"They really are the perfect couple, aren't they?"
"Always were," he agreed, "even though their start was messy."
Taylor knew all about how Sean and Serena had gotten together at a Stanford frat party when Serena was a freshman and Sean was a junior. Serena had been the world's most innocent supermodel-turned-coed, and Sean had been drunk and reeling from his mother's death. The next morning, when he'd gone to apologize for coming on too strong and found an overzealous fan bothering her, he'd instinctively protected her--and they'd ended up forging a friendship. One that had quickly and beautifully turned into love.
"I read Serena's book. It was fantastic!" Taylor had always been a fan of historical fiction, and even though she was biased, she believed Serena had written a truly compelling Victorian-set mystery. "It almost felt as though she'd lived in Victorian England."
"They spent a lot of time in England a couple of years back, Serena doing research while Sean took pictures."
"It's all so romantic," Taylor said with a sigh. One she hoped didn't sound too envious. "Now give me the dirt on Olivia. I know she's still working on her PhD, but even though I couldn't squeeze too much out of her over the phone, I couldn't help but think she's focused on more than just work right now."
He raised an eyebrow. "I think there might be a secret guy stashed in the shadows somewhere."
"She told you that?" Olivia and Madison knew firsthand how nuts their brothers could be about vetting the guys they dated. Taylor had always figured Olivia wouldn't let on that she was serious about someone until it was a fait accompli, maybe even after eloping, just so her four brothers wouldn't try to change her mind.
"No," he admitted. "But she was even cagier than usual."
"I'll have to see what I can get out of her at the wedding." Before he could say anything, she added, "And don't even think of asking about what I find out, because I'm sure she'll make me promise not to tell you a thing."
"You've never been able to keep a secret from me," he said in that low drawl that always gave her thrill bumps.
Somehow, she managed to keep the smile on her face. Thank God he'd never guessed the biggest secret of all: just how much deeper her feelings for him went than friend. She'd better move on or risk falling into dangerous territory. "I already know Drew and Ashley are blissfully happy, and I'd have to be deaf not to hear his songs everywhere."
"It's the same in Germany--in every cafe, restaurant, store, even at work in the lab--his songs are playing. I used to brag about being his brother, but I finally realized I should stop."
"Why?"
"No one ever believes me once they hear me sing."
"Sing something for me now."
"I can't believe I forgot how evil you can be," he teased.
"Please. No one has ever covered Celine Dion quite like you."
Before she could prepare herself, he launched into "My Heart Will Go On," making her gasp at just how horrible it sounded even as she laughed herself silly. On nights when she'd wound herself up tight with lab work and test prep at Stanford, he would often surprise her with a Celine Dion song. Hearing him butcher "The Power of Love" or "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" never failed to loosen her up.
It wasn't until a couple of dogs in the neighborhood howled that she realized she should shush him. By then, however, he was up out of his seat, putting on theatrical Las Vegas-style moves to go with the words.
Her stomach hurt from laughing so hard. "God, I've missed you," she said, wrapping her arms around herself.
"Is your side hurting again?" He'd gone from laughter to concern in a second.
"No." She was glad it was the truth for once--and also that there was still one more Morrison to ask about to deflect Justin's attention from her. "I'm assuming Grant is continuing to take over the business world?"
"You know Grant. He's always on the lookout for another business model to blow up, another industry to turn inside out, another research endeavor to fund."
"But do you think he's happy?" Grant had never been anything but kind to her. At the same time, she could never quite read him.
Justin paused to think about her question. "I know it's important to him that he makes good changes in the world. But I suppose it doesn't leave much time for anything else."
"Life's too short to waste any of it," she said softly.
"I agree," Justin said. And then the next thing she knew, he was taking her hand and pulling her from her chair and into his arms.
Wanting nothing more than to melt into him, she made herself stay stiff. "What are you doing?"
"I want to dance with my best friend. And since we both agree that life is short..." He drew her close so that her cheek rested against his chest and she had no choice but to relax into giggles as he started humming Celine Dion again, brutally off-key.
"Why don't we let the frogs and crickets take care of the music?" she suggested.
And as they swayed together in the faint light of the moon, Taylor knew no night had ever been this perfect. At the end of the week, he would be gone, but she would cherish this moment in his arms forever.
CHAPTER SIX
Leaving Taylor with nothing more than a kiss on her forehead the previous evening had been one of the hardest things Justin had ever done.
He'd woken up grouchy, but as soon as he'd eaten the incredible breakfast she made, everything turned around. The omelet, bacon, and scones were so good he could swear she was the next coming of Julia Child.
The Belmont family, with whom he'd sat at breakfast, had perked him up too. The kids reminded him of the way he and his siblings had been when they were young. Rambunctious, but not meaning any harm. The little girl in particular captivated Justin.
Now, he was helping Taylor do dishes before they headed out for the day to see the wine country's sights. He was glad that she had found Rufus and Janet, a husband-and-wife cleaning team, to help out with the rooms every morning after her guests left to sightsee. He hated to think of her trying single-handedly to take care of everything, even though he knew she was more than capable of it.
Taylor grinned at him from her spot at the kitchen sink. "You h
ad quite a little admirer at breakfast."
"It's mutual. Sophia's going to grow up to be a heartbreaker, that's for sure."
"Starting with yours when they leave, if your plans to help her set up a lemonade stand on the sidewalk tomorrow afternoon are anything to go by."
"What can I say--I'm a sucker for brown eyes and a big smile."
If Taylor had any idea that he wasn't just talking about the little girl now, but the beautiful woman standing beside him at the sink, she didn't give any indication. "What do you want to do first?" she asked after they'd dried and put away all of the breakfast dishes and frying pans. "See the petrified forest? Or the geyser? Or maybe even take a mud bath?"
He'd seen the pamphlets for the famous Calistoga mud baths, all of which showed couples enjoying them together. Hoping against hope that this was what she was hinting at, he said, "I'd be up for a mud bath if you are."
She shuddered. "No way am I getting into a vat of dirt." She shot him a teasing look. "But I'd be happy to dunk you in one."
"Are you still trying to get back at me for accidentally losing your clothes at the beach that day?" He hadn't deliberately dropped her clothes into a crevasse between boulders--the wind had blown her shorts and T-shirt out of his hands before he could stop it. Though she'd had on a bikini, she'd still been mortified about making the long walk back to the car in just her bathing suit. All he'd had to give her for the drive home was his T-shirt. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't appreciated stealing glances at her completely bare legs next to him all the way home.
She made a mock-angry face, one that was so cute he almost lost the fight against leaning over and kissing her. "Trust me," she said, "the day I get you back for that will be far worse than just dumping mud all over you. I've had years to plan..."
When he'd been in his lab in Germany, hunched over his computer and microscope, he'd almost forgotten how good it was to be with her, even if all they were doing was washing dishes and joking with each other. Hell, just holding her in his arms last night while they were dancing had been miles better than anything he'd ever experienced in bed with another woman.