Ten

David

I wasn’t surprised that the welcome dinner for the Wright cousins was at La Sirena. It was Morgan’s favorite restaurant in town, and she’d persuaded me several times to go there for work-related events. No matter that we had a restaurant on the top of our building for that exact purpose. This was what she wanted, so this was what she got.

Not that I expressly disagreed with her. The food was unbelievable. Latin fusion with a twist. Plus, the cocktails were out of this world.

Mostly, I was wondering why I was showing up for this thing at all. I’d met Jordan and Julian Wright last year when they showed up for Christmas to be with their dad. I wasn’t a Wright though and didn’t think I needed to meet their mother. But Morgan had invited me…and then Sutton. Well, I couldn’t deny her anything.

That was how I ended up at a Wright family event as the only person not expressly family. The most I’d done was share a quick kiss with the youngest Wright, which had been playing on repeat in my mind. It had taken all my self-control not to kiss her again inside Wright Construction when she showed up after she got out of the bakery earlier this week.

I entered La Sirena and walked around the corner to the private wine room that Morgan had reserved. I pushed through the door, and my eyes found Sutton across the room. She had a glass of sangria in her hand and was shaking her head at Austin. Morgan and Jensen were speaking to their cousins and aunt while Landon and Patrick held court with the women—Emery, Heidi, and Julia.

Sutton’s eyes twitched to the open door, landing on my face. A smile crept onto her lips, and her entire demeanor seemed to shift when I entered the room. As if she had just been getting by, and now, she was blossoming in the sunshine.

I nodded my head at Morgan before sauntering over to Sutton. “Hey,” I said with a smile of my own. “You look great.”

And she did. A flowy navy-blue dress with pink-and-white flowers, which tied up around her neck and waist. Her hair was curled at the ends, and she had on a dusting of sparkly makeup. She was practically glowing.

“Thanks. Annie and I went shopping this afternoon. She’s a bundle of nerves about starting med school. So, all she does is shop.”

“I’d probably be nervous, too.” I turned to Austin and held my hand out. “Hey, man.”

He shook a little harder than normal. “Hey.” He tilted his head toward the bar. “Want to go get a drink?”

“Austin, you’re not drinking!” Sutton hissed.

He held up his hands. “I was going to walk David to get a drink, Sut. I’m perfectly happy with my water.”

I could read the deeper meaning behind his words. I was pretty sure Austin had been gearing up to this conversation all week. Morgan had probably kept it from happening at work. Better to get it over with.

“Yeah. A drink would be great.” I gently touched Sutton’s arm. “We’ll be right back.”

She nodded and then nervously glanced between us.

Austin and I moved across the small room and back out to the main bar. He leaned against the bar and appreciatively eyed all the liquors before averting his gaze. A black bartender with coily curls, wearing a red flannel shirt, came by, and I ordered a Texas Honey cocktail. She winked at me in response and began to pour the bourbon concoction.

“So…you and Sutton?” Austin finally said.

“Yep.”

“When did that happen?”

“Recently.”

“Are you sure that y’all should be dating?”

I looked him dead in the eye. “If she thinks she’s ready, then she’s ready. I would never pressure her to do more than she’s comfortable with. All of this is up to her.”

“Good. She’s been through the wringer. She’s strong, but I worry about her. We all do.”

“I know you do. I was there the day Maverick died,” I reminded him. “I remember what she was like before and what she was like after. Maybe not like you all do, but I can see the difference. I don’t ever want to see her that unhappy ever again.”

The bartender slid my drink to me, and I took a sip to steady myself.

“Me either,” Austin agreed. “Look, I’m her big brother. I can’t help it if I want to beat the shit out of you for thinking about touching my sister.”

“Probably doesn’t help that your best friend is now dating Morgan.”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t even get me started.”

“I kind of expected this from you anyway.”

“Yeah?” he asked. “Well, just know that, if you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”

“Got it,” I said with a laugh.

We shook hands, and Austin smiled. He was serious about how he’d react if I hurt Sutton, but I had no intention of ever doing that. Or at least…I hoped so.

“Come on. Let’s go meet this aunt of mine. Pretty weird to have a new aunt after I’m thirty.”

“I could see that. Family is always a bit crazy. New family is definitely so.”

Sutton appeared at my elbow once we were back in the room. “What was that about?” she whispered.

“Nothing. Just getting the third degree from your brother.”

She groaned. “Oh God, I was worried about that.”

“It’s fine. It was expected. We’re good.”

“But it’s so embarrassing. We’re not even…” She trailed off. “I don’t know.”

“And that’s totally fine with me.”

“Still…stupid, nosy brothers. No wonder Morgan was secretive,” she muttered. “Whatever. I should probably introduce you to my aunt.”

She gestured for me to follow her, and we walked over to where Morgan and Jensen were chatting with a woman in her mid-fifties with graying-blonde hair and a soft smile. She wore a modest pink blouse and long black skirt that made her seem even meeker.

“Helene,” Sutton said, “this is the Wright Construction CFO, David Calloway.”

“Pleased to meet you,” I said, holding out my hand.

“Delighted,” she said. Her handshake was as light as her voice. “I’m so happy to be home. It’s the first time back since I moved to Vancouver.”

“We’re glad to bring you home,” Julian, the younger of the two cousins, said. He put a protective hand on his mother’s arm.

Jordan’s face was pinched, and he said nothing, just nodded. His eyes kept darting around the room and then back to his mother, as if he couldn’t quite believe they were there. Or maybe he wanted to get her out of there, away from so many people. He was stern, and I was certain he wanted to bolt. Strange, considering he was here on vacation.

“How is Vancouver this time of year?” I asked.

“Well, it’s not Texas,” Julian said with a laugh. “We’re not used to this heat.”

“It’s the wind and sand you have to get used to,” I assured him. “After San Francisco summers, I thought I’d never acclimate to Lubbock, but I’m coming around to it.”

“You love the evenings,” Sutton said. “Admit it. It’s gorgeous. And nothing can beat a Lubbock sunset.”

“Oh, I’ve missed the sunsets,” Helene said.

“Fine. I enjoy the sunsets and the evenings,” I conceded to Sutton with a grin.

She blushed slightly at the look and turned back to her aunt.

“Aren’t you two adorable?”

Morgan laughed and then covered it with a cough. “Why don’t we grab our seats? I, for one, am starving.”

Sutton hid her pink cheeks from everyone as they maneuvered around us. My eyes followed the rest of her family. Julian kept his hand on the small of his mom’s back. Jordan walked stiffly behind them. Helene appeared oblivious to the entire thing, but there was something about her. Something that I couldn’t quite place. I didn’t know what it was though.

“I didn’t quite realize how this would look before you got here,” Sutton said as she gestured for us to sit at the end of the table.

“Like we’re dating?” I asked.

She nodded.

“Morgan did invite me before you did. I was already planning to attend.”

“But still.”

She was right, of course. It did look like we were dating. And it put pressure on her when she didn’t need it. Or when she wasn’t ready. She had freaked out that first night when she thought we were going on a date. I wouldn’t blame her if she started getting spooked in this situation.

“Do you want me to go?”

“What?” she asked with round eyes as she took her seat across from Landon and Heidi. “No, of course not.”

“Okay. But I would.”

“That’s not what I want.”

I moved my hand under the table and clasped hers in mine. Her hand was warm and so fucking inviting. She squeezed gently on my hand before surreptitiously releasing it.

I still wasn’t sure where that left us. But I was more than ready to find out.

It was a couple of hours later before we finished off our meals and were finally leaving La Sirena. It was near to closing. I was sure the staff was happy to see us gone for the night, but they couldn’t deny the generous tip we’d left.

I fell into step beside Sutton as we descended on the parking lot. I’d parked next to her Audi. She stepped carefully across the gravel in her heels before reaching her door. She turned around to face me as her siblings’ cars all vanished from the parking lot, leaving us all alone.

“I had a great night,” I told her. “I’m glad I stayed.”

“Me, too. David, I want you to know that I’m not embarrassed to be seen with you or for my aunt to think we’re a couple. I don’t know what we’re doing just yet. Can we kind of go with the flow?”

“Absolutely,” I said, taking a step closer to her.

She stared up at me through thick black lashes. “I couldn’t get Jen to watch Jason this weekend or next. She’s busy.”

“That’s okay,” I told her.

“We could always stay in,” she sputtered and covered her mouth. “That’s…not what I meant. What I meant is…”

“You need to stay in to watch Jason for the night.” I took another step closer.

She nodded and leaned forward, as if we were magnets.

“We could have a night in with him if you’d like. I don’t mind.”

“Are you sure?”

“I adore your son, Sutton. I don’t mind anything that’s easier for you.”

She smiled and then stood on her tiptoes. Her lips hovered in front of mine. Then, I grabbed her around the middle and dragged her against my body, pressing our lips together. She moaned into the kiss, and I opened her mouth to mine, thoroughly tasting her. I lost all time in that parking lot. I hoped I never found it again.