Page 9 of The Bane of a Sinner
“Julia,” Virginia scoffed, looking at my dad before smiling at my mother. “Nicoletta and Daniella have agreed to open a center in Chicago.”
“Oh, how wonderful!” my mother joyously praised as she linked her arm with Virginia’s, and both women walked back outside talking a mile a minute.
“You must forgive Julia,” my father said, wrapping his arm around Barb, who leaned her head on his chest. “We’ve got a full house today. The Sunshine Charity is Julia’s baby. She runsthe charity with her best friend, Sylvia St. James, whom I’m sure you’ll meet momentarily once she arrives. They all get together once a month to discuss the charity and whatnot. Mainly, they all get drunk and hide from their husbands.”
“I understand,” Diana replied, stepping closer to me. I watched as Diana’s gaze shifted, and my brow furrowed in confusion. I followed her eyes to the window, where a man stood outside, his eyes locked on Diana. The man wasn’t a stranger, his dark eyes intense and unreadable. I felt a surge of protectiveness towards Diana and moved to stand in front of her, blocking his gaze. The man smirked, then turned and walked away, disappearing from view. I felt a moment of relief, but my concern remained.
What the hell was Daniel Scott doing here?
As if sensing my thoughts, Diana spoke softly, “Who was that man, August? I’ve never seen him before, but the way he looked at me...” Her voice trailed off, and I could see the confusion and unease in her eyes. I wanted to reassure her, but before I could speak, the sound of laughter and chatter filled the kitchen as more guests arrived. The moment between us was interrupted as my attention was pulled towards the new arrivals. I recognized them as my mother’s friends, the core group of the Sunshine Charity.
Among them was a woman with a presence that commanded the room. She was tall and elegant, with golden hair that fell in loose curls around her face. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and she exuded an air of confidence and warmth. I knew this must be Jane Craven, my mother’s best friend and co-founder of the charity. She greeted me and Diana with open arms, pulling us both into a hug as if we were long-lost friends.
“Oh my God, Sienna!” Sylvia preened. “Would you look at how handsome August’s gotten, and his date is stunning. Power couple if ever I saw one.”
Sienna Mitchell, the wife of the newly elected governor of South Carolina, nodded. “I agree. Veronica, come meet August and his date!”
A beautiful woman with long dark hair walked over along with another stunning woman, and Sienna introduced them. “August. I would like you to meet Veronica Meeks and Lucy McClaren. They are the newest members of the Sunshine Charity.”
“Ladies.” I smiled, shaking both their hands, and said before anyone could ask me anything, “It’s wonderful to meet you all, but we have to get going. Diana and I have reservations in the city.”
Several moans and sighs quickly followed as Barb walked over between us, linking her arms in ours. “Come on, you two. You don’t want to be late for that date.”
After saying several goodbyes, promising to stay longer next time, Barb ushered us through the now-packed house and back out to my car.
“I’m sorry, Auggie,” Barb said softly. “I didn’t know when I invited you that Julia had scheduled her monthly charity get-together.”
Pulling the woman into my arms, I hugged her tightly. “It’s alright, Barb. I will bring Diana next week for dinner. Just the family, okay?”
Barb smiled up at me. “I would like that very much.”
Releasing her, I said nothing as Barb turned to Diana. “Thank you for coming. It was wonderful to meet you.”
Diana hugged Barb and whispered, “It was lovely meeting you too.”
Chapter Five
August
Diana was quiet on the ride back to the city. In fact, she really hadn’t said much since I picked her up, and I was starting to worry a bit. Reaching over the console of my car, I linked my fingers with hers. When I did, she turned to look at me and asked, “August. How well do you know everyone that was at your parent’s house?”
“You mean the women at my mother’s charity meeting?”
She nodded.
“Not well. My mother keeps her business dealings and charity work away from the house because of Barb. I really don’t know why they were even there today.”
“What do you mean?”
Sighing, I removed my hand from hers and gripped the steering wheel. I knew eventually I would have to tell her about my family dynamics, but not this soon into our relationship. Yet, when I glanced over at her, something told me I could trust her with what I was about to say.
“You saw the way my mother and father were with Barb, right?”
Diana nodded. “They were very loving toward her, almost protective of her. I thought it was sweet.”
“It’s more than that,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “It’s because they both love her.”
“I can understand why.” Diana smiled. “Barb is a wonderful woman.”
