Mom sighed. “You remind me of me and your father.”
Dad didn’t look up. “Heaven help them.”
Dinner rolled on. The wine was cheap but good, and the flickering candles softened everything. For a while, I even started to relax. Braxton asked Jane about her baking, and she lit up in a way I hadn’t seen in months. She was bright, animated, and alive. Dex watched her quietly, then gave me a small approving nod as if to say she’s talented. It was the first moment we agreed on anything in years.
I shouldn't have been noticing him, yet I was. The way the candlelight caught the line of his jaw, the way his sleeves were still rolled up from earlier, revealing strong wrists and forearms. He was too composed, too still and I realized I might just beattracted to the calmness since I had grown up in a world of family chaos. Which was precisely the problem. I shouldn’t be attracted to him at all.
“Lucy,” Mom chirped suddenly. “You’re quiet tonight.”
“I’m eating,” I quickly replied.
“And thinking,” she said, hoping I would continue the conversation.
“About the wiring in the guest rooms,” I improvised, knowing that I wasn’t about to admit I had been eyeing my boss. Ex-boss, I reminded myself.
“That’s boring,” she said cheerfully. “Think about something else. Jane!”
Jane froze mid-bite. “What?”
“Tell them about your old job!” Mom enthusiastically requested.
“Mom." Jane shook her head, obviously not wanting to be the center of attention.
“She used to work under a famous baker. Perhaps you’ve heard of James Elman?” Mom continued, oblivious to her daughter’s widening eyes.
“James Elman?” Dex repeated, raising a brow.
“He has a bakery on Fifth. His desserts are incredible,” Braxton supplied knowledgably.
Jane’s blush deepened to crimson. “Mom, please don’t.”
Yet Mom was unstoppable. “Jane’s former boss is famous. He had multiple bakeries and that show on the streaming service. You know the one with the flaming soufflés! He’s quite the celebrity.”
“Yes. My sister loves that show. She watches it quite religiously,” Braxton agreed politely.
Mom nodded eagerly. “He’s also known as a bit of a womanizer.”
Jane looked like she wanted the floor to open and swallow her whole. “Mom!”
“And,” Mom went on, utterly unbothered by the rising horror around her, “Jane and James are dating! I’m hoping for a spring wedding.”
The silence that followed was so sharp it hummed.
Dex’s expression froze halfway between polite disbelief and uncertain amusement as though he wanted to laugh, which was odd because in the five years I had known him, I had never heard him laugh.
Jane made a small strangled noise and covered her face. I pressed my napkin to my mouth to stop the laugh threatening to escape. This was beyond salvaging.
“Mom, Jane and James are not dating,” I said gently.
“But he sent her a Christmas card that said ‘You’re unforgettable!’” Mom protested. “It’s obvious that he likes her. Why else would he do that?”
“He sends that to everyone. It’s printed on the card along with his signature. James never signed the cards individually,” Jane whispered, mortified.
“Well, it’s still a lovely sentiment,” Mom said with a sniff.
Braxton, bless him, jumped in. “For what it’s worth, I agree. Unforgettable suits Jane.”
Jane’s head shot up, her eyes wide. Braxton cleared his throat and pretended great interest in his chicken. Mom’s smile spread like a cat in the cream.
