Chapter 41
Jonas
Dinner goes better than I expected.
Even better than I hoped.
And not because Keisha made a surprise appearance and is a master of distracting everyone from the elephant in the room, or because when Keisha pauses to actually eat or drink something, Begonia or Marshmallow fill in the blanks.
More because I can feel Emma getting more and more comfortable the whole afternoon and early evening.
Even with my mom.
Who’s far more relaxed than I expected her to be.
Almost suspiciously so.
I corner her out on the patio when Emma excuses herself to use the bathroom after dessert. “What’s your game here?” I quietly ask my mother.
“You only get one chance to get it right with the mother of your grandchildren,” is not the answer I expect, but it’s the answer I get.
“You’re not mad that I didn’t call you?”
Mom sighs. “Disappointed that you didn’t think you could trust me. But not mad.”
“You’re not demanding a paternity test?”
“While I think it would be wise, if only for his peace of mind as he gets older, looking at him is like looking at a two-year-old you.”
“Huh.”
“I was concerned you wouldn’t handle the press well, but it seems you’re just boring enough while also being on top of the world that you still have them eating out of the palm of your hand.”
“ Boring ?”
She flicks a wrist like she’s batting away my objection. “Your one scandal wasn’t even a scandal . While the world at large would love to see one of us fall flat on our faces, you give them just enough boring to keep them at bay.”
“Having a secret baby won’t be boring.”
“No, but I trust you’ve offered Emma all of the resources she’ll need when word gets out. I’m honestly shocked you’ve been here this long without a single leak.”
“This town loves her. Loves both of them.”
And I haven’t seen it.
Not much of it, anyway.
Don’t even need to. I know I’ll love it.
There are very few places I’ve been in this world that I haven’t loved and made the most of.
“If you need backup, you have my phone number,” Mom says.
Ouch. That might’ve been a subtle dig at how infrequently I’ve used it lately. “Do I? I might’ve lost it.”
“I had your brother program it back in for me while you were sleeping. And speaking of your brother—after the number of Emmas he dated, I can honestly say I never expected to see you end up with one.”
I suppress a snort of laughter.
She’s not wrong.
Hayes dated at least four women named Emma before he went into his recluse era. “You’re taking this much better than I thought you would.”
She glances out at the mountains. The sun’s sinking lower and casting them in hazy shadows while turning the fluffy evening clouds a deep orange. It’s a beautiful evening.
“Your father and I are talking about retiring,” she says, startling the hell out of me.
“Hayes is settled and happy. You—you’ll be happy.
And we already know you’ve been drifting away from the family business.
We’ve seen you happy drifting away. We can’t run Razzle Dazzle forever, and it’s best to leave while we still have some say in our successors.
Living in the spotlight—it’s not something we meant to do for so long.
Between Begonia due soon and finding out I already have a grandchild… It’s time.”
My mother is apparently full of surprises tonight. “Does Hayes know?”
“I’m sure he’d suspect as much if he wanted to contemplate our plans, but I have little interest in distracting him from what makes him happy.”
“He’ll be happy for you.”
She smiles. “I know. But it’s lovely that he has someone else to be happy for first. I honestly enjoy that. There’s nothing— nothing —as satisfying as seeing your grown children happy and at peace.”
I watch her closely, looking for any tell that she’s trying to subtly manipulate me into questioning my own intentions to walk away from life in the spotlight and live here with Emma and Bash.
But if she’s thinking any negative thoughts, she’s hiding it well.
“How extensive was your background investigation into Emma?” I ask softly.
“Oh, very thorough,” she assures me. “I know…entirely too much…about all of her family.”
I almost laugh.
Pretty sure my mother just told me she accidentally saw my girlfriend’s brother naked.
But I manage to keep a straight face while I wait for her to fill in any other details she wants to give me.
“That wedding video was horrific,” she says.
“That’s never felt like a strong enough word.”
“I don’t know that there is a strong enough word.”
I glance around the small patio and toward the back of the house.
Begonia’s chatting with her chef. Keisha’s just grabbed Emma, who looked like she was possibly headed my way, and is engaging her in a full-body conversation as only Keisha can.
Hayes is likely still entertaining Marshmallow and Bash.
“Her ex is a complete shithead,” I tell Mom.
“Sweetheart, he’s far worse than that.”
“You have dirt on him?”
“Have I been shielding both of my sons from the worst that the press has to offer for years by making sure the press and gossips who couldn’t be reasonable knew that I would end them if they didn’t find a way to back the fuck off of insulting my children? Of course I have dirt on him.”
It’s official.
My mother can never meet Sabrina.
Also, she’s leveled up in superhero status in my brain.
“Do you need it?” she asks.
I hate my answer. Hate it. But I’d hate myself more if I replied any differently. “Yes.”
She pulls her phone from her pocket and dictates a text message to her assistant.
It’s short.
Send Jonas the packet .
“Is there anything else I can do to help?” she asks.
“Just—be nice to Emma. Please. Don’t scare her. I—she—she’s my one.”
“When you came back from Fiji, I knew there was something different about you. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but then you called and told me you were taking that role in that dark comedy that we don’t speak about.
And then you started talking about a podcast. And then the Darwin movie—you came back from Fiji with a fearlessness I hadn’t seen on you since you were about four years old.
You never seemed unhappy , but you had a new zest for life.
We could tell something changed you there. We just didn’t know what .”
I’d argue, but she’s right and we both know it. “She was good for me from the minute we met.”
“And even if she weren’t, this is your life. It’s not mine. You get to live it the way you want.”
My heart squeezes. “Are you—are you dying?”
“Oh my god , right?” Keisha says. “She told me she liked my hair and I asked the same thing.”
She and Emma both step out onto the patio with us as Mom sighs. “No, I’m not dying . Not of anything specific other than gradual old age. You likely have at least thirty more years with me.”
“Good. Millie will be relieved you’re just getting soft.”
Emma makes eye contact with me. “We’re at that critical moment where if we don’t get Bash headed home for bed soon, he might get more destructive than Marshmallow.”
“Oh, dear,” Mom says. “Does he snoop in people’s luggage when he’s misbehaving too?”
“Not yet, but I’m sure if we give him a couple years, he will,” Emma replies.
“I’ll get better luggage locks,” Mom murmurs to herself. “Lovely to meet you, Emma. If Jonas manages to talk you into a trip to New York, we look forward to seeing you there too.”
“I’ve never been,” Emma says.
“ Never ?” Keisha says.
“Never,” Emma confirms.
Keisha gapes at me. “How did you both find women who had never been to New York ?”
I’m smiling as I hook an arm around Emma’s waist and nudge her inside. Definitely time to go. “Good taste runs in the family.”