“Let me take her, tesoro, so you can eat,” Dom says, and smoothly takes the baby from my arms.
“What did that mean?” Nat asks.
“What did what mean?” Dominic asks and smiles at Stella. “Goodness, you’re getting big, bella.”
“You called Alecia tesoro,” Jules says. “We’ve never heard that one. You always call us bella or cara.”
Dom rubs his nose against Stella’s and then laughs with the baby, barely paying attention to his sisters. “Tesoro means my treasure,” he says, and glances over at me with warm eyes. “I’m calling her my treasure.”
I feel my eyes go round as I swallow the bite of food I’d just taken and gape at him.
His treasure?
His treasure.
Well, if that doesn’t spark butterflies, I don’t know what does.
And then it occurs to me, he’s been calling me his treasure since the first time we made love.
“Charming Italian,” I whisper, earning a laugh from Jules.
“Oh, he’s definitely that,” she agrees.
“I think it’s very sweet,” Nat says with a smile. I can feel Dom watching me as I focus on my food. “Why does this make you shy?” she asks me.
I shrug a shoulder, frown and drink the rest of my martini, then gesture to Linus for another.
“We know you’re seeing each other,” Jules assures me happily, and I want the floor to open up and swallow me whole, but I smile brightly, not wanting anyone to think I’m uncomfortable. I had no idea we were making our relationship public. “And, can I just say, it’s about time.”
“Excuse me,” I murmur and stand.
“Are you okay?” Dominic asks.
“Of course.” I smile again and nod. “I just need to check on a few things.”
I make it out of the tent and around the store building, where the hills roll, full of grape vines as far as the eye can see and take a long, deep breath.
His family knows we’re seeing each other.
Isn’t it too soon for that?
“Here she is,” Natalie says as she and Jules come around the corner and stand on either side of me, flanking me, staring out at Dominic’s land.
“It’s gorgeous here,” I say.
“Do you often have the undeniable urge to leave a party and stare at the scenery?” Jules asks, as she drops her arm around my shoulders.
“Maybe,” I reply primly.
“We didn’t mean to scare you off,” Natalie says.
“I just needed some fresh air,” I lie.
“We scared you,” Jules says. “Is it because we know you’re doing the nasty with our brother?”
“Well, I’m scared now,” I reply and shake my head ruefully. “I had no idea that you guys chatted with your brothers about who they have sex with.”
“Ew.” Jules scrunches up her nose and shivers. “We don’t do that. But we can tell that you’re doing the sex stuff.”
“Sex stuff?” I snort. “Is that the scientific term for it?”
“He’s been interested in you for a long while,” Natalie says softly, watching the horizon, as she slips her hand in mine. “There were times I’d see him watching you with so much want in his eyes, it was almost painful.”
“So, he wanted in my pants.”
“You’re a smart girl,” Jules says. “You know that’s not all it is.”
I don’t say anything in return. What is there to say? It’s not just sex, for either of us.
He calls me his treasure, for Godsake.
“If that’s all it is for you—” Natalie begins, but I immediately interrupt.
“It’s not,” I say firmly.
“Good.” Jules kisses my cheek just as the DJ switches the song to “Blurred Lines.” “Now, let’s go get our drink on and dance, friends. We have a wedding to celebrate.”
***
“I love your mom,” I tell Jules, as she and I sway on the dance floor, not unlike junior high students at a school dance. We’ve had countless lemon drops, and if we let go of each other, I’m not so sure we’ll stay upright.
Okay, we most definitely won’t stay upright.
“I love her too!” Jules yells right in my ear.
“No, you don’t understand.” I take her face in my hands and hold her still so I can talk to her. “When she was leaving to take the babies home, she hugged me and thanked me for this dinner. She’s the sweetest person ever born. Ever.”
“I know.” Jules leans her forehead on mine and now she’s even more blurry than she was before. “She rocks. I love my mommy.”
“Batting for the other team now, Jules?” Mark asks from a nearby table. “It would be hotter if you two would take off your clothes.”
“The men in this family are all perverts,” Jules tells me seriously. “You need to be aware of this now.”
“Come sit down, Julianne.” Suddenly, Nate is standing next to us, pulling us in to either side of him; his strong arms wrap around our shoulders, and he leads us to a table where most of the others are sitting and talking.
Everyone except Meredith’s best friend Jax and Brynna, who are currently dancing like crazy on the dance floor.
“Wait. Where are Will and Meg?” I ask, as I continue to survey the table.
“They disappeared a few minutes ago,” Isaac informs me.