Page 77 of The Getaway Guy
“It’s fine. Thank you,” he said to Gemma, ignoring Quinleyandher ex as he walked away, gut-punched by the sudden lung-squeezing awareness that he’d waited too long and lost his chance with Quinley. He’d thought maybe the event Finn referenced had been a one-off. A random meeting in passing where the two had made the best of being in the same room. But if they were here together?
He felt…sick. Because in that moment, that splitsecond, he felt the loss. Images flashed in front of his eyes of what could have been. Would have been. If he’d gotten out of his own way.
Thankfully Isabel called for attention and welcomed everyone to the party while Elias found a table with four tall chairs along the far side of the expansive area and sat down, trying and failing to ignore the rapid beat of his pulse and the way heachedto deck Quinley’s date.
Quinley was here.WithLachlan.
And he wanted it to be him. But what was he going to do about it?
“So what’d you get?” Brooks asked, seating himself across from him.
Elias noted that Allie remained by the pool to watch over the girls and supposed he’d just have to put up with Brooks’s commentary while they ate. “I don’t know.”
A round of “Happy Birthday” started, and he stared at the ingredient list atop the plate. Gemma was correct in that the food was safe for him to eat, and she’d even detailed that she’d fixed it first on clean equipment before preparing the rest. But it was the sweetness, the idea of Quinley knowing how much it meant for him to be able to enjoy a plate with his family even if it meant being prepared separately, that nearly broke him.
In all the years and all the events, not a single member of his family had done what she’d just done. They loved him; they cared for him. He didn’t doubt that. But they’d never gone out of their way to make sure he didn’t have to make a meal out of the dessert fruit and meat cuts before they got loaded down with gravy or contaminated with all the things he was allergic to.
Yet she was here. With her ex. More proof that Finn had stated the truth when he’d said he’d seen them at the charity event. Maybe the food was meant to soften the blow?
It didn’t. He’d fallen in love with her and now it was too late.
“That was nice of Quinley and the chef,” Brooks said. “Sweet.”
He nodded and forced himself to take a bite, flavor bursting over his tongue and mouth.
“Well?”
“It’s good. Really good.”
“You know, Alec, Cole, and I got to talking in the office the other day about the old days. We feel bad about giving you a hard time back then.”
“You didn’t know. I didn’t even know,” he added with a shrug.
“Yeah, but now we do, and we see the difference. That’s why we also talked about that restaurant you mentioned. That still something you wanna do?”
“Yeah. I do.” How he’d go about it, he had no idea, but interested? Most definitely.
“Bring it up again,” Brooks said, taking a bite of his own food. “Next time we’re all together, you should bring it up again. Or call a meeting. Let’s talk about it.”
Elias stilled at Brooks’s words and then nodded, letting the subject drop for the moment. First he’d been blown away by the realization that his feelings for Quinley weremoreand now his brothers were coming around to his idea?
He ate the deliciously flavored meat and veggie medley, and he and Brooks both watched as Mia blushed and held her daughter, Willa, on her hip as she blew out her candles. Alec stood at her side beaming like only a man in love could.
Due to his late arrival, most everyone had eaten already or was finishing up, so cake was dispersed, and everyone cheered while Mia opened her gifts. Elias inhaled the food, unwilling to let a wonderful meal go to waste despite his foul thoughts and shattered emotions. It was too late. He was too late.
Alec called out that they had one more announcement to make while they had everyone’s attention.
“You’repregnant!” Sophia, Allie, and Isabel screamed at the same time.
Elias’s head jerked up at the news, and he watched as the guests laughed at the sisters’ antics, but then cheered when Mia nodded, face radiant as she looked up at Alec. Elias continued to watch as his brother lowered his head and kissed his wife, the love in his eyes, on his face, right there for all the world to see.
His heart tugged, and his hand fisted over the fork he held, easily able to imagine the devastation Alec would feel if something happened to his little family. Willa had already lost her biological mother. And Isla hadn’t been much younger than Willa when she’d lost the parents she’d never known and couldn’t remember. But he did. He remembered it all in every painful, vivid detail.
But how could Alec— How could any of them take that risk? As much as he craved Quinley, would he ever be able to give himself over completely?
“That’s what makes it worth it, you know,” Brooks said softly, his voice low despite the noise of the crowd.
“What do you mean?”
