Her mother wiped her face from tears. “And I missed half of them.”
Natalie kissed her mother’s cheek and then put the earrings on. “You did, Mom, but we loved you and understood.”
As Natalie finished with the stud back, the door opened and closed.
Her mother tensed, then pressed against her back. “Stand back, sweetie.”
Hair rose in alarm along her arms and she straightened, then turned toward her mother and the door. “What?”
“Natalie Parker.” Alison, Galen’s ex, walked in the room with her red hair now midnight black carrying a bouquet of flowers.
There was no way to hide the situation from her mother now. Her heart began to race as she clutched her mother’s shoulders and nodded toward the other woman. “Alison?”
Her mother reached behind her back, but asked, “Who’s this, sweetie?”
None of this should happen right now. Her skin was so hot she could melt butter on it, but she tried to remain calm. “Mom, this is Alison, Galen’s first wife.”
Her mother pressed her lips together but didn’t otherwise move. “I didn’t know he was married before.”
Alison dropped the flowers on the floor and showed she had a handgun in her hand. She stepped on the petals, breaking the stems with her heels as she pointed.
Her mother, who always had her dresses tailored to have her gun near her right hand, instantly grabbed the handle of hers without saying a word. Alison said, “We were young but in love.”
Natalie’s heart raced. The last thing she needed was to let her mother get harmed on her wedding day. Natalie explained, “Galen was 18. They divorced at 21.”
Alison’s lips parted as her florist apron fell to the ground. “Because his father interfered with my life.”
This didn’t answer why she’d shown back up in Galen’s life or if Alison had a child or any of the big questions. Natalie rocked on her feet slightly though her mother was cool as a cucumber. Natalie tried to channel that and said, “Look, Galen’s not here right now. He’s getting ready for our wedding. You weren’t invited.”
Alison lifted her gun and pointed it at both of them. “I took a job at the florist shop to get in here. You have a lot of security.”
Her mother stepped in front of her like she was going to protect her from harm. Natalie took a deep breath. Trying to keep the kidnapping plot a secret no longer mattered. “We were trying to keep you and the Perez family that you hired out.”
Her mother’s voice seemed weak from the cancer as she shook her bald head, though she slipped out her gun she had on her thigh under that dress of hers but kept it behind her. “The Perez family. They’re bad news, sweetie, and you’d never be involved with any of them. What’s going on that I don’t know?”
Crime wasn’t her life choice, but instead of saying that she focused on the small handgun Alison held and prayed she sounded sure of herself. “Nothing, Mom. Galen’s ex wanted me to leave him.”
Alison cocked her gun. “It’s time to make a choice, Natalie.”
Her mother moved slightly away. Natalie didn’t mention that her mother was a cop for thirty years now and with luck her mother surprised Alison, giving them a way to escape.
She pressed her hand to her heart. “What choice is that?”
Alison let out a small laugh and pointed the gun at her white-faced and weaker than normal mother. “You stay and marry Galen like you planned but lose your mother in the process. Or you come with me. Quietly.”
Her mother sent her a look that said, “don’t worry” but Natalie wouldn’t let her mother fight this battle. Her mom took another side step closer to Alison without alarming her, but then said to Natalie. “Don’t worry about me at all, sweetie. Just go on the patio. Now.”
The sweetness in her voice was laced with the tough cop. Under normal circumstances, her mother was more than capable but now? Natalie hugged her waist, her white dress poofed around her hips, like a princess, but her lips thinned as she shook her head. “Mom, I can’t leave you here.”
Alison cocked her head toward Natalie. “And she’s not allowed.”
The opening was all her mother needed. She tackled Alison and had her gun in her hand in a fraction of a second as she used all her police training to grab Alison’s hands behind her back. She signaled for Natalie to hand her a satin tie that she’d disgarded for her dress. Her mother used it to tie Alison’s hands and like the warrior she had always been, all signs of weakness disappeared with her cop training. “You don’t tell my daughter what to do.”
Her mother was once again her hero.
Alison tugged her hand, bewildered, and tried to pull away from Ana. “I thought you had cancer.”
Her mother stared at Natalie while she clearly had Alison in a lock. “It doesn’t take away my skills. Natalie sweetie, call security now and tell Rafe to hurry.”
