I knew she was going to Italy, it was just a shock hearing that it would be happening sooner than originally planned. I thought I had myself under control, but that went to hell with Ryan’s comment. He meant well, and teased as he usually would, and I don’t really blame him. He has no clue that I’m in love with Rachel. I suspect some of our family are aware of our feelings, but not in the sense that we’re actually together.

The cold mountain air takes my breath away as I walk out on the veranda with a view of the ski slopes as they’re well lit for the nighttime skiers.

“You’re my son, and I love you,” Dad utters the words directly behind me. “You’ve no idea how much it hurts because I can’t take away your pain.”

He moves beside me and wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Does anyone else know how you feel about Rachel?”

I dip my head and look over the railing to the road below. “Others suspect.”

He nods. “It’s not going to be easy, but you have to move on, and perhaps Rachel being overseas will help you do just that.”

I have to look away, blinking rapidly as tears come to my eyes. The thought of losing Rachel hurts. It hurts so much that my face ends up damp from the tears that fall.

“Uncle Lucien?” Rachel says, her footfalls moving closer.

Turning, I find her face as damp as mine. My father sighs heavily as he too, turns to look at her.

Rachel opens her mouth to say something but instead great big wracking sobs shake her body, and I do the only thing I can, and catch her up in my arms. We hold each other tightly and as I cradle her head against my neck, I meet my father’s worried gaze. “I love her Dad. She’s the only woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

“I want the same thing, Uncle Lucien.” Rachel sniffles and hiccups. “I love him. Only him. That’s the reason why Paige and I aren’t talking. She wants me away from him, but I can’t do that.” She nuzzles into my neck. “Alexander is my whole world.”

“I can see that,” Dad says, sighing heavily. “I’m not sure—”

“We’re together Dad.” I kiss Rachel on the forehead. “After this weekend we don’t intend hiding anything from anyone. I’m proud to call Rachel mine, and I’m not going to let family come between us. I love her.”

Dad offers a wry smile. “Believe it or not, I actually admire you for taking control of your life in this way. It’s not going to be easy, and I’ve no idea how my brother is going to react, but it is what it is.”

“You’ll keep it to yourself this weekend?” Rachel asks, looking at my dad.

He nods. “I’ll talk to your mother,” he holds my stare, “but no one else.”

“Thank you, Uncle Lucien.”

He walks away after a brief hug for us both.

“I meant to tell you about Italy moving forward, I just got caught up in us.”

“I’m not ready to lose you.” I hold her close and bury my face into her hair.

“Come with me.”

“What?”

“Michael worked overseas for a short time, so why can’t you? Come with me. Hold my hand as we walk around Florence, eat delicious food in Italian bistros, and make sweet love.”

“I’m so tempted to throw everything to the wind and say yes, but I can’t. Not until I’ve spoken to Michael and Olivia. I can’t leave them without support, and right now I’m supposed to be covering while Michael takes time off with Brooke.” I step back and run my hands through my hair. “I don’t know how to make it work.” I tug at the longer strands.

“Let’s not think about it now, okay? I want to dance with you at Charlotte’s wedding.” Rachel smiles and her face lights up. “Of course I’ll then have to dance with everyone else, but at least I will have had your arms around me on the dance floor.”

“Paige isn’t going to like it.”

Rachel bites her lip. “We’ll take the chance that she won’t make a scene because I’m not about to let her have control of my decisions or what we do. You told your dad that we’re together, which we are.”

My heart feels like it’s going to explode with the love I have for this beautiful woman in my arms. “Take my hand,” I offer.

Our fingers intertwine. “Let’s dance.”

She giggles as I lead her inside. The small function room already has music playing and couples dancing. Uncle Sebastian makes me laugh as he starts getting fresh with Aunt Carla.

I roll my eyes when Rachel meets my gaze with mirth in hers. My arms tighten around her and we’re slow dancing. I grin and Rachel returns it just as I spin her around and then back into my arms. She comes back to me laughing and that’s how the rest of the dance goes. We have fun but have to keep it light, and then I lose her to Uncle Ramon, her father.

My mother slips into my arms, giving me a pointed look. She pulls me close and whispers, “I love you.” Her words momentarily derail me, but then she has me dancing around the room with her until she finds my father and entices him to the dance floor with her. “He hates to dance.”

“He needs to be close to you,” I comment and moving away, I grab Charlotte from her husband’s arms.

“That’s so not fair,” she grumbles.

“You can’t expect the men in your family to not dance with you on your wedding day.”

“I want to dance with him on our wedding day.”

I laugh. “You sound like a two year old having a tantrum.”

“Well, if you don’t return me to my husband, you’ll see what kind of tantrum I’m capable of.”

I grin and leaning in, kiss her on the cheek. “I’m really happy for you Charlotte.” I kiss her again and return her to Tanner, taking Madison from him.

“Nice to see you’re not hiding behind anymore plants,” I comment and get a glare in return.

“I’m done with the hiding. I actually think the wine has something to do with that.” She giggles and I groan.

“How much have you had to drink?”

“Enough to forget all about the flesh I’m revealing in this dress.”

Help!

“Um, Madison, can we not talk about that? Please!”

She giggles. “You’re so funny Alexander. You and Joshua are usually the more serious of the lot of us, but yet this weekend I’m seeing a different side to you.” She raises a brow and when I don’t say anything, she continues, “You’re cute when you’re not in control.”

“I’m not cute,” I grumble.

Madison smirks. “So cute.” She grabs hold of my chin and squeezes as you would a child. “See, cute.”

“You need to go and sleep the wine off.”

“I wonder if Derek will take me to bed,” she mumbles, and I really do panic. Ryan waltzes by with his sister Sofia in his arms, and yes, he caught the words out of Madison’s mouth.

So did Sofia. “I’ll take you upstairs,” she offers. “I think it will be best.” Sofia wraps an arm around Madison’s waist and with a slight tug starts walking toward the exit. Ryan follows behind.

Running my hands through my hair, I move from the dance floor and watch Rachel laughing with Jaxon.

She’s so beautiful that my heart catches in my throat as I try to imagine my life without her in it. I can’t because it’s unbearable.

“You both are going to cause a rift within the family if you carry on?” Paige hisses beside me.

I give her a sideways glance. “I love her Paige, and she loves me. That isn’t going to change because you don’t like it.”

“It has to stop.” Her anger is real as I glance at her face and she leaves me speechless. “It’s not right.”

“I’m not listening to you so you might as well save your breath.” I move away and on exiting the room, I find Rachel slip in beside me.

“I saw you with Paige.” She intertwines our fingers, leading me toward the elevators. “She looked angry, and so did you.” She leans in and kisses my shoulder.

Once inside the elevator, I wrap her in my arms and hold her close. “We’re not needed again downstairs?”

“No. I quickly said goodnight to my dads.”

I drop my chin to the top of her head. “Good.”

We head toward what I’ve come to think of as our room.