Page 26 of Love is Grand

“You don’t have to,” I said, because the last thing I wanted was to be alone with my thoughts.

Cal was probably running around the island with Sophia, eating, drinking, and being merry. She might not be Jewish, but she wasn’t a local islander with brown skin and a child. I imagined Cal and Adam’s mom wanted a Jewish life for both of her sons ... not only Adam.

Weezie begged, interrupting my thoughts. “Mom, please!”

“Okay, baby. But the wedding is tomorrow, so make sure to go to sleep when Abuela tells you.”

My mom was from Puerto Rico. While she didn’t bring many customs with her, being a doting grandmother was one thing she wouldn’t forgo.

“I will, Mommy.”

“Get some rest,” Mom said to me. “Or you could stop by the barbecue at the hotel. The one you said no to.”

I almost growled. I’d hoped she’d forgotten.

I’d turned down the invite for the casual rehearsal dinner, saying Weezie needed sleep before the wedding. My parents knew it would be a late night and had also said no. Truthfully, tonight was for Adam’s family, who had traveled here for the wedding, and we were only Rylan’s adopted family.

“I don’t think so.” I nodded good-bye and kissed my dad on the cheek. Then I pulled my mom in for a hug to whisper, “This weekend is about Rylan. Don’t do a thing to ruin it.”

She pinched my arm and mouthed, Monday.

Monday was good. Cal would hopefully be back in New York with his date, and my mom could have a fit and yell at me then.

I didn’t go to the barbecue. Instead, I went home and drank a cup of herbal tea, then took a shower before crawling into bed with a romance novel. This one was historical fiction about a duke and a seamstress. It was a stupid book about wealthy royalty falling for the help, which hit a little too close to home.

Slamming the book shut, I closed my eyes and was willing myself to fall asleep when there was a loud banging on my front door.

I didn’t have to get out of bed to know who it was. I tried to ignore it, but the banging got louder, this time coupled with his shouting my name.

After tying a robe over my pajamas, I walked down the stairs and opened the door. Without waiting for a greeting or to ask if he could come in, Cal barged inside and paced my tiny hallway.

“What the fuck, Shell? You skipped the rehearsal dinner?” Then he lowered his voice. “Shit. Is Weezie here?”

I couldn’t believe the liberties he was taking, yet I shook my head. “She’s with my parents.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I shot back, “Where’s your girlfriend?”

His eyes blazed. The flecks of gold around his pupils darkened, and he looked murderous. I wasn’t afraid, though.

Then Cal seemed to deflate. He leaned into the wall, running his hand through his hair. “I deserve that. Look, Shell, Sophia isn’t my girlfriend. She hasn’t been in a long while. She talked me into bringing her to the wedding. It was a mistake, but I couldn’t send her home.”

“Whatever.” I started toward the kitchen. I needed a shot of bourbon, but since that wasn’t a good idea for me in my condition, I’d have to settle for water.

“Shell, are you listening to me? Where the fuck were you? I sat there all night, worried something happened. I couldn’t ask Rylan, and I knew Adam would slaughter me if I brought it up.”

“I’m coming to the wedding tomorrow. Decided to sit tonight out.”

Cal’s large body loomed over me in my tiny kitchen. I didn’t know whether I wanted to run to him or sprint away as fast as I could.

I guzzled the water, feeling my cheeks heat. It was the hormones. My body was reacting to the crazed side of this man, and my heart was reacting to all of him.

“What else do you want, Cal? Do you want me to thank you for saving my daughter?”

“Fuck that. No. I wanted to see you.”

“You’re here with another woman. I can’t see you. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t see you under these circumstances.”

Taking all of him in, I found myself wishing our baby had his passion and beautiful eyes. They wouldn’t have his blond locks—it was unlikely with my dark curls.

“I want to be here with you.” Cal stepped forward, stopping a breath away from me. “I want to be here with you all the time, but you don’t call. You don’t text. You never even say a quick hello. Nothing. I think about you all the time, and most of the time I wonder if you even remember me.” Tiny crinkles formed around his eyes as he made his confession.

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