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?”

at him, peeved by his devil-may-care attitude

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

did

enough talking, more eating,” Grandfather said. “Everyone

and the clinking of glasses filled the room. There was one thing Uncle Frank was right about—it was in fact a tradition in this household for the men to drink and make toasts

was a bibulous person. Back in the day, when his health was better, he used to have a

social drinker and only imbibed alcohol

ago, the doctor had told him

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

frown in concern. It’s true that it’s a

today! Drink something non-alcoholic, okay?” I passed him a glass of juice and raised my own by way

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

as if daring him to

said pleadingly. “Dominic’s not good with alcohol. He was hospitalized one time because he

intended for Grandfather to cut Dominic some slack, but I forgot that in the eyes of someone like my grandfather,

while Grandfather no longer insisted for Dominic to drink, he had instead found something else to pick on the latter—more

I watched Dominic nod amicably in response to Grandfather’s chiding before promising that he would exercise to be stronger

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

cheeks burning. He’d better not put in any more hours in the gym! If his stamina becomes any better

to stop Dominic from drinking as a sign of how much I cared about him. Aunt Vivienne, in particular, joked that I was always thinking of him, so much so I

others laughed good-naturedly while I feigned

atmosphere lasted for the

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