Page 84 of Bargains with Benefits
I laughed. “Thank you both for being here. It means so much to me to celebrate with you.”
Darius took a moment to respond. Eloise elbowed him in the ribs when she decided she was done waiting. I could tell hewas working through his own swell of emotion, but I enjoyed the family dynamics at play. “Well, congratulations.” He held up his drink for Vincent and me to cheers. “To many more solstice celebrations on the beach at a full Cliff House Inn.”
I smiled, looking around. Seraphina worked the bar she’d set up. Evelyn rushed drinks to guests around the fire, clearly avoiding Ambrose after what had happened upstairs. I was sure that wouldn’t be the last we heard of it.
“Let’s go say hi to your sister.” I dragged Vincent toward the water. “Hi, Skye!”
She stood alone. It hadn’t occurred to me until that moment, the enormity of the responsibility she’d picked up with her parents’ banishment.
“Hi, you guys.” She kissed Vincent’s cheek and hugged me warmly. “Thanks for inviting me.”
“Didn’t you have all manner of invitations as head of Andiveron House?”
She sighed. “Yes. Most of them wanted to gossip about Mother and Father. The others wanted to ensure their work or status wouldn’t change with my tenure.” She flipped her hair. “So, I’m quite happy to be here. No one seems to want anything from me. It’s nice.”
“We want you to have a good time,” Vincent said. His brow furrowed at her response.
I knew Skye wanted the responsibility, and he’d been happy to give it to her; I hoped it wasn’t worse than she expected.
“I’m so happy to see the inn full and so many here to celebrate,” she said.
We continued chatting as the sky grew even darker.
There were dozens of guests and dozens more here for the party, everyone waiting for their chance to make their solstice wish. Vincent’s arm slipped around my waist as we found spots near one of the fires and waited for the shooting stars. The first one elicited a cheer from the crowd. Then, a rapid-fire displayof lights spread across the sky faster than the crowd could track. We stood in awe. Children pointed and shouted, “Look there!” while the rest enjoyed being here, together. As the lights continued to shoot across the sky, the group quieted, everyone whispering their wish for the coming year.
“This is perfect.” I rested my head against Vincent’s shoulder.
“What did you wish for?”
I smiled. “I have more than I ever needed.”
“You deserve nothing less.” His warm lips pressed against my cool skin, and I snuggled closer. I watched the Long Night star show with the male I loved, knowing that all I had to do was wish for thousands of nights like this one—where, together, Vincent and I had found our haven while creating a space where everyone could belong.
