“I’m trying, Oscar,” his mother said, though she didn’t look like she was trying at all, holding a metal spatula aloft in one hand and a glass of white wine in the other. She wrinkled her nose as she backed away from the cooking meat, whose tempting aroma filled the air, thanks to Oscar’s secret blend of herbs and spices. Sylvie bumped into his father, who stood right behind her. “It’s just so hot.”
His father had convinced her not to bring a full staff like she often did on family trips. Only Trevor had come along to help Oscar and Simone’s husband Cameron, who liked to cook, to make sure all the meals were prepared. But at this rate, they wouldn’t be eating for a couple more hours, and Reese was already starving. Trying to teach Sylvie domestic skills was a complete waste of time because his mother—who had spent her entire life with servants at her beck and call, thus avoiding doing any work in the kitchen—was not about to change. She didn’t even look the part.
Oscar was casually dressed in long swim trunks and a light gray T-shirt, while she looked ready to do a fashion shoot in an electric blue one-piece under a white cover-up cinched at the waist. On her head, she wore a huge white hat with an electric blue band around the crown, which hid half her face but showed enough for you to see her high cheekbones and catch a glimpse of piercing brown eyes when she cocked her head at the right angle. He was pretty sure she had no intention of getting in the water.
Oscar took the spatula. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Keep me,” Sylvie said, glancing back at him with a mischievous grin. She angled her cheek upward for him, her usual move to let the men in her life know that she expected a kiss.
Oscar slid an arm around her waist and instead of kissing her cheek, kissed her neck.
“Oscar, for heaven’s sake,” she said, letting loose a burst of girlish giggles.
They were sickening, but in a good way. Reese turned away from the sight, feeling as if he were a Peeping Tom. Most of the time, they seemed so happy, he wondered if their fifteen-year split had actually made their current relationship stronger. They had fallen back into the natural order of things, seamlessly transitioning into an affectionate couple. Too bad that couldn’t happen for him and Nina.
Sylvie appeared beside him and placed a gentle hand on his back. “Hello, my darling. Are you all right?” She angled her head so he could see her concerned gaze under the large hat.
“Fantastic,” Reese lied.
“You’re having a good time?”
“Sure. The whole family’s here.”
She studied him in silence, her shrewd gaze traveling over his face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Mother.” He tried to laugh off her concern, but it ended up sounding hollow and empty.
“Tell me what’s wrong and don’t deny it again, because I know you.”
Reese huffed out a breath. She was too perceptive. “Nina and I are done.”
“Done?” Sylvie said sharply. “What does that mean?”
He dented one side of the can with his thumb. “Our friendship has come to an end.”
“For heaven’s sake, Reese, we had a lovely brunch just last month. What happened?”
“She and I had a fight, and…”
I was pregnant.
She never saw fit to tell him. Did she really think that he was such an awful person? Did she hate him that much? Even worse, had he caused her such emotional distress that she lost their baby? The possibility had haunted him ever since he learned about the miscarriage.
He’d have a son about nine years old if the child had lived, and his chest hurt for what could have been. He felt wide open, raw. If touched, he would feel the pain all the way to the bottom of his heart.
Marriage and kids had never been in the cards for him, but for Nina, he would have made the leap.
“The reason she and I had a fight doesn’t matter. We’re done, and I’d appreciate it if you don’t mention her name in my presence ever again. No more comments about how she’s your ex-future daughter-in-law.”
“Well, of course, you know I wanted her as a daughter-in-law and the mother of my grandchildren.”
Reese winced internally. “Mother.”
“Yes, I know. Your friendship is over. That was quite a fight.”
“It was.” Reese took another sip of beer, letting his gaze travel over the four people playing in the waves—his sister, Ella, her two daughters, and their stepfather, Tyrone.
“Are you all right?”
“I will be. I just need you to do that for me.” He met her gaze again.
“I will do whatever you need.”
“Thank you,” he said gratefully. Then he remembered part of the conversation at brunch that had given him pause. “When Nina was at your place, why did you make that comment about it being quite a coincidence that she ran into Andy in New Zealand?”
Sylvie smiled knowingly. “Because I don’t believe in coincidences.”
She had seen ugliness from people who let greed direct their moral compass, and she ran businesses in the cutthroat industries of media and fashion. All of which made her naturally suspicious, sometimes without cause.
But…was there something suspicious about Andy running into Nina on that farm in New Zealand? He couldn’t be sure. He would analyze his mother’s concerns more deeply another day. Right now, enough about Nina.
In an effort to change the subject, he angled his head toward his father. “How did you like grilling?”
“I hated it. I hope your father never puts me behind that dreadful thing again.” She shivered and took a sip of wine.
“Did you at least turn one hamburger?”
Sylvie shot him a look. “I run a multibillion-dollar corporation, darling. I do not turn hamburgers. I don’t know why your father insists on these little experiments. I am who I am, and I’m not going to change.”
Reese chuckled softly.
“Why are you laughing?” Sylvie asked, arching one elegant eyebrow higher.
He placed an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “Because I love you, Mother. I don’t want you to change.”
She beamed at him. “I love you, too, and I won’t. Don’t you worry about that.”
“Coming through!”
Cameron Bennett, Simone’s husband, came out of Oscar and Sylvie’s house. He carried covered containers in his hands, and Simone and Trevor followed behind him with more.
“Please tell me that’s food,” Reese said.
Cameron grinned. The guy loved to cook, and that grin was definitely a good sign.
“Appetizers are served,” Simone announced. Since marrying Cameron, she’d developed a love for cooking.
Within minutes, Roselle came from inside the house next door, where she had gone to check on her daughter. Stephan, who’d been lounging on a beach chair waiting for her to return, jumped up as Ella and her family came running up from the beach.
There was spinach dip served alongside a crudité platter, deviled eggs—half topped with fish roe and the other with smoked salmon—and shrimp in crispy wonton cups with spicy mayo served on the side.
Sylvie prepared a plate for Oscar and kept him company while the rest of them crowded around the table and indulged in the pre-dinner snacks Simone, Cameron, and Trevor had prepared.
“Mmm, this is tasty,” Sophia, Ella’s eldest daughter, said. Her fair complexion had darkened after a day of fun on the beach. She swirled a carrot stick into some of the dip Ella had spooned onto her plate and then bit down hard on the vegetable. The crunching sound made her giggle exactly like it did the two other times she did the same thing.
The appetizers hit the spot and held them over until the rest of the food was served an hour later. The meal consisted of a briny corn, tomato, and red cabbage salad, bacon-wrapped potatoes, and cilantro-lime chicken. A makeshift burger bar set up on a folding table allowed everyone to prepare theirs the way they preferred.
For the rest of the evening, they simply enjoyed each other’s company
. Malik showed pictures of his latest metal sculpture creation. Tyrone kept them entertained with stories from his days in law enforcement, and Cameron did the same with tales from his adventures as a night club owner. Hannah, Ella’s younger daughter, insisted on sitting on her Poppa’s lap, eating more off Oscar’s plate than her own, and Sylvie recounted embarrassing stories from her two daughters’ childhood that had their husbands howling with laughter.
Despite the mess with Nina, Reese looked around the table and felt a surge of happiness. Along with Trevor, his big family filled two tables out on the beach, talking and laughing and lingering over their meal as the day succumbed to night, and the lanterns set up around them kept the shadows at bay.
He recognized how lucky he was and how much he’d needed this trip. They ate too much. They drank too much. They laughed too much.
He was glad he’d come after all.
Chapter 14
Her mother was in her element.
Nina smiled wryly as Gloria Winthrop rubbed elbows with the wealthy patrons in attendance at the annual fundraiser. The top of the black dress crossed over her ample bosom, and her short black wig gave the opportunity to show off the diamonds in her ears that matched the ones around her wrist. She laughed at the appropriate times, shot friendly waves across the room, and in general, looked like she was having a good time without being disrespectful about the gravity of tonight’s subject matter. Gloria may not have been born into wealth, but she’d made a seamless transition into the lifestyle.
Nina was reasonably sure she’d married her father for his money, and when his priorities and hers didn’t match, the marriage fell apart. He’d loved her during the marriage and after the divorce, but he’d wanted her to change—to see their wealth as an opportunity, yes, but not have it consume their lives.
When was enough, enough? Though he’d provided for her in his will, Gloria was not satisfied and often asked Nina for more money or possessions, none of which she seemed capable of getting enough of.
From her chair at one of the head tables, Nina searched the room of donors. Her father would be pleased to see how far the event had come since his passing. The annual art fundraiser to benefit victims of domestic violence wasn’t the most well-known of the many galas and fundraisers that made the social calendar each year. Still, it had gained prestige in the past few years since sexual harassment, rape, and domestic violence became more prominent in the news cycle. Nina attended and threw her support behind the cause, not only because of its importance to her as a woman but because her father had wanted her to.
Tyrus Winthrop had earmarked a percentage of his estate to make annual contributions to his favorite charities after his death, and this was one of them. After seeing his mother wither under abuse at the hands of his stepfather for years, he’d vowed to do whatever he could to help other women, and did so throughout his life, funding programs that provided emotional, financial, and educational support.
Nina hadn’t been able to attend any of the fundraisers in recent years because of her travel outside of the country, but she always made sure the donations were forwarded as her father had wanted.
“How much longer do we have to be here?” Andy asked, looking restless as he tugged on his tie for the umpteenth time.
Nina bristled at his tone. She bristled a lot more these days because she hadn’t expected this type of behavior from a man who’d worked with her on various projects for more than a year. Glancing at him, she could see he seemed distracted and wondered if his father was overworking him. She should be more sympathetic. Act more like a fiancée.
She gently covered his hand with hers to stop the fidgeting. “Not much longer. There are a few other people I’d like to meet before we leave.”
“Thirty minutes, maybe?” Andy asked hopefully, stretching his hand along the back of her chair.
She smiled indulgently at him. “Yes, thirty minutes.”
“Thanks.” He kissed her cheek.
“On one condition. We have to stop for ice cream on the way home.”
“You really love ice cream, don’t you?” he said with a little laugh.
“It’s my favorite dessert, and you know why,” she said teasingly.
This entire conversation was odd, considering one of the ways they’d bonded overseas was by seeking out the best ice cream and gelato in the various places they visited. But surely he understood it wasn’t just the ice cream that she liked, but what the cold treat represented.
“Because of your father.” His voice sounded heavy, as if the topic of her father had become tiresome to him.
“Are you trying to tell me something?” Nina asked, choosing to keep her gaze trained on a door across the room so he wouldn’t see the displeasure in her face.
“I don’t think you can continue living your life for someone who’s passed away, that’s all. You want to run the business because of him. You do volunteer work because of him. You love ice cream because of him. It’s…a lot.”
Nina squelched down her fury with a deep breath. She faced Andy, refusing to hide her displeasure this time. “He was my father and my best friend. I adored him and his mind and his generosity. I’m disappointed you can’t understand that.”
He appeared startled but quickly fixed his face into an expression of contrition and placed a placating hand on her far shoulder. “I’m acting like an ass, but it’s because I’m ready to get you out of here and get you home, that’s all.” He lowered his voice at the end and stroked his fingers along the nape of her bare neck.
She wore her hair swept up to the top of her head in a neat ball secured with pins. With an emerald green dress showing off her shoulders, she looked the part of a wealthy young socialite. Andy looked the part of her dashing partner in a simple black suit and tie, his dark hair parted on the side and swept over to the right.
Yet his comments reminded her of how the most supposedly cultured people could have the manners and eloquence of swine.
“I’m going to get a drink,” she said, standing.
Andy frowned up at her. “Okay.”
Nina left the table, perturbed by his lack of understanding about her relationship with her father. Were they already drifting apart?
Reese would have jumped at the chance to get ice cream with her, though he limited himself to only three flavors. He also knew about and understood her relationship with her father and never commented on their closeness—not even when he knew that he’d fallen out of favor with Tyrus.
As she approached the bar, she wondered what he was doing now. She’d wished she could call him to discuss her tweaks to The Winthrop Helping Hands program and share the timeline for the rollout. Reese would be happy for her instead of the lukewarm reaction she’d received from Andy, who had burst her bubble by questioning whether the data was correct.
Nina ordered a chocolate martini, and as she took a sip, she spotted Sylvie Johnson nearby in conversation with a tall man.
A split second later, Sylvie noticed her, too, and smiled. She then excused herself and came over.
“Hello, Ms. Johnson, I had no idea you were here tonight.”
“I only just arrived.”
“Is Mr. Brooks here, too?”
“Yes, over there,” she replied with a nod of her head. Across the room, Oscar chatted with one of the organizers. “And who are you here with?”
“My mother and…and Andy.” She had hesitated over his name, unsure if she should mention him or not.
“Ah, yes, your fiancé. There he is.” Sylvie’s eyes narrowed slightly on Andy. “We spent a lovely Fourth on St. Simons Island. I wish you could have joined us.”
“That would not have been possible.”
“Because of your fiancé?”
“Partially, but also because Reese and I had a falling-out.”
“He told me, and I was so sorry to hear that. I do hope the two of you can work things out. You’ve known each other for so long, after all. Since you were practically children.”
“Time will tell,” Nina murmured.
She did miss him. Reese had always sort of been there whether she needed him or not. Not being able to pick up the phone and hear his voice was unexpectedly distressing.
Sylvie slipped her jeweled clutch between her waist and elbow. “Step this way, please. I’d like to say something to you.”
Uh-oh.
Nina’s hand tightened around the stem of her glass, but she followed anyway to a far wall.
Sylvie looked her directly in the eyes, not in an antagonistic way, but with kindness in her eyes.
“My children consider me a busybody, and perhaps I am. But what mother isn’t? No matter their age, we always want to help and fix our children’s problems.” Her stare became more intense. “This is me trying to fix the problem between you and Reese.”
Nina swallowed.
“His father and I split for a long time, as you know. Sometimes time away from the person you love is good. At least it was for Oscar and me. It clears your head. Especially when you hurt each other. It just makes more sense to take a break before coming together again. I don’t spend as much time with my children anymore, because they all have busy lives. They’re all adults. But I know them. I raised good people. I know their hearts. Reese loves you.”
“Ms. Johnson—” Nina started.
Forcing her into silence with a squeeze on her arm, Sylvie continued. “It’s not a secret, Nina. You know he loves you. You’d have to blind not to know that all these years he’s carried a torch for you. Love can make you do crazy things. Run toward it, run away from it out of fear. I know the reason he broke up with you, but he loves you. He was young, foolish, impulsive—all of those things. Wrong. Selfish. Idiotic. All of those things, too. But he does love you. I want the two of you back together, but I’m his mother. Of course, I do. I want him to be happy, and he’s not happy without you. But you also need to make the decision that’s right for you. The decision that makes you most happy. I believe you’re most happy with my son.”
Deeper Than Love (Brooks Family Book 6) Page 9