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He held out his hand, and I took it, relishing even this small contact. Together, we walked back out to his car, waving to Cleo on the way. She should have left an hour ago, but thanks to my wardrobe crisis, she’d stayed behind to talk me off the ledge.
We’d left Daisy fast asleep on our bed. She was too big to take with us, and she didn’t like to move much anyway. Cleo had taken care of her while we’d been away, insisting she didn’t mind a huge dog in her small apartment.
Gabriel was a comforting presence the whole way to his parents’ place, either with a hand on my leg or taking my hand in his. The contact set me at ease, and by the time we arrived in front of the huge mansion, I was feeling much better about tonight.
At least I was until we’d barely stepped foot inside and Liam appeared from one of the hallways leading off the impressive entry hall. He greeted me with a distracted smile and kissed my cheek before nodding to Gabriel. “We’re in Dad’s office.”
Squeezing my hand, Gabriel brought it up to his mouth and placed a soft kiss on the back of it. “I’ll be back soon. Freya, Quinn, and Mom are in the kitchen.”
Althea came into the entrance hall, looking like she was entertaining the president, not her family. Her dress was designer, tailored to perfection and a dream of peach and lace. “I thought that was the door I heard.”
She greeted me with a kiss to each cheek, her subtle perfume engulfing me. “I can’t believe Gabriel left you out here all by yourself.”
I followed her quick strides, her heels click-clacking on the tiles. “He went with Liam as soon as we got here.”
Althea shot me a raised eyebrow. “If you let him get away with it now, he’ll only get worse. My husband and sons are all workaholics. Well, Liam not so much anymore.”
Freya jumped up from where she was sitting on the counter and rushed over to hug me. “What took you guys so long? Don’t tell me Gabriel went to the office today. You only came back yesterday.”
“He did. Apparently, there was an emergency.”
Althea picked her martini glass up from the counter. “There’s always an emergency.”
“Mom,” Freya chastised her. “You know what being part of this life means. Don’t make Vanna feel bad for being so understanding.”
Quinn embraced me next, her hug much gentler than Freya’s. She looked amazing in the body-hugging maxi dress she wore that showed off her belly. I placed a kiss to it and sat down at the kitchen table.
Althea took a sip of her drink, her shoulders dropping. “I just want her to be happy. Gabriel is a different person since he met Vanna. He’d been walking around with a dark cloud over his head ever since he became head of the family, but now I barely recognize him. And I want to make sure Vanna is as fulfilled in her marriage as my son seems to be.”
Freya placed a glass of sparkling water in front of me, not having to ask what I wanted. The fact that she’d noticed what I usually drank made me feel valued. Which was something I’d been feeling a lot since becoming part of this family.
She handed a glass to Quinn as well, who took it with a sigh. “I miss grown-up drinks.”
Turning my attention back to Althea, I gave her a genuine smile. “I’m very happy. And I grew up with a workaholic father. I’m used to the long hours. Besides, Gabriel always makes time for me.”
At least he had so far. We hadn’t been an “us” all that long, even though I felt like I’d known him a long time. I’d never clicked with another person as much as I had with him. And it wasn’t Gabriel who they should worry about screwing up. He wasn’t the one about to blow this marriage apart.
Freya grabbed a large pitcher out of the cupboard, a mischievous smile on her face. “I’m making margaritas. You up for giving alcohol another chance?”
Settling onto one of the chairs placed around the small kitchen table off to the side, I smiled at her. “Sure. Let’s do it.”
The guys joined us not long after. Gabriel distractedly greeted his mom, then walked up to me with long strides, yanking me out of my seat and onto his lap. He pulled me tight into his chest and then buried his face in my hair, placing a kiss on top of my head.
The kitchen had gone silent, and when I lifted my head, everyone was looking at us.
Freya cleared her throat, the noise cutting through the silence. “Stop staring. You’re making Vanna uncomfortable. And don’t act like you’ve never seen anyone kiss their wife before.”
Jude opened a beer, holding it up in a toast. “To the newlyweds, and to my brother finally finding a woman who’s willing to put up with his hairy ass.”
Everyone lifted their glasses, Althea shooting Jude a chastising look and Liam and Freya laughing.
I took a sip of my margarita, coughing when it burned down my throat. “Oh my God, Freya, how much tequila did you use?”
“Half a bottle, why? Is it too strong?” She took a sip, and her lips thinned with the effort not to spit the drink back out. Once she’d choked it down, she snatched my glass out of my hand. “Don’t drink it. I’ll make us wine spritzers instead.”
Althea straightened from where she’d been leaning against the counter. “Let’s go into the dining room. Dinner is almost ready.”
We left a few hours later after I’d eaten my weight in baklava. The night was another memory I would cherish forever.
