No, he wasn’t. Blaise let out a shaky breath. “So what do I do?”
Cece paused, then said carefully, “Do you want my honest advice?”
“That’s why I called.”
“Tell Brick. Not in a dramatic way. Just calmly. This is his relationship with his son to manage. You don’t need to get involved more than that.”
Blaise thought about that. “I don’t want to make things worse for him.”
“You won’t,” Cece said. “But if you hide it and Holland twists the story or tries again and then Brick finds out? He’ll feel blindsided. Better he hears it from you.”
Blaise stared out the far windows, sunlight catching in the palm fronds and throwing slivers of light across her living room. “I’m scared Brick will think I’m causing trouble.”
“Honey,” Cece said, voice warm and unshakeable, “Brick likes you.Reallylikes you. Or he wouldn’t have invited you for dinner. If anyone’s causing trouble, it’s Holland. And Brick will want to know.”
Beau nudged her hand, demanding pets, which somehow helped. She scratched his head.
“Okay,” Blaise said. “I’ll talk to him.”
“Good. And if Holland ever comes at you again? Call me. I’m right next door and I’m not above taking a grown man down a few pegs.”
Despite everything, Blaise laughed. “Thank you, Cece.”
“Anytime. Now, go have another cup of coffee. And pet Beau for me.”
“I will.” Blaise hung up, tipped her head back, and exhaled. She wasn’t calm yet, but she wasn’t alone, either.
Cece was right. Brick needed to know.
And Blaise needed to find her courage.
Chapter Eighteen
Cece ended the call with Blaise and stared at her phone for a few quiet seconds. The house felt oddly quiet. She sipped her tea, but it was already going cold. She stuck it in the microwave to reheat, leaning on the counter while she waited.
She loved Blaise. Anyone who thought she had nefarious motives wasn’t paying attention. Holland Tanner was going to need an attitude adjustment or at least a personality tune-up. The nerve of him.
She set the phone down just as it lit up again.
Natalie.
Cece’s stomach tightened the way it always did when her daughter called now, a reflex she hated but couldn’t help. She swiped to answer. “Hey, sweetheart.”
Her daughter blew out a long breath on the other end. She sounded half exhausted, half determined not to collapse. “Mom. Do you have a minute?”
“I always have a minute for you,” Cece said gently. “What’s going on? You all right?”
“I…” Another breath. Longer this time. “I told Tyler the whole truth. About the cheating.”
Cece slid into a chair, bracing herself. The microwave beeped but she ignored it. “Okay. How did he take it?”
“Not great,” Natalie admitted. “But not terrible either. Not as bad as I thought he would. He didn’t yell or freak out. He just went really quiet and asked if Dad was coming back.”
Cece closed her eyes, an image of her sweet grandson in her mind. She could see him saying those things. “Oh, honey.”
“I told him no,” Natalie said, voice quivering. “I told him some things you can’t undo, even if you’re sorry afterward. I didn’t tell him that his father was sleeping with another woman, just that things were broken between us.”
Cece rubbed her forehead, wishing she could physically climb through the phone and hug her daughter. “And how did he react to that?”
