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Brooke smiled warmly at him, tilting her head to rest on his shoulder. Guess everyone was being affectionate tonight. But that didn’t stop the muscle in my jaw from flexing.
“I’m famished,” Liam said.
“I told you you should have had something other than champagne on the plane,” Brooke said playfully.
“Champagne on an empty stomach?” Leah said. “You’re in trouble, Brooke. My brother is a lightweight when it comes to champagne.”
I chuckled as everyone else did while making a mental note that my soon-to-be brother-in-law couldn’t handle his liquor. I could.
“I’m fine,” Liam insisted, finally letting go of Brooke’s hand. My jaw was just about to unclench when he wrapped his arm around her waist.Christ.Was it the champagne gluing him to her, or was this how they always were with one another?
“Yeah, right,” Leah said teasingly. “You get super lovey-dovey when you’re drunk.”
Well, that explains that.
“Throw some scotch on it,”Robert said, joining us at the island with an aluminum tray filled with drinks. He slid a rocks glass with whiskey on ice over to Liam and another to me.
“That’s a great idea,” Liam said, picking up his glass.
I picked mine up, too, as Robert finished handing out drinks to the ladies—Manhattans for Lillian and Leah and a gin and tonic for Brooke. It had been her favorite since college.
Once everyone had their drinks in hand, Robert raised his glass and cleared his throat.
“I just want to say how thrilled we are to have you all here,” he began.
Leah was grinning ear to ear. She was Daddy’s little girl, and it was sweet to see her adoration in person.
“It’s one thing having our kids back together and at home,” Robert continued, “but it’s even more special now that you’ve each brought the people you love.”
My gaze flicked to Brooke—again.Christ, I really needed to cut that out. And so did she, since her brown eyes were back on mine.
“And, another special congratulation to Leah and Alex on your engagement,” Lillian said, snapping my attention to her. “We couldn’t be more excited.”
“Cheers,” we all said in unison, clinking our glasses to one another’s.
I kissed Leah’s temple, grateful for the reminder of why we were here. A week ago, I had asked the woman I loved for her hand in marriage, and Brooke or no Brooke, we were going to celebrate that.
“Kids,” Lillian said to Leah and Liam, “why don’t you let our guests find their seats in the dining room and help your parents get everything plated?”
“Of course, Mom,” Liam replied. “I’m sure these two want a few minutes to catch up.”
He had no fucking idea just how much.
“Just promise to save anything juicy for when we get there,” Leah said.
Brooke chuckled, but her cheeriness didn’t reach her eyes. “Who can remember anything from so many years ago, anyway?”
Liam pushed open the swinging doors in the kitchen and pointed the way down the hall to the formal dining room.
I followed behind Brooke, wondering how much she’d truly forgotten. Once we’d gotten to the dining room, I looked back down the hall to ensure we hadn’t been followed.
Satisfied, I turned back to her, taking a deep breath and willing myself to stay cool.
“Hi, Alex,” she said on a deep exhale.
“Hi, Brooke. You look good.”
That was the understatement of the century. Her perfectly straight hair fell to her shoulders. Her eyes were still that warm honey-brown that I would melt into all those years ago, and while she still had the same slender frame, it was more toned, as if she’d been working out. She was just as beautiful as I remembered, and then some.
