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“Don’t be ridiculous, Payton. I’m not about to leave you in Mexico without a proper companion. No, when I leave, it will be with you. I already had my agent book the two of us on a flight tomorrow afternoon.”
Her mother went over to the sliding glass doors and tried to open it, struggling with the latch. “You’d think that Kate could have picked a hotel with more class, though. There was a perfectly lovely five diamond hotel just a little further north.”
“The hotel is fine. Actually, it’s beautiful. It’s a perfect place for Kate and Dominic to share the biggest day of their lives with all the people they care for. A five diamond hotel isn’t something that most people could realistically manage nor would Kate expect it.”
“Yes.” Her mother sniffed and finally thrust the door open. “I’ve met a number of that…brood.”
Payton didn’t want to hear her mother’s litany against Cruz’s family and turned the conversation back to the issue of the room. “Maybe you should contact that other hotel. I’m sure you’d be more comfortable in your own private room at a top resort. There’s only one bed here, and I know how much you hate squirmers,” Payton couldn’t help adding in a more patronizing voice.
When Payton was little and went through a phase of nightmares, no amount of begging her mother to let her sleep with her worked. Her mother claimed Payton just squirmed way too much for anyone to get any rest. It was also the reason she had offered when Payton asked why her father took a room down the hall from her mother’s—she couldn’t tolerate the squirming—although now Payton had her suspicions on the real reason for that arrangement.
Her mother sighed heavily. “I’m not looking forward to sharing a bed with you anymore than you are with me, but I’ve told you, I’m not leaving you to your own devices in a strange country. Not even for a night.” Her mother sat on the edge of a chair and crossed her legs. She stared at her daughter another moment, letting Payton know she was waiting for something.
Payton stared back.
“Oh fine,” her mother said finally. “You know, you haven’t asked me one detail about how things are coming along with the wedding planning. But despite that glaring lack of manners, I’ll share with you anyway. We’ve heard back from nearly everyone and you’ll be happy to know that we have nearly one hundred percent acceptance. I’ve also had a few very heavy-handed hints for invitations, but as I’ve explained, we’re already at capacity.”
Payton nodded. She wasn’t going to yell. Not today. “I might be happy about such a high acceptance rate if there was going to be a ceremony. At this point, the only way I could see it happening is if you decide to slip into that too-small designer dress and marry Brad yourself. Because it’s not going to be me.”
“Are we really back to this again, Payton? I would have thought you’d be over this little fit of yours by now. If you’d actually call Brad and hear him out—something I did when he called me last night, heartsick and broken up about the misunderstanding from the other day—”
“I didn’t misunderstand that there was a naked woman in his bed or Brad’s equally naked body. Are you trying to tell me you don’t think he was screwing her?”
“You don’t have to be vulgar.”
Her mother looked at Payton again and shook her head, her pristine, almost white blonde hair not moving from its sleek French bun. Her mother once heard someone liken her to a young Tippi Hedren from those old Hitchcock movies and had been wearing that signature hairstyle ever since. The only thing missing from her ensemble right now was a pair of white arm length gloves, but that would be too much, even for her mother.
Her cool blue eyes were hard as they pierced her with their intensity. “It’s about time that you grew up. Men have…needs. Because they occasionally have a few indiscretions here and there doesn’t say anything about how they truly feel. Their answering a more basic instinct is somet
hing they can’t help—and they always come back to the one they really love. Don’t throw away everything you have with Brad, everything we’ve worked for, because of something that didn’t mean anything to him. He loves you, sweetie. I can see it when he looks at you.”
Payton flexed her hands, tightening them into balls and releasing them. She repeated it until she was sure she could keep her voice level. “As…fascinating and completely archaic as that theory is, mother, it doesn’t change anything. First thing I’m doing when I return home is calling Brad and officially putting an end to our engagement. And whether you approve or not, if Camille can’t bring herself to call the rest of the vendors and the hotel without fear of your wrath, then I will call them myself. Because I can tell you right now, you might have been happy spending the last thirty-three years staying married to a man regardless of his numerous indiscretions, but I certainly will not. I’m not going to take second place in any man’s life.”
Her mother flinched, and in a surprise turn, instead of shouting her daughter down, as she usually did, she shook her head. When she spoke, her voice was strained. “I don’t think you realize just how lucky you are, Payton. Some girls would give anything to be where you are, loved and desired by a man who comes from such wealth and social standing. What else are you going to do?”
Instead of anger or resentment at her mother’s old-fashioned notions, Payton only felt sadness for her. Sadness that she never valued herself enough to demand more. Expect better. Payton knew nothing of her mother’s childhood, what her grandparents were like, as her mother refused to talk about it, but she could only imagine that part of Emily Vaughn’s perspective of life came from them. But Payton wouldn’t be like her mother. She wouldn’t settle for anything less than her happiness first. Not anymore.
She thought about the question she’d posed. What was she going to do if she left Brad? She smiled, as the sureness of what she was going to say took hold. “I’m going to finally do what I’ve always wanted to do, live my life on my terms. And hopefully, figure out a way to get admitted to law school again—as uncouth and unladylike as that might be to you. Now, if you don’t mind, I really need to get downstairs and take my place next to my best friend for this long anticipated day. If you’re staying, you might want to head down and get yourself another keycard for the room. I’m taking mine.”
Before her mother could brook any further argument, Payton stormed to the door, leaving her mother with her mouth open and her eyes blaring. Her exit, however, was temporarily blocked by wide shoulders and hands that reached out to stop her from running into him.
So many emotions rushed through her as she stared into that familiar gaze. Relief. Happiness. Breathy excitement. And then a tremble of anxiety as her mother cleared her throat behind her.
Waiting for an introduction.
To…her husband.
“You okay?” Cruz asked, not taking his eyes off Payton even though another woman, who he could only assume was her mother, came up behind her, peering out at him.
“Never better,” she said a tad too brightly.
Yeah. He’d bet. He looked over to the blonde, older woman whose cold blue eyes didn’t offer a sliver of warmth. She cleared her throat and turned to stare at her daughter pointedly.
Payton seemed to register the fact her mother was waiting for a formal introduction, as if she was the freaking queen of England, and stepped back. “Cruz, this is my mother, Emily Vaughn. Mother, Cruz Sorensen, Kate’s future brother-in-law and the person who made sure I arrived here in one piece.”
Emily Vaughn didn’t attempt to disguise the fact she was inspecting him from head to toe, not looking particularly impressed. When she finally met his gaze, her mouth pursed in a thin-lipped frown.
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Vaughn.” He could at least exhibit politeness.
