“Honey, are you sure he didn’t have the faintest idea that you knew the Morenos?” Bell’s cautious tone was even gentler now. “That being with you would give him possible access to being around Sofia?”

“What?” Regina asked, completely insulted now. “No, of course not. He had no idea. When he told me about her, he mentioned her name, but it’s a common name. It never even dawned on me it might be this Sofia.” She turned to Alex now, attempting only for Valerie, her sister’s longtime friend, not to glare at him. “And there was no way he would know I had any association with any of you.”

“Sweetheart, I never said—”

“No one is accusing him of anything, Gina,” Bell interrupted Alex, touching Regina on the arm. “And Alex never once insinuated that this was the case, hon. It was just something that occurred to me just now.”

“Well, it’s not,” Regina said, no longer holding back her irritation.

She saw Valerie and Bell exchange glances, and then Bell took a deep breath. “Did he tell you that, even after he was warned to stay away from Sofie, he followed her to the beach to insist on talking to her? Then when she told him again that he needed to stay away, he showed up at their home, insisting on seeing her?” Bell asked with a wince. “That he was completely drunk and caused a huge scene just outside their home? And only after he’d been beaten pretty badly did he finally leave?”

Now Regina was stunned silent. She turned to Alex and Valerie. Both looked at her with sympathy. “Brandon stalked Sofia?”

That was a far cry from the tidbit he’d shared with her about this.

“I wouldn’t call it stalking, G.” Alex said. “We never heard from him after that day.” He shrugged. “He was drunk. People do all kinds of stupid shit when they’re drunk.”

“I heard that.” Romero laughed.

Alex turned to Valerie. “It’s not that big a deal really, but Valerie didn’t feel right not saying anything. Like I said, it’s been years. We’ve all made mistakes in our past.” He shrugged again. “Shit happens.” He turned to Bell as he pushed his chair back, and Valerie begun to push hers back as well. “I seriously doubt he had a clue Gina knew us. Brandon’s no dummy. If he’s with your sister, it’s because he knows what a catch she is.”

Alex winked at Gina, and under normal circumstances, she would’ve felt flattered. Instead, her mind was swimming with questions. Mostly she wanted to know if there was more she didn’t know. Alex and Valerie may’ve wanted to make sure Gina knew about this, but neither seemed eager to share anymore.

“Thank you for letting me know,” she said, standing to see them off, since they were obviously leaving.

They both nodded and then hugged her good-bye. Alex once again reminded her that what they’d just told her was a long time ago and even said that if her gut told her Brandon was a good guy then he probably was.

Romero started in on Alex about their new SUV. Bell had already mentioned to Regina that she and Romero were in the market for a new SUV as well. Just like that, the subject of Brandon was axed as the two couples began talking about Alex and Valerie’s Escalade.

Regina excused herself to the bathroom, saying her final good-byes as the two couples walked out the front together. They were now completely engaged in the conversation about how much room the back of the escalade had for the strollers and other baby things they constantly traveled with.

After using the bathroom, she peeked in on her dad again. He slept soundly, and she smiled, but her mind was still on Brandon. Romero and Bell walked back into the house just as she walked out of the hallway.

“Come sit and talk some more, Gina.” Bell said, pointing at the dining room table.

“I’m gonna call my uncles,” Romero said, turning back to the front door. “I wanna make sure everything’s still cool with the kids.” He shook his head. “I told them to just stay home. I’m surprised those two ain’t banned from Chuck E. Cheese yet.”

Bell laughed, turning back to Gina. “The first time they took Mandy, Max got stuck in one of the tubes. Another time they nearly got in a scuffle with a dad whose kid was hogging one of the games she wanted to play.”

Regina smiled, glad that Bell wasn’t jumping right back into the subject of Brandon. She was still trying to digest everything they’d just told her. She didn’t think she could take anymore.

Just minutes after Romero walked out, Pat walked in, holding a pie. “I just missed them?” she asked with a frown.

“Alex and Valerie?” Bell asked then nodded. “Yep, they left just a few minutes ago.”

“Oh well,” Pat said. “More pie for us. It’s Razzleberry, Bell. Your favorite.” She turned to Regina as she set it down on the table. Bell was already on her way into the kitchen. “I’ll get chocolate cream next time, babe.”

Regina smiled big at the pie. It was just what she needed to get her muddled mind off Brandon and Sofia. Bell came back with plates and silverware.

“Seriously, Gina,” she said as she set the plates down. “I hope you don’t think I was trying to insinuate that Brandon was in any way using you for his own ulterior motives. He seems absolutely love-struck with you. Even Mom and Pat thought so, didn’t you?” she asked Pat as they both took seats at the table.

Pat nodded but looked confused and turned to Regina. “Why would you think Bell was insinuating he was using you?” She then turned to Bell even more quizzically, lifting a brow. “What ulterior motives would he have?”