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“I’ll leave you to get ready.” Dane then made his way out of the room. Olivia felt buzzed for a moment. Regretful she didn’t get another kiss from him. He was so addictive. She needed her fix. What had she come to? How could one kiss from this gorgeous guy turn her head crazy?
Just then her cell phone buzzed and her heart jumped. The thoughts of the text earlier got her all nervous. But she reminded herself that Dane had his detective guys on the job.
“Hey, Bria,” she said, after seeing the display number from her sister’s cell phone.
“Hey, sis. You okay?”
“As okay as I can be.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Tired.”
“Are the Belmonts nice?”
“Oh, they are very nice, Bria. I’m so glad they’ve offered me a room here.”
“So what’s it like to stay at a palace?”
“Right now, I can’t think too much about it. But it’s very nice. You can come visit.”
“What are you going to do about the apartment?”
“I don’t know. I have to work a few shifts at intake and then come up with the first and last month’s rent for a new place.”
“You know you can stay here.”
“Thanks, I know. But you know me already. Besides, you guys are crowded. It’s bad enough Aunt Sasha’s a hoarder.” Olivia grinned.
“I hear you. Still don’t know how auntie moves around in here. At least my room’s okay.”
“Good. Glad to hear it. Just keep your stuff organized. One day, I’ll hire someone to organize her place and get rid of half that stuff in there.”
Bria giggled. “Oh, gotta go. My other line. Oh, and let me in on the details with that stud.”
“Bria! It’s not like that. He’s just putting me up in a separate room until I get another place.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Olivia laughed. Her sister was really something. Always pulling her leg. Still, she was glad that Bria was okay at least. And she was also thankful that Bria didn’t keep on about what had happened this morning. Digging up pain was never a good thing. She once told Bria that being there for someone in time of grief was very important but it was more important to go at their pace. Some people wanna talk a lot about it off the bat, yet others prefer to not think too much about the bad stuff. It seemed Bria actually took in their little talks.
* * *
The grand dining room was a formal one fit for an actual palace. It had a vaulted ceiling with what looked like a diamond chandelier dangling over the long white clothed dining table. Olivia couldn’t get over the spotless windows draped in velvet curtains. It looked like something out of the Victorian era. Beautiful and luxurious with its French provincial furnishings. Gold candleholders and plates adorned the table. She was beyond impressed.
She sat next to Dane around the table for twenty. Introductions had already been made. And what a large family. She noticed the brothers all looked very handsome. Good genes. Of course, Dane was the most gorgeous. Super hot. They were all tall with dark, beautiful skin. Some had brown eyes, some ocean-blue. Jonah was seventy-five but looked good for his age.
Dane explained earlier that his father wasn’t well, but Olivia wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t told her.
She met Chase, whom she recognized from a tabloid story a while back with a high-profile model if her memory served her correct. Of course, she wouldn’t dare ask. Neither was she interested in Googling it. God help her if it was saved on her search engine. Chase, Dane’s brother, and some sex scandal. No way. Still, you would never know it by speaking with them. Save for the lavish house, they all seemed so approachable. Down-to-earth and friendly. Very warm and open. They all made her feel so special. A far cry from Jack and his family. They didn’t have half of what the Belmonts had but they’d always turned up their noses at her or criticized the way she dressed or made snarky comments about her previous work at the women’s shelter. She should have taken that as a sign it wouldn’t or couldn’t work out.
Then there was Cole, who seemed so sweet, like Dane, offering his condolences, like the rest of them, and telling her that he’d lost someone in the past, too. Leo was a real charmer as well. There were also cousins and friends of the family around the table but she couldn’t remember all their names.
The butler, Ted, brought in the delicious enormous turkey on a silver platter and served it with white gloves. It seemed like a scene out of a movie. The table was dressed with all the trimmings.
Jonah stood and said grace and also welcomed Olivia to the table and offered his prayer to her during her difficult time. She felt her heart warm. God, she felt so emotional. The whole family was so super nice to her. She couldn’t’ get over it. She was supposed to have been with Jack tonight. But as it turned out, she happened to be with the most wonderful family she’d ever met.
“It’s so nice to meet everyone. Thank you for having me for dinner.”
“Hey, no trouble at all,” Chase said. “Anyone who’s a friend of Dane’s is a friend of ours.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“Friend?” Aunt Maya said. Olivia could feel Dane’s body tense beside her as he looked up from his plate. “Hopefully, you’ll be family soon, dear.”
“Aunt Maya!” Dane scolded.
“Sorry, dear. I just…I meant…”
“What Maya meant,” Jonah Belmont said, “was you are like part of our family.”
“And we hope things work out between you and…” Maya said.
Jonah coughed loudly and apparently nudged his sister. Maya quieted after that and brought her fork with a slice of turkey on it to her lips.
Olivia was beside herself. She couldn’t believe how charming the Belmont family was. Boy, she wished she was a part of this family.
She could see Dane flush. God, he looked cute. Didn’t matter how rich and powerful you were. Family was family everywhere. They’d embarrass the heck out of you every time.
It reminded her of her own mother who would try to match-make her daughters whenever she brought a male classmate over to study for a school project. God, talk about embarrassing. That was the last time she had study sessions at her home.
* * *
“The dinner was amazing,” Olivia said, feeling her waistline in her pants tightening.
“Glad you enjoyed it,” Jonah responded with a hint of pride. The rest of the family and their guests in the dining room had practically cleared. “And as tradition dictates, we are going down to Moorehouse, so please don’t think we’re being inhospitable. You’re welcome to join us.”
“Oh, Jonah, she doesn’t want to go there with the boys. She’d rather stay here,” Maya added.
“So that you can talk her to death, Maya,” Jonah said, arching his brow over his glasses. The man was in his seventies but his dark tanned skin and silky silver hair slicked back and high cheekbones told Olivia from where Dane inherited his good looks.
“Now, you know I wouldn’t do that, Jonah.”
“Olivia’s had a long day. She’s going to her room,” Dane chimed in.
“Actually, Moorehouse is the hospice, isn’t it? I volunteered there in the past,” Olivia offered.
“Yes, it is,” Dane said. An impressed grin curled his lips.
“So you’re going there now?” Olivia probed. “Do you know a patient there?”
“Well, we go there every Christmas to see the kids. We play Santa, deliver presents and serve dinner and we…well, sing.”
“He means, he tries to sing,” Chase added with a grin.
“Hey, speak for yourself, bro,” Dane snapped back playfully.
“Now, now, boys.” Jonah pursed his lips.
Truth was, Olivia had a second burst of energy. She didn’t mind tagging along. Anything than facing her worries alone in her room. “I’d love to come. I think it’s really sweet of you all to go there. I had no idea you visit the hospice on Christmas.”
“And Thanksgiving,” Maya added. “Those kids really deserve all the joy they can get. Dane and the boys visit there quite often. When did you volunteer there, dear?”
“Oh, while I was in school. I decided to become a social worker as a result. But I volunteered whenever I could. It’s been a while now, since I ended up working at the women’s shelter and now as an Intake Officer.”
“Oh, I see. You keep yourself very busy, helping others. That’s a good thing,” Maya said thoughtfully, winking to Jonah.
Dane rolled his eyes. “Okay, Olivia. You can come with us.”
“Great. Thank you,” she said with appreciation.
* * *
“Why couldn’t you have found a man like that?” Bria grilled Olivia over the phone, later that night. “Jack had nothing on this Dane guy.”
“Bria, come on now.”
“No, seriously, from what you just told me about Dane and his family going to children’s hospices to make dinners and give presents and play Santas and stuff like that, and the fact that he’s super rich and hot as hell… I just Googled him. He’s really a catch. You cannot let him go, Olivia!”
“Bria! He’s not a fish I just caught in the ocean.”
