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Their suite was magnificent—just as she expected—and when she stepped out onto their private balcony, Sienna was simply transfixed by the view. “Wow.”
Mick came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I know. Hugh always gives me this room and the view captivates me every single time.”
“I can see why.”
They stayed like that for several minutes, and Sienna swore she would never tire of the view. It made her realize just how little of nature she saw on a daily basis. Back in Durham, her townhouse had a view of a city street in the front and other townhomes behind her. And her office was even worse. The lab had no windows, and the tiny space she used as an office had a small one that offered a view of the parking lot. She’d never been one to think about scenic views, but she had a feeling it was going to weigh heavily on her mind when she went home.
“I hope you don’t mind that I accepted Hugh’s lunch invitation,” Mick said softly. “If you’d rather it just be the two of us...”
Glancing at him over her shoulder, she reassured him it was fine. “I find the Shaughnessy family to be fascinating. The little that Riley and Savannah talked about made me wish I could observe more of their family dynamic.”
“Really? Why?”
“I come from a small family. Jason’s my only sibling and we pretty much always got along. I didn’t know anyone who came from a family with six kids. I can only imagine what the balance must have been like to have five boys and then, ten years later, have a little girl. Their poor parents!” She laughed. “It must have been wild at times.”
“Well...Hugh’s mom passed away when Darcy was a baby, so...yeah. They definitely struggled.”
Turning in his arms, she felt incredibly sad—which made no sense since she really didn’t know the Shaughnessy family—but...her heart actually ached.
“It’s funny,” he said solemnly. “You and I grew up relatively unscathed. I didn’t realize that until I was well into adulthood and started working with musicians. You wouldn’t believe some of the things people had to overcome. Just as an example, I just told you about Riley’s family. But Matt’s? His mother left when he was just a kid, and his father was an alcoholic who was horrifically abusive to him. Dylan started using drugs when he was fourteen. And that’s just one band. When I was growing up, I thought I had it bad because my father wanted to me become an electrician.” He shook his head with a mirthless laugh. “Goes to show what I know, huh?”
“Just because it wasn’t horrific doesn’t make it any less valid,” she reasoned. “Although, I felt like Jason and I had a rather idyllic childhood, but when I started college and listened to how other people grew up, I felt a little cheated.”
He frowned. “In what way?”
Moving out of his embrace, Sienna sat down on the outdoor sofa. “Okay, but you have to promise not to laugh.”
Sitting beside her, Mick nodded.
“Well...because I was who I was—meaning, a total nerdy brainiac—I never went to camps that were just for fun. They were always science camps or math camps or some other educational thing. When we went on vacations, they were always more learning experience rather than for enjoyment. I think Jason resented it a bit, but he was too nice to ever say anything.” With a sigh, her head lolled back against the cushions. “Everything we’ve done for the last week is completely foreign to me because we never vacationed that way.” Looking over at him, she gave him a weak smile. “Weird, right?”
“I don’t know if I’d call it weird,” he said, reaching out and gently combing her hair away from her face. “There are people who never went on vacations or to camp at all, so...who’s to say?”
“I hate that your friends went through so much.”
Nodding, he replied, “And I hate that you have a friend struggling hard right now.”
That reminded her...
“Do you think the bread got there yet?” she asked as she sat up.
“It was guaranteed by five pm eastern time, so...” Glancing at his watch, he shook his head. “It’s just a little before three there, so I’m sure we’ll be hearing from her when it arrives.”
“I can’t believe you sent the clam chowder too.” Chuckling, Sienna stood back up. “You paid someone to fly a loaf of bread and a pint of soup across the country!”
With a shrug, he stood too. “And I told you it was more than worth it.”
“She’s going to be so surprised, and I hope it gets there before she eats dinner. I want her to enjoy it.”
“Oh, she will. I’m sure of it. Even if she doesn’t eat it tonight, she won’t be able to resist it tomorrow.” Looking out at the vineyard, he let out a long breath. “C’mon. Let’s freshen up and go meet Hugh.”
They walked back into their room and Sienna—as usual—was blown away by it. “You know, I feel like I’ve gotten to learn a lot about you and your lifestyle over the last ten days. Plus, I’ve had the privilege of meeting some of your friends. It makes me wish that I had chosen some places to visit closer to my neck of the woods so you can see what my life is like.” Then she instantly groaned. “You know what? Scratch that. You don’t need to see that. It’s too depressing.”
The look of shock on his face was almost comical.
“What? What did I say?”
“Why would you say that about your life?”
