His dad took the magazine, and stared at for a minute, the slightest smile on that usually stony face. “I didn’t doubt you for a minute, Cruz.” He opened the magazine and found the article that Cruz was so proud of and read it silently.
His sisters and Dominic, Aunt Glenda, and the kids all gave him a hug and congratulated him. For the next couple of minutes he basked finally in the glow of their excitement, their pride. His mother came over and kissed him on the cheek and then came to stand next to her husband, still seated on the couch. “This is so exciting, Cruz. There’s a picture of you and everything.”
“In a suit, no less,” Benny said, also peeking over her father’s shoulder. “Nice touch.”
“I think now’s a good time to finally feed the kids. Is everyone hungry?” With her own sense of pride, Daisy, with the help of her sibling, brought out platters of food that she’d been working on all day and everyone took seats at the dining table. “I’m still getting the hang of Kate’s range so I hope everything’s okay,” Daisy said tentatively.
Which was crazy as everything was delicious as she very well knew. But he knew what it felt like to hear praise from the people you love. He needed it just as much. Only sitting here, among those people, he felt like something was still missing. That someone who he wanted to share this with wasn’t here.
Payton.
Her name seemed to echo inside his head. Over and over. She should be here.
But why would she be? He hadn’t done anything to show her how important she had become in his life in the short time they’d had together.
He looked to his parents, where his mother was standing over his dad, insisting on helping him, fussing about him despite the fact it had been months since his surgery and he was healthier than he’d been for a long time. But his dad didn’t seem to mind, just watching his wife and, when she was done, grabbing her by the waist and smacking a kiss on her cheek.
It was his parents who had instilled in them all the importance of family, of taking time to spend quality moments with them. Of family dinners, vacations, and just hanging out together. Without them, all of his accomplishments would mean nothing.
But somewhere in the past few years of his life, he’d forgotten that basic notion. Family. What was he working for if at the end of the day, he didn’t have a partner there to hear about his accomplishments as much as his failures, if he didn’t have children to teach a thing or two about responsibility and being there for each other as his siblings were there for him?
He’d lost sight of what he was doing it all for.
And the only person he wanted at his side through this crazy adventure of life was the same woman who’d been at his side during that three-day journey through Mexico.
It might be too late. He understood that. She might very well be with Brad. And if so, if it made her happy, then he’d step aside and accept it.
But she deserved to know how much she meant to him. How much he’d show her each and every day of their lives together how she was the most valuable and cherished thing in his life, never to be taken for granted.
She’d be first. Always.
“Dominic? Where did you say Kate and Payton went?”
“You’re not going to believe me if I tell you. Apparently Payton got it into her head that she had to go see a hockey game, part of this thing she’s doing of trying new things. Fortunately for her the hockey season is just winding down this week, and she managed to snag a couple of tickets to tonight’s game.”
A hockey game. Of course.
Cruz came to his feet, the sound of the chair screeching across the floor drawing everyone’s attention. “Excuse me everyone. I’ve got something that I have to do.”
Dominic grinned, his eyes smiling. “Is that right? Well, just don’t do anything foolish. Like going and getting married to the poor girl without all of your family there to show their love and support. Oh. Wait. You already did that.”
He closed his eyes, understanding that this was probably the warning his brother had given him earlier. The table was still silent for four point five seconds. And then the room erupted into chaos as all the women immediately began yelling at him.
He shook his head at his brother. This was going to have to wait.
Without any further response, Cruz grabbed his keys and ran out the front door.
With her arms loaded with nachos and sodas and hot dogs—everything that Cruz had once told her made the experience—Payton returned to her and Kate’s seats.
“Are we seriously going to eat all this?” Kate asked, taking a cheesy covered nacho chip and biting into it.
“It’s part of the experience.”
Kate licked a glob of cheese from her finger. “And I thought you were fearless before. Now you’re just downright frightening. Tell me, what did your mother say when you told her that you’d registered for the LSATs? You were going to tell her at dinner last night, right?”
“You mean after she stalked up to me in the middle of the first course?” Payton smiled. She’d expected such a reaction, what she hadn’t expected was what followed. “There I sat, thinking I was going to be eating my butternut squash bisque alone—because, of course, Daddy was working late—but not two minutes later, she came back. And handed me an envelope.” She shook her head, still stunned at learning that her mother had once had her own hopes and dreams for herself. “It was her admission letter to business school, dated thirty-five years ago. She never went, of course, because her parents wanted something different for her. And we know how that went.”
Kate’s eyes bugged out. “Emily Vaughn entrepreneur? It’s unbelievab—no. Never mind. I could totally see her running a company, even a third world country with an iron fist.”
“I know, right?” Payton said and laughed. “Anyway, she didn’t want to talk about it, just wanted me to see and understand and then ordered Annie to bring in the roasted chicken and put the soufflés in the oven. And like that, our moment was over. Although, when I left, she did ask me to keep her updated with my application.”
“That’s about as close to approval as you’re going to get from Emily.” Kate slurped from her soda, giving Payton a sideways glance before asking not so nonchalantly, “What about Cruz? Anything?”
Payton knew that he was going to come up at some point in the conversation tonight. She was just surprised it had taken her friend this long. “No, and after seeing him with what’s-her-name, I really don’t expect to. In fact, you’ll have more chance of hearing from him than I would, seeing as how he’s your new brother-in-law.”
“I’m afraid if I saw him right now I would probably not only smack a vase into his head, but I’d break it over his head.”
“Just get it on camera,” she said, smiling. But to tell the truth, as hurt as she was that he had already moved on, she didn’t want to inflict any real pain on him. She hadn’t been enough for him, important enough to him, for him to make her a priority. At least he’d been honest.
Another scuffle seemed to be breaking out between the players on the ice, and she and Kate craned their heads, trying to figure out what was going on, something made more difficult since neither of them had ever watched a game before.
“Payton.” The voice came from behind her, so strong and familiar. She froze instantly.
What is he doing here?
He climbed down the last two stairs so he was standing in the aisle right next to her. The nacho she’d been about to shove in her mouth, still hanging midair.
There was a small grin on his face as he stared at the feast of junk food displayed on her lap before he met her gaze. “You know, if you were going to do this thing right, you’re supposed to have beer, not soda.”