28. Gabriel #3
“Unless you’re willing to give up your shares in the company,” Reid points out.
He’s been quiet. Of all of us, he seems the most resigned to the arranged marriages, the least willing to rock the boat.
Maybe that’s because, like me, he already loved and lost, and even though his loss was a breakup and not a death, I know it still rocked him pretty badly.
It’s almost like he’s given up on the concept of love ever since things ended between him and Sienna.
“Yeah, right,” Beckett mutters.
Before the conversation can continue any further down this route, my mother returns from the kitchen.
I can’t tell if she heard what we were talking about.
There’s nothing in her expression to indicate one way or the other.
Based on how thoroughly she’s stood by my father’s decisions, I get the sense that she’d be disappointed if she heard Beckett bitching about his upcoming wedding.
She must not have noticed. Then again, my mother has never been one to let her emotions show on her face.
“Dinner’s ready,” she announces, gesturing toward the dining room.
All of us get to our feet. I turn to help Alexis up off the couch and we file into the dining room, trailing after Tristan and Chloe.
The large, mahogany table is set with the kind of attention to detail that only my mother can pull off, with polished silverware, folded napkins, and seasonal centerpieces.
Tristan steers Chloe toward the far end of the table and takes the chair on her left, the way he always does now, putting the rest of us on her good side.
None of us make anything of it. It’s just how we sit these days—close enough that she never has to strain, her better ear toward the room.
I know she kept her hearing loss secret for years, and I’m glad she feels comfortable enough around all of us to not do that anymore.
Peyton is already seated, swinging her legs as she waits for the rest of us to join her. Alexis and I take seats near her, and she flashes us a big grin.
“Grandma said I couldn’t eat anything until everyone got here. I’m hungry!”
Alexis laughs. “Don’t worry, dinner’s starting now. You’ll be eating in no time.”
“Good,” Peyton declares dramatically, leaning back in her chair. “Because I’m starving. Like, so hungry I could eat a hundred pancakes.”
“That’s not even dinner food,” Dominic says as he sits down across from her. “What are we eating, Mom?”
My mother, already taking her seat at the head of the table, raises an eyebrow at Dominic. “Braised duck with a red wine reduction, asparagus bundles, and herbed risotto. No pancakes.”
“Aw.” Peyton sticks out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout.
“You’ll like the duck, Bug,” I tell her. “It’s just like chicken, but even better.” I catch Alexis’s eye. She stifles a laugh, her hand to her mouth.
The room falls quiet as the first course—a salad dressed with a honey vinaigrette, crumbled goat cheese, and thinly sliced pears—makes its way around the table. My mother’s chef is an artist. Even the salad manages to silence us for a few minutes as everyone digs in.
As plates are cleared to make way for the main course, the promised duck and risotto, the conversation shifts naturally. My mother turns to Chloe, smiling.
“Chloe, how’s the film coming along?”
“We’re close to wrapping on production,” Chloe says. Tristan glances down at her, pride in his eyes as she speaks. “There are just a few scenes left to shoot, and then it’s off to post. If everything stays on schedule, we should be ready for release in a few months.”
Chloe has been directing films at Warbler Studios, Thorne Enterprises’ newly established film studio.
It was meant to be a joint venture between MediaSphere, her family’s company and a major competitor of ours, and Thorne Enterprises.
After Chloe caught her family in the act of corporate espionage, however, the project became the sole domain of Thorne Enterprises, and Tristan put Chloe at the helm, finally giving her the chance to pursue her creative passions.
Since stepping into her role, she’s taken to it like a fish to water.
So far, the studio has put out two films, both of which were critically acclaimed and successful in the box office.
Her upcoming film has garnered plenty of hype.
It’s the adaptation of a bestselling horror novel, and it had a healthy budget.
“That’s impressive,” my mother says warmly. “It must be so rewarding to see everything coming together.”
“It is,” Chloe replies. “It’s a lot of work, but it’ll be worth it. This one’s been tough with all the location changes, but the cast and crew are amazing.”
“And you’re feeling up to all of it?” My mother cocks her head, a bit of maternal worry making its way into her expression. “Tristan mentioned the doctors changed your medication.”
“They did, a few months back, and it’s been helping.” Chloe’s hand drifts up toward her ear without quite touching it. “My hearing’s been holding steady ever since. Stable enough that nobody is talking about surgery anymore, at least for now. So I’ll take it.”
My mother beams. “That’s wonderful.”
“Yeah, it is.” Tristan nods, then leans over to press a kiss to Chloe’s temple. “But we’ve all got you, dimples. No matter what happens.”
Her expression softens as she leans into his touch for a moment, threading her fingers through his. “Thanks.”
My mother turns her gaze on me. “And Gabriel, the boys told me before you arrived that you’ve been doing some work on that app of yours.”
“FlashUp?”
She waves a hand. “Yes, yes. It’s hard for me to keep track of all these apps in my head. I don’t know how your generation manages it.”
Beckett catches my eye across the table, grinning.
“We do our best,” I say. “And yeah, I’ve been trying to fix some issues we’ve been having with FlashUp. Actually, Alexis has been doing the most legwork on that front.”
Alexis’s fork clatters to her plate in surprise as I mention her. She looks abruptly nervous as my family’s gazes shift to her.
“She’s been working on this accessible fashion project that’s been driving a lot of engagement on the app,” I explain, unable to keep the pride out of my voice. “It’s brought a nice human touch to the platform, and it’s really popular. The metrics are great.”