No Matter What (The Billionaires of Sawgrass #4) - Delaney Cameron Page 0,65
Robin to the party.”
Robin sat as if turned to stone. Was there anything more embarrassing than your friend taking it upon herself to get you a date for a party? Kait’s heart was in the right place, but this time she’d gone too far.
If Reece shared Robin’s feelings, he didn’t show it. “As long as it’s okay with your parents, I’d love to come.”
“Great!” Kait said, ignoring Robin’s cold stare. “This will make Miles happy. He wasn’t looking forward to being sized up by my four over-protective brothers.”
“I was once an over-protective brother myself. My sister Addison has never ceased to find ways to pay me back.”
The fact that Robin would enjoy having Reece at the party wasn’t enough to get Kait off the hook for her interference. Her meddling (even if for the right motives) had put Robin in an awkward position. What if Reece got the idea that Robin was interested in him? It wouldn’t just be uncomfortable. It would be a disaster for many reasons. The one that scared her the most was the possibility that it might be true.
Chapter Nineteen
Once a month, Reece took Aunt Leigh to Sunday brunch at Strawberry Mansion. The restaurant overlooked the inlet where the St. Johns River met the Atlantic Ocean. From its tall, arched windows, hopeful anglers could be seen fishing off the bridge. The Victorian-era architecture and interior rooms packed with period pieces made it popular with locals and tourists. Neither of those was the reason Aunt Leigh liked to eat there. It was the French chef who presided over the kitchen. According to her, he made the best spinach and Gruyere quiche in the world.
After thoroughly covering the subject of Robin, the conversation had shifted to her youth orchestra’s upcoming competition. The number of times Wilson’s name had been mentioned was in direct opposition to her claim that there was ‘nothing to see here’. Reece resisted the urge to tease her. He knew how vulnerable falling in love could make you feel. It was especially frightening when it was your first time, as he suspected it was for Aunt Leigh.
On the way back to Sawgrass, he got a call from Addison.
“Happy 4th of July, Reece!”
“Same to you,” he told her. “You sound unusually happy.”
“The furniture for Anthony’s room was delivered yesterday. Everything’s ready for our little bundle of joy.”
“Anthony? I thought your ultrasound wasn’t until next week.”
“It is next week. I was talking to one of my neighbors. She said if you don’t have morning sickness, then the baby is a boy.”
“That doesn’t sound very scientific.”
“The woman has eight kids. She knows what she’s talking about. But for the doubters out there, such as yourself, Clayton and I also did the wedding ring test last night.”
“Which is what?”
“I put my wedding ring on a string, and Clayton held it over my belly. The ring swung back and forth as opposed to in a circle. That means I’m having a boy.”
Reece bit down on his lip to keep from laughing. “If I were you, I wouldn’t rush out to have the name Anthony printed on anything yet. What are you guys doing to celebrate the 4th?”
“Clayton is making baby back ribs. He finally admitted that his fancy electric smoker isn’t as good as doing it the old-fashioned way. I suppose you’ll be grilling brats for you and Gypsy. What happened to your promise to get a girlfriend?”
“I don’t remember making a promise, and you’re wrong about the brats.”
“Changing the menu isn’t what I call a move in the right direction.”
“I was referring to the fact that I won’t be eating at home today. I was invited to a party.”
“And you agreed to go? Who’s this unknown person I need to thank?”
He smiled to himself. “She’s a friend, and before we go too far down this road, she’s already dating someone.”
“Let’s hope she invited someone for you otherwise you’re just wasting your time.” She sighed loudly. “It’s so sad. If you’d been putting in even half an effort, you could’ve been married by now.”
“That’s not true, Addie. You don’t find love. It finds you. Even I wouldn’t be foolish enough to try to hide from it.”
“Then why do you treat it like a joke?”
“Sometimes it’s easier to joke about something you want so badly.”
This was followed by what he could only think was stunned silence.
“I’m sorry, Reece. I didn’t realize how you felt.”
“Don’t apologize. You should be happy. I’m not a lost cause, after all.”