Her brows snapped down, hooding her eyes. “You weren’t very hospitable to my father, but I suppose he asked for it. He’s a good man, but he’s protective of me for a reason.”
I placed my arm around her, pulling her closer to rub her arm and keep her warm against the open breeze. “I’m sure he is. Is it about your mother?”
“Dad is responsible for the accident that took her life. He’s lived with survivor’s guilt for years. He was on his way to being an alcoholic when it happened. Right after, I thought he’d drink himself into a stupor to numb the pain, and he did for the first few weeks; but then one day we got a visit from social services, He realized he might lose me, too, and he never touched another drop.”
I could relate to the survivor’s guilt, but before I explained, I wanted to hear her out. She shifted closer, laying her head on my shoulder and continuing. “The social worker hooked him up with a counselor who invited him to church, and within the year, Dad decided to preach. He wanted to help others in the same situation.”
“Like Sandra. If only she wanted help.”
“What’s the story there?” A sinking feeling had me deflated, but I didn’t mind sharing with her.
“My brother, Robert, was going to buy into my business, but he mismanaged his money and had to sell it back to me. This was long before it took off into something and because he needed a job, I let him work for me. We had hoped that he’d be able to buy a portion back eventually, or at least invest.
“But one day I had him go check out a job, and he got killed while at the residence. It was a bad part of town.” Luna’s face twisted with sympathy, but she let me go on. “It was his and Sandra’s anniversary, but I had no choice: he was the only one who could do it. I was out of town.”
“Their anniversary? Oh dear.” She squeezed my hand. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“I know that, but Sandra resents me all the same, especially because he left her almost penniless. By the time she paid off their home, her car, and buried him, there wasn’t much left. He didn’t have any insurance. None.”
“So, that’s why you take care of her. You feel responsible.”
I let out a breath and scratched my stubbly chin. “That and because I can. I couldn’t spend all of my money in my lifetime. Even if I lost all my clients tomorrow, I have enough invested to last all of us until we go to the grave.
“I’d rather not support her drinking, but that’s onl
y because I think it’s why Harbor is the way he is. He needs at least one parent, but he’s lost them both. I try to get through to him, but he’s as stubborn as his father and resents me for letting his mother fall apart… I think he blames me, too.”
“That’s terrible. I thought I’d learned everything about you over the past two years. I’ve been to your city condo, worked with you every day each week, and yet despite knowing you owned a vineyard, I never thought I’d see it, much less get to know your family.”
“I’ve done a great job of keeping it all as private as possible, but I feel this murder investigation is going to ruin that.”
Luna’s fingers brushed my cheek, as soft as a feather. “It will all be over soon.” My chest ached as the said words. When the investigation ended, so would all of this.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Luna
Waking up in the new place was much better than opening my eyes to see the honeymoon suite, and the entire morning had been so peaceful and carefree. Gabriel and I had had a lovely lunch, and with the afternoon sun beating down, I’d been itching to get into the pool. But first, I had something to ask as we finished our wine from dinner.
“I was hoping Kim could come and visit me still. We’d made plans when I was in Vegas, and I miss her.” I didn’t think he’d have a problem with it, but he narrowed his eyes and glanced away, as if he had to think about it.
“A kiss might persuade me.” I giggled, but he stayed straight-faced. “You laugh, but I’m serious. I require payment.” He tapped his lips, and I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him.
“There. Now can she come to visit?”
“Yes. You know you don’t really have to ask permission. All I need is a head’s up so I can alert the guards, but my home is your home.” His hospitality was amazing, and I thanked him with another kiss.
“Would it be okay for her to use the guest room upstairs?” I hated to put her downstairs with Sandra lurking around, and I had a feeling Kim would appreciate it more.
“Anywhere you like.” His phone rang and he took it out of his pocket. I’d heard the ring tone enough to know it was reserved for his lawyer.
“That’s Mason, and I have to take it. Call your friend and tell her she’s welcomed to join us.” He stepped away, but then stopped and came back for another kiss. “I’ll find you when I’m done.”
“I’m going to take a swim.” His face lit up as he answered the phone and stepped away.
I went to our room and found my swimsuit, a pretty blue and white bikini that I’d packed for the trip. I’d worked hard to get my body into shape, and though I wasn’t built like a model, I’d fallen in love with the two-piece. I had hoped the hotel would have a nice pool, and though it had, I never got to use it. Gabriel’s pool put it to shame, and the minute I saw it, I wanted to dive in.
I couldn’t wait to call Kim to invite her over and hoped that she still wanted to come. She’d love the vineyard and the pool, too. I dialed, but she didn’t answer, so I left a message with the invitation and told her to call me back.