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When I heard Sawyer close down the topic of conversation, I moved away from Colby before he could press the point again and I made my way over to Tricia. Sliding down beside her on the seat next to her, I reached out and cradled the back of her head. Staring into her eyes, I smiled affectionately, but somehow felt a sad aura about her.
“Look at you, you’re a natural with this little bundle on your knee.”
The instant I paid her the compliment she stiffened. Shifting forward on the couch, she stood adjusting Remy in her arms. “Do you want me to put this little guy back to bed, Billie?” she asked. Billie turned from the conversation she was having with Colby and looked toward me, then more closely toward Tricia.
“Give him here, I’ll take him, his sheets are probably tangled, and his bed will need remaking. It would be better if I do it because if he wakes up and he’s with you, he’ll be wide awake again and we’ll have to start over.”
My heart clenched when I thought Tricia had perhaps regretted not having children, and I watched in wonder at the delicate way the two women swapped Remy from one’s arms to the other’s without my nephew waking. With his head draped over Billie’s shoulder, she made her way inside to put him back to bed.
“Can you grab the paella from under the pizza oven? I stuck the pan there to keep it warm,” my brother asked, as he weaved his way back to the barbecue and turned the steaks over. Sliding back and forth between the table and the barbecue he set out platters of food, while Colby grabbed salads and dressings from their huge refrigerator.
I was helping as he’d asked me to when I realized Tricia hadn’t gotten involved, and when I looked around, I saw her leaning over their railing and looking toward the horizon. The sun was low in the sky, the orange reflection shimmering across the water.
“Penny for them?” I asked, sidling up behind her and wrapping my arms around her waist in a tight hug. Seeing her that way made me wonder again what had happened in her life that had made her so preoccupied and gave her an appearance of melancholy.
Flashing me a half-hearted smile she shrugged. “Just appreciating the beautiful sunset,” she mused, and I knew in that instant she’d lied to me. For a fleeting few seconds, I thought of calling her on it, but decided whatever had held her back all these years may take time to be shared. We knew each other, were committing to one another, but I knew there was still much to learn.
