Hollywood Heir (Westerly Billionaire #4)(74)

Spencer stood near the door of the dining room. “Is it safe to bring Skye back in? Tell me now, because I’m not doing this to my family.”

Rachelle said, “Spencer, we are all your family.”

“I’m not saying you’re not,” Spencer countered. “But my first priority is my wife and child.”

“As it should be,” Magnus said.

Sage stood up. “Eric, do you have Nicolette’s phone number?”

Eric also rose to his feet. “I do.” He brought it up and handed his phone to her.

All eyes were on Sage as it rang on FaceTime. Nicolette’s face appeared on the screen. “Eric? Wait, who are you?”

Sage said, “I’m Sage, but Eric is with me.” Sage turned the phone to scan the table. “Everyone is. We’re having dinner at Eric’s, and everyone was just saying how much they missed you.”

“They were?” Nicolette asked slowly.

“See for yourself. I’ll pass the phone around, and you can say hi to everyone.”

“Hold on,” Nicolette said. “Could I please speak to Eric?”

“Of course.” Sage handed the phone back to Eric.

Nicolette looked uncertain. “Is everyone else really there?”

“They are,” Eric said.

“I . . . My shoot was . . . I’m sorry.”

Eric glanced up and met Sage’s gaze before answering. “Make it up to me by visiting soon.” He smiled at her. “I’m proud to see you following your dream.”

“You are?” Nicolette asked as if she was waiting for the conversation to take a sour turn. “Thank you.”

On impulse, he pulled Sage closer so she was in the shot with him. “Nicolette, this is Sage, the woman I intend to marry. I haven’t officially asked her yet, but I’m pretty confident about what her answer will be.”

Sage laughed, and Nicolette joined in.

He lowered his voice. “If our family doesn’t scare her off.”

“No chance in hell,” Sage chimed in.

Taking a chance and following his gut, Eric said, “Dad was just asking about you. He misses you, too. Want to talk to him?”

“Sure,” Nicolette said with caution.

Dereck did indeed look happy to talk to his daughter. He asked her about the shoot and even added that he would love to fly out and see her on location.

Stephanie’s eyes filled with tears as she listened. Eric almost told his father what to do, but Dereck’s next action showed that he understood what Sage was trying to do for them. He said, “Nicolette, Mom is missing you as well. I’m handing you off, but I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“I’d like that, Dad.”

Stephanie took the phone, spoke to Nicolette for a few minutes, then handed the phone to Brett. Peace returned to the room, and a moment later so did Skye and Hailey.

When Eric saw Delinda accept the phone from Spencer with a smile, he couldn’t hold in how he felt. He whispered, “I love you. I don’t know what you see in me, but I’m not buying you glasses.”

He kissed her then, oblivious to the young and old around him, lost in the woman who had returned light to his life.

Reggie’s voice broke into his bliss. “It’s okay, they’re getting married. We probably shouldn’t have sat them together, either. Easy on the PDA, guys.”

Eric raised his head and smiled. “Will you marry me, Sage Revere?”

Without hesitation, Sage answered, “Yes. Yes, a thousand times, yes.”

They kissed again, briefly this time, since a round of applause kept them very aware of their audience. Eric hugged Sage to him and looked around the room. Bella held up the phone to show that even Nicolette was cheering, “Congratulations!”

Reggie’s daughter asked loudly, “Are they going to make a baby?”

He answered, “Hopefully not until after dinner.”

Alice rolled her eyes skyward.

Still laughing, Eric bent and whispered to Sage, “Want a houseguest tonight?”

She swatted at him, but she didn’t say no.

Delinda loudly clapped her hands together twice and informed the staff to hurry dinner along. Eric turned his attention her way. He expected to see irritation, but she was smiling from ear to ear.

Eric held out Sage’s chair again, and they retook their seats. One family dinner survived. One proposal delivered and accepted. Looking around the table, Eric saw his family through Sage’s eyes. They were simply people, as flawed as he was, but trying to do better. They’d let each other down, hurt each other along the way, but they were all there—and it was his choice to decide if that was a good or bad thing. When he saw them through that lens, he found his place in both families. He’d be the bridge. He took Sage’s hand in his again. They’d be the bridge.





Chapter Twenty

Sage was still smiling later that evening when she unlocked the door to her apartment and held it open for Eric to follow her inside. The night had held a series of highs and lows, but she and Eric had weathered them together.

His family had issues, but none that were insurmountable. What they had on their side was that they wanted things to work out. That was the first step to fixing any relationship. She hoped her own mother one day reached that place.