Page 83 of The Truth of Us

“Harper Lane Montgomery, if you are hiding from me, I will find you.”

I smiled before I could stop myself. Margot appeared in the library doorway seconds later, wearing a cream wool coat, oversized sunglasses pushed into her hair, and the expression of a woman who had never once accepted the word no as a complete sentence.

“There you are.”

I looked up from the file in my lap.

“Good morning to you, too.”

She swept into the room as if she owned it. Honestly, families like ours shared vacation homes, board seats, secrets, and unsolicited opinions. So it was on brand for Margot.

“It is almost noon.”

“It is ten-thirty,” I replied.

She stopped in front of me and looked me over with a dramatic sigh.

“Oh, sweetheart.”

And I knew what was coming next and was much more comfortable hiding from the world in the comfort of our family library.

“No.”

“Yes,” she chirped.

“Margot,” I said with a sigh.

She set her handbag on the coffee table and planted both hands on her hips.

“I am so happy to have you home.” My chest warmed as she continued. “And since I only had Oliver, and he became insufferably male very early, I have been deprived of years of proper pampering.”

“I’m not sure I like where this is going.” I teased.

“You will love where this is going. I have booked us an afternoon.”

I blinked. “An afternoon?”

“Yes,” she huffed, as if I were the ridiculous one.

“What kind of afternoon?” I asked tentatively. Because maybe I could use some Margot energy.

“The kind where you put down boring reports, stop pretending you are eighty years old, and let someone spoil you.”

“I’m not pretending to be eighty,” I said after almost choking on my last sip of cold coffee.

“You are wearing what I hope is your father's clothes. Oversized socks and a chunky sweater that you can probably curl up in and hide.”

I glanced down. “They’re warm, and that kind of the plan.”

“Darling, you are far too fabulous to hide yourself away from the world.”

“I don’t feel all that fabulous,” I muttered because I kind of felt like I had lost a bit of my sparkle somewhere along the way.

“That makes it worse, and this afternoon with me is absolutely necessary.”

I pressed my lips together, fighting a smile.

Margot’s gaze softened. “There she is.”