owner took my father and me on a tour of the wine cellar last summer. The whole thing really is fascinating. Wine collecting is definitely something I want to get into one day. Well, that and autographed baseballs. I already have a good collection of those going, thanks to my dad."
"Really? Who've you gotten?" Conrad asked.
Ariana cracked a smile as Palmer ran through the list, which was apparently impressive, if Conrad's oohs and aahs were any indication, but in the back of her mind she was envisioning a den full of sports paraphernalia--dirty jerseys encased in glass, banged-up baseballs set on custom shelves as if they had the same worth as diamonds. The whole idea made her skin crawl.
And why had she never noticed how much Palmer talked about his father? It was almost like he was name-dropping his own dad, showing off about the perks he could get because of who his father was. Jasper would never do anything so gauche.
Stop it, she told herself, placing her fork down and focusing her attention on the conversation. Stop thinking about Jasper.
"What about you, Lex?" Conrad asked, resting his wrists on the edge of the table as he looked at her. "What would you collect?"
"She just collects trophies and ribbons," Ariana put in proudly. "Have you seen her shelves full of equestrian awards, Connie? The girl's a natural."
"She's overexaggerating," Lexa said, blushing nonetheless.
"You know, I have seen those trophies, but I've yet to see you ride," Conrad said, turning his seat slightly toward Lexa. "When can we do that?"
"You should come to my family's ranch in the spring," Lexa said, her eyes sparkling. "I could show you a few moves."
Ariana was feeling more and more secure by the second. Flirting? Planning for the future? All of this was a very good sign.
Of course, she'd thought she'd seen a few good signs during their shopping excursion the week before, but Lexa had still backslid after that. The question was, how was she going to keep Lexa under control for good? Was she ever really going to feel truly safe as long as she shared this potentially life-ending secret with Lexa?
"Y know, Ana, you should come visit me at home this summer, too," Palmer said, reaching for her hand under the table. He clasped it and
ou brought it up to rest on his thigh. "I'd love to show you around Phoenix."
Phoenix. Blah. Could there be any place on earth more unappealing in the dead of summer than the middle of the desert? Ariana wondered where Jasper spent his summers. Hadn't he said something about his father owning real estate all over the world? And now she did too. Maybe the two of them could go vacation-home-hopping around the globe together.
"Ana?" Palmer prodded.
Ariana blinked, dragging herself back from a gondola in Venice, wrapped in Jasper's arms.
"What? Oh, sorry. Sure. Of course. I'd love to see Phoenix," she lied.
"Will you guys excuse me for a second?" Lexa asked, rising.
Both Conrad and Palmer got up from their chairs, well-trained gentlemen that they were. Lexa sauntered off toward the bathroom. The second she was out of earshot, Conrad leaned across the table.
"She keeps bringing up Lillian," he whispered to Palmer. "Do you think that has something to do with all the crazy hand washing?"
Ariana's blood froze in her veins. "What has she been saying about Lillian?" she asked, even though she was appalled by the fact that Lexa's boyfriend started talking about her behind her back the second she was gone.
"Nothing in particular," Conrad said, lifting a shoulder. "But she keeps reminiscing about the girl. As if they were lifelong friends or something. We only knew her for a month."
"Maybe she's wigged about Lillian leaving so abruptly," Palmer said, looking off in the direction of the bathrooms. He narrowed his eyes. "Maybe . . . maybe she found out something about Lily's mystery family that she hasn't told us! Maybe she doesn't think that Lillian left because she couldn't handle the
"Really? Who've you gotten?" Conrad asked.
Ariana cracked a smile as Palmer ran through the list, which was apparently impressive, if Conrad's oohs and aahs were any indication, but in the back of her mind she was envisioning a den full of sports paraphernalia--dirty jerseys encased in glass, banged-up baseballs set on custom shelves as if they had the same worth as diamonds. The whole idea made her skin crawl.
And why had she never noticed how much Palmer talked about his father? It was almost like he was name-dropping his own dad, showing off about the perks he could get because of who his father was. Jasper would never do anything so gauche.
Stop it, she told herself, placing her fork down and focusing her attention on the conversation. Stop thinking about Jasper.
"What about you, Lex?" Conrad asked, resting his wrists on the edge of the table as he looked at her. "What would you collect?"
"She just collects trophies and ribbons," Ariana put in proudly. "Have you seen her shelves full of equestrian awards, Connie? The girl's a natural."
"She's overexaggerating," Lexa said, blushing nonetheless.
"You know, I have seen those trophies, but I've yet to see you ride," Conrad said, turning his seat slightly toward Lexa. "When can we do that?"
"You should come to my family's ranch in the spring," Lexa said, her eyes sparkling. "I could show you a few moves."
Ariana was feeling more and more secure by the second. Flirting? Planning for the future? All of this was a very good sign.
Of course, she'd thought she'd seen a few good signs during their shopping excursion the week before, but Lexa had still backslid after that. The question was, how was she going to keep Lexa under control for good? Was she ever really going to feel truly safe as long as she shared this potentially life-ending secret with Lexa?
"Y know, Ana, you should come visit me at home this summer, too," Palmer said, reaching for her hand under the table. He clasped it and
ou brought it up to rest on his thigh. "I'd love to show you around Phoenix."
Phoenix. Blah. Could there be any place on earth more unappealing in the dead of summer than the middle of the desert? Ariana wondered where Jasper spent his summers. Hadn't he said something about his father owning real estate all over the world? And now she did too. Maybe the two of them could go vacation-home-hopping around the globe together.
"Ana?" Palmer prodded.
Ariana blinked, dragging herself back from a gondola in Venice, wrapped in Jasper's arms.
"What? Oh, sorry. Sure. Of course. I'd love to see Phoenix," she lied.
"Will you guys excuse me for a second?" Lexa asked, rising.
Both Conrad and Palmer got up from their chairs, well-trained gentlemen that they were. Lexa sauntered off toward the bathroom. The second she was out of earshot, Conrad leaned across the table.
"She keeps bringing up Lillian," he whispered to Palmer. "Do you think that has something to do with all the crazy hand washing?"
Ariana's blood froze in her veins. "What has she been saying about Lillian?" she asked, even though she was appalled by the fact that Lexa's boyfriend started talking about her behind her back the second she was gone.
"Nothing in particular," Conrad said, lifting a shoulder. "But she keeps reminiscing about the girl. As if they were lifelong friends or something. We only knew her for a month."
"Maybe she's wigged about Lillian leaving so abruptly," Palmer said, looking off in the direction of the bathrooms. He narrowed his eyes. "Maybe . . . maybe she found out something about Lily's mystery family that she hasn't told us! Maybe she doesn't think that Lillian left because she couldn't handle the
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