“Nah, I’m running people off the road as we speak.”
Rebecca smiled. “I have no doubt.”
“So, prep me for this. What’s your family like?”
“Well, you know Ian and Grandma. You’ve never met my Great Aunt Dora. She moved here to be close to family after her husband died. I wish I’d met her sooner. She’s wonderful.”
“Is Aunt Dora your grandmother’s sister?”
“Yes. And it will freak you out because they look a lot alike, but Aunt Dora dyes her hair red and wears bright mismatching outfits that match her cheery personality.”
“Do they get along?”
“Yes and no. They’re both widows and that connection kind of bonded them together. But they also don’t agree on anything.”
“And your parents will be there?”
“Yep.”
Ian and Winnie pulled up to the curb in Ian’s Audi, a little gift from Grandma when he graduated college, but they didn’t get out. They were too busy talking. She could see Ian’s animated hands moving.
“What are your parents like?”
The question made her sad, but a part of her was glad he cared enough to wonder.
“They are exceptionally pleasant conversationalists. They will do everything they can to neutralize any awkwardness Grandma causes.”
***
Jay followed the GPS map on his phone until it led him to a posh area of Beverly Hills.
He pulled into the circular driveway of a Spanish style mansion that gave him a much better idea of just how rich Rebecca’s grandmother was.
Rebecca hadn’t talked about her childhood much. He got the sense she’d been a little pampered, but also a little lonely. In his jealousy of Patrick, he couldn’t see what a little time and perspective lent him now. Rebecca and Patrick had recognized in each other someone who understood a certain lifestyle. She’d just mistaken it for a much deeper connection.
Rebecca stepped outside and jogged down the front steps to meet him. She looked beautiful in her cardigan and jeans that hugged her curves, but for the first time, he thought about how she wasn’t wearing designer pieces anymore. She didn’t have the expensive purses that Clarissa carried around. He thought about the twenty dollar dress she’d bought online, the one she didn’t want him to replace. It wasn’t just her clothes. From conversations they’d had, he knew she lived in a tiny basement apartment. This hold she’d mentioned, the fight to be independent of her grandmother, what did she mean? And by taking on her brother’s wedding, had he unwittingly stolen some of Rebecca’s hard-won independence?
“Ready for this?” he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets so he wouldn’t be tempted to take hers.
She nodded. “I hope you’re hungry. Grandma watches how much everyone eats, and she’ll comment on it if she thinks you’re not enjoying it.”
“That sounds … terrifying. Does she cook everything herself?”
“She has a maid who comes three times a week. Lottie does her grocery shopping for her and preps everything, but Grandma is very proud of her cooking. And obviously, she’s very independent.”
She took his arm as they reached the front door and led him into the dining room where everyone else was seated and almost finished with their salads. Rebecca had waited for him. He wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or assume she’d used him as an excuse to duck out.
Ian jumped up from his chair and came over to shake his hand. “Nice to finally meet you, Jay. I’m Ian.”
Jay let out an inner sigh of relief when he saw no sign of recognition from Ian. It was better if everyone thought he and Rebecca had met on the job.
After he sat, they went around the table with introductions, and Jay tried not to stare at the seventy-five percent of the table they weren’t using. Why in the world did Mrs. Scott have such a large dining table?
“The ring came in.” Winnie held out her hand to show off her sparkling diamond, roughly the size of a small boulder.
Rebecca frowned. “What happened to the one you and Ian picked out?”
Ian gave her a small shake of his head, but Rebecca’s jaw set and she turned to Mrs. Scott, who was smiling in a self-satisfied way.
