Hubert flopped down on the bed, immediately making himself comfortable while I pulled out my suitcase and tossed it onto the mattress beside him. “You are not helping.”
He blinked at me and I shook my head. “Don’t judge me. I canfeelyou judging me, big boy. I know you saw him too and I realize you might’ve liked to say hi, but we couldn’t.Icouldn’t. It’s too soon. You understand, right?”
He yawned and I let out a quiet laugh, acknowledging that I was fully descending into insanity if I was mildly offended by mydog yawning at me in response to that question. Finally, I spun away from him and started pulling clothes from my closet.
I was halfway through deciding between two dresses for the party itself when the front door buzzer went off. For one quick, irrational second, I thought it might be Jesse, but I snuffed that hope in the bud before it could take root.
It wouldn’t be him. I’d seen to that.
Hubert lifted his head, his ears perking as he looked over at me.
“I don’t know who it is, boy, but I doubt it’s anything to get excited about,” I said, already heading for the door. “Just stay here, alright? I’ll be right back.”
Obviously, he did not stay. He trotted beside me until I reached the intercom, then sat down dutifully at my feet when I pressed the button. “Hello?”
“Good evening, ma’am,” a polite voice said. “I have a delivery for Jacqueline Calhoun.”
I frowned but pressed the button to let them in. I headed downstairs, confused as heck about what this might be. To the best of my memory, I hadn’t ordered anything that was due to be delivered, but when I reached the lobby, a man in a uniform stood waiting with a sleek envelope in his hand.
“Ms. Calhoun?” he asked.
“That’s me.”
“This is for you, then.” He handed over the envelope. “Have a good evening, ma’am.”
He didn’t even ask me to sign anything before he was gone, leaving me with the heavy, expensive-looking envelope in my hands. I took it back upstairs before I opened it, my heart pounding for some reason as I slid a finger under the seal.
It turned out my gut instinct to be nervous about it was right, however. Inside was an elegant invitation to Alex and Jane Westwood’s Gala. My stomach swooped as I stared at it,wondering why on earth they’d invite me—and how on earth I was going to get away with saying no.
CHAPTER 39
JESSE
Alex and I hadn’t taken a walk together in God only knew how long. This casual,let’s-discuss-our-feelings-while-strollingbit felt strange. Like we were both emotionally available, which neither of us had ever been accused of.
Historically, I preferred my emotional revelations to happen when there was alcohol involved, and as far as I knew, Alex liked his to come with a side of family drama, but here we were. He’d called and asked if I wanted to bring Cameron to the park with him, and since my niece and nephews were fast becoming my kryptonite, I’d agreed.
“This is weird,” I said as I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets. “Why are we here?”
Alex didn’t even look at me, too busy keeping an eye on Cameron chasing a butterfly. “We’re catching up. I thought you’d like to keep us company at the park, is all.”
“Are you sure there’s no crisis at the office or maybe a family emergency?”
He finally glanced at me and smirked. “Well, not right now, but give it time. I’m sure something will happen in a minute or two.”
“I can’t decide if you’re being sarcastic.”
He shrugged. “Some days are more eventful than others, but there aren’t many that are actually calm.”
I looked at him then, feeling like I was really seeing him for the first time in a long time, and I suddenly noticed things I’d missed before. Slight crow’s feet starting around his eyes. A flash of silver at the very roots of his hair at the temples.
“It’s been harder on you than you’ve been pretending,” I commented before I could think the better of it. “Taking over from Dad as patriarch, I mean. You’ve been acting like it’s all just part of the way things are, but it’s taking its toll.”
He blinked a few times in rapid succession, clearly surprised by the observation. “Itisjust part of the way things are, but sure. That still doesn’t mean it’s been easy.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“What’s there to talk about?” he asked, giving me a one-shouldered shrug before he turned back to Cameron. “It is what it is, Jesse. Dad’s living his best life out there in Florida, and that’s even when he’s not traveling to some remote, luxurious beach destination like the Maldives, and in the meantime, someone has to keep it all going. I’m the oldest, so I get to be the bad guy now. All in a day’s work.”