Ellie’s gaze flicked to where I clasped her hand in mine, and she blinked twice before sitting straighter. “Oh, but my friend invited me to a birthday party for her dog next month. That should be fun. Sadie throws the best parties.”
My mother stared for a long beat, before taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. “A birthday party for a dog? How…quaint. Will you be attending this gathering, Caden?”
“Of course,” I said in reflex, running my thumb over Ellie’s knuckles and earning a hitched breath. She stared down at our clasped hands. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
My mother’s nose wrinkled like she’d smelled something rotten, but Ellie stopped staring long enough to beam at me.
“Okay, enough playing around.” My mother set her wineglass down with a little too much force, making my gaze snap back to her. She glared daggers at me. “What has gotten into you? Are you doing this to prove some kind of point? Or do you just hate me so much you chose the first urchin off the street to throw in my face?”
Ellie’s grip tightened, and I squeezed her hand. “My choices have nothing to do with you.”
“They do when yourchoicesinvolve running around with a girl who was raised by uncultured?—”
“Don’t,” I cut in sharply as Ellie froze. The early evening ocean breeze suddenly cooled. “Don’t talk about her parents or anything else you don’t understand. Ellie has been nothing but kind to you since you crashed our trip, and you’ve thrown it back in her face. If anyone’s forgotten their manners, it’s you.”
“Cade.” Ellie leaned closer, eyes darting worriedly across the table. “It’s okay. You don’t need to do this?—”
“Yes, I do,” I countered, giving her hand another squeeze.
She snapped her mouth shut, and her blue eyes grew wide as pink crept up her face.
I refocused on my mother’s glacial stare. “You don’t want to play this game with me,” I warned softly. “So, either you welcome Ellie with open arms, or the only contact you’ll have with either of us going forward will be a yearly Christmas card.”
I might’ve gone a little far for our scheme if Ellie’s jaw dropping was any clue, but my shoulders felt lighter than they had in years.
My mother slid her wineglass closer, one manicured claw tapping against the stem.
“You’d choose this woman you barely know over your own mother?” she asked carefully.
“You’re the one making the choice,” I reminded her. “I’m just telling you the consequences.”
If looks could kill, I’d be swimming with the fishes. But my mother didn’t set her deadly glare on me long before she pasted on a saccharine smile and turned to Ellie. “You must be pleased with yourself. Was this your plan all along? To poison my son against me?”
“No one’s poisoned anyone,” I said, while a nervous laugh bubbled out of Ellie.
“I would never harm your son, Mrs. Westbrook,” she promised. “And I would never want to cause a rift between you two. Never.”
My mother’s smile twisted into more of a sneer. “Sweet words from someone only here for a payday.”
“Mother—”
“No, no. It’s my own fault.” Her tone had gone flat, lifeless. “Forgive me for wanting to protect my son from financial and social ruin. How silly of me. I should know better.”
I ground my teeth, saved from saying anything I’d surely regret by the server opening a door to the balcony and stepping out. He refilled my mother’s wineglass with practiced ease, before eyeing the table of half-eaten entrees. “Are we ready for dessert?”
Ellie perked up, but my mother’s expression turned to stone. “Unfortunately, Caden and Ellie have to run, so they won’t be joining me for dessert. I’ll take mine now.”
The server quickly cleared our plates, and my mother shifted her gaze to the ocean. She spoke without looking at either of us.
“You can show yourselves out.” Her voice held more frost than the ice in our water glasses. “I never should’ve come aboard. My presence clearly isn’t welcome here.”
I sighed. “Mother?—”
“I told you to go, Caden.” She dismissed us with a flick of her hand. “And please take your little urchin with you.”
It was another clear attempt at baiting me, but I didn’t bite. I rose from my seat and waited for Ellie to join me, before we rounded the table—her hand still nestled snugly in mine. If my mother wanted the last word so badly, then she could have it.
Once we reached the hallway and shut the cabin door behind us, I whispered an apology to Ellie, but she was too busy staring at our clasped hands to hear me.
