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“I get whysheneeds to learn it. But why areyou?”
I thumb back in the direction of Blake’s family. “Because of situations like that. Because when we go to Calloway Creek it’s nice to be able to say hello to them. Because Maisy needs people in her life who speakherlanguage. You spent time with her this morning. Didn’t you say anything to each other?”
She shrugs. “Not really. Aunt Marti did most of the talking. ASL seems pretty cool though. I was thinking about taking it as my language elective in high school next year.”
I stop and look down, not wanting to think about the fact that my daughter will be entering high school in the fall. A huge high school. In Orlando. With thousands of other students.
Pushing aside my fatherly fears, I try to focus on the here and now. “Really? That’s fantastic. If you like it so much, why the third degree?”
“We should go. It’s going to take me forever to wash and curl my hair.”
Her non-answer says it all. She thinks I’m learning it because Maisy is Allie’s niece.
“Bug.” I put a hand on her shoulder.
She shrugs it off. “Fine. Whatever. You’re learning sign language. Who cares?”
She stomps off toward our building, her blue hair blowing in the breeze, as I wonder once again if there is any universe in which Allie, Bug, and I could somehow become a family.
~ ~ ~
The rehearsal dinner is packed with Montanas and Calloways. With Allie and I keeping our distance from each other, I’ve gotten more of a chance to get to know her Montana cousins—the ones who aren’t in the wine business. They own the Calloway Creek Golf and Country Club.
While Allie and I aren’t directly talking to each other, that doesn’t keep us from staring at one another. Is she thinking about the beach last night? Because I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. How beautiful she looked straddling me against the backdrop of the moon and stars. How her soft, tanned skin prickled under my touch. How her third orgasm perfectly aligned with my second, her walls squeezing my cock in spectacular synchronization.
I have to look away before my dick gets any harder. But I still hear her talking with a few Calloways. Her voice is as soft and sensual as her skin.
“So, which is better,” Serenity Calloway asks, “Australia or Antigua?”
“That’s hard to say,” Allie replies. “They both have so many wonderful qualities.”
I close my eyes and absorb her voice as I listen to her make comparisons between the two. I wasn’t even aware Allie had been to Australia. She’s never mentioned it. She’s spoken of other family trips to amazing places like Switzerland, Thailand, and Fiji, but never Australia.
I pick up on a few facts I didn’t know about Allie, as in she spent many months Down Under doing an internship for a winery when she was nineteen. But then something strange happens. The more I listen to her talk about Australia, the more inaccuracies I pick up on. I should know. I’ve been there.
I open my eyes and study Allie as she speaks. It’s odd. She’s not even excited about it when Serenity prods her for more information. It’s almost as if she doesn’t even want to talk about her time in Australia. Maybe something bad happened when she was there.
But when Cooper Calloway asks if she liked Vegemite, and Allie has no idea what that is, I know something’s off. There is no way in hell you can travel to Australia, especially for as longas she claims to have been there, and not tried Vegemite. It’s practically a staple to the locals.
She catches me watching and finally her frown turns into a smile. Since Bug is nowhere to be found at the moment, I walk over. “Mind if I steal Allie for a minute?”
“Not at all,” Serenity says, sharing a secret look of ‘I know what you two are doing’ with her husband.
“Care for a drink?” I ask Allie.
She glances around. I know what she’s looking for. Or more specifically,who.
“She’s off somewhere with your mom and Charlie I think.”
“I could use a drink.”
I wave over a waiter carrying a tray full of champagne and grab two glasses. I take a sip and nod. “Brut. Your favorite.”
“So youwerepaying attention.”
I lean in to whisper, “I always pay attention, Al,” and her arm brushes mine.
Damn, how I wish I could pull her against me. Put my arm around her. Sit and talk with her all night. Part of me saysfuck it, Bug should have to learn to deal with whomever I choose to spend time with. But the other part, the part that knows how fragile these years can be, that’s always the part that wins the battle.