Chapter 26
Juliet
Tina, Mom’s boss, was one of those ageless women who was possibly sixty but could easily pass for thirty, and none of it was fake. She was simply born with firm, light brown skin that would never wrinkle and hair that only had a few distinguished strands of gray. She wore a dress that fit her so flawlessly, and in such an understated style, that it was obviously more expensive than anything I’d ever owned. Even her makeup looked expensive. I was suddenly, fiercely glad of the catered food, classy alcohol, and flowers that adorned this party.
Thank you, Finn Wiley.
We had pulled out of the harbor, and a brisk, cool breeze came up over the water. Aside from the women of the wedding party, Vicki had invited a handful of her other friends. The DJ was spinning music, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.
I stood on the deck, leaning against the railing, my arms crossed over my chest. I was too anxious to drink. With my luck, I’d have one too many and ruin the whole evening by saying the wrong thing or starting a fight with either Vicki or Mom. For once, if this party was going to be ruined, it wouldn’t be by me.
Tina joined me at the rail. We stood watching the others for a moment, and I let the cool wind lift my hair as I tried to look calmer than I felt.
“They’re enjoying themselves,” Tina said. “This is a lovely party.”
I glanced at her. Tina was the CEO of her own company, and Mom had been her executive assistant for years. From what Mom said, Tina was a good boss, and it wasn’t a Devil Wears Prada situation. Still, her calmness, poise, and effortless good looks made her immediately terrifying. She was just so together. “I’m glad you like it,” I said.
Tina nodded. “Josie is very excited about this wedding. She’s been talking for months about having both her daughters in one place.”
“She has?”
“Oh, yes.” Tina’s voice was calm as she watched everyone drinking and talking. A couple of the guests had started bumping to the DJ’s beats as the alcohol flowed. “She would be so happy if you two got along. So would Vicki, I think. It’s why this wedding turned into a bigger affair than it was in the beginning.”
I frowned. That didn’t make sense. The wedding had expanded because Vicki wanted to include her other friends, not because of me. Also, Vicki and I had done nothing but argue.
“You don’t believe it?” Tina asked. I turned to see her watching me with understated amusement.
I shook my head. “They didn’t throw this wedding for me. I was planning to come when it was just a date at City Hall.”
“But that would have been an afternoon,” Tina pointed out. She gestured around her. “This is an occasion. Tell me, what are the men doing tonight?”
“Alistair and Finn are seeing a movie,” I said.
“Exactly. The men aren’t the ones in this family with complicated problems. But the women…” She looked around. “Sometimes, we women express ourselves by making things a very big deal. It’s how we communicate.”
“Vicki has barely spoken to me,” I said.
Tina nodded. “Maybe not. But she’s been talking to you all this time.”
I gazed closely at her, thinking. Vicki had wanted me to be the maid of honor. She could have fired me anytime and put one of the others in charge, but she hadn’t. Having me do this mattered to her in a way I couldn’t figure out, and yet she hadn’t talked to me. Sisterhood was fucking confusing.
“Are you a CEO or a therapist?” I asked Tina.
That made her laugh, and even her laugh was classy. “Maybe I’m a little of both.”
“You’re pretty perceptive about people.”
“I can be, yes. But I’ve also worked with Josie a long time, and I know her well. I’m not this perceptive about just anyone, I promise.”
I was going to look around for Vicki, but we were interrupted by Mom joining us. “Here you go,” she said to Tina, handing her a glass of white wine. She smiled at her boss, then turned to me. “Julie, this party is wonderful. You did an amazing job.”
She put an arm around my shoulders and gave me a brisk, hard side hug. This was third-glass-of-wine Mom for sure, but I didn’t mind. “It wasn’t all me,” I admitted. “Finn helped.”
“Did he? That’s probably because the bachelor party is so boring.” Mom rolled her eyes. “But that was kind of him. He’s a sweet boy. I’m glad you two are getting along.”
I moved my gaze out to the water so I wouldn’t give away exactly how I was getting along with that “sweet boy.” My knees had ached the next day.
I could have sworn I felt Tina’s knowing gaze on me, like she had psychic powers.
“I wish Finn would find someone, too,” Mom said, oblivious. “He should have a wife and kids. He’s been through so much.” She glanced at me and bit her lips, editing herself.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I know about his dad dying and the brain surgery. He told me about it.”
“He told you?” Mom was surprised. “Well, that’s nice. Maybe he’s healing from it. We were under strict instructions not to say anything to anyone, probably because he didn’t want any publicity leaking. But it was hard. I was so worried. He almost died.”
I went still. Finn hadn’t put it to me that way. He’d only said— “It was risky surgery,” I said.
“Oh, more than that.” Mom sipped her wine, relieved that she could talk about it. “The tumor was big when they operated, and he lost so much blood on the operating table that they had to transfuse him. He did physiotherapy for months afterward because he had balance and coordination problems, but I think most of that went away. And now he’s been having scans—I think they think something might be wrong again. I hope everything is okay.”
I was going cold, my breath trying to halt. Scans? Finn was having scans?
I remembered the stack of papers and mail on his kitchen counter, the paper planner I’d seen. I hadn’t snooped through it. If I had, I would have seen doctor appointments, physio appointments, scan appointments. Things Finn hadn’t told me about.
But there was nothing wrong with him. I hadn’t seen any balance problems. We’d gone dancing. He’d danced like exactly what he was—a man who has had dancing training since he was a kid and is naturally gifted besides. He had never stumbled or slowed down.
If there was something wrong with him, wouldn’t I have noticed? Or had I been too in my own head to see?
I had a lot going on, none of it good, he’d said.
He’d had headaches, he told me. It was taken care of. Like it was a trip to the grocery store.
He had almost died.
Tina must have noticed that I was frozen in shock, because she dipped into the conversation as if it was natural. “I haven’t met Finn yet. I assume I’ll meet him tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve never met a pop star before.” She turned to Mom. “I’m sure he’s just fine, Josie.”
“I worry,” Mom said to her.
Tina nodded. “Yes, you do. But everyone is safe, happy, and healthy, so for tonight and tomorrow, you’re going to stop.”
“Right. Yes.” Mom looked at her, seemed reassured, and nodded. “No worrying.” She turned to me and smiled. “Right, honey?”
“Right,” I said from numb lips.
“Don’t be nervous.” Mom grabbed my hand, which was probably ice cold, and squeezed it. The first drops of rain hit my skin. “It’s just a wedding. The dress looks beautiful on you. Everything is going to be just fine.”