’m sad to say that the vibe is more dismayed than happy reunion. Guess after the phone call it’s not a surprise.
I had started the day up in the library (huge, amazing, and full of a variety of books and lots of polished wood) working on a site for Matías. Beck could have the office, I preferred the big mahogany desk, comfy work chair, and general vibe of the library. And having coffee brought to me on a regular basis was beautiful. Housekeepers are the best thing ever, especially when they’re combined with your own personal library. Brian, Beck’s executive assistant, sent me a steady flow of emails regarding various charities. News of his father’s passing and the inheritance that followed had obviously created a lot of interest from various groups hoping for help. So I read through some of those and made notes as well. Just in case.