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The French doors are open, and a breeze blows the sheers covering the glass doors into the house. The scent of roasting meat tantalizes me, and my stomach growls loudly.
“Hush.” I rub my belly.
With the afternoon sun bearing down on the perfectly manicured grass, the garden is at its best. I’ve only ever seen the garden at night. During the day, it’s simply breathtaking.
Alec’s mom sees us and touches her husband’s arm. As if he was waiting for a sign from her, they move as a unit toward us. Jace and Dylan follow closely behind. We create a circle with my family forming one half and Alec and his family forming the other half. I sense a coolness in all of them as I say hello, including Alec’s brothers. The only person who seems unreserved is Alec. He’s his usual happy self.
I swallow hard as nervousness comes over me. The warmth I got the last time I was here from Alec’s mother is very clearly missing. Did I do something to upset her? But how could I when we haven’t seen each other since that day? My earlier enthusiasm disappears. I’m like a balloon that’s been suddenly deflated. I wish I could have a moment with Alec to ask him what’s going on.
My mom feels the lack of warmth, and she shoots me a questioning glance. I shrug in answer. I expected jokes about how we’ll soon be one big family, but I feel as though we stumbled into the wrong party.
Alec’s mom invites us to grab some plates and serve ourselves from the chef roasting meat on one side of the garden. That breaks the tension as we file to the table holding the drinks and plates.
I touch Alec’s arm and hold him back. “What’s going on, Alec? Everyone is not as warm as they usually are, especially your mother.”
A puzzled expression comes over his features. “Really? She seems her usual self to me.”
There’s nothing to say after that, but I know I’m not wrong. Something isn’t right. My father and Alec’s dad move away from everyone after serving themselves, sitting on two chairs. Alec’s mother and my mom do the same, leaving the rest of us to stand together.
Molly busies herself with her boys, and I find myself standing with Alec, his brothers, and Jeffrey. We talk as people do when they are getting to know each other. What should have been a fun afternoon has gone horribly wrong, and the worst of it is that I don’t know why. Dylan leaves the group and goes to the drinks table. Seizing my chance, I follow him.
“Drink?” he says.
“Yes, please.”
He fetches a bottle of cold water from the cooler and hands it to me. It’s definitely not my imagination that something is off. Dylan doesn’t make eye contact with me, and he’s inching away from me as if he can’t bear to be in my presence.
My chest hurts. Rejection hurts.
“Is something wrong? Have I done something wrong? Is it about Alec and me?” My mouth takes on a life of its own when I’m nervous. I ramble like a complete fool. My brain conjures all sorts of scenarios. “Is it about Alec and me getting married?”
I know that I’ve hit the jackpot when a look of a trapped deer comes over his features. I’m immediately transported back to my living room conversation with Peter.
Do you love him? Does he love you?
When did he propose, Ivy? Recently I’ll bet. Was it to protect the clinic?
That conversation has haunted me, and all my insecurities come rushing at me. Everything that is wrong with my relationship with Alec comes to the surface. Things I ignored … or tried to ignore.
He has never actually said that he loved me. A man who really loves a woman has no problem saying the words.
“Can I ask you something?” I say to Dylan.
He has no choice but to say yes. “Sure.”
“Why did Alec propose to me?”
Dylan looks like he would pay to be anywhere else other than here.
I press on. I’m asking for trouble, but I can’t help it. I have to know. I don’t want to live a lie. “Was there trouble at the clinic?”
“I’m not the right person to be having this conversation with,” Dylan says and then turns and leaves.
The pain starts deep inside my chest and slowly, torturously spreads to the rest of me. Oh, God. Peter was right. He’d mentioned a scandal at the clinic and that the Andersons were using me.
My legs become weak, and I feel as if they’ll buckle under me.
“Hey Ivy, are you all right?”
