The house was spotless. There wasn't a twinkle of dust sitting on the shelves or the desk. She went to those shelves now, loaded mostly with picture frames, though a few books—fiction like Clancy and Patterson—stood off to the side. A box of cigars sat next to a small urn that read XAVIER CRANE, FATHER, SOLDIER.
By the age of the photo, Merina guessed he was Alex's father, Reese's grandfather.
She perused the pictures in the frames next. Various photos of the three boys fishing, or dressed for Halloween, or sitting at a picnic table eating slices of watermelon in the backyard. They were young, Reese probably only twelve or so. The only recent photos were one of Reese's corporate grimace, the same picture on the Crane Hotels website, and Tag's, though he was smiling. Eli's most recent photo was a military one. Him in front of a flag, clean-shaven, hair cropped beneath his hat. His mouth wasn't smiling and there was a hardness about him. She wondered when he'd be on leave. If she'd ever meet him.
She abandoned the frames for the back doors, admiring the lush flowers and greenery. Night was falling, the sun dipping low and giving everything a grainy quality.
"Are you driving home?" came a deep voice from behind her.
Guiltily, Merina turned. Alex—hands in his pockets, reminding her of the way Reese stood most of the time—lingered in the doorway.
"Sorry?"
"Tag and Reese." He made a drinking motion with his hand. "Sauced, the both of them."
"That's…unexpected." She couldn't say she'd ever seen Reese "sauced."
"Unless you're driving, you should bunk here."
"Oh, um…okay."
"Good. I'd like that." Alex offered a genuine smile. Not a single part of him looked as if he was upset she'd been snooping, but she had the urge to explain.
"I'm…uh…I saw photos and wanted to see the boys when they were boys."
"Ah. There are some good ones in here." Alex ambled into the room. "Arguably, Tag never grew up," he joked, elbowing her arm gently. "But, yeah, that's them when they were younger. That one is my favorite." He nodded at the picture of the three of them shirtless and eating watermelon. Reese's eyes were thick with lashes like now, but Tag was notably skinny and had certainly outgrown that trait. Eli sat off to the side, slice of watermelon in one hand, petting a cat with the other.
"The yard hasn't changed much, but they have," she commented, unsure what to say. Alex filled the silence with the last topic on earth she thought he'd breach.
"Luna's death hit Reese the hardest." His voice took on a soft quality, pain outlining every word. Pictures of Alex's late wife were notably missing from this room.
"Which of your sons looks the most like her?" she asked.
Alex left her side and pulled open a desk drawer. He approached with a gilded silver frame, an 8 x 10 of a woman behind the glass.
"This was a few years before she died," he said quietly.
"She's beautiful." Merina traced the slope of the woman's nose and over her blue eyes. "Reese."
Alex put one blunt finger over her forehead and drew the line down her long, fair hair. "Tag."
She laughed softly.
"Eli has her sensitivity."
"A sensitive marine?"
"We exist," Alex said, returning it to its drawer. He came back to stand beside her again. "Reese doesn't like being here."
"I noticed."
"Maybe because he's the oldest and knew her longer, or maybe because I handled things better with Tag and Eli. Either way, he prefers not to visit."
"But he does because he loves you," Merina said.
"He's a good boy." Alex's dark blue eyes trained on hers. "Remember that when everything's through. Will you?"
"I will."
He nodded, ending that topic. "I'll make a phone call to Magda to let her know you're staying. Have her drop a change of clothes for each of you."
Wow. Handy being rich. Alex must have recognized her surprise because he offered an explanation.
"Magda knows him. Loves him. She looks out for him." Alex put his hands in his pockets. "When Reese bought his house, I sent her there to work for him. And let me tell you"—he shook his head in earnest—"I did not want to give up those tamales."
"Oh, I had those. I don't blame you." They shared a smile and she realized this was the first lengthy conversation she'd had with Alex. From afar he'd seemed both serious and cunning, but it turned out he had a lot of warmth. Like the way Reese's charm had been buried beneath his surly exterior. How much more could she unearth in her time with him?
"He needed Magda more than I did," Alex said. His love for his sons was genuine. Strong. He was a man who'd do anything for them. She wondered if his idea to retire had anything to do with ushering Reese in sooner than later.
"Since you're staying, more wine?" Alex asked, heading for the door.
"Always more wine," she said, following.
"You fit in here, you know that?" Alex offering an arm and together they rejoined the party.
Chapter 15
The hearty, rich sound of male laughter made Merina smile. Reese and Tag had moved from the bar to a pair of chairs next to a stone fireplace. Scotch glasses in hand, they sat and talked about stories from when they were kids.
It was a rare occasion to see Reese so open and warm…like when she learned he was ticklish. His laughter ebbed and the smile lines stayed on his face briefly before fading. Her heart wrenched. She'd liked seeing him with his guard down.
"Chardonnay," a soft voice announced next to her.
Merina accepted the glass from a cute waitress. She wore a tiny black dress and strappy heels, her black hair pulled into a ponytail. She'd been here since dinner, clearing dishes and doling out drinks. How did someone land a cushy gig like this, anyway? Her job was to hang out on a billionaire's porch and serve drinks to the five people left: Tag, Reese, Alex, and Rhona. Merina had talked to Rhona briefly. She was Alex's personal assistant, around his age, and almost exclusively spoke to Alex. And the lovelorn look in her eyes when she did it suggested Rhona had been looking at Alex like that a long, long time. Alex, on the other hand, didn't appear to have a clue his PA had the hots for him.