Looking deeply into his eyes, she whispered, “You have to let go of this anger you have inside. It’s not healthy.”
As luck would have it, Roarke appeared in the hallway at that moment, and her stomach plummeted. He paused, and their gazes locked over Derrick’s shoulder. The power of his stare rocked her insides. She could only imagine how the scene appeared, confirming every contemptible thought about her, so soon after their heated tryst.
Too quick for her to decipher the look he cast in her direction, his face became a shuttered mask so swiftly she thought she imagined it.
“Hey,” Derrick said in a stiff voice, glancing over his shoulder at Roarke. Celeste lowered her arms, and he looped his arm around her back. “More family’s arrived.”
“Yeah,” Roarke said, staring down the hall. He didn’t look at her. He didn’t look at either of them. “Cassidy told me. Everyone’s on the back porch.”
He walked away, and they followed behind.
Moments later, they joined the family downstairs. There, Celeste met three other people staying in the house: Aunt Iris, a tall, dark-skinned woman who stood behind the wheelchair of an older woman everyone called Granny, and their Uncle Reese, who was in the process of prepping a couple of grills for the meat and vegetables on a table nearby. She was also introduced to a few cousins staying in one of the hotels with their children.
With the sun high in the sky and the waves crashing nearby, Celeste relaxed into the southern comfort of the beach house with a twinge of envy. The Hawthorne family sipped lemonade and sweet tea and munched on snacks as they waited for Uncle Reese to “do his thing” on the grill.
A couple of hours later, with the groom, additional guests, and a few neighbors present, the large group ate the bounty of food, seated on the back porch and gathered around folded tables on the lawn. The Hawthornes were a big, loving family and made her feel welcome. She thought how nice it would be for her daughter Arianna to experience the love and camaraderie of a large family in such an idyllic location.
Because of the number of people at the house, she managed to keep her distance from Roarke easily enough, though she couldn’t resist looking at him from time to time.
After a stomach full of chicken, ribs, rolls, sides, and dessert, Celeste sat next to Matthew on the porch swing. She surveyed the group and listened with interest to their conversation. Roarke leaned against one of the white posts, and Cassidy stood next to him, her arm wound around his and her head resting below the top of his shoulder.
Roarke’s Aunt Iris asked him about marriage and children, and Celeste couldn’t help listening attentively to hear what he had to say. The sting of jealousy ran through her at the thought of Roarke married with children. He deflected his aunt’s question by pointing out Cassidy was getting married tomorrow.
“Hey, don’t shift the focus off you to me!”
“Thanks for having my back.” He slipped his arm around his sister’s neck in a mock headlock.
The playful banter between the two continued. Cassidy’s obvious adoration for her older brother directly conflicted with Derrick’s assessment of Roarke. In fact, from her observation, Roarke was well regarded by everyone.
Could it all be an act?
It was possible. Hadn’t her own husband fooled her into thinking he was a loving, giving person interested in a monogamous relationship, when all along he’d been “giving” his loving to as many women as he could during their marriage?
She wondered if the old adage had merit in Roarke’s case: If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Still, how much of what Derrick said about Roarke was truth and how much misconstrued because of jealousy?
Chapter Eight