Page 36 of The Wedding Toast (The Hamiltons #10)

When they arrived at his dad’s place, Reaves pressed the remote and watched Zia’s face as the gate swung open.

“Wow.” She looked at him, wide-eyed. “Is it a magical castle?”

He chuckled. “I like to think so. And my dad does.”

She nodded eagerly and looked around as Reaves pulled forward and followed the drive that led between the rows of vines on either side.

The winery was small compared to most in the area, and it was nothing like the Jacobs estate, which he guessed was Zia’s only point of reference.

But watching her expression in the rearview mirror, she seemed enchanted.

When the house came into sight, she gasped. “Look, Prince Daddy, it really is a castle!”

Looking at it through her eyes, he could see how his dad’s home – the home where he’d grown up – would look like a real-life castle.

He smiled at her. “It looks like one, doesn’t it?”

“It is one,” she insisted. “Oh, and look, there are sunflowers. Sunflowers are the best. Mom likes them. Did you know that? She says they’re like me, all sunshine and happiness.”

He could see that. The description fit her well.

His dad had always had a couple of rows of sunflowers planted in front of the house, and another along the side – said they brightened the place up.

Apparently, Reaves’s mom had loved them.

Not that he remembered – she’d died when he was small, leaving him and his much older dad to figure out life on their own.

He parked around the side of the house, and Zia exclaimed, “Look, there are more of them here. Can we get out and see?”

“Hang on a minute.” He got out and opened the rear passenger door.

When he unfastened her harness, she held her arms up to him to get her out.

It took him by surprise – he’d seen her climb in and out of Alara’s Suburban unassisted before.

But he didn’t hesitate to scoop her up, closing his eyes when she wrapped her wiry little arms around his neck and gave him a hug.

“Thank you so much for bringing me here.”

He held her tight for a moment. “You are so welcome. I’m glad you’re here.” He chuckled. “And I can’t wait to introduce you to my dad.”

When he set her down, the worried look on her face made his heart clench as she asked, “Do you really think he’ll like me? Lots of people don’t, you know.”

He couldn’t help it – he picked her back up and hugged her again. “Lots of people don’t like me either, and that’s okay. The people who don’t like us just aren’t our people. I think you and my dad will get along just fine. Now, do you want to go inside and find out?”

She nodded, and when he put her back down, she took hold of his hand. “You’re going to be such a good daddy, you know.”

He gave her a puzzled look, wondering where that had come from.

“You tell the truth,” she explained. “Not everyone does that. Oh wait! I need my new backpack. I can’t forget it this time. I want to show your daddy my stickers.”

He chuckled as he pulled her backpack out before closing the door.

He was hoping that Alara wouldn’t mind that he hadn’t been able to resist buying a new one.

They’d picked up so many supplies that they needed something to carry them in.

And when he’d seen the fox face, this backpack looked like it would be a friend to the one she already had.

He was also hoping that his dad would be forgiving about the glitter, but there was only one way to find out.

“Shall we go see him then?” he asked.

“We shall,” Zia said as she slung her backpack over her shoulder, the fox face smiling up at him.

~ ~ ~

Jacob did his best to stay out of sight of the house. He didn’t want Becca or her family to see him wandering around out here and think that there was anything wrong – there wasn’t. He just couldn’t stay cooped up in the cottage all morning.

Xander and Slade had teased him about being a control freak, but he really wasn’t. Of course, Bentley understood that he just wanted to keep an eye on things.

The caterer had come dashing over to make sure that he was okay, and from the way the man had assured him that everything was perfect and going to plan, Jacob had to wonder if there had been some last-minute issues he was trying to cover up.

He hadn’t pressed, though. If he knew the details, he’d only want to solve them himself. And that wasn’t his job. Not today.

The seating area looked amazing. All the seats were covered in white fabric and tied with blue ribbons with big bows on the back. He frowned when he saw Alara standing on a stepladder.

The arch was coming along wonderfully. He knew it was going to be the centerpiece of everything.

Hannah had told him that her friend Delaney had fallen in love with the photos she’d seen of Alara’s other work and wanted to pay her a retainer just to have her on call for any project she might need.

That might not be a bad idea, especially since it sounded like Delaney was considering moving here to Napa.

She’d find no shortage of work if she did.

And Jacob had a feeling that Reaves would be more than happy if Alara and Zia decided to stick around. He couldn’t see it, though. Elena had told him they were on their way to Oregon.

He decided to go over and have a word with her. He wanted to make sure she was okay, for one thing. But now that he’d thought about it, he wanted to ask if there was any chance she might stick around.

She must have sensed him approaching. She turned just before he reached her. The stepladder wobbled, making him nervous, but she just smiled.

“Don’t worry. I have a great sense of balance, and these things always try to escape from under me.”

He chuckled. “Glad to hear it – that you have the balance to outwit them.”

“This is coming along much more quickly than it looks. You have nothing to worry about,” she told him.

“I have every faith in you. If you knew me better, you’d probably be surprised by how relaxed I feel about this.” He smiled. “You just seem to inspire confidence.”

“Thank you. That’s a lovely thing to say.”

He nodded. “If you knew me better, you’d also know that I don’t tend to say things unless they’re true.”

“I don’t need to know you well to see that. That’s why it means so much.”

He studied the arch for a moment. It was such intricate workmanship.

The wooden frame itself was beautiful enough to be a centerpiece even without decoration, and now, with the cornflowers, and ribbons, and the white flowers with just the occasional pink and purple one woven in – he should remember what those were called, but he didn’t – the overall effect was stunning.

He shook his head with a smile. “Thank you seems like such a small thing to say.”

She beamed at him. “It’s not small. In fact, it’s huge. It means a lot to me. Some of the jobs I do … I don’t mean to talk bad about any of my clients,” she added hurriedly. “It’s just that not everyone appreciates …” Her words trailed off and she shrugged.

Jacob felt bad for her. She didn’t want to speak ill of anyone, and he respected that. He knew what she meant anyway.

“Well, I do,” he said. “And I think everyone here does too – appreciate the artistry as well as the hard work and talent. But more than that, it’s not just about the visual effect. It’s about the feelings.” He let out a short laugh. “I’m allowed to talk about those on my wedding day, aren’t I?”

Alara nodded. “You most certainly are. And thank you again for inviting us to stay. I was thinking that we might hit the road …”

He opened his mouth to protest, but she smiled. “I don’t want to now, though. Usually, I complete my work and I’m on my way. I know that my contribution is over. But it means something to stay around, to see you and Becca get married.”

“Thanks,” said Jacob. “Is there any chance that you might stay around for a while – not just the wedding?”

She gave him a puzzled look.

“From what I’ve heard, there’d be plenty of work for you. And from what I’ve seen, plenty of people who’d be happy to have you here.”

She gave him a sad smile. “If things were different, I might have considered it, but we’re on our way to Oregon.”

He cocked an eyebrow, hoping she’d explain, but knowing that it wasn’t his business, so he shouldn’t push.

She shrugged. “I have work there. And Zia is going to have to start school in the fall. It doesn’t come naturally to either of us, but I think we’re going to have to settle down for a while.” She made a face. “Work a real job. You know how it goes.”

He nodded. He did. But he wanted to ask why she couldn’t do that here. Again, it was none of his business.

“There you are,” said Bentley. “I’ve been looking for you. Oh, sorry, Alara. Is everything okay?”

“It is,” she told him. “Although I should probably get back to it.”

Jacob held her gaze for a moment. He wanted to talk to her about the options she might have if she decided to stay in Napa, but he didn’t have the time right now.

And he wouldn’t have the time again before she left.

He and Becca were leaving this evening. They weren’t flying out until the morning, but they were going to spend the night in a hotel in town.

He hadn’t wanted to spend their wedding night under the same roof as her entire family.

“Is everything all right?” Bentley asked as they followed the path away from the house, leaving Alara and all the bustle of caterers and decorators behind them as they headed toward the garage.

“Everything’s great,” Jacob told him with a smile.

Bentley laughed. “I know you’re fine – I meant with Alara. She seemed … sad? What’s her story?”

Jacob glanced back over his shoulder at her. She was already engrossed in her work again, painstakingly attaching flowers and threading ribbon through the intricate construction.

“I don’t really know. She and Zia live in a camper, from what I understand. Napa is only a stop for her on the way to Oregon.”