My voice is shaking in rage.
“What did I do?” She widens her eyes innocently.
“I met with a client. I patted his shoulder when he expressed nervousness about talking with my protective boyfriend about the possibility of having a chaperoned photo shoot with me. We were in a fucking public place having a conversation.
“Is this how it’s always going to be, Samantha? You questioning my motives with your brother for the next sixty years? Do you have any idea how much money I’m worth without Luke? I don’t need his money or his contacts. When my parents died I inherited over twenty million dollars.” Sam blanches and I hear Lucy gasp, but I keep going.
“Your brother is famous. Get over it.
I wouldn’t love him any less if he flipped burgers for a living, if that’s where his passion was. You seem to be the only one hung up on who he is.
“I am marrying him, Sam. I’m in it for the long haul. I’d prefer to have a friendly relationship with you. I think that if you gave me half a chance you’d like me.
“But I will not continue to be disrespected by you. I don’t deserve it.”
“I don’t trust you,” she spits out through clenched teeth.
“I don’t trust you either, so I guess we’re even.” I look at Luke to see what he’s thinking. His hands are in his pockets
and
he’s
gazing
at
me
thoughtfully. “Do you want me to go?”
“No, don’t go!” Lucy comes toward me, glaring at her daughter. “Samantha, you’re being ridiculous.”
I continue to look at Luke. He hasn’t answered me. Neil and Mark are both also glaring at Samantha.
“Well?” I raise my eyebrow at him.
“No, this is your home,” he says quietly and his eyes warm. Oh, thank God.
“Sam,” he says quietly and walks around the table to her. She’s still glaring at me but he turns her chin so she’s looking in his eyes. Lucy grips my hand in hers and I smile thinly at her.
I’m shaking like crazy.
“Stop this. I am marrying Natalie.
I’m in love with her, Sam. She’s nothing like anyone from my past. You have got to knock the chip off your shoulder and move on. I have.”
He runs his hands through his hair and looks over at me, then turns his attention back to her. “If you don’t trust her, trust me. Give her a fighting chance. She hasn’t done anything to you.”
Sam shakes her head and closes her eyes, and she suddenly looks tired. “I can’t bear to see you hurt again.”
“You are hurting me, Sam.”
She gasps as though he’s hit her.
“What?”
“When you hurt her, you hurt me.
Stop. This is our home, and if you can’t respect her in it, you’re not welcome here.”
Holy shit. He’s defending me to his sister and I just want to wrap myself around him and kiss him, but I stay where I am, riveted.
I look around the room, at Lucy, Neil and Mark, and decide this has gone on long enough.
“I’m hungry.” My voice is calm and light. “Let’s have brunch. I think Mark’s about to eat all the bacon by himself.”
Lucy smiles at me and squeezes my hand as we head to the kitchen to place the food on the table. Mark and Neil help us get everything settled, and I watch out of the corner of my eye as Luke murmurs something to Sam. He hugs her gently and joins me in the kitchen.
“I’m sorry.” I hug him around his middle and breathe in his scent.
“Don’t be. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m sorry for Sam.”
I shake my head. “Let’s eat.”
“Okay.”
We enjoy our delicious meal, and the mood lifts considerably. I’m relieved that the conversation isn’t forced or uncomfortable after my altercation with Sam. She continues to eye me speculatively from across the table, but she’s no longer glaring at me, so I figure we’ve leaped one hurdle.
“Natalie, let me see that ring.” Lucy leans toward me and I show off my beautiful ring, a silly grin plastered on my face.
Lucy smiles at her son. “I did such a good job raising you.”
Luke laughs and I nod. “That you did.
He has good taste.”
Luke kisses my hand and smiles at me, his eyes soft and loving.
After breakfast we clear the table.
Lucy, Sam and I clean up the mess and join the men in the living room with fresh coffee.
“Presents!” I jump up and down and clap my hands, excited to give Luke’s parents their gifts. Everyone laughs at me and I grin. “I love giving presents.”
“You didn’t have to get us anything at all.”
“You only celebrate your thirty-fifth anniversary once.” I decide to give this olive branch thing another try and turn to Sam. “Will you please help me bring their gift in from the other room?”
Her eyes widen in surprise, but then she shrugs good-naturedly. “Okay.”
I smile and lead her down to Luke’s office where the large box sits on his desk.
“Holy shit, that’s a big box.”
I laugh. “I know, I had a hell of a time wrapping this sucker. Here, you take that side and I’ll take this one.”
We lift it together, it’s really not that heavy, just awkward, and carry it out to the living room.
“What did you do, buy them furniture?” Mark asks dryly. I stick my tongue out at him and Sam and I set the box on the floor in front of Neil and Lucy.
“Open it.” I sit next to Luke on the couch and he drapes an arm around my shoulders.
They attack the box from opposite sides, tearing the paper and pulling the lid off.
“Oh my.” Lucy’s hand covers her mouth as she gazes at the contents. She begins pulling the black framed photos out of the box, one by one, and Neil takes them from her, arranging them on the floor. At the bottom of the box are the two larger frames of their wedding day and at my birthday party.
“These are wonderful.” They hold the image from the party in front of them and gaze at it. “Natalie, you’re very talented.”
I blush, delighted that they like their present. “Thank you.”
Luke kisses my hand. “There’s more.”
“What?” Neil frowns, not privy to this part of the present and I giggle.
“We’re sending you on a second honeymoon to the South of France. It’s all paid for, you can go whenever you like.”