Enchanted (The Accidental Billionaires #4)(52)

“Not exactly. But it helped. I spent a lot of time practicing meditation and self-reflection. I stopped feeling sorry for myself and learned to be grateful for what I had.”

“Where does the bracelet fit in?”

“The simplest way to explain it is that the bracelet has healing stones. I mostly bought this one because it reminded me to keep going back to the basics when everything got too overwhelming, and because it was pretty. I’m not much into the belief in the stones themselves, but I do like nice, colorful things.”

He chuckled as he looked me up and down. “I noticed.”

I smirked. “Are you mocking my dress?”

I’d put on a bright-yellow sundress earlier, and I loved it.

“Not at all,” he said immediately. “You look like a bright ray of sunshine, sweetheart.”

I sighed. Would there ever be a day that Noah couldn’t make me feel beautiful? Fortunately, I highly doubted it.

I put the last sliced avocado into a large bowl with the rest of them. “I think we’re ready.”

“I’ll take that,” he insisted as he grabbed the bowl. “Go outside and let Aiden pour you a glass of wine. He’s playing bartender. You’ve done enough today. I’ll grab Seth, Eli, and Owen to help me bring everything out.”

I tried to protest, but he nudged me toward the sliding glass door, so I stepped out into the mild Southern California afternoon.

“Andie! Come sit down and have a drink,” Riley called as I moved toward the crowd.

I smiled at her as she patted the empty lounger next to her.

Noah’s backyard was enormous and beautifully landscaped. The large pool was the focal point, but there were numerous places to gather around it. Beyond that, there was nothing but ocean.

“Thanks,” I said to Riley as I plopped my ass down on the lounger, and Aiden handed me a glass of red wine.

“Noah said you liked red,” he said in a jovial tone.

“I do. Thank you.”

I certainly couldn’t complain about the Sinclair service. I had to wonder if Aiden had already poured the wine before I’d stepped outside.

I took a sip as I watched Aiden walk back to the barbecue grill to check on the fish.

“It’s a little mind boggling, right?” Riley commented, her tone brimming with laughter. “I know the first few Sinclair family barbecues were a little intimidating to me. I wasn’t used to this much family in one area.”

I looked around at all of the activity. Aiden was minding the fish on the grill while he had an animated conversation with Owen, Seth, and Eli Stone. Aiden’s wife, Skye, was in the pool with their daughter, Maya. Jade was keeping them company at the side of the pool.

Everyone looked so happy just to be . . . together.

“You don’t have family?” I asked her curiously.

“None that I actually want to claim,” she said drily. “Except for my brothers. And they’re out of the country a lot.”

“My parents are always gone,” I told her. “And I’m an only child.”

“So this is probably really weird for you,” she said empathetically. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it. I actually look forward to all the family gatherings now. The Sinclairs have a way of drawing you in until you feel like part of the family.”

Riley was so nice that it was hard to be nervous around her. “Thanks. I already like everyone. I knew most of them when I was younger, but it’s been a long time.”

“We already adore you,” she informed me. “After what you’ve done for Noah, we’re all grateful.”

“I just went on a vacation with him.”

“He’s changed, Andie. I mean he’s really changed. He’s spending time with his siblings, and they’re thrilled to have him back as a brother. I’m not sure I really saw him smile until he came back from Cancún. Now he can’t seem to stop smiling. You make him happy. You’ve pulled him out of his office and helped him rejoin the real world. Don’t act like your influence didn’t make a difference. The man has learned how to play. That’s monumental for Noah.”

“Was it really that bad?” I asked.

“Horrible,” she answered. “Everybody was worried about him, and with good reason.”

I pretty much knew it wasn’t good from what Owen had told me. “He was always a workaholic, but he had to be when his siblings were young. I hadn’t seen him for years before we ended up in Cancún together. He didn’t look well.”

“You wouldn’t know he looked like hell just over a month ago by looking at him today. He’s crazy about you.”

I sighed. “I’m crazy about him, too.”

“I’m not going to tiptoe around like I don’t know what you’ve been through. All of us know, and we hate what happened to you,” Riley said bluntly. “I just want you to know that if you ever want to talk about it, I’m here for you. We all are.”

I was so touched that I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. “Thanks.”

Riley was offering me friendship, family, and acceptance without a single reservation.

I wasn’t quite sure how to handle that, but it felt so damn good that I wasn’t about to shy away from it.