Free Turn Towards the Sun: Book Three- Forever in Bloom (The Sunflower Trilogy) by Jennifer Domenico

relief.” Sitting on the edge of the pool, I dip my feet in. “I’m glad all of you are here.”
    “Enzo was showing the boys the car you got for him. It’s gorgeous,” Gabby says.
    “Oh yeah, that? It was nothing,” I say, and then laugh.
    Cassie laughs. “Yeah right, nothing. I heard them talking about it. I can’t believe you spent that much money on a car.”
    “It’s a whole new world I live in. Two years ago, I thought thirty thousand was the price of a luxury car. Now, that’s like what one of the wheels costs.”
    “I think you’ve adjusted nicely, Ava. You haven’t changed at all since I met you. Having this kind of money available could make you act differently,” Gabby comments.
    “Same to you. Your lifestyle upgraded substantially since you met Calvin.”
    She shrugs her shoulders. “I guess but it’s not my money so I don’t really think about it. The only thing I don’t like is when he starts buying me extravagant gifts. I don’t need all that stuff.”
    Cassie nudges me with her elbow. “This sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it?”
    Laughing, I nod my head. “It sure does.”
    Gabby blushes and splashes Cass and me with pool water. “True, but just to be clear, Calvin is nowhere near Enzo in the wealth department.”
    “Who is? I mean, besides, Oprah or Bill Gates,” Cassie says, cackling loudly.
    There was a time when this conversation would have embarrassed me and I would have attempted to downplay his wealth, but now I accept and embrace it. It would be ridiculous at this point to act like we aren’t loaded when I just dropped the equivalent of what some houses cost on a car. I just smile and take another sip of my sangria.
    “Speaking of Calvin, things are getting serious?” I ask, purposely changing the subject.
    “Yeah,” Gabby replies, her voice turning even more soft and girlish. “We’ve been talking about moving in together.”
    “Ooh la la,” Cassie chimes in. “Sounds like hot stuff. I’ll tell you, I was nervous when Chris and I started shacking up, but it’s been awesome for us. Are you gonna do it?”
    “I think so. We started looking for houses recently. He’s really supportive of my career goals and, well, I’m really happy.”
    “Any more talk of marriage?” I ask, dragging my toes through the cool water.
    “He hints. We’ve looked at a few rings in magazines. I’m sure it will happen or I wouldn’t move in with him. Free milk and all that.”
    Cassie laughs. “That is priceless! I was planning to live with Chris forever, marriage or not. He didn’t have to buy this cow.”
    “Well he did,” I say, pushing her arm. “Did you set a date yet?”
    “Nope. I just wanted to get a little more settled first. I think we should get our own place.” She immediately raises her hand to me as I start to protest. “I know you like us here, we do too and even though you live in a mansion, we think we need to go out on our own. Plus you will have babies eventually and you can use our suite for the nanny.”
    “It’s not a mansion.” I cross my arms and pout. “I get it, though. I really do. I won’t like it, but I understand. I hope you’ll be close by.”
    “Judging by the median home price in this area, no, we won’t be,” she says and cackles again.
    “You can live by us,” Gabby offers. “We’ll be slumming in the upper middle class neighborhoods of Scottsdale.”
    “That sounds great.”
    Rolling my eyes, I laugh and take another drink. “You girls are crazy, you know that?”
    “Yep, and you love us hard,” Cassie says.
    “That I do.”
    After our last friends and family leave, we say goodbye to Chris and Cass who decide to go see a movie to end their evening. Standing slightly behind Enzo, I’m completely drunk from wine and happiness. It was another great idea of his to have this party. I didn’t realize it, but it was exactly what I needed.
    As he turns to face me, Enzo’s lips spread into a seductive smile. “And now, my