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“I was just getting her some water before I brought her in.” Dina stands.
“You’re not on the clock; you don’t have to explain to him,” I tell her, and grab her hand.
Remi shuts the door behind him and walks over to where I’m sitting. “Are you drunk?”
I widen my eyes in mock affront. “No. I had a few drinks. In my own house. Is that a crime?”
He rolls his eyes ceiling-ward and groans, before he cuffs my arm and lifts me to standing.
“Come eat. You’ll feel better,” he says, and starts leading me to the door.
“I don’t want to,” I whine, I let him pull me because I’m too wasted to fight.
When we get to the closed French doors, leading out to my backyard where the food is set up, he stops and spins me to face him.
“You’re so handsome, Remi,” I croon and stroke his cheek. He gives Dina a helpless look over my shoulder, and I pat his chest. “Don’t you worry. I’m fine.”
“You will be, as soon as we get some food in your belly, and more water down your throat. “
“I know how to behave, Remi, and I’m not drunk.” I shove him and, promptly, stumble and land on my ass.
He grabs my arm to haul me to my feet and gives Dina a dark look.
I wave a finger under his nose. “Don’t you dare blame her. I’m an adult. Go on. I don’t need you to drag me. I am perfectly capable of making an entrance without your help.” I pull my hand out of his grasp.
“I’ll walk with her,” Dina volunteers, and links arms with me.
“See, I’m fine.” I flutter my lashes.
“Remi?” Kal calls him and with one last, long disquieted look, he opens the door and steps outside.
As soon as he’s gone, Dina grabs my shoulders, turns me to face her and peers at me.
“Okay, Lady Chaos. Are you sure you don’t want to go to bed? Sleep this off?”
“I’ll be fine, as long as I don’t have to sit next to him.” I assure her.
I mutter under my breath to Dina as we walk out into the warm evening.
The backyard is what sold me on this house.
The huge pool and attached hot tub take up most of it. The summer kitchen with the fire-burning brick oven is spacious and tricked out with everything from a wood burning pizza oven to a Spit large enough to fit an entire pig.
And of course, when I look around the backyard, the first person I see is Stone sitting there without a care in the world.
My heart, so stupid and foolish, does a flying leap like it’s trying to get to him.
It hurts when it meets the hard wall of my chest in a painful thump.
That’s what you get for wanting what you can’t have.
I turn away from him and walk toward the tabled laden with the meal I spent all day preparing. It’s Jamaican fare – Oxtails, curry goat, coconut curry shrimp, Ackee and Saltfish, rice and peas, fried dumplings, brown stew chicken and beef patties I picked up from Cool Runnings in Rivers Wilde’s Market Food Hall. And a huge pitcher of Guinness punch.
Remi and Kal are sitting with Hayes and Confidence. Last thing I need is to deal with the smugly happy couples.
“Let’s go sit with Tyson,” I say, and turn to head to where he’s sitting with the newest member of his little fan club.
“Uh, you go ahead.” Dina lets go of my hand, and turns to head back, the way we were coming, before I can object.
