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“Dad. Juliette,” he said to them, and punched the elevator call button with more force than was necessary.
“You don’t call your mother by her first name,” August said.
Quinn was struck by how he might have been arguing with Juliette in the parking lot but he had her back with Logan.
“She’s not my mom, is she?” Logan asked.
Tears rolled down Juliette’s face and August lunged for his son. But Juliette held him back and Quinn grabbed Logan’s arm, forcing him down the hall, away from his parents.
Losing Logan wasn’t something that Juliette ever thought she’d have to face, but as her son walked away, she knew she had. August, even after all his anger in the parking lot, turned to her and, for the first time in a very long time, he didn’t seem like he was holding part of himself back.
“I’ll make him—”
“You can’t make him,” she said. “I never thought this would come out.”
“You told me the truth always does,” he reminded her. His tone was gentle; one he didn’t use very often.
This was the man she’d fallen in love with. Not the one who could charm the room or who could broker billion-dollar deals before breakfast, but the man who had a deep well of empathy and used it sparingly. Just on a special few.
“I wish I’d told you, but we weren’t in a good place,” she admitted.
“It’s my fault,” he said. “Your actions were your own but they were motivated by me and the way that I was at that time. If I’d never had an affair and left you alone, maybe our son wouldn’t have been stillborn. There are a million possibilities, but we are on the path that you and I have made. We have to trust that we raised Logan well enough that when he calms down from this betrayal, he’ll come back to us.”
“Us?” she asked. “He’s not mad at you, is he?”
“I think it’s safe to assume everyone knows I’m the one to blame. If I hadn’t been so busy trying to prove I was the biggest, baddest asshole in the room and been more present with the family...maybe things would be different,” he said. “I have to be honest, Jules, I anticipated a lot of things happening this weekend, but not what’s actually come about.”
She gave him a weak smile. “Same. How ironic is it that I end up in the same delivery room as your lover?”
“I think fate was playing tricks on us. Logan and I have both been in the same room with Nick and Tad, and I have to tell you those two men are nothing alike. I can see your influence in Logan’s upbringing. Hell, Leo’s just like him.”
Juliette nodded. She knew her husband was trying to make her feel better and though her heart ached to go after Logan, she had to admit that Auggie was helping.
Someone cleared his throat. They glanced toward the ballroom where the rehearsal dinner was being held and saw Dare.
Her eldest son. She’d screwed up so much when she’d been a new mom, she knew she should be grateful he’d turned out as well as he had. A politician known for his fairness and bipartisan cooperation, he was truly the best of her and Auggie.
“Yes?” Auggie asked.
“Adler needs you, Mom. She’s not sure she’s going to go through with the wedding and just told Nick in front of the entire dinner party,” Dare said.
“Oh, dear. This just keeps getting worse. Musette is probably cursing me from the afterlife,” she said, rushing past Dare and into the room where Adler was just walking away toward the kitchens in the back.
Juliette wove her way through the partiers, trying to catch up to her niece. Cora, Olivia and Mari were right behind her as well. They didn’t have to go far. Adler had only made it to the staff hallway and was leaning against the wall, tears streaming down her face.
Juliette went to her and pulled her into her arms. Adler resisted for a moment but then buried her head in Juliette’s shoulder and cried.
“It’s okay.” She just rubbed Adler’s back and kept murmuring to her.
“I think we just need to take a breath,” Cora said.
“I agree,” Juliette said, looking at the other woman. They shared so much but were both essentially strangers. Mari looked at her and Juliette nodded, indicating she should come and take care of Adler.
Then she pulled Cora aside. “I think we need to get the two of them in a room to talk this through. Can you try to talk to Nick?”
“Yes. I can. I know he’s not handling August being his father very well and I’m afraid his dislike of Logan hasn’t really helped with the other news,” Cora said.
“I know. Logan’s not even talking to me. But we can remind Adler and Nick that they love each other,” Juliette said.
