It seemed impossible that only a week before, we’d been at the beach house, madly in love and taking firm, sure steps forward in our relationship.
But now that relationship was broken, and now I knew why. I was angry and hurt that Gideon had kept something as monumental as Nathan being in New York hidden from me. I was furious that he hadn’t talked to me about what he was thinking and feeling. But I understood, too. He was a man who’d avoided talking about anything personal for years and years, and we hadn’t been together long enough for that lifetime habit to change. I couldn’t blame him for being who he was, just as I couldn’t blame him for deciding that he couldn’t live with what I was.
With a sigh, I went to my mom and hugged her. “Having you here . . . it’s what I needed, Mama. Crying and laughing and just sitting with you. Nothing could be more perfect than that. Thank you.”
“Really?” She hugged me tightly, feeling so small and delicate in my arms, even though we were the same size and her heels made her taller. “I thought you were going crazy.”
I pulled back and smiled. “I think I did for a little bit, but you brought me back. And Stanton is a good man. I’m grateful for all he’s done for us. Please tell him I said so.”
Linking my arm with hers, I grabbed her clutch from my bed and led her to the front door. She hugged me again, her hands stroking up and down my back. “Call me tonight and tomorrow. I want to make sure you’re doing okay.”
“All right.”
She studied me. “And let’s plan on a spa day next week. If the doctor doesn’t approve of Cary going, we’ll have the technicians come here. I think we could all use a little pampering and polish right now.”
“That’s a really nice way of saying I look like shit.” We were both rough around the edges, although she hid it much better than I did. Nathan was still hanging over us like a dark cloud, still capable of ruining lives and destroying our peace. But we’d pretend that we were better off than we were. That was just the way we did things. “But you’re right—it’ll be good for us and it’ll make Cary feel a whole lot better, even if he can only get a mani and pedi.”
“I’ll make the arrangements. I can’t wait!” My mother flashed her signature megawatt smile—
—which is what my dad was hit with when I opened the front door. He stood on the threshold with Cary’s keys in his hand, having been caught just about to slide one into the lock. He was dressed in running shorts and athletic shoes, his sweat-soaked shirt tossed carelessly over his shoulder. Still breathing a little quickly and glistening with sweat over tanned skin and rippling muscles, Victor Reyes was one hot hunk of a man.
And he was staring at my mom in a way that was totally indecent.
Tearing my gaze away from my seriously smokin’ dad to look at my glamorous mother, I was shocked to see her looking at my father the same way he was looking at her.
Of all the times to realize my parents were in love with each other. Well, I’d suspected my dad was heartbroken over my mom, but I thought she’d been embarrassed about him, as if he were a big mistake and error in judgment in her past.
“Monica.” My dad’s voice was lower and deeper than I’d ever heard it, and more obviously flavored with an accent.
“Victor.” My mom was breathless. “What are you doing here?”
One of his brows rose. “Visiting our daughter.”
“And now Mom has to go,” I prodded, torn between the novelty of seeing my parents together and a loyalty to Stanton, who was exactly what my mother needed. “I’ll call you later, Mom.”
My dad didn’t move for a moment, his gaze sliding down the length of my mom from head to toe, then gliding back up again. Then he took a deep breath and stepped aside.
My mom stepped out into the hallway and turned toward the elevator, and then at the last minute she turned back. She placed her palm over my dad’s heart and lifted onto her tiptoes, kissing one of his cheeks and then the other.