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He laughs gently, his gaze fixed over my shoulder. A moment later, I know why, as the sound of Mom’s heels hitting the floor reverberates through the air. “I’m sure the apple couldn’t have fallen too far from the tree,” he concludes. “If you’re half as quick a study as your mother, it’ll be a breeze.”
“What’s all this about?” she asks with her brightest smile before leaning in to kiss James’s cheek as she passes by.
“It’s the simplest solution imaginable, and I can’t understand why I didn’t think of it before. I could hire Leni to do filing and other clerical work around the firm.”
He doesn’t see it from where he’s sitting, but I do. The way she falters a little, almost stumbling before she reaches up for a glass from the cabinet. “You think that’s a good idea, sweetheart?” Her voice is too bright, too energetic. I know where this is going.
“Why not? She’s industrious, wants to earn her own way, and provide for herself. Shouldn’t she be given the opportunity to do that?” He slides a private little wink my way, like we’re on the same team. I appreciate the effort, but he’s not going to get his way. She’ll see to it.
Our eyes meet for the briefest instant as she swings around to face him. That fleeting glance tells me everything I need to know. Under no circumstances does she want her daughter working in the same office as she is. “I don’t know, sweetheart. Are you sure something like that wouldn’t make it look like Leni is capitalizing on our relationship?”
“What do you mean?”
She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, shrugging, acting vague and playful when I know she’s feeling anything but. “You know how people talk. It’s already one thing for us to be together, getting married. Then you bring your new stepdaughter in and give her a job, too? I’d hate to see you accused of nepotism.”
“It’s my firm,” he reminds her. “I can do what I want.”
“You know what? It’s not even an issue.” Colt waves a hand back and forth between him and Nix. “We got her a job at the gym already.”
It’s almost funny how all of us turn to him in unison. “What?” I whisper.
“You did?” Mom coos. “That’s so thoughtful and wonderful of you boys!”
I’m too busy being shocked to react. James cocks his head to the side. “What would Leni do at the gym?”
“You know, wiping down equipment, washing and replenishing towels. Basic stuff like that.” He won’t look at me, no matter how hard I stare at him. Is he for real, or is this all another way of making a fool out of me? Making sure I’m with them as much as possible so they can terrorize and use me?
No way am I doing this. “Uh, I don’t know,” I murmur.
“It’s perfect!” Mom clasps her hands over her chest and almost bats her eyelashes at the two of them. “You are the most wonderful young men. Considering how amazing your father is, I suppose it’s not that big of a surprise you turned out so well.” Clearly, she does not know them at all.
Then she turns to me, her smile fixed, her eyes glittering. “Right, honey? And it’ll be a way for you to spend more time getting to know your new brothers.”
“We’ll be sure to take good care of her,” Nix interjects. When I glance his way, I find him smirking.
“Sure,” I mutter, shrugging. “Sounds great.” Because right now, the alternative to spending more time with these two is infuriating my mother, and sadly, I’d rather deal with them than have her find little ways of making my life even harder every day.
CHAPTER10
“You look beautiful, Mom.” I stand back from the three-way mirror, where my mother studies her reflection, wearing the wedding dress that some poor seamstress has probably worked herself blind to fit in time for this last-minute wedding. But they did a good job. It fits her like a glove, and she looks regal, classy. Whoever made it must be a magician, in other words.
“So long as I hardly eat another bite in the next two days,” she says with a laugh I know is meant more for the store clerk arranging the short train behind her. She doesn’t shine that bright, brilliant smile on me.
And it’s like she hears me thinking because she catches my eye in the mirror. “Why haven’t you tried your dress on yet?”
“Sorry. I got distracted watching you.” There’s a curtained-off room behind me, and the violet dress is on a hanger, waiting for me to put it on. I step into the little cubby, and I’m glad for a minute’s privacy as I strip out of my clothes and lower the dress over my head. It’s pretty, and a lot like Mom’s, with the sleek, slim cut and soft satin.
All is well until I turn around and look over my shoulder to see the back. “Mom?” I call out, staring at my reflection. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can wear this.”
Before I know it, the curtain flies open, and she gives me a look meant only for me, with everybody else behind her so they can’t see how she really is. “What’s the problem?” she murmurs through clenched teeth. Yet her brows draw together when she looks in the mirror and sees what I see. “Oh. I didn’t think about that.” The dress is cut so low that my scar is clearly visible.
“I really don’t want everybody seeing it,” I whisper.Please, be my mother for once.
“Of course, you don’t. Neither do I.” She wipes away the disgust on her face quickly, but not quick enough that I miss it. She thinks I’m disgusting and doesn’t want something so ugly ruining her big day. It shouldn’t surprise me by now. Nothing she does should surprise me.
“Well, that’s fine,” she decides. “I’m sure there has to be something around here you can wear. So long as it’s the same color, you should be fine. But there’s no time to have it fitted, so you’ll have to find something that fits you off the rack.”
I change quickly before going out to the sales floor and combing through racks of dresses. I have the original dress over my arm to make sure the color matches, and it looks like there isn’t much to choose from in my size. In fact, after checking out every single rack in the store, there’s only one dress I end up taking back to the fitting room.
