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?”

devil-may-care attitude

teasingly. “What sweet nothings are you

I did act like

more eating,” Grandfather said. “Everyone

glasses filled the room. There was one thing Uncle Frank was right about—it was in fact a tradition

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

hand, was a social drinker and

a heart bypass surgery some time ago, the doctor had told him to cut back on liquor, much to his

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

frown in concern. It’s true that it’s a special occasion, and he could cut loose a little… But he has already downed three

I passed him a glass of juice and raised my own by way of toasting. “Cheers to your

okay. I promise I’ll stop after your boyfriend over there downed a

at Dominic as if daring him

with alcohol. He was hospitalized one time because

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

found something else to pick on the latter—more

exasperation, I watched Dominic nod amicably in response to Grandfather’s chiding before promising that he would exercise to be stronger so he could “take better care of

looked at me with a raised brow

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

of how much I cared about him. Aunt Vivienne, in particular, joked that I was always thinking of him, so much so I probably

laughed good-naturedly while I feigned

for

Grandfather retired to his room, but not before telling Dominic very sternly that the latter must sleep