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Had her subconscious been right, too? He hoped she would call him if something was wrong at home. She knew how much he’d come to care for both Priscilla and Reese. They’d come to be family to him. If they needed anything, he’d be there for them the same way he would for his own family. Tomorrow he’d make sure she knew that.
His refrigerator offered him few choices. An almost empty gallon of milk and some sliced turkey were the only two things inside. Between renovations and the book, shopping had taken a back seat this week. With the weekend a day away, a trip to the grocery store didn’t seem worth it. He wouldn’t be around to eat anyway. Tomorrow, when Taylor got home, they’d leave for Newport and three nights alone. He’d enjoyed their last trip down with Reese, but he was looking forward to having Taylor all to himself. Except for the wedding ceremony and reception Saturday, there’d be no distractions or responsibilities for either of them. And he planned to take full advantage of that.
Chapter Sixteen
I’m at a wedding with the president of the United States. Despite their suits and ties, the Secret Service agents stood out among the guests, reminding her just who was somewhere inside the mansion.
She watched the agent currently standing near a door into Cliff House. Sunglasses covered his eyes, but she suspected he took in everything around him, making sure the president remained safe while attending his nephew’s wedding. She would never want the agent’s job. She preferred knowing who the bad guys were and being on the offensive, rather than having them surprise her. Another agent, this one a woman, approached the one Taylor watched. They exchanged a few words then the female agent entered the mansion, a building she’d only got a brief look at inside when they first arrived. As she expected, Cliff House was as extravagant and grand as the Newport mansions open to the public for tours.
While inside, she had met a few more of Curt’s cousins, including the president’s daughters, Callie and Sara, and their husbands. Honestly, neither woman had needed introductions. She would’ve recognized both women and their spouses anywhere. But that had been well over an hour ago, long before many of the other guests arrived.
Taylor felt his presence before she heard his voice. She always did. Whenever he was near, the air around her changed. Her body picked up on his proximity. Taylor couldn’t explain it.
“Sorry I was gone so long.”
“I didn’t even realize you’d left.”
Curt touched her back and slowly caressed the skin exposed by the dress. “Is that so?” He left a trail of goose bumps behind. “Guess I need to work harder tonight when we get home, so you don’t forget about me so easily in the future.”
She thought about how hard he’d worked this morning after waking her up. Liquid heat exploded in her stomach. If he worked much harder, she’d be dead. But she would certainly die happy and with a smile on her face.
“I bumped into Derek on my way back. He invited us out on his boat tomorrow afternoon.”
Taylor pulled her thoughts out of Curt’s bedroom and back to their conversation. A safer place for them, considering the number of people gathered around them. “What did you tell him?” She’d gone on a cruise once, but otherwise she’d never stepped foot on anything bigger than a kayak. A day out on the open ocean sounded fun.
“Some other time. It’s only June. We’ve got all summer, and Derek and Brooklyn go out all the time. I think my cousin would live at sea if he could.”
His cousin was Derek Sherbrooke. The man never needed to step foot in a courtroom and represent a client again. Like all of Curt’s relatives, he had more money than he’d ever need. Oddly, none of them acted that way. At least none of the family members she’d met so far did.
“It would make getting a pizza delivered difficult,” Taylor said, rather than what she’d really been thinking. They never discussed money, and
she avoided the topic of his family tree.
“That’s not the only downside, trust me. I spent two weeks out on a boat with Derek a few summers ago. Two of the longest weeks of my life.”
Yeah, not being able to get a pizza did sound insignificant compared to the difficulties she imagined living at sea could create.
She spotted Jake walking toward them before Curt did. She’d guessed he was around somewhere, but this was the first time she’d seen him today. “I think your cousin is looking for you.” Taylor touched his arm while she spoke, and he followed her gaze.
“I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Nana wants the photographer to do a picture of all the grandchildren together before the wedding,” Jake said after greeting them. “Uncle Mark sent me to round up you and Scott. Everyone else is already in the library.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Curt, does it look like I’m kidding?” The first time she met Jake, she noticed he had a sense of humor. Right now, though, he sounded completely serious. She didn’t think he was pulling Curt’s leg.
“Aren’t we all a bit old for family pictures?”
“Nana’s almost ninety. Do you really think she cares how old we are?” Jake asked.
She’d met Curt’s grandmother when they first arrived. The woman didn’t look or act like any ninety-year-old women she knew.
“She said the one she’s got is too old. And since everyone’s here today, including your brother, she wants a new one. The sooner we go, the sooner it’ll be over,” Jake explained before Curt protested more.
Holding in her laughter was impossible. Listening to the two grown men complain as they walked across the lawn reminded her of Reese’s response when told to clean her room or put away her laundry. “Think of it like this: you’ll be making your nana very happy.”
Her comment earned her a dirty look from both men.
“I see Scott with Aunt Marilyn. I’ll grab him and meet you inside,” Jake said before leaving them.
