Page 136 of Lost & Found

“Depends on what it is, princess.”

“That tracks. I guess.” A flicker of something crossed her face—disappointment? Or calculation? “But I feel like I should tell you, I asked Marcel not to tell everyone else about the wedding fiasco.”

“Why?”

“Truth?”

“Always.”

“I’m not ready to go home.”

Our eyes locked. And something shifted. In that moment, clarity hit me so hard it almost stole my breath. I would follow her anywhere. Even if it meant driving through places her brother had explicitly warned me about. Even if it meant stepping into something I didn’t fully understand.

“I’ll vote yay,” I breathed. “For you.”

I reached out a hand, unable to not touch her in this moment. I tucked one of the loose strands of hair behind her ear and felt her whole body sigh in relief.

Her eyes lifted. “You don’t even know what it is.”

“I don’t care.” The words surprised even me in how certain they felt. “If there’s any chance it brings a smile to your face, I’ll do it.”

She let out a laugh. But there wasn’t any amusement in it. It was sharp and cut through the room. It left me unsettled.

“Bella,” I said slowly, studying her. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

She pushed her plate away—half the food untouched—and drained the rest of her champagne in one steady swallow. The nerves were back. Bigger than ever.

“I need another night,” she said. “Maybe. I want to be solid in my presentation. I’ll be testing it on you first. Before I have to share it with the rest of the family.”

A presentation? So this needed to be structured and strategic. She was smart, knowing the best way to get anything approved by the family was to be prepared. I held her gaze for a long second. It was abundantly clear that she needed time. And whatever this was—it mattered.

“Okay.” Snagging the bottle of champagne from the middle of the table, I rose. “Grab our glasses and meet me on the patio. Although I should tell you to limit me. I get sleepy when I drink this stuff.” I titled the bottle.

The look of relief that passed told me I’d made the right move. There would be time enough to talk things out. Tonight, was just the two of us connecting on a deeper level, solidifying our own bond of sorts.

I stopped on my way, noticing the deck of cards I’d given Lisa, that she had handed back to me earlier. I pocketed them and went outside. She joined me on the patio, sighing contentedly as she looked out at the ocean. She’d kicked her heels off and drawn her legs up in the patio chair. I shuffled the cards lazily.

“Are those…”

“They are. I thought we could pull one or two and get you acquainted with them. Kinsley informed me that you agreed to a MingleMe profile. I guess our next big game night you might be in attendance, huh?”

“Not likely. Sebastian thinks I’m still twelve. I guess I could ask Kinsley to organize it on a night he’s not home.” She laughed. “How spicy are these ones?”

“Surprisingly, they are mixed. There are quite a few that are how best to describe it…informative. Yeah, I’ll go with that.”

“Well then, Dancer, how are we playing?”

“Pick the top one and we both answer it,” I offered.

She nodded and waited. I pulled the side-table between our chairs and laid them face down. She held out her glass, and I filled it for her.

“Bottoms up,” she said before draining it.

“Someone is nervous. You know you don’t need to be. If you don’t want to answer, I will respect your decision.”

“Where’s the fun in that? Plus, Kinsley is a stickler for the rules.”

“True. Would you like me to pick first?”