“You are a vision, my handsome nephew.”
“You clean up nice, too, Aunt Viv.”
They joked around with Crista and Anthony joining them, with moreoohs andahhs for Nolie.
Tessa felt warmth in her chest watching them all, the moment so light, so effortless. A family moment, and it felt like old times on this beach—two families blended and connected.
“You are too talented to go back to the Ritz,” Lacey whispered as she slid an arm around Tessa.
“Good, because I turned the job down.”
“You did?” Lacey let out a soft squeal.
“It didn’t feel right to go back there and…” Tessa smiled. “Now you know my deepest, darkest secret, and I can’t take a chance of you blackmailing me.”
Lacey’s whole expression changed. “I promise, your secret is safe with me.”
“You’ll never tell your mother? Or my sister?”
She made an X on her chest. “I promise, Tessa. I will not tell them. Now, if you change your mind and want to find this boy? I would love to help you.”
For one second, she considered, then…no. It was a complication she didn’t need or want. More than that, deep inside, she loved that human she created too much to upset what she hoped was a wonderful life.
“Let’s leave the past in the past.”
“Are you sure? You’re not curious about him at all?”
“Curious if he got my good looks,” Tessa joked, adding a wink. “But I don’t think?—”
A loud noise brought her to a halt, followed by the sound of a door banging, and marching footsteps.
“Who…what was that?” Lacey asked.
None of the guests were upstairs in the house, only the caterer was on the main floor.
“I better go check,” Tessa said.
She took a step away just as she heard someone’s sharp intake of breath from somewhere in the crowd that made her skin prickle. She turned instinctively, scanning the models, the dresses, the whole room following her gaze toward the stairs.
“For the love of all that is holy, someone better tell me what’s going on in my home.”
It was like every molecule of air was suddenly sucked out of the room.
A woman with short silver hair, a tailored lavender pants suit, and a look that would scare the devil stood on the third step.
“Grandma Maggie!” Nolie practically flew through the stunned crowd, her arms outstretched. “You made it! I knew you would!”
Tessa’s whole world seemed to shift on its axis.
“What is she…”
“Oh, my heavens…”
“Mama?”
The expressions on Maggie Lawson’s adult kids’ faces were nothing but dismay, shock, and, yeah, no small amount of fear.
Maggie placed one imperious hand on Nolie’s shoulder while her sharp gaze scanned the room and landed directly on Crista. It stayed there for a moment, then shifted to Eli. And after he’d been visually decapitated, she settled on Vivien.
