“Ruby, it looks new without losing its original charm,” Aunt Amy said in her hoarse voice when I approached her. “Congratulations on a job well done.”
“Thanks—”
“And your mother tells me that a very handsome friend of yours helped.”
I bit back a groan. Amy was one of the pillars of gossip in the small towns along the coast, not just the one she lived in. Even if the news wouldn’t interest anyone outside Coral Bay, she had that twinkle in her eye like she’d just struck gold. She could’ve been a great columnist or an investigative reporter if she weren’t a caterer.
“He’s not here now,” my mother said, joining us with Alan. “He’s back in Houston,” she added quickly, her words clipped like a dart thrown in my direction.
“He has work there,” Alan said gently but meeting her gaze evenly. With them being the same height, the stare-offwas at eye level. His tone implied,it has nothing to do with Ruby.
Did he know she was blaming me for my dad checking out on us? Probably. But there came a time when you had to let your mom live with her own regrets, not carry them for her.
I looked at her. “For once, you’re right, Mom,” I said before she could load another shot. My smile was polite, my voice low. “He went back because of me. But everything else you try to pin on me? Don’t.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my aunt forcing back a smile, giving me a quick half-wink. My mom looked between me and Amy, biting back whatever retort she wanted to fire.
“Enjoy the food,” I said with a bright smile before moving toward the next group.
Joe from my staff clinked a glass, calling for me to say a few words. I nodded, holding up a hand, still in the middle of a group near the reception desk.
And then I saw him.
Across the room, beyond the laughter and the clinking glasses. Sebastian.
No grand entrance, no fanfare. Just there. In a suit. His gaze locked on mine, and it was like the room emptied of everyone else.
We started walking at the same time, weaving through the crowd until we met in the middle—surrounded by people, yet somehow all alone.
“You’re here,” I whispered, my throat clogged with relief and a torrent of emotion. My body sparked back to life.
He half-smiled, one corner of his mouth tipping up. “Someone had to make sure the roof held.”
I couldn’t tear my eyes from his. The dark-olive tie caught the light, highlighting the hazel flecks in his deep brown eyes.
“Speech,” someone called, from what felt like outer space.
Sebastian stepped closer, the back of his hand brushing down my arm, and gave me a small wink and a nod toward the front of the room. A silent push forward, a promise he was here.
I went to face the crowd, my heart galloping yet calm at the same time.
46
Sebastian
“... AND I COULDN’T HAVEdone it without the help of my staff, my friends, family, and especially—Sebastian Sawyer.”
She said my name out loud, for the room, but it felt like a whisper meant only for me. The applause that followed blurred, meaningless beside the way her gaze locked on mine.
“He’s the anchor that held it all together,” she added, her chest rising, like she was speaking only to me.
Tenderness and hunger swelled in me. I’d built things my whole life, but nothing had ever felt as solid as her saying that about me.
When guests circled and congratulated her, I slipped to the entrance where I’d left my gift.
Sandra and Lani called for a tour, herding the crowd upstairs to show off the newly finished floor. Ruby and I waited until the room was almost empty.
“For you,” I said.
