“What about Skylar?”
“I want to help him too but you know how impossible it is to get through to Sky if he doesn’t want to talk to you.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Nana said sternly. “Sky would have forgiven you two by now if this was just about Sam.”
“What do you mean?” Mason was too afraid to confirm or deny anything.
She was quiet for a long moment, smiling but sinking as her energy waned. “I always thought the two of you had more chemistry.”
“Damn it, Nana. Can’t you just—? Your doctor will be here in…” He glanced at the clock on her nightstand, trying to guess how long it would take him to get to Roseview.
“No, I can’t. There’s a reason I didn’t want Sarina in my medical business. Dr. Klein has been expecting this as well.” She set her hand on his. “It’s almost time to send for her but there’s something else I need to tell you before you call Sarina.”
“Does it have to be me?” Mason didn’t care if he was a giant baby, he didn’t want to inherit another terrible Sutton family secret.
“Yes.” Nana sighed sadly. “And this one is a doozy.”
Nana wasn’t kidding and Mason was shaken to his core when he messaged Sarina and told her she needed to get to Sutton House as fast as possible. He couldn’t tell her what Nana had shared and had to stand back as his best friend said goodbye to her grandmother. They didn’t tell Sam why and they all managed to be strong as he kissed Nana on her cheek and told her to have a happy nap before Ms. Ashley whisked him back downstairs for warm cookies and cartoons.
An hour later, Nana passed. Both Mason and Sarina were heartbroken that there wasn’t time to send for Sky but Nanaleft a lovely video message for him. Mason and Sarina helped her record it, crying as she told Sky how proud she was of him and that she couldn’t have asked for a more perfect grandson. Finally, she ordered himnotto waste his tears or time mourning her, but to move forward and find more joy, because he had so little of it in his life so far.
“I wish there was some way to talk to him and warn him before we send this,” Sarina said.
Mason shook his head. “He’ll hang up if he hears either of our voices. We could have Adele call,” he suggested but Sarina rejected the idea.
“She’d make it so much more traumatizing.”
In the end, it was Dr. Klein who made the call and gently broke the news to Sky and sent the video.
“What if this is it?” Sarina had asked after they returned home with Sam and tucked him into bed. Thankfully, his last day with Nana would be remembered as one with freshly baked cookies, grilled cheese sandwiches, and a peaceful goodbye. But there was no way of knowing how Sky had taken the news or how he’d remember the day. “What if Sky never comes back after Nana’s funeral?”
Chapter Six
Theveryfirst thing Sky was doing when he got back to New York was changing his phone number. He should have hung up as soon as his mother told him he wouldhave tocome home for the funeral. Even worse, Adele wanted him to stay forthree weeksto sort out the estate and attend a ceremony in Nana’s honor.
His grandmother had donated a large sum of money to the town and started an endowment to provide college scholarships for underprivileged children and single mothers. Mason was clearing out and renovating Roseview’s outdated park and baseball field in Nana’s honor and there would be a dedication ceremony.
“You don’t need me there and we all know that Nana wouldn’t care. She hated funerals. Why can’t I send flowers and help pay for the field or the ceremony?”
“Hush. She left you and Sarinaeverythingelse, including Sutton House. It would be tacky if you didn’t show up for the ribbon cutting.”
“So? Nana doesn’t give a shit about what anyone thinks.She never did,” Skylar countered and his mother pushed out a bored sigh.
“Westill have to live here and I like to pretend we’re decent people. And I’m tired of making excuses for you. People want to know why you never come home and when the next book’s coming out. What am I supposed to say?”
“They’ll get over it and I’d rather…not. I don’t want to deal with Sarina and the Prince of Roseview.”
“You can’t be mad about that old business with your sister and Mason. You aren’t a child anymore, Skylar.”
“Wanna bet?” They had barely spoken in almost five years and Nana’s death wasn’t going to change that.
“Fine, darling. Don’t talk to youronlysister. I’m sure you have plenty of time and will have no reason to regret your behavior in the future. But you have to come to the funeral and stay for the dedication. Nana left youa lot.The Sutton estate is vast and you and your sister are going to have to make some decisions.”
“She can do whatever she wants with everything but the house. I trust her with the estate.”
“That’s good to hear but you’ll look like an ungrateful monster if the mediasomehowfinds out that you didn’t come to pay your respects.”
“Alright!” Every bone in his body ached with foreboding. “I’ll come to Nana’s funeral and stay until the ceremony but I have no intentions of talking to Sarina or Mason.”
