Page 89 of The Wrong Groom

My mother, already taking her seat at the head of the table, raises an eyebrow at Dominic. “Braised duck with a red wine reduction, asparagus bundles, and herbed risotto. No pancakes.”

“Aw.” Peyton sticks out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout.

“You’ll like the duck, Bug,” I tell her. “It’s just like chicken, but even better.” I catch Alexis’s eye. She stifles a laugh, her hand to her mouth.

The room falls quiet as the first course—a salad dressed with a honey vinaigrette, crumbled goat cheese, and thinly sliced pears—makes its way around the table. My mother’s chef is an artist. Even the salad manages to silence us for a few minutes as everyone digs in.

As plates are cleared to make way for the main course, the promised duck and risotto, the conversation shifts naturally. My mother turns to Chloe, smiling.

“Chloe, how’s the film coming along?”

“We’re close to wrapping on production,” Chloe says. Tristan glances down at her, pride in his eyes as she speaks. “There are just a few scenes left to shoot, and then it’s off to post. If everything stays on schedule, we should be ready for release in a few months.”

Chloe has been directing films at Warbler Studios, Thorne Enterprises’ newly established film studio. It was meant to be a joint venture between MediaSphere, her family’s company and a major competitor of ours, and Thorne Enterprises. After Chloe caught her family in the act of corporate espionage, however, the project became the sole domain of Thorne Enterprises, and Tristan put Chloe at the helm, finally giving her the chance to pursue her creative passions.

Since stepping into her role, she’s taken to it like a fish to water. So far, the studio has put out two films, both of which were critically acclaimed and successful in the box office. Her upcoming film has garnered plenty of hype. It’s the adaptation of a bestselling horror novel, and it had a healthy budget.

“That’s impressive,” my mother says warmly. “It must be so rewarding to see everything coming together.”

“It is,” Chloe replies. “It’s a lot of work, but it’ll be worth it. This one’s been tough with all the location changes, but the cast and crew are amazing.”

“And you’re feeling up to all of it?” My mother cocks her head, a bit of maternal worry making its way into her expression. “Tristan mentioned the doctors changed your medication.”

“They did, a few months back, and it’s been helping.” Chloe’s hand drifts up toward her ear without quite touching it. “My hearing’s been holding steady ever since. Stable enough that nobody is talking about surgery anymore, at least for now. So I’ll take it.”

My mother beams. “That’s wonderful.”

“Yeah, it is.” Tristan nods, then leans over to press a kiss to Chloe’s temple. “But we’ve all got you, dimples. No matter what happens.”

Her expression softens as she leans into his touch for a moment, threading her fingers through his. “Thanks.”

My mother turns her gaze on me. “And Gabriel, the boys told me before you arrived that you’ve been doing some work on that app of yours.”

“FlashUp?”

She waves a hand. “Yes, yes. It’s hard for me to keep track of all these apps in my head. I don’t know how your generation manages it.”

Beckett catches my eye across the table, grinning.

“We do our best,” I say. “And yeah, I’ve been trying to fix some issues we’ve been having with FlashUp. Actually, Alexis has been doing the most legwork on that front.”

Alexis’s fork clatters to her plate in surprise as I mention her. She looks abruptly nervous as my family’s gazes shift to her.

“She’s been working on this accessible fashion project that’s been driving a lot of engagement on the app,” I explain, unable to keep the pride out of my voice. “It’s brought a nice human touch to the platform, and it’s really popular. The metrics are great.”

“What’s the project?” my mother asks, her tone curious as she leans forward slightly.

I glance at Alexis, letting her decide how much she wants to share. She hesitates for a moment, brushing a strand of coppery hair behind her ear.

“It’s called Fashion for All,” she says. “The idea is t-to spotlight inclusive fashion. Designs that work for people with disabilities or different body types. We’re using the platform to document the setup of our workshop here in LA.”

“That’s incredible,” Chloe comments. “It sounds like something the industry really needs.”

“Is the workshop close to opening?” asks Reid.

Alexis flushes, her blue eyes darting over to me as if seeking reassurance. Under the table, I rest my hand on her leg.

“Yes,” she says. “We’re courting a few small designers now, and our interview process is almost complete.”