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“Thank you,” she said over the loud clapping. “I’m very grateful, I really am.”
She was radiant.
Fighting a surge of emotion, he hurried to her side and watched her savor her moment in the spotlight. The guests were surrounding her, offering words of praise, promises of calls, and handing her business cards, which she promptly passed to him. But as the admiring throng thinned, her father walked up. As he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, she stepped back.
“You were terrific, honey,” he exclaimed, instantly recovering from the rebuff. “A real chip off the old block.”
“Hardly. I’ve heard you sing in the shower and you can’t carry a note to save your life. Stephanie!” she exclaimed, turning to hug her. “This dress was perfect. Thank you again.”
Mumbling something about difficult daughters, Kent hurried away. Watching him, Tony wished he’d been able to give him a bloody nose, then realized Heather had already succeeded in doing just that.
* * *
AS SOON AS THE PERFORMANCEhad finished and the applause had died down, Stella grabbed Matt by the elbow and hustled him from the den into the library across the hall.
“I know you have to get back to the party,” she said, quickly closing and locking the door behind them, “but you have to read this. You won’t believe it.”
“What does it say?” he asked as she pulled it from her purse.
“Just read it.”
Too nervous to sit down, she paced as his eyes widened in surprise.
“You’re right, I don’t believe it! What do you think happened?”
“I have no idea. Absolutely none. Maybe he doesn’t want to be saddled with a wife anymore. Maybe that girl I saw him with is serious. But to give me the house and all that cash—it’s just not like him.”
“Please say you’ll stay with me until Monday.”
“I will, I want to very much. Stephanie already knows, about the letter I mean. I’ll tell her everything else tomorrow when I pick up my things.” Then wrapping her arms around his neck, she murmured, “My feet are so tired from tonight. Do you know anyone who might want to massage them?”
“My gorgeous Goddess, the moment the last guest leaves I’m at your service.”
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
RETURNING TO THE FORMALlounge, Tia abruptly found herself being cornered by Jennifer Olsen asking her to design something fabulously sexy just for her. Though Tia tried to make her understand Stephanie was the designer, Jennifer refused to believe it.
