Love the Second Time Around

Chapter 144 Always Thinking of Him

I gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Uncle Frank. Dominic won’t be drinking. I’ll get him some juice later.”

Uncle Frank frowned. “I don’t blame you for not knowing your liquor, Lili, but this whiskey here is the good stuff. I specially bought it for this occasion. And you know it’s a family tradition for us men to toast each other at the family gathering.”

I tried to let Uncle Frank down easy. “I’m so sorry, but he really—”

Grandfather harrumphed loudly. “Lili, don’t coddle him. If he wants to drink, drink. If he doesn’t want to, he should say it himself rather than hiding behind his girlfriend.”

“Grandpa…” I pouted.

Dominic’s hand covered mine, taking it off the glass. “I’m fine.” He gave me a reassuring squeeze before addressing Uncle Frank. “I’ll have a glass, thank you.”

“Now we’re talking.” Pleased, the latter filled more than half the glass. “There you go.”

When Uncle Frank moved on to his next target, I elbowed Dominic in his ribs. “Did you forget about what happened the last time?” I hissed in annoyance. “We’re in the countryside. It’s a long way to a hospital if you get alcohol poisoning again.”

Although we did have the local doctor, a proper hospital would be quite out of the way.

Dominic’s expression was calm. “I know what I’m doing.”

As if! Internally, I was throwing my hands up in chagrin. If that were true, you wouldn’t have been hospitalized in the first place, nor would Benjamin and Yvonne tell me you’d nearly drunk yourself into an early grave.

Unable to resist, I pinched his leg under the table. “Just this one glass, okay?” I said warningly. “No seconds.”

He smirked. “Are you henpecking me?”

his devil-may-care attitude when his health was at stake. “No seconds,

Gianna looked at us teasingly. “What sweet nothings are you two whispering? Keep your pillow talk

Dominic and I did act like

more eating,” Grandfather said. “Everyone

There was one thing Uncle Frank was right about—it was in fact a tradition in this household for the men to drink and

a bibulous person. Back in the day, when his health

other hand, was a social drinker

ago, the doctor

the tradition was born—Grandfather was allowed to indulge in his drinks during special occasions where our family gathered and the

of alcohol Grandfather was currently imbibing had me frown in concern. It’s true that it’s a special occasion, and he

glass of juice and raised my own by way of toasting. “Cheers to your

in delight. “Thanks, Lili. Okay, okay. I promise I’ll stop after your boyfriend over there

looked at Dominic as if daring him

good with alcohol. He was hospitalized one time because he

I forgot that in the eyes of someone like my grandfather, who used to guzzle booze as freely as he breathed, being “not good with alcohol” was effectively a demonstration of one’s

else to pick on the latter—more specifically, that he had too weak a stomach

to Grandfather’s chiding before promising that he would exercise to be stronger so he could “take

said the last part, he looked at me with a raised brow loaded with

for a second before the realization that it was an innuendo dawned. I turned away, cheeks burning. He’d better not put in any more hours in the gym! If his stamina becomes any better

of how much I cared about

others laughed good-naturedly while I feigned

lasted for the

dinner, Grandfather retired to his room, but not before telling Dominic very sternly that