I hid my smile behind my wineglass.
I loved this.Loved seeing Henry like this — looser, lighter, his edges softened by comfort.An ordinary man surrounded by people who loved him.
And maybe a man capable of loving in return.
“How about a toast?”Imogene lifted her glass of sparkling water.
We all followed suit.
“To new friends,” she said warmly.“To finding family in unexpected places, and to the kind of company that makes even the darkest days feel a little lighter.Cheers.”
“To new friends,” I murmured in response, and we all clinked our glasses together.
Everything about tonight felt strange.Not because I didn’t enjoy being here.But because it felt so normal.My life had been anything but normal for so long, I didn’t know how to act.I kept thinking it was all a dream I’d soon wake up from.But I didn’t.This was real.
And maybe this could be my life.This could be my new normal.I could be the type of woman to be able to enjoy a laid back, unpretentious dinner with friends.
Realfriends.
Not people who pretended to care one minute, then stabbed me in the back the next.
“Thanks again for cooking,” I said to Gideon as I carved into the steak with my knife.“And for including me.”
“Are you kidding?”Imogene interjected.“When Henry said he was bringing you to Atlanta, I threatened to revoke his future godfather status if he didn’t bring you to dinner.”
“When are you due?”I asked, sliding a piece of steak into my mouth.The first bite nearly made me moan.Tender.Buttery.Rich with flavor.
It had been so long since I’d had steak.
Victor never allowed me to eat it.
But he could eat all the steak he wanted.
Hypocrite.
“March fifteenth, but I’m really hoping she comes before then.I already feel like a beached whale.”
I smiled, spearing a brussels sprout.It was caramelized with a hint of maple.
“Henry mentioned you’ve known each other since you were teens,” I remarked to Gideon with a sly smile.
“Don’t fall for it,” Henry warned, his voice playful.“She’s hoping to get dirt on me.”
“It’s only fair,” Gideon shot back.“You gave Imogene the dirt onmewhen we started dating.”He turned to me, grinning.“Let me tell you something about Henry Fontaine.”
Gideon and Henry may not have been brothers, but they shared many similar features.Dark hair.Tall stature.Strong physique.They both had the look of someone who’d been through hell and survived.I got the feeling they only survived because they had each other.
“He pretends to be tough on the outside, but he’s a complete softie on the inside.You just need to know how to crack him.”
“And how did you crack him?”
“Easy.”He shrugged, taking a bite of steak.“I kicked his ass.”
“Do you have to tell this story?”Henry groaned, but the warm smile on his face told a different tale.
“We were both in the same foster home,” Gideon explained, sipping on his wine.“He hated me on sight.To be fair, I wasn’t exactly easy to like, either.I challenged anyone who looked at me wrong… Including him.”
“He still does,” Henry muttered.
