“You’re welcome,” she says, releasing me. “Now you know ifwe didn’t come correct, Jaq would be all over my ass. And not in a way I’d enjoy.”
Sheri snickers and I scrunch up my nose, but then laugh.
A knock sounds on the door before it opens seconds later. Jaq appears in the gap. Their eyes widen, further gassing me up.
“Gotdamn, Ember.”
“Right?” Bennie bumps Sheri’s shoulder. “Bad bitch walking.”
“That man is going to crash out behind you,” Jaq says, shaking their head as if they’re sympathetic. “I almost feel sorry for him.”
Perla slips by Jaq with a snort. “Not. He deserves all of this”—she sweeps a hand up and down my body—“coming for him. And I, for one, am utterly delighted.”
“That part.” Bennie points a finger at Perla.
Chuckling both at their girl-power moment and to cover my nerves, I walk over to the dresser and grab my matching clutch purse. Moments later, I exit the apartment and descend the stairs with my entourage behind me. More than ever, I feel like I’m headed to prom with family seeing me off. All that’s missing is an overprotective fath—
“Sam.” I jerk to a stop at the bottom of the steps, splaying my fingers wide over my chest and thudding heart. I’m staring at my godfather, outfitted in a tuxedo, but I’m still not comprehending that he’s here. Andwhyhe’s here. “What are you doing here?”
He moves from beside Gus and approaches me, a wistful smile curving his mouth. Sadness flickers in his eyes, and in that instant, I know he’s thinking about my mother.
“You look just like her,” he whispers, confirming my suspicion. Taking my hand in his, he guides me off the last step and presses the backs of my fingers to his cheek. “Ember, sweetheart, you’re beautiful, and Kim would be so proud.”
“Thanks, Sam. I really appreciate that. I needed to hear that,” I murmur.
I step into him, wrapping my arms around him and hugginghim tight. And when his arms close around me, it’s almost like receiving a hug from my mom.
“Anytime, Em.” Clearing his throat, he steps back and blinks fast, then clears his throat again. “I have something for you. I hope you don’t mind?” he asks, stepping closer and reaching behind my neck.
He pauses, giving me the opportunity to object, but I don’t. Nodding, he removes the necklace I’m wearing and passes it to Gus. Then he reaches inside his coat and removes another one. I nearly gasp at its loveliness. The choker is comprised of brilliant diamonds and emeralds, and looks like something that belongs behind a glass case in a museum, not around my throat.
“It’s your mother’s,” he says, moving behind me and placing it around my neck. Astonishment, love, and threads of sadness well inside me, and with trembling fingers, I brush a caress over the jewelry. “Before she died, Kim asked me to put this aside for you. She left it up to me to choose the occasion, but she was adamant about it being a happy or meaningful one. Your father gifted her this on the night of their engagement, so I thought it was fitting.” He circles me once more to stand in front of me. His dark eyes glisten, and admiration and love shine through the unshed tears. “Perfect.”
“Thank you, Sam,” I rasp. Yes, the jewelry originally came from Marcus, but that doesn’t diminish the beauty and power of the gift. She thought of me, loved me. And once more, it’s as if my mother is standing here with me.
“You’re welcome.” He picks up my hand, pats it, then loops my arm through his. He turns me toward the front door. “To answer your question about why I’m here, I’m escorting my goddaughter to the ball. Your carriage awaits, sweetheart.”
Confusion still swirls inside of me, because how did he know to come here? Who contacted him? But one glance at Gus, Perla, and Jaq standing next to the open front door wearing big, goofy smiles, their arms around each other, and those questionsare answered. They have really come through for me, and even with all my degrees and years of education, there aren’t enough words to thank them or express how much their generosity and affection have meant to me.
Guiding me out the door, Sam leads me down the steps, but I draw up short again at the sight of the vehicle parked in the driveway. Shock has me damn near weaving on my glass stiletto heels.
The mint-green Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider sits there like a monarch of automobiles. It should with a four-million-dollar price tag. Oh no… wait. I drag my gaze from it to Sam.
“Sam, you didn’t… That’s not… You can’t…”
He gives a low laugh, gently tugging me toward the vehicle. “Yes, I did buy the Valkyrie Spider a month ago but had no intention of ever taking it on the road. But when Gus called and informed me that you didn’t have an escort to your own engagement ball, I figured there wasn’t an occasion more momentous than this one or a passenger more important than tonight and you. So tonight, this is your carriage to the ball.” He bows and sweeps his arm out with a broad smile.
His smile is contagious, and I move forward, still stunned over the turn this evening—this entire day—has taken.
Once I’m settled inside, Sam rounds the hood and climbs in. When he starts the car, the engine purrs and he looks over at me, beaming like an eleven-year-old boy who just found his new toy. It’s endearing and amusing—and thinking back, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Sam this carefree. Not even when Mom was alive. But then again, how can you be carefree when you’re in love with your best friend’s wife?
“Did you ever tell her?” I ask Sam as we coast down the PCH toward the main street. The night sky, though clouded by smog, is still beautiful, as is the ocean stretching out on the other side of us, its salty, fresh scent its own perfume.
He glances over at me, eyebrows hiked high. “I’m sorry?”
“Did you ever tell Mom that you loved her?”
Silence fills the interior, almost drowning out the old-school R&B playing on the radio.
