He started laughing and then shook his head. “Very true.”
Chapter Eleven
The longer Scarlet stayed in Cole’s Hill, the deeper the bond grew between her and Alex. His family and friends had accepted her into their circle and she was feeling for the first time in her life that it might be okay to let her guard down with more than just a select few people.
A couple of hours in, Bianca’s baby shower was in full swing. All of the Velasquez brothers were in attendance, which was a big deal since Inigo had come fresh from a Formula 1 race to make it. Benito was proudly wearing a shirt that said I’m the Big Brother and because he was close with Nate and Kinley’s daughter, Penny, Penny had a shirt that said “I’m the Big Cousin.” The two of them were thick as thieves and it made Scarlet smile to see the way Alec’s entire family embraced Bianca’s baby.
Alec had been locked away in the den for several hours discussing something with Inigo, but she hadn’t missed him. She was seated on the couch with Helena, Hadley and Kinley, and honestly, she’d never had more fun.
She’d sent Billie back to New York to get ready for the launch of her newest lifestyle box, a quarterly subscriptionthat included trendy products, and Siobahn was still lying low at the house that Scarlet had rented. She’d started writing music again and Scarlet felt her friend was finally moving on from the heartbreak that had been dominating her life for so long.
Being surrounded by so much domestic bliss today brought her to an idea she’d been toying with for a while. She’d never really been able to crack the market of women who were older and maybe settling down. Her audience members were young and single and pretty much interested in working hard and partying hard. But spending time with Helena and Kinley made her think of maybe curating a wedding/bride subscription box. As the demographic of her audience was maturing, this might be a logical next step.
“Are you two available tomorrow to discuss a new project I’m working on?” Scarlet said. “I’m sort of known for my monthly lifestyle boxes and I’d love to do one with a wedding or bridal theme. Kinley, maybe I can partner with Jaqs if you think she’d be interested and include some exclusive content. Helena, as a bride-to-be, it’d be great to get your input on what to include.”
“I love this idea,” Kinley said. “I’ll text Jaqs after the party. She’s always looking to expand into new markets. We’ve been working on an exclusive tiara collection with Pippa and House of Hamilton. Maybe we could bring her into this as well with some bridesmaids’ gifts.”
“Sweet,” Scarlet said.
“I’m happy to help but honestly the things I’m interested in might be out of step with most brides. Like I’ve been majorly stressed by things that aren’t necessarily planning related,” Helena said.
“Hmm... Maybe we could include some tips from meditation experts, too. So it wouldn’t just be actual weddingproducts but wellness items, too. So will tomorrow work for you two to discuss the details?”
Kinley nodded, and Helena pulled out her smartphone, glanced at her calendar and then back at the two of them. “I could do early afternoon, but I have to combine it with lunch. Maybe around one or one thirty.”
“That’s fine with me,” Scarlet said.
“I’m good with that, as well. Tomorrow I’m working on Helena’s wedding, so I can move around a few things,” Hadley said.
“Mom won’t like that,” Helena warned.
“Your mom’s going to Vegas to meet with Jaqs. She and Jaqs have become closer after their blowup,” Kinley interjected.
Alec knew there had to be more to the story and she was interested in hearing it, but the main festivities of the baby shower were starting. She realized she’d never been to a party like this one. It was multigenerational, and almost everyone at the party had known each other for most of their lives. There was a lot of joking and reminiscing.
She looked over at Mr. Velasquez and tried to imagine her father ever attending a baby shower but frankly couldn’t. He wanted nothing to do with babies because they’d make him seem older or settled.
She already knew he wasn’t going to be a doting grandfather... Why would he be? He hadn’t exactly embraced fatherhood.
Just then Alec entered the room holding a plate of food from the buffet and a glass of sparkling water. He came over and handed them to her. “Figured you’d be getting hungry.”
“Thank you,” she said, taking the plate and drink from him. They’d discovered while she was in Seattle that if she ate something every hour she didn’t get sick.
“Looks like someone has broken Alec,” Mauricio said as he joined them.
“Mo, he’s not a horse,” Hadley said.
“What is he?”
“A gentleman... In fact, you could take lessons from your twin. I don’t think you’ve ever brought me a plate of food.”
“I give you other things,” Mo said, drawing his fiancée into his arms and kissing her, much to the delight of everyone in the room.
Helena got up and Alec took her spot next to Scarlet. “I like your family,” she said to him.
“Me, too. They are a bit of a pain sometimes because everyone feels like they know best but at the end of the day they’ll always be there for me,” he said, stretching his arm along the back of the sofa and wrapping it around her shoulder.
Alec was turning out to be an even better man than she’d expected to find, and his family would be exactly what her child needed. She felt better and better about the prospects for her baby, and that made her decision easier. She knew that if things didn’t work out in her relationship with Alec—and frankly, she wasn’t expecting them to, because she’d never been able to make one last more than six months—at least her child would still have a decent family to raise it.