Chapter Nineteen

CHAPTER NINETEEN

From the Kitchen of Verbena Fullbright

Crumb-coating a cake is a messy and time-consuming business, but the results are always worth the extra work. Like anything in life, the effort you put in influences what you get in return.

Addie

"It looks a picture!" Aunt Bean said, glancing around in delight at the Celestial Hotel's dimly lit ballroom, trying to take in every last detail.

"It does," I agreed, scanning the room as the band played "This Magic Moment" from a stage that hadn't been there the last time I'd been in this space.

Gradations of pink faintly illuminated the ceiling and floor from lights placed strategically around the room, creating a romantic atmosphere. Tea lights flickered playfully from the tables, inviting people to sit a spell.

Cattywampus to the dance floor was the dessert bar, where the cupcake tower stood proudly, showing off swirls of fluffy frosting topped with twin delicate pink hearts made of white chocolate.

Tessa Jane had been snagged by Randie Beth Robinson on our way in, and Henrietta had headed for the bar the moment she stepped into the room to order her and Bean glasses of wine and me a club soda with lime. I was too nervous to drink, afraid I'd say something I shouldn't.

"Oh, there's Ernie," Bean said.

As I followed her toward the table where Ernie sat, it felt like I was walking behind a vanilla-scented floral cloud. Aunt Bean wore a collared white silk blouse and a floor-length rose-patterned skirt that billowed as she walked.

We'd arrived late. It was already thirty minutes into the pre-dinner cocktail hour. The afternoon had been a blur of emotion as I raced to get everything done before the gala and to keep my lips zipped. I'd powered through packaging cookies and cleaning the bakery kitchen—the Bee Gees my only company because I'd been too fragile to listen to my father's records.

I'd taken care of the ducks, having to use Tessa Jane's method of bribing them with raspberries to get them into the shed because apparently they'd been living their best lives playing in the rain. I'd cleaned litter boxes and mended dresses.

I'd also taken a moment to study the photos in the upstairs hallway, searching for Tessa Jane's widow's peak. But in all the pictures, her bangs had hidden the trait she'd inherited from Bryce. And even though I knew the truth now and saw that she had likely gotten her eyes and smile from her father, in those images, she still looked like Henrietta's mini me. No wonder people had been none the wiser.

And as I'd stood in that hallway, staring at the photo of my daddy and me and Tessa Jane, his arms around our shoulders, his eyes shining with love and happiness, I was surprised by how glad I was that he'd made the choice he had. That he'd chosen to protect her.

Ernie beamed when she spotted us and noisily kissed our cheeks in greeting. She was looking better, healthier, each time I saw her. Her head was covered tonight in a silk wrap, but I knew she had baby-fine silver hair growing beneath it. The injury she'd received when she'd fallen in the kitchen had healed nicely, and tonight she'd disguised any lingering bruising with makeup.

"I heard you've been to see Dare," she immediately said to Aunt Bean. "How is he?"

"Damn lucky," Bean said. "His appendix was fixin' to burst. I don't even want to think about what might've happened if we hadn't crossed paths with him yesterday at Friddle's and made him listen about seeing a doctor. Because heaven knows, Petal was going to let that poor boy suffer. He still looks pitiful, but as it is, he'll only have to stay in the hospital for a couple more days and should be able to return to his normal routines in a week or two."

Petal hadn't been at the hospital when Bean had visited, so my aunt had been denied the come-to-Jesus meeting she'd had planned, but I had the feeling one way or another it would be delivered.

Ernie leaned in, her eyes wide. "What's this about Petal now?"

Bean settled herself into a chair and fluffed her skirt. "Oh, wait till you hear. She called him lazy because he was sick in bed."

"No!" Ernie gasped.

Bean nodded. "And that's just the start."

I didn't think I could bear a full rehashing, so I said, "I'm going to help Henrietta with the drinks. Do you care for anything, Miss Ernie?"

She glanced over her shoulder to a corner of the room, where I saw Ty talking with someone I didn't know. She dropped her voice as though he might hear her, and said, "Why don't you get a glass of white wine for yourself and come sit next to me, real close?" She winked theatrically.

I smiled. "Good thing I just had a mighty hankering for a glass of wine." I certainly wasn't going to deny her a sip or two of wine after all she'd been through. "I'll be right back."

I weaved my way through the crowd, skirting the dance floor. The band was now playing "My Girl" and when I spotted Luna and Sawyer on the dance floor, my heart melted into a sentimental puddle.

"Miss Addie!" she shouted, catching sight of me.

She broke free from Sawyer and raced over to me, the skirt of her dress swaying. On her feet were a pair of pink Converse and seeing them nearly brought a tear to my eye.

"How's Pepper doing?" she asked, her eyes bright, completely oblivious to Sawyer being humorously dramatic behind her, throwing his hands up in the air and muttering about being abandoned.

I knew full well Tessa Jane had sent Luna a message along with pictures not two hours ago, so I said, "Last I saw her, she was cuddled up with Hambone on the couch, sleeping." I added, "You look lovely."

Tessa Jane said it had taken nearly ninety minutes for Ross Peebles to do a full workup on Pepper earlier this afternoon. The thorn he'd pulled from her paw had been embedded so deeply between her toes that he'd needed to use two stitches to close the wound. She was now on antibiotics and her paw was wrapped in a bandage she would surely remove if not for the neck cone she had to wear for the next week or so.

According to Aunt Bean, when she'd told Dare about Pepper, he'd gone ghostly white—which apparently was quite something considering he was already sickly pale. After a minute, he asked if Pepper could stay with us until he was back home.

It told me bucketloads about what he suspected had happened to the dog.

Luna rolled her eyes. "Dresses, ugh. Dad had to order this one online. The only dresses around here are all so frilly. Not that your dress isn't pretty! It is. It's perfect for you . Oh, there's Tessa Jane!" She skipped off.

Sawyer laughed as he walked over to me. "One day she'll stand still."

"Don't count on it."

He smiled. "She was right—your dress is pretty."

I glanced down at the tiered, ruffled dress. It was a deep teal green color, which didn't quite go with the Valentine's theme, but beggars who shop the night before the dance couldn't be choosers. I fought the urge to fuss with the thin straps I'd shortened earlier so the V-neck wasn't quite so deep and said, "Thank you. I heard it was perfect for me."

There was a smattering of applause as the song ended, and the band immediately started another. I recognized the notes of "When the Stars Go Blue" right away, and waited for the usual wave of grief, because it had been one of Ree's favorites. But it didn't come. Instead, I was filled only with a warmth that came from loving her and wishing she could be here.

Light played in Sawyer's eyes as he held out his hand. "Care to dance?"

I looked toward the table where Bean and Ernie sat, only to find that Henrietta had already joined them. All three were giving me thumbs up. Bean used both hands.

"I haven't danced in a long time," I said, trying to come up with some semblance of a reasonable excuse not to.

"It's like riding a bike."

"I haven't done that in a long time, either."

"We'll tackle that another day." He looked at his hand and made small encouraging nods toward it.

Little bubbles of happiness rose in me at his playful antics, which I thought was a miracle considering the day I had. I took a deep breath and put my hand in his.

I swore I heard clapping from Ernie's's table but didn't dare look.

Sawyer put his arm around my back. "Luna's been talking nonstop about the day she had with y'all."

I settled into his arms awkwardly, as if he were a stranger. As if we hadn't danced a hundred times before. "Well, it was quite the day."

Furrow lines creased his forehead. "You should probably know that Petal's been asking everyone here if they've seen Pepper, saying she slipped out the door earlier while Petal was bringing groceries into the house."

I felt my body tense with anger. Why hadn't Pepper been wearing her collar, then? "Wait a second. Petal's here ? At the gala?"

He nodded. "Sure is."

I glanced around but didn't see her. I wasn't sure whether it was brave or stupid of her to show up tonight with Aunt Bean on the warpath, never mind that she was living it up while her husband was in the hospital. With Petal, I was starting to think they weren't mutually exclusive traits.

Sawyer said, "Or she was here, I should say. No one was buying her story, knowing how she feels about Pepper. She was getting some pushback and not taking it too well."

Good. She deserved every bit of it. More, even.

His heat seeped through his shirt and into my hand that rested on his shoulder. His piney scent drifted around us as we swayed, and I inched a tiny bit closer to him. I wanted to press my head to his chest and forget all my worries. Which was impossible, so I said, "Honestly, I could use a distraction from everything that happened today. Any good trespassing stories lately?"

"None today, but something interesting has been happening. A few nights this week, I've seen someone sitting on the edge of the crater at dusk. Different guy each time."

"Sitting? Not digging?" That was new.

His hand burned through my dress at the small of my back, and I swore I could feel every single twitch of his fingertips. My heart was doing all kinds of strange things as he looked into my eyes.

"No shovel in sight. Dressed in full camo, they sit still as a stone, holding a dental mirror, trying to catch the light with it. If the starlings hadn't raised an alarm each time, I probably wouldn't have noticed at all. Even with binoculars, it was hard to spot them from my place."

I was having trouble concentrating, too entranced by the play of light in his hazel eyes. "Why a mirror?"

"Beats me. The starlings run them off before I can even get my shoes on."

I longed to touch his face, run my fingers along his strong jaw. My voice crackled as I said, "How bizarre."

He was staring at my lips.

Lord have mercy .

"It really is," he said, resting his cheek against my hair.

I finally gave in and cuddled close, breathing in the scent of him. Safe in his arms, I relaxed as we swayed, and I was already dreading the song coming to an end. Because suddenly I couldn't help feeling that in his arms was where I was always meant to be.

Tessa Jane

"Tessa Jane! Just the person I was hoping to see. Do you have a minute?"

Randie Beth Robinson, the director of Hand to Heart, wore a wide smile, which immediately calmed the sudden jolt of nerves at seeing her, fearing there had been an issue with the cookies I'd delivered earlier.

The lights were low, and music filled the air along with the scent of roses from a series of floral arches that lined a red-carpet pathway into the ballroom. Twinkle lights were tucked into the greenery, making it feel like a scene straight out of an enchanted forest.

Since I'd sent Addie, Aunt Bean, and my mama ahead, saying they didn't need to wait for me, I faced Randie Beth and smiled. She wore a red strapless dress that showed off dark, toned shoulders that appeared to have been dusted with shimmer powder—they sparkled. "It looks like a fairy tale in here, Randie Beth. It's absolutely beautiful."

We stood outside the ballroom, next to a small table that was tucked out of the way. A young woman was busy tapping on a laptop, and I was surprised to see it was Jenna Elkins.

"Oh hey, Tessa Jane," she said, glancing up at me and smiling. She sat tall, as though the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders. "You probably didn't expect to be seeing me here."

Randie Beth said, "Jenna started her job with us this week. We threw her straight into the deep end, but she's swimming just fine."

Jenna looked a sight happier than the last time I'd seen her, that was for sure. "It seems like it's suiting you well."

"Sure is." A walkie-talkie crackled, and Jenna bounced up, her pink gown swirling around her legs. "If y'all will excuse me?"

She stepped away and Randie Beth said, "I won't keep you, Tessa Jane, but I wanted to let you know I'm getting raves about your cookies from people who've already tucked into their goody bags and are interested in placing orders. A birthday, a wedding shower, and a St. Patrick's Day party. I wasn't sure what to tell them. I know you're fixin' to leave town in a few days. Does your cookie business offer shipping?"

"Actually—" I began, then stopped. I'd been about to tell her that it wasn't a business, that cookie decorating was only a hobby. But hadn't I practically been working nonstop on those cookies this past week? The cookies hadn't been a gift for a friend or just because. Randie Beth had placed an order and paid me in full.

That was a job.

A rewarding, creative job, yes, but still hard work. Could I manage it on top of my work at the country club? Probably. It would mean late nights, but I was okay with that. Then I thought about my mama's reaction earlier today when I'd been joking about a cookie company. I'd noticed that she hadn't been as excited as everyone else at the idea.

But wasn't she the one who said I should live my own life, make my own choices? I couldn't keep trying to make everyone else happy. I'd done that and all I'd gotten for it was a broken heart and a heap of embarrassment.

I took a deep breath and jumped into a deep end of my own. "Actually, my cookie business does ship. Go ahead and tell people to email or call and we'll work something out."

My cookie business.

The Starling Cookie Company.

Aunt Bean had said it had a nice ring to it and I agreed. Wholeheartedly.

"Wonderful!" Randie Beth exclaimed. "I'll let people know. Now could you do me a favor?"

"Absolutely. What do you need?"

She stepped over to the table, rifled through a stack of printouts. Finally, she pulled one free. "Could you give this to Verbena for me? She mentioned there was no need for a receipt, but I'm sure she'll want it for her records. A portion of the tickets are tax deductible after all. When she called earlier this week about getting additional tickets, I was so glad I'd held few in reserve. She's been such a generous donor all these years."

It was a receipt for three gala tickets, which had been paid for in cash earlier this week. Specifically, the day before Stan had delivered the tickets to the bakery. As I stared at the paper, I couldn't stop smiling.

Discovering that Aunt Bean was her own secret admirer was a bright side to this night I'd never expected. And as a bonus, she'd managed to get Addie and me to attend tonight—something she'd wanted all along. It had been a brilliant plan. "I'll make sure she gets this. Thanks."

Luna found me as soon as I walked into the ballroom, looking as sweet as could be in her party dress. In a minute's span she asked a million questions about Pepper's vet visit, one after another, rapid-fire, before she gasped as she spotted a friend, a girl who appeared to be around her age, and ran off to look at the desserts.

I made my way to the bar, secured my place in the long line, and took a deep breath. I noticed my mama looking at the silent auction items. Her back was to me, but I could easily imagine the worried look on her face. Her eyebrows pulled down low, her lips pressed together. She'd been wearing the expression ever since she'd volunteered to go see Dare this afternoon. It hadn't changed since she'd been back. If Gigi had seen it, she'd have pointedly warned Mama that if she wasn't careful, her face would freeze that way.

Gigi. I wondered what she'd think about my cookie business and decided she'd be cheering for me.

"My darling girl," she'd said to me the Christmas before she'd passed away, "why are you so sad?"

She'd been in failing health and my heart had hurt at how she seemed to be shrinking. She was but a tiny shell of her former self. Still, she'd insisted we sit on the sofa in her suite, sharing a blanket, watching the starlight in the distance glow through the patio doors.

"I'm not," I'd lied, giving her fragile hand a squeeze.

She'd cupped my cheek. "Lies don't become you, Tessa Jane."

I'd sighed and watched the starlight. "It's just that sometimes I feel as though I'm living a life not my own. The expectations of others are weighing me down."

"It weighs you down only if you allow it."

"It's not that easy, Gigi. The starlight land for example."

She'd watched me carefully, her blue eyes watery but still as perceptive as ever. "You don't want your grandfather to own it."

I'd shrugged, trying to play it off. "It doesn't feel right."

"Then keep it, sweetheart."

"You know he's not going to allow that."

"Tessa Jane," she'd said, her quivery voice somehow firm. "Do not underestimate the strength of a Cobb backbone. Above all else, you must stay true to yourself. Promise me you won't allow others to dull your beautiful shine. Not your grandfather. Not your mama. Not anyone. Embracing who you are and what you want is the only path to happiness, I promise you."

For a while, I had let others dull that shine. I had even done it to myself. But not now. Not ever again. Gigi would be thrilled with my new business venture—because it made me happy.

As I finally ordered a drink, I wished my grandmother were here. I wished a lot of things these days. Today, my wishes had been focused mostly on Dare. According to Mama, he'd "yes, ma'amed" her to death while she talked with him at the hospital and seemed embarrassed when she'd delicately spoke about the warning signs of abuse. She said she wasn't even sure if he was truly listening but left him with a counseling brochure and her phone number in case he ever wanted to talk.

I turned and caught sight of Addie dancing with Sawyer. I gave her a big, cheesy smile and made a heart shape with my hands when she saw me watching her. I couldn't swear to it, because of the dim lighting, but I thought she rolled her eyes.

I startled a bit when my gaze happened to land on my grandfather, who was staring at me from a table near the stage. He lifted his whiskey glass in a mock toast, and I offered a smile and a wave, even though I didn't like the way he glowered.

Uncomfortable, I picked up my drink and studiously avoided looking his way as I headed toward Aunt Bean. When she saw me coming, she patted the empty seat next to her.

I eyed the chair, which happened to be in between her and Ty Underwood, and reluctantly sat. I smiled as I said hello to him and Ernie and the all the Sugarbirds, who were also seated at the table.

I was about to slip Aunt Bean the receipt Randie Beth had given me, but quickly tucked it into my clutch as Stan Reeves stepped up to the table. He gave hearty hellos to everyone, then said, "Verbena, would you care to dance? That is if you don't think your secret admirer will mind." He diligently looked around, studying the face of every man nearby with a healthy dose of suspicion.

And suddenly I knew the true reason why Aunt Bean had orchestrated her own admirer. It was to give Stan the kick in the pants he needed to make the first move.

"A dance? Why that would be lovely," she said as if she'd never even considered the idea.

Now I also knew where Addie had inherited her acting skills.

She rose, leaving her walking stick leaning against the table. Stan gently placed his hand on her elbow to guide her along, and as they headed for the dance floor, she glanced over her shoulder and waggled her eyebrows.

Every last one of us sitting round that table gave her a thumbs up. Even Ty, which tickled me to death.

Pinky started laughing. Her cast was the color of a ballet slipper and had at least a dozen signatures on it. "Do y'all think Stan is Bean's secret admirer?"

"I thought it was all y'all." Ernie pointedly looked at the Sugarbirds.

"I wish I'd thought of it," Delilah said. "It sure kicked him into gear."

As they fell into a lively conversation about the identity of the admirer, I excused myself for a moment, making a beeline for a trashcan. There, I crumpled up the receipt Randie Beth had given me and tossed it in the container. I'd let Bean keep her secret, and let everyone else keep wondering.

When I returned to my seat, I accidentally bumped Ty's elbow. "Sorry," I said.

"No harm done."

I took a sip of my drink and told myself I didn't need to make small talk with him. I was perfectly fine sitting here, watching the Sugarbirds and Ernie talk about Bean's love life.

But I found I wanted to talk to him.

"How'd the squirrel transfer go this morning?" I asked.

"No problems other than convincing my mama that squirrels aren't meant to be pets. She got attached mighty quick. Thanks for the peanut donation, by the way."

"You're welcome."

I glanced at Ernie and caught her staring at Ty, while jerking her head toward me. When she noticed me looking, she coughed and dove straight back into the conversation with the Sugarbirds as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"What was that about?" I asked him.

Ty gritted his teeth. "Would you like to dance, Grasshopper?" He leaned in close to me, putting his mouth near my ear. I ignored all the tiny flutters in my stomach as he whispered, "If you say no, you're going to break my mama's heart."

I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing, and then I leaned in and whispered in his ear. "My mama would call that a manipulative tactic, Bug."

He laughed a genuine laugh and, still talking into my ear, said, "My mama would call it parenting. It'll be easier for the both of us if you just play along."

I stole a peek across the table. The conversation about Bean and Stan had been paused so everyone could stare at Ty and me.

I whispered, "I'll do it only if you never tell my mama how easily I gave in."

"Deal." He pushed back his chair and held out his left hand.

Across the table came a chorus of aww s. I couldn't even bring myself to look that way as I left my evening bag on my seat and placed my hand in his.

His skin was rough but the way he held my hand was gentle as he led me to the dance floor. I looked for Addie for moral support, but she and Sawyer were now standing at the bar. Bean and Stan were lost somewhere in the crowd of couples swaying to Elvis's "Can't Help Falling in Love." Ty put one arm around my waist and the other hand held mine against his chest. I was grateful there was a good ten inches between us.

"I appreciate this," he said.

"It's no big deal," I answered.

He closed the distance between us an inch, and my heart rate skyrocketed. I fought the urge to scratch at the hive that appeared on my arm.

"It is to me. I really am sorry, Tessa Jane. For everything."

Him calling me by name did something strange to my heart. "Me, too. I'm sorry, too."

"For what? You didn't do anything."

"I'm just sorry. I know what it's like to lose a daddy. And, you know, I'm sorry for locking you in the closet that one time." I might as well lay it all out there.

He tipped his head back and laughed. "I didn't think you'd ever confess."

I looked up at him, got caught up in the different shades of brown in his eyes, and said, "You knew I'd done it?"

"I suspected. I'd caught a whiff of vanilla right before it happened. You always smelled like vanilla. Still do." He pulled me a bit closer. "I'll forgive you if you forgive me."

I smiled. "Deal."

We swayed for a while in silence before I caught sight of Addie, who was now making a heart with her hands. I definitely rolled my eyes.

Ty said, "It's nice that you two patched up your relationship. I heard y'all are even going to team up and build near the starlight crater. Let me know if you need any help with that."

I stiffened and stopped moving. "Where'd you hear that? About building? Did Aunt Bean say something?"

He stopped moving, too, but still held on to me. "No, I heard it in line at Friddle's this morning from Sissy Danes, who'd heard it from Bubba Coldwell, who'd heard it from Graham Doby."

My mind spun. Graham Doby. The newspaper reporter who'd had lunch with my mama last weekend.

The lunch where Mama got tipsy and hoped she hadn't said anything stupid.

Ty added, "He's writing an article about it that's going in tomorrow's paper."

"Oh no." This was bad. Real bad.

"Tessa Jane, is there someth—"

He was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. "Mind if I cut in, son?"

My granddaddy's voice boomed loudly enough for the couples around us to turn and stare.

Ty jumped as if he'd been burned.

"I don't think—" I began.

"That's the problem, ain't it?" Granddaddy said, grabbing my hand.

When he tried to put his arm around my back, as if we were going to dance, I stepped back. I tried to pull my hand free, but he held tight.

His whiskey breath made my stomach turn as he said, "You ain't thinking , Tessa Jane. I done heard about your plan to steal my ideas for that land. If you think I'm going to let that happen, you have another think coming."

I tried again to free myself, but he squeezed my hand like a vise.

Ty stepped in, real close, fury in his eyes. In a deadly low voice, he said, "Sir, if you don't let go of her, I'm going to make you let go. Understand me?"

Granddaddy must've seen that Ty wasn't bluffing, because he dropped my hand. Ty immediately put his arm around me. "You okay?"

My palm ached. But it was my heart that hurt the most as I studied my grandfather's face, looking for even the slightest spark of something decent. Something good. But it wasn't there. It had never been there. He was never going to be the man I—or Gigi—wanted him to be.

The only cure for his poison was love. Love for himself, for others. But right now I wasn't sure he even knew what love was.

Mama swooped in out of nowhere, putting herself between Granddaddy and me. She faced him. "What is going on? You're making a scene."

I blinked away tears. Around us, people had stopped dancing even though music still played.

Jabbing a finger, Granddaddy said, "I should've known y'all would betray me the minute I stopped padding your bank accounts. Ungrateful little—"

"Enough!" Mama said sharply, cutting him off. "That's enough."

Hives broke out on my arms, my neck, and I felt nauseous.

Veins pulsed in Granddaddy's forehead and spittle flew as he said, "Good luck getting permits for your project once I'm mayor. And don't come crying to me when the land becomes town property through eminent domain. Boo-hoo ."

My jaw dropped. Of course he had a backup plan in place if I held on to the land. This was why he was running for mayor now . Mind whirling, I could see his scheme so clearly. As mayor, he would have the power to cause all kinds of trouble for us. And yes, he could probably even spearhead a case for eminent domain, nitpicking about traffic and crowd control. But once the town took over the land, I imagined he'd then mastermind a reason for the land to be sold. In a private deal. To him.

Mama stood tall against his wrath. "All you want is more money. Money, money, money. But you know what? You could be the wealthiest man in the world and you'd still be dirt poor, because you haven't realized that it's not money that will fill that needy, greedy hole in your soul."

I noticed Addie and Aunt Bean move in closer, their eyes wide with shock, horror.

Granddaddy laughed, a heartless sound that sent chills down my spine. "I never heard you complaining about my money before I cut you off, Henrietta. Funny, the timing of it all." He stepped to the side and leveled a malicious gaze on me. "That land was payment for my silence. I've been waiting for it ever since the day your ungrateful mama tried to pass off her bastard child as a Fullbright. I should've known you'd double-cross me considering the likes of your daddy. That no-account Buckley boy got what was coming to him, and his daughter will, too."

A gasp rippled through the crowd as he stormed away, stopping briefly in front of Addie, saying, "Now might be a good time for you to consider contesting your daddy's will, little girl. Not that it's going to help in the long run because that land will be mine."

Then he strode off, barreling through anyone who stood in his way.

His words were a jumble, tumbling through my mind. At first, I couldn't make sense of what he'd said. Then it hit me all at once, and I staggered a step backward, stopping only because of Ty's firm hand on my back.

There was sympathy in his eyes.

Sympathy for me.

Pity.

Because I was a Buckley .

I sagged under the weight of it all, and it was Ty who caught me. I was a Buckley. Bryce Buckley was my father. Oh lord, oh lord, oh lord .

Blood thundered in my ears. My heart hammered. I couldn't seem to pull in a deep breath as I struggled to stand tall.

"Tessa Jane," my mama said, her voice cracking.

I couldn't even look at her. Couldn't bear it.

Feeling like I was going to be sick, I ran for the door, stumbling a bit at first as I ignored Mama calling my name.

I kept running, through the flower arches, toward the front of the hotel, the scent of roses racing after me.

Once I made it out into the cool, foggy night, I doubled over, my breathing ragged. A second later, I felt a hand on my arm.

"Tessa Jane…" It was Ty.

Tears spilled from my eyes as I shook off his arm and rasped, "I just need to be alone."

"All right," he said after a long second, "but take my coat. It's cold out here."

He settled his suit coat over my bare shoulders, and I clutched the coat's lapels as I ran down the street, through the pocket park, and into the dark woods behind Market Street as fast as I could go. Trying my hardest to outrun the truth.