“That’s not how it happened.” Heat climbed into my cheeks. “He was hurt for years because of her. A man who would turn down a paternity test wouldn’t pine away for her the way he did.”
She lifted one elegant shoulder. “Believe what you want. But don’t be naïve—thinking a rich man’s affection equals love.”
Her words landed like a slap across the face. I abandoned the rest of the silk, hoping it would crumple in spite, then smoothed my face into neutral. I’d spent too many years learning not to let her see the bruises she left, though she never laid a hand on me.
I yanked the ivory dress off the rack. “I will take this after all. I know you just closed the register, but reopen it so I can give you my card.”
She did a complete double take, blinking like she couldn’t focus. Was she seeing her daughter or one of Steele Valley’s demanding guests? Her demeanor changed in an instant.
“Why, that’ll look lovely on you. The perfect color to complement your hair. And with a curvy body like yours, this bias cut is so flattering.” Of course, she turned on the false voice when money entered the chat.
After she’d bagged up the gown in a branded Le Chat Noir hanger bag, she glanced at the clock. “Well, I’m ready to leave. Can you give me a ride home? I loaned my car out.”
I took the bag and nodded, not caring about her car details. We were already off on the wrong foot.
With the flick of a switch, the chandeliers dimmed. The shop fell into half-shadow; the mirrors catching the light from the ornate lamps outside. Mom walked out, expecting me to follow. She always treated life like a runway and me like the inconvenient assistant who should keep up.
In the car, the radio stayed low until Mom filled the silence for both of us.
“You’ll never believe who I’ve been seeing,” she boasted. “Aseven.”
Seven. Not a “Perfect 10” rating, but code for bank account size, as in the number of zeroes. A multi-millionaire.
“Tomas runs an import and export business. Vacation homes in Miami and Mexico. International real estate is the only honest investment left, according to him.”
I kept my eyes on the road as the wipers smeared a lace of frost from the windshield. She narrated details of his luxury car, his designer watch, and his wine collection. He’d taken up residence in a rented home in Steele Lake Estates for a while. I recognized the name as one of Archer’s design-build collaborations.
Tomas’s numbers stacked up in the air between us. Always about money with her. Always the math of how much love costs.
“Sounds lucrative,” I muttered.
“He’s stable,” she said, as if that equaled safe. “Stability matters the older I get. I’m not young anymore. Not looking for love to sweep me off my feet.”
We pulled up at her place, and I noted her car in the driveway. Whoever had borrowed it must have brought it back.She directed me to park on the street. A golden glow across the snow cast out from the porch light of her Craftsman-style home. I side-stepped a bike in the yard with a question on my face.
“Oh, don’t mind the mess. Bree’s kids just went back to their father’s for the week. She’s inside getting ready for a date. She’ll be so happy to see you,” she explained, unlocking the door.
“Bree? Kids?”
“Didn’t I tell you?”
The name meant nothing to me—but the familiarity in her tone warned me something was up.
We stepped into the entryway. Children’s boots and shoes lined the baseboard. A glossy purse sat on the console table, a designer logo visible.
I followed her into the living room—and stopped cold. I did not expect Brianne to be standing there. My mouth dropped.
“What the hell? Brianne?”
She turned away from an ornately framed mirror on the wall, and for a heartbeat my memory walked me backward to the same triumphant tilt of her chin, the practiced innocent eyes with nothing but lies behind them, the full mouth and white teeth made for perfectly filtered photographs.
“It’sBreenow,” she clipped, voice sugar and champagne. “Time for a new chapter in my life.”
Exquisite in a short blue gown, likely from Mom’s shop, her hair curled into highlighted waves, she looked anything but down-on-her-luck. Diamond studs winked from her earlobes. Expensive perfume surrounded her like she bathed in it.
“Don’t look so shocked, Penny. How’s Aunt Brier?”
“Uh, doing well.” I shook my head, my voice a shade too cool. “I didn’t know you were staying here.”
