Raquel had thrown herself into prepping for the California bar exam. She walked around with large textbooks draped over her arm and a pencil between her teeth. She probably had a long-term revenge scheme going—the first step was becoming a lawyer, the second step was suing Nash. “She and I aren’t exactly on speaking terms.”
Alice shook her head as she patted Nash’s knee. “I can’t say I blame her after what happened.”
“I didn’t mean to take over.” He needed someone to believe him. Although why he thought it would be Alice, he wasn’t sure. But out of all the people in the world, his family’s opinion of him mattered most. Well, his family and Kenzi—but then, Kenziwasfamily. How he wished he could get rid of the technicality and be her husband in every sense of the word.
“No, you’re just too good at what you do to go unnoticed.” She cocked her head. “Despite your big success, I sense a hollowness inside of you. You miss her.”
“More than I missed fresh air while in prison.”
Alice shivered, and he regretted bringing up his incarceration. He’d owned up to it, had to. When Julia had written the press release that declared to the world he was the new CEO, she hadn’t tap-danced around his prison time. She’d laid it all out there for the world to see, and he was forced to accept his past as a part of what made him the man he was today. Not that he was grateful for his trials—he wasn’t that saintly, and if that was the path God had for him, then it was going to be a long road for the both of them.
“I’ll pray she comes back to you.” Alice patted his knee again.
The band around Nash’s heart loosened slightly. “Prayer will work. I’ve been praying to see you again.”
Alice’s eyes welled up with tears and she smacked his arm. “Don’t say stuff like that.”
He tipped his head back and laughed. “Come on. Let’s go see Charlie.”
“Charlie?”
“Our resident ice cream specialist and the server of free samples.” He rubbed his hands together, excited to show Alice the tasting room.
“Well, why didn’t you say so?” Alice hopped up. “I’ve heard good things about the new cherry flavor.”
“There’s a funny story about that flavor …”
Nash’s heart and mind were still heavy over Kenzi’s disappearance, and he missed her so much he could officially be called melancholy. But today, his sister was here and he was going to eat some ice cream and find out all he could about his nephews. A small part of the life he’d had before prison had come back to him.
Please, Lord, bring Kenzi back too.
