But it seemed my wife had decided she was going to use a light touch with my mother any longer.
“It’s good to see you looking so well, Margot. I’m glad everything turned out all right after your little scare.”
To someone unaware of the undercurrent, the words sounded polite, but I knew better.
My mother stiffened, the warmth draining from her expression as a few nearby guests turned their heads, clearly catching the tail end of the exchange. Her gaze sharpened, darting briefly around us before snapping back to Callie.
“Yes, well. There was no need to make a fuss.” She recovered quickly, turning to Sophie with a tight smile. “Come along, dear. We don’t want to keep everyone waiting.”
Sophie hesitated, her eyes flicking between us before she nodded and followed. As they walked away, my mother’s back perfectly straight, I felt the weight of what had just happened settle over me.
Callie exhaled softly beside me. I glanced down at her, pride stirring in my chest.
I was unable to keep the faint edge of amusement from my voice as I murmured, “That went better than I expected.”
She lifted her gaze to mine, a wry curve to her lips. “I suppose it could’ve been worse.”
I squeezed her hand gently, admiration blooming warm and steady in my chest. “Well played.”
9
CALLIE
Dinner went better than I expected. There were no carefully timed sighs or subtle little pauses that made me second-guess every sentence that left my mouth, just easy conversation. Ethan sat beside me, close enough that our knees brushed under the table. Not accidentally, either. He’d angled his chair toward mine on purpose, which made me relax even more.
Across from us, Gage was in rare form. He was charming without trying, and one of the board members laughed loudly enough that a couple nearby tables turned to look.
“Tell me you at least blamed your CFO.”
Gage’s grin widened. “Oh, I tried. But Prescott has this annoying habit of being right.”
Ethan leaned back in his chair. “Which is why you keep me around.”
I laughed softly at the easy banter between them, turning toward Gage’s mom when she asked me about teaching with genuine interest. I mentioned office hours and grading, and she didn’t give me that condescending smile I’d come to recognize at certain gatherings.
Instead, she nodded. “That must take a lot of patience.”
“It does,” I admitted, surprised by the small sting behind my eyes. “But it’s worth it when you can tell they’re actually improving.”
She stretched her arm across the table to pat my hand. “It sounds like you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.”
Her kindness was in stark contrast to how my mother-in-law treated me.
Ethan leaned in close enough that his breath warmed my ear. “You doing okay?”
“I’m good.” I flashed him a soft smile. “Really.”
His hand slid to my knee under the table, giving me a brief squeeze. Then his thumb brushed over my inner thigh, almost absentminded, as though he couldn’t help himself. My breath caught before I could stop it, and goosebumps spread across my skin in the wake of his touch. His attentiveness was a complete turn-on to me, especially on the heels of him rebuffing his mother.
It felt so much lighter without Margot at the table with us, but I knew she wouldn’t be happy about being pushed out. I glanced across the room and caught her glaring at me. There was no warmth in her expression, only calculation.
Before I could worry about what kind of payback she was planning, Ethan’s knee bumped mine again, but the unease had already settled in my chest, refusing to be chased away.
I excused myself once dessert arrived, claiming I needed to use the restroom before coffee was served. It wasn’t exactly a lie, but the truth was I needed a moment to myself.
The hallway outside the ballroom was quieter, the hum of conversation dulled behind the heavy doors. I took a breath, letting my shoulders drop, reminding myself that I was Ethan’s wife. I belonged here, whether his mother liked it or not.
“Callie.”
