I laughed as I stole the glass back and drank. “Are you going to be popping in like this all the time? Should I get the locks changed?”
She winked. “Only the owner on the deed can authorize a lock change.”
I rolled my eyes. “Great.”
Her face grew serious. “How are you holding up, my love?”
“Well, this morning when I went to the ATM, I considered robbing the bank so I would get arrested and not be able to go anywhere for the next few days.”
She frowned and stroked my hair. “I’m sorry this is so hard on you. If it makes you feel any better, I boughtyou and Miles new outfits for tonight, but not Brendan and Colette. I have to play nice because she’s my stepdaughter, but I’ll never forgive either of them. Edmund is still embarrassed about what his daughter did. He hates that he has any part of seeing you upset. And I don’t think he’ll ever be able to talk to his soon-to-be son-in-law without clenching his teeth. He calls him thespeedbump, because that’s what he was hoping Brendan was when his daughter first started dating him—a bump on the road to finding a real man.”
I smiled sadly. “Thanks, Mom. But I’m not even mad at them anymore. Not really, anyway. I’m more mad at myself for not moving on yet.”
“Have you been dating?”
“A little.”
Her eyes sparkled. “I have a nice man I’d like you to meet. Jack’s a friend of Edmund’s from work. He’ll be at the wedding.”
I waved my hands. “No fix-ups, Mom. That’s the last thing I need.”
“He’s an attorney—a little older, but I think older is better for a husband.”
“Dad was two years younger than you.”
She threw back the rest of the wine in the glass. “Exactly. I learned my lesson.”
***
Miles held out his elbow as we walked through the restaurant door that evening. I’d chosen to skip the actual rehearsal since I wasn’t in the bridal party. I’d been so relieved when Colette had told me she was only doing a maid of honor and best man—no bridesmaids or groomsmen. Of course,her identical twin sister, Chloe, had the honor. There was no way in the world I would have been able to stand up at the altar and smile while watching my first and only love promise eternity to my stepsister. Even if I now realized Brendan and I would’ve never worked long term, and if what they’d both sworn was true—that nothing happened until after we broke up—it was a tough pill to swallow.
“You look amazing,” my best friend whispered. “You got this.”
I stood a little taller, grateful that Miles knew what I needed in the moment. And he was right—I did look amazing, thanks to Mom’s glam team and this incredible dress. She’d picked out a simple burgundy slip dress, silky with a loose, flowing fit that seemed effortless, yet elegant, but paired it with a set of vibrant turquoise sky-high heels that made a statement. I never would’ve thought to put the colors together, but then again, I didn’t have Mia Newport’s style. Maybe that’s why she was on husband number four, and I was still a damn virgin.
“Thank you.” I nodded and took a deep breath. “I’m ready.”
The dinner was being held in the private back room of a popular restaurant. The double French doors were shut as we approached, but I could see Brendan’s mother through the glass. She spotted me, and a look of pity crossed her face. That was the absolute last thing I needed or wanted. The next forty-eight hours were definitely going to be a challenge.
Husband number four, my stepfather Edmund Newport, must’ve noticed us walking through the restaurant. He opened the door with a welcoming smile. “Sutton, it’s so good to see you, sweetheart.”
I kissed his cheek. “You, too, Edmund.”
Mom’s husband of seven years was in his mid-sixties—fifteen years older than she was. He had salt and pepper hair and a slightly crooked nose, but he was handsome in his own way. “You remember Miles, right, Edmund?”
“Of course. How are you, son? My wife was so excited you could make it back for the wedding. Mia absolutely adores you.”
“The feeling is mutual, sir.”
Chloe walked over and hugged me. “Eep! I’ve missed you!”
“I missed you, too.” The last time I’d seen my stepsister was when I’d come home and found out about Brendan and Colette. Chloe was supposed to come out to California to visit this spring, but then she got the flu and postponed the trip, and it never happened.
“I’m so excited that you’re back for the summer,” she gushed. “I have big plans for us. We need to go out to my dad’s house in Montauk on weekends. We can get tans during the day and go clubbing in the Hamptons at night. I think there’s also a wreck out at Culloden Beach, if you want to go diving.”
“That sounds great.”
Edmund chimed in. “The owner of my company is a diver, like you. I could ask him about diving spots.”
