Chapter 13
ELEANOR
I smooth my hands down the front of my dress and stare at my reflection in the mirror.
It’s funny. A few months ago, getting ready for one of the Kingston charity events felt exhausting, and I dreaded it. I didn’t want another dinner or another appearance.
But tonight it’s different because I can’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else but on my husband’s arm.
There’s a knock on the open bedroom door before Bobby walks inside already dressed in a black suit that fits him perfectly.
His gaze lands on me and immediately darkens.
“Well,” he says slowly. “That dress is dangerous.”
I laugh softly. “You say that about every dress I wear.”
“Because every dress looks dangerous on you.”
Heat creeps into my cheeks, and after thirty-five years, that still surprises me.
Bobby walks toward me and adjusts the necklace at my throat before leaning down to brush his lips against my shoulder. “You nervous?”
“A little.”
His hands settle on my waist. “You don’t have to be.”
I look up at him in the mirror. “People are going to talk.”
“They already talk,” he says dryly. “At least now they’ll be talking about the fact that my wife came home.”
My chest tightens. It’s only been a few weeks since I decided to move back home, but I’m glad I did.
I haven’t regretted it for one second. Robert has taken more time to be at home, turning the reins of the Kingston family businesses over to Bennett and Cole too when he and Luna aren’t held up at their house.
I turn in Bobby’s arms and smooth my hand over his tie. “You seem pretty happy that people will be talking about me being home.”
His lips twitch slightly. “You have no idea.”
I smile, but before I can respond, there’s another knock at the door.
“Come in.”
Knox pokes his head inside and grimaces immediately. “Dang. Can you two go five minutes without eye fucking each other?”
“Knox,” I scold automatically.
He grins unapologetically. “Robert, the board members are here.”
Bobby nods once. “We’ll be down in a minute.”
Knox disappears, and Bobby looks back at me. “Ready?”
I take a deep breath and nod.
The second we walk into the ballroom downstairs, conversation shifts, and everyone turns to stare.
I lift my head and look everyone in the eye.
I’m nervous, but there’s no way I’m going to let everyone here know that I am.
I haven’t attended one of these events in months, and now I’m walking in beside Bobby with my hand held in his.
The way he’s glaring at everyone, it’s like he’s daring them to question if I should be here or not.
But none of these people will go against Robert Kingston.
Bobby guides me through the room while people greet us.
Some of them look nervous or scared when Robert stops in front of them, but they each put on a fake smile.
These are people that have contributed to expanding the Kingston properties.
They want us to succeed. Some of them have bet their lives on it.
But by now, everybody knows about Victor Sterling, and they know that everything in the city is changing.
It’s intense really, but tonight, Bobby isn’t focused on business. I can tell. Every few minutes, his gaze drifts back to me like he still can’t quite believe I’m here.
Cole and Luna walk over first.
Luna hugs me tightly. “You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you.”
Cole kisses my cheek and then looks at Bobby. “You look less homicidal tonight.”
Bobby grunts. “Don’t push it.”
I laugh softly and lean into his side.
Across the room, I spot Bennett and Knox standing with Audrey. Bennett immediately shifts closer to her when a few unfamiliar men walk by, and Audrey relaxes almost instantly.
I gesture to them. “You let Audrey attend tonight?”
Surprise doesn’t even begin to cover it. A big part of me has come to trust Audrey, but she’s still a Sterling, and having her here is sending waves through the crowd because you can see people whispering and staring at her.
Bobby glances at Audrey, and his jaw tightens automatically. “Bennett insisted.”
“Hmmm.”
Bobby looks at me. “What?”
“Nothing,” I answer innocently.
His eyes narrow. “Ellie.”
I shake my head. “You’ll figure it out eventually.”
He mutters under his breath about women making no sense, and I smile wider.
The night passes easier than I expected. For the first time in a long time, I don’t feel like I’m standing beside Bobby because I have to. I’m here because I want to be. There’s definitely a difference.
At one point during the dinner, one of the older board members looks at me and says, “It’s good seeing Mrs. Kingston back where she belongs.”
I glance at Bobby, and his gaze immediately meets mine. Instead of feeling trapped, it feels right. I am right where I belong.
I nod my head in agreement.
Later in the evening, Bobby pulls me onto the dance floor while slow music drifts through the ballroom.
I laugh softly as his hand settles against my waist. “You hate dancing.”
“I tolerate it for you.”
“That’s romantic.”
“It should be.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and relax against him. “You seem calmer tonight.”
His hand slides slowly up my back. “That’s because you’re here.”
Emotion hits me hard. This man loves me so much he shows it in everything he does. He may not always be the most romantic, but he’s made me his.
I rest my head against his chest and sway slowly with him while people move around us.
“You know what’s funny?” I murmur.
“What?”
“I thought leaving would help me figure out who I was outside of all this.”
His hand tightens slightly against my waist. “And?”
I look up at him. “Turns out I still want this life. I just wanted you to be with me in it.”
Something shifts in his expression then.
He leans down and kisses me slowly right there in the middle of the ballroom.
People clap softly around us, but I barely notice. Most of the time, I like to be in the background while my family is front and center, but with Bobby’s arms around me, this feels right.
When he pulls back, he rests his forehead against mine. “I’m never letting you go again, Ellie.”
I smile softly. “Good. We talked about this because I’m not leaving.”
Relief flashes across his face before he hides it quickly.
Before I can assure him again, Bennett walks up to us. He kisses my cheek. “You look beautiful, Mom.”
I adjust his already perfect tie. “You look pretty handsome yourself.”
He smiles at me, but the smile drops when he looks at his dad, and the mood shifts.
“What is it?” Bobby asks.
Bennett lowers his voice. “Still no sign of Victor.”
Bobby’s jaw tightens slightly.
Since the day he confronted me on the street, Victor Sterling has disappeared completely.
I wish I could just forget that Victor Sterling ever existed, but we all know that’s not possible. And now the fact that he’s gone silent is even scarier.
Bobby wraps an arm around my waist again. “Keep looking.”
Bennett nods once, gives me a soft smile, and walks away.
I glance up at Bobby. “You think he’s planning something.”
“I know he is.”
Fear flickers briefly in my chest, and Bobby immediately notices.
He brushes his thumb across my hip. “Hey.”
I look up at him, and he’s watching me closely. “He doesn’t get to steal this from us,” Bobby says quietly. “Not tonight.”
Emotion swells in my chest as I look around the ballroom, at our family, at the life we built together.
Even with everything going on, we’re happy again.
And as Bobby pulls me closer against him, I realize something important.
Whatever comes next… we’ll face it together.