I snort. “Don’t worry, I can sleep some more. Is everyone here?”
She tilts her head toward the porch. “Mostly, just the family, some of Bailey’s friends and family. Maybe you’ll meet someone this weekend.” Olivia wiggles her eyebrows. “Want some wine?”
“God, yes.”
We head back into the kitchen momentarily so she can grab me a glass of wine from the varying bottles on the large chef’s island. Thankfully, she knows my taste better than anyone andgrabs me a dark cabernet. The kitchen staff smile indulgently at us, before shooing us out of the kitchen to enjoy the dinner. Nobody quiets as we exit onto the porch, which works wonders for my nerves. Olivia sits me in the empty seat beside Dad. I lean forward to wave at Olivia’s mom, Gloria, before fixing myself a plate of whatever the pasta is that smells like heaven on earth.
“You look tired,” Dad comments from the corner of his mouth.
“Just had a six-hour nap. I feel great.”
“Work?” Dad prods.
I shrug, not wanting to worry him more than he already worries. I’d moved away from home on the East Coast to the South for college and then ended up on the West Coast for residency. Laziness made me end up staying on the West Coast for good. I rarely see him, my stepmom, or Olivia unless I make the long trek home. It’ll be nicer now that Olivia’s soon-to-be husband was traded to the NFL team in Seattle with a decent contract. Hopefully, if she has children, they’ll get to know Uncle Tate instead of me being some weird mirage that sends them presents on major holidays.
The pasta is heavenly, and the wine is the right amount of bitter. Stars begin to dot the sky as everyone happily chats while they eat the delicious food. For the first time in a long time, I feel relaxed, my shoulders not tense to my ears. Once the main meal and our dishes are cleared away, the staff set plates of rich-looking cake in front of each of us. Two bites in, and I can’t eat any more. Pushing the plate away, I let my gaze float over the table. My gaze snags on Olivia and we exchange smiles just as Bailey stands to make some sort of toast.
“Hey, everyone, thanks for coming. I know everyone is suffering from varying degrees of jet lag, but we wanted to get everyone together for a meal before the wedding week adventures kick off.” Bailey pauses to look down at Olivia withthe softest, most love-sickening look on earth. Ugh. “We just wanted everyone to have a good time this week, relax, and have fun. We want our family and friends to have a vacation. While there aren’t any hard-core planned events, there’s much to do here! Feel free to team up to do things together or venture off on your own; make of the time what you will.” Bailey pauses to chuckle. “As long as you’re ready to celebrate with us on Saturday.”
Not to be an asshole or anything, but I zone out the rest. Leaning back in my chair, I sip at the wine as everyone continues to chat through their desserts. The sky here is so dark that the stars are the brightest I’ve ever seen, probably from lack of light pollution. I’ve always been more of a city guy, so seeing a real night sky has been rare. Once dinner and dessert are over, everyone continues to talk, but the jet lag still weighs me down, so I’m not in the mood for forced socializing. With a kiss on Olivia’s cheek and a cool glass of wine tucked in my hand, I head to the garden at the back of the large villa.
A cool breeze washes over me, and I close my eyes to drink in the heady moment.
“Hey,” a voice calls from behind me.
Startled, I almost drop my wine but quickly recover easily as I spin to turn around. I blink slowly as I take in the man standing before me. Broad shoulders, a thick waist, tousled golden blond hair, and a clean-shaven face. He looks young, probably Bailey’s age.
“Hello,” I reply like the idiot that I am.
The man steps forward and holds out his hand with a shy smile. “I’m Sully, or, well, Sullivan. But everyone calls me Sully.”
I shake his offered hand, noting his firm grip and the calluses on his fingertips. Our hands hold for a little longer than they need to as my heart speeds up ever so slightly.
“Tate.”
Sully grins and nods. “I know, Olivia’s older brother.”
“Half-brother,” I quickly correct him.
Sully tilts his head like a puppy. “Same difference.”
Taking a sip of my wine, I hum in indifference. “How do you know Bailey?”
“We played together in high school and college.”
Ah, football player. That makes sense. “What do you do now?”
That pulls a chuckle from Sully. He has a nice, deep, warm laugh, and the sound moves through me like the breeze over my skin. “I still play football. I’m just not a big, fancy quarterback like Bailey. I’m a defensive safety.”
A blush works its way up my neck as I stare at him. “I know absolutely nothing about football.”
Sully shrugs his broad shoulders. “It’s just my job. What do you do?”
“I’m a cardiac surgeon.”
Sully blinks slowly. “Heart surgeon?”
I lift my wineglass with a smile. “Yep.”
