Chapter 15
CHAPTER
Tara
One Year Ago
“SOPHIE, ARE YOU almost ready?” Tara checked her watch for the third time in as many minutes as she paced her business partner’s kitchen.
She was already dressed in her costume for the Witch Walk, her face painted green and a prosthetic nose in place.
Sophie had greeted her at the front door five minutes earlier but said she needed a few minutes to put on her costume.
“We’re going to be late for the zombie flash mob dance if we don’t get out the door soon. ”
Instead of a response from Sophie, her friend’s younger daughter walked into the kitchen wearing turquoise-colored leggings and a long ivory sweatshirt. Amelia had one eye on her phone, but she must have caught sight of Tara in her peripheral vision because she did a double-take.
“Auntie T, you look terrifying.” The girl had started calling Tara her “aunt” the same year Tara and Sophie had started hanging out.
At first, Tara had assumed she must do the same with all of Sophie’s friends, but she’d been all the more flattered when she’d realized that somehow she was the only one given the title.
“Thank you.” Tara preened, spinning on the heel of one black lace-up boot to show off her outfit. “I was inspired by the classic Bugs Bunny cartoon character Witch Hazel.”
“Hmm.” Amelia pocketed her phone to touch one of the “flying” bobby pins that Tara had attached to an invisible hair net. “You realize you’re playing right into the patriarchy’s attempts to depict powerful women with knowledge as grotesque creatures?”
Tara pouted as she smoothed her hands over the purposely tattered blue fabric of her long dress. “I created this in protest of all the sexy witch costumes I saw online.”
Amelia quirked an eyebrow at her. “Damned if you don’t. Damned if you do. Welcome to womanhood.”
“Spoken like a fifteen-year-old going on forty-five.” Tara leaned her broomstick against the massive stone fireplace built into one wall of the kitchen. “And why aren’t you dressed for the Witch Walk?”
“Have you met my mother?” The teen scowled as she tugged open one of the huge side-by-side refrigerator doors in Sophie’s spotless kitchen.
“She’s letting Charlotte dance in the flash mob, but apparently she doesn’t believe people my age should have fun.
Our time is better spent studying for trigonometry exams than developing social skills. ”
“Oh. Sorry.” Tara checked her watch again to hide her expression in case her face had turned judgy. She had no business weighing in on anyone’s parenting, of course, but she’d witnessed plenty of occasions where Sophie expected her daughters to excel at everything.
From the hallway, Sophie chimed in a moment before she breezed into the room. “Dearest daughter, you had too much homework tonight, and you know it. You will thank me in your valedictorian speech.”
Dressed in a ruby red lace gown with lipstick to match, Sophie appeared camera-ready. It was the most colorful garment that Tara had ever seen her minimalist friend wear.
“You look gorgeous.” Tara held her arms out to give her friend a hug.
Thankfully, Luke was nowhere to be seen tonight.
Tara had avoided two of his calls since their conversation in the garden, hoping he would just leave her voicemails, but no such luck.
She knew she couldn’t avoid him forever.
Especially since she’d told him she would appreciate any warning about Sophie’s maneuverings with their business.
“You look every bit as frightening as I’m sure you intended.
” Sophie smiled at her as she stood back to take in Tara’s outfit.
She gave no notice to her daughter as Amelia stomped out of the room.
Instead, she bit her lip before saying, “In my rush, I forgot my cape upstairs. Tara, would you do me a huge favor and grab it off the back door of my closet while I find Luke to give him some instructions for Amelia’s study schedule? I know we’re running behind.”
“Sure thing. I’ll be right back.” Tara walked lightly on the marble floors, always convinced she’d leave a scuff mark no matter what shoes she wore.
Sophie’s mammoth primary suite loomed at the top of the stairs, a sanctuary even larger than Lauren’s huge bedroom.
Sophie had left the closet door open and the lights on.
Not that Tara needed help finding the way.
She and Sophie had gotten ready for events together in the ensuite bathroom before, trading makeup advice like they were still Tara’s daughters’ ages.
Back when she’d still trusted her friend.
At first, she didn’t see the cape that Sophie mentioned. She pulled one door partway closed to see if there was a hook on the other side but found no cape there either.
Hurrying, she walked to the chest of drawers in the center of the closet, where a clear glass top allowed her to look down at all of her friend’s jewelry inside a locked drawer.
Deeper in the closet, she spotted a small gray chaise lounge with a dark purple garment draped over it.
She picked it up and shook it out to make sure she was really looking at a satin-lined velvet cape.
The wide hood and silky ribbons assured her she’d found the correct piece. She reached for a small lamp on one of the built-in dressers, switching it off out of habit, since she’d never been able to leave a room with all the lights on.
As she turned to leave, a unique shade of green caught her eye in Sophie’s closet that mostly consisted of camel, taupe, gray, or navy. The garment was somewhere between moss and olive, a shade friendly to redheads like Tara. But a hue she couldn’t ever recall seeing on neutral-loving Sophie.
Her heart beat faster as she moved toward the padded hanger at the far end of the rod. Tara’s hand went to the fabric, knowing even before she touched the dress exactly how it would feel against her skin. She already knew how it was cut.
Because Tara had a dress exactly like this at home.
The same one that a mystery woman had been wearing in that incriminating photo with Mei’s husband, Nikolai.