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“Okay, more toasts,” Cara said, raising her wine glass filled with water. “They say it’s bad luck to toast with a water glass, but the DeLucas have always made their own luck. To Tony and Frankie, on thirty-five years.Salute.”
All clinked their wine glasses for that, except Lili and Jack who had lifted water glasses like Cara.
A fact that didn’t go unnoticed by Jules. She shared a knowing glance with Tad then looked back at her brother.
“Wait a second…” Everyone stared at Jack, who actually managed to look more smug than usual. Yes, itwaspossible.
“Why aren’t you drinking? In fact, you haven’t been drinking all night,” Jules accused Jack.
Tad knew Lili had cut out alcohol while she tried to get pregnant, but for both of them to be sticking tol’acquameant something very significant.
“Are you guys pregnant?” Cara blurted.
Jack and Lili shared one of their well-known hot looks mixed with something else.
Lili’s shrug did nothing to mitigate her beam. “It’s sort of early to be announcing that kind of thing but…”
“Yes,” Jack whispered, his voice laden with emotion. “I figured if Lili has to suffer without wine for the next eight months, I can do it with her.”
Lili rolled her eyes. “As sweet as that is, I’d rather you drank so I can live off the second-hand residuals every time you kiss me.”
Everyone swarmed on yet another happy couple.
“How far gone—”
“Give her some space—”
“I think Jack’s going to faint—”
Francesca and Tony looked like they might explode with joy. Well, his uncle had both eyebrows raised, which was his version of happiness till the end of time.
Jules hugged her brother. “So you took my advice. Lit some candles, threw Barry White on the decks, dug out the sex toys from the back of the closet…”
“Watch it, you cheeky mare.”
“You’re a brave man to go without alcohol for the entire pregnancy,” Shane muttered around his wide grin. “I couldn’t do it.”
“Hey,” Cara said, nudging him gently in the ribs. “You’ve been well-compensated during this particular pregnancy, Riverdance.”
“Congratulations, Jack,” Tad said, shaking his cousin-in-law’s hand.
Jack nodded his thanks and another brick in that bridge they had been building fell into place. It would probably take a while to prove himself to Jules’s big brother but he had all the time in the world.
After giving everyone a few moments to soak up the great news, Tad cleared his throat and stood, feeling taller than he had in some time.
“So I’d like to say a few words.”
Everyone groaned affectionately. A balled-up napkin was thrust from Shane’s direction and landed on Tad’s bread plate.
“I’ll be short, I promise.” He took a deep breath and glanced at his sister, who gave a short nod of encouragement. “Tonight, we celebrate Tony and Frankie but also Rafe and Vivi. A week ago was the anniversary of our parents’ death. Ten years gone and ten years of wondering what might have been. I’ll never stop missing them, but I know that wherever they are, they’re probably proud of us and—”
“Wondering when you’re going to give them grandbabies of their own,” Sylvia finished to a chorus of laughter.
His gaze found his best friend, who looked as stunning as he’d ever seen her. Hair in a messy bunch-up, face happily shiny from her exertion in the kitchen, her new chef’s jacket streaked with pesto. His at last and absolutely perfect.
“Think I should get my feet wet with this one first,” he said with a brush of his lips across Demon’s head. “Right now, I’d like to toast us all with a special wine I set aside a while back.”
With Evan still curled into his shoulder, he reached to the sideboard behind him and grabbed the 2000 Chateau Pavie Bordeaux, given to him by his father all those years ago.
