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Rex holds up a prayer sign and gives me round eyes like he learned this from a Puss in Boots movie
“Fine. I’ll eat the cookies all by myself.” I take the bag from Ellie.
A few minutes later, we’re all settled with our treats and some drinks. I bite into a cookie and close my eyes. The crumbly texture of oatmeal and the sweet, understated taste of vanilla with the right amount of cinnamon leaves me in a satisfied food coma.
Dalton
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kid hit a sugar high this fast.
Rex zooms around Pam and me as we leave Sweet by Design and head toward the sandy path leading to the Rose Resort. The little tyke held our hands at first, but we must’ve been too slow for him. He darted away after a few seconds and has been in constant motion ever since.
Pam gives Rex a look that I recognize as the Mother Death Glare. She tells him with a single glance that he’s skating on thin ice when he starts trying to climb the picket fence that lines the walkway. Roses are interspersed with white planks, their fragrance filling the air. I consider picking one for Pam, but then I bet she’d give me that look.
“What’s this place like that we’re staying at?” Pam tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and plucks Rex up from the sand. She brushes sand from his legs, and he takes off again the instant his feet touch the ground.
I chuckle at his antics. “Based on the reviews, it’s a quaint space with all the amenities. Access to the beach, a sauna, pool. And the owners are super nice.” I shrug when she waves her hands like she wants me to continue. “It’s supposed to be family-friendly, and the online pictures of our unit look cozy.”
“Cozy? What’s that mean?” Pam halts and shields her eyes from the sun. “We’re not sharing a room.”
Heat scorches my face. I hold up both hands in a surrender pose. “No. Nothing like that. It’s . . . well, I guess it’s like a small house? Apartment? There are two bedrooms and a sleeper sofa. I thought it would fit our fake relationship but still give you and Rex privacy. Plus, the whole family-friendly bit sold me on the place. Rex is going to love it.” I spent hours researching every available location on Nantucket before I decided on the resort, but Pam doesn’t need to know that.
“Oh.” Pam resumes walking.
Rex barrels between us, whacks my leg with a piece of driftwood, and darts away. “Catch me.”
“Rex.” Pam’s voice holds a warning tone.
I grin at her and bolt after Rex. “You better run faster, little man.” I catch up to him in a dozen strides and sweep him into my arms.
He screams and laughs while wiggling and bashing me on the shoulders with his makeshift weapon.
Pam’s laughter catches me by surprise.
I turn to face her, and the sight of her fully relaxed sends my mind into a tailspin. Spin. The ball. Ugh. I smack the heel of my hand to my forehead. “Did I mention you’ll need a dress for the ball?”
Pam shakes her head from side to side, her mouth puckering. “I brought a cocktail dress. Is that okay?”
I hide a wince and lower Rex to the sand. “I’ll call Mother. She knows all the best places to get a dress. Consider yourself Cinderella and me your fairy godmother.”
Pam crosses her arms, and now I’m getting the death glare. “I’m not a needy servant.”
“I didn’t say that.” Mother answers before I can add anything else. I offer a quick hello and get straight to the point. “Where’s the best place to get Pam a dress for the ball?”
“You’re bringing her to the ball?” Mother’s voice raises a full octave. “Dalton. Son. You can’t keep helping her. All she wants is your money. The more you give to women like her, the more they want.”
“Let’s go, Rex.”
I turn at the scuffle of feet. Pam and Rex hurry away, hand in hand. My chest aches with a sudden desire to chase after her and make all her problems disappear. She’s nothing like the woman Mother says. Pam, out of all the women I’ve ever met, is the most genuine, caring, and hardworking woman I know.
I’d eat a bucket of wet sand before I believed Mother’s harsh criticism. I make a mental note to apologize once I catch up to them, but I need to finish this conversation first. “Stop it. Pam’s great. And, yes. I brought her to Nantucket. Now. Unless you want her showing up in a potato sack, which I know she’d do just to make a point, I need to know where you bought that silver gown you wore to the Gatehersh event.”
Mother’s sigh is long and expressive, but she gives me the name of the shop, and I hang up while wearing a smile.
Chapter Four
Pam
I take a deep breath of ocean air while the seagulls float above me with their squawks and squeals–so similar to Mrs. Jeffries’s whining voice still stuck in my head. A slight groan catches in my chest. I needed this vacation, but not any more drama in my life. I should be soaking up the beauty of Nantucket with its expansive beaches. The shoreline stretches before me like a golden ribbon. I shove off my sandals and let my feet sink into the warm sand. Rex plays contentedly on the beach, unaware of Claudia Jeffries’ detest toward us. According to her, we are after Dalton’s money. Being wealthy doesn’t appeal to me if it means becoming like Claudia. How does Dalton stand his mother? Has being raised by her affected him in some way? He often speaks about how his father had kept their family balanced and sane. But now he’s gone, and all the responsibility is on Dalton’s shoulders. No wonder he’s grumpy half the time.
