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“The moon?”
“Yes, Alyssa, the moon.” He smiled. “You said you wanted to see the moon rise. I want to make sure you don’t miss it. We still have ten minutes. What do you say, should we get ourselves a fresh drink and go sit outside to watch it?”
She went to him and slipped her arms around his waist again. She had to. “Yes, please. I’d like that. And, Bentley?”
“Yes?”
“You’re amazing. Whatever happens tomorrow. Whatever we decide. However this thing works out. I’m not worried. Even if I only get to have you as a stepbrother, I just want you to know that I think you’re amazing.”
His expression softened as he wrapped one arm around her waist and brought his other hand up to cup the back of her head. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then looked down into hereyes. “I think you’re pretty amazing yourself, Alyssa. I don’t want to be your stepbrother. We need to work something else out.”
Chapter Eight
Bentley was surprised at just how chilly it was out on the balcony. He left Alyssa out there with their drinks and went back in to get the spare duvet from the closet. He smiled to himself as he grabbed the two spare pillows that were in there, too. He wanted them to be comfortable while they watched the moon rise – and if they were going to check the balcony off their list before the night was over, they might as well be comfortable for that, too.
On his way back out, he paused in the doorway. The sight of her sitting there, sipping her bourbon, took his breath away. He didn’t know what he was playing at. This was the craziest situation he’d managed to get himself into in years, if not ever. Logic should dictate that he walk away. And he’d allowed logic to dictate most of his life thus far.
He hurried out with the duvet when he saw her shiver. He couldn’t deny that logic had served him well in business. But his personal life was nothing to shout about. So, for tonight at least, he was going to use that as his excuse to ignore the logic and to follow his … instincts instead. It had to be instinct, that was all. The first thought that had come to mind had been to follow his heart. But he didn’t see how his heart could have anything to do with this; much as he liked Alyssa, he’d only known her for twenty-four hours. In the past, it’d taken his heart months before it showed any involvement in any of his relationships. And even then, the most his heart had ever said wasnot for me.
Alyssa smiled up at him as he wrapped the blanket around her. Something about that smile made his heart beat a littlefaster. If he had to guess what it wanted to say, it would be something along the lines ofscrew the logic.
Once they were both settled, warm and comfortable, under the duvet, he handed her her drink. He was relieved to see that she’d been sipping this one. He’d wanted to laugh when she knocked back the first one like a shot. He even found that endearing. It wasn’t like she was some hardened drinker. More like she didn’t have a clue what she was doing, but she was open to try anything. That seemed to sum up her approach to everything so far. He decided that, for tonight at least, he was going to follow her example.
“What time is it supposed to happen?”
He checked his watch. “We’ve got about four minutes until the official moonrise time. But I imagine that, with the mountains, it’ll be a few minutes later here.”
She smiled and shook her head.
“What?”
“Nothing. Well … Honestly? I was thinking about my dad. I love that he knew about the moonrise and that he wanted to make sure that your mom got to see it.”
“Yes, I love that too. I never would have believed that my mom would care about the moonrise. I think they’re good for each other.”
Alyssa nodded, but she didn’t look as happy anymore, and Bentley had the feeling that he knew why.
“It’s weird, isn’t it?”
She let out a short laugh. “It is. I imagine that it’s worse for you, too.”
“Why? Because she’s my mom?”
“Yes, that, and well … because she’s been your mom all your life.”
He gave her a puzzled look. “Oh, that’s right. You didn’t know your dad growing up, did you?”
She shook her head sadly. “It’s not just that I didn’t know him. I didn’t even know he existed. I grew up believing that my stepdad was my real dad.”
Bentley rubbed his hand up and down her arm. He didn’t know what to say to that. He couldn’t imagine what it must be like. “I’m sorry.”
She rested her head against his shoulder. “So am I, but there’s no point dwelling on it now. The past is the past. There’s nothing we can do to change it. All we can do is make the most of the present.”
He pressed a kiss to her temple. “Very philosophical. Also, very wise. And very much on point.” He pointed to a spot across the lake where a bright halo of light was starting to form above the mountains. He wasn’t a hundred percent sure, but he thought that was where the moon was about to appear. “We can probably make the most of the present by watching the moon come up.”
A rush of warmth spread through his chest when she snuggled closer into his side. “You’re right. This is awesome.” She smiled up at him before turning back to watch as the tip of the moon rose over the mountains. “You know how I said that even if this doesn’t go anywhere, I want you to know that I think you’re amazing? Well, even if it ends up that we each bring our own spouses and children to family holidays ten years from now, you should also know that every time I see the moon rise, I’ll remember tonight.”
Bentley had to swallow around the strange burning sensation in the back of his throat. He tightened his arm around her but couldn’t find any words. He didn’t think he’d forget tonight in a hurry either, but more than that, he couldn’t imagine how he’d feel seeing her at a family gathering with some other guy as her husband.
