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Da in reply Part ofBut she is my mother, and another part of me—the secret, buried part that I don’t like to take out and exa Wants to have her hold me and tell me she’s sorry for all the years of horror and drama

I want it, but I do not expect it Yet still that fla inside me

“Ryan will take you,” Dalance at Ryan and watch as he turns his attention away fronests that she’s oblivious to Ryan’s attention, but there’s an unfamiliar color to her cheeks, and as she watches him lead my mother out the door, I can’t help but wonder

Jamie crosses the room to join me at the table, then picks up the red velvet cake with her fingers and takes a huge bite “You realize that there’s no way I’ a suite with your mother”

I laugh “Neither of you would survive”

“I had Tony pack your things when he delivered Mrs Fairchild’s car,” Da in Malibu with us”

Jamie does a fist pump “Score!”

My s my back,” I say to Damien

“Always” The softness in his eyes hardens a bit “Do you want me to send her back to Texas?”

I al h to handle it,” I say, in response to his reproachful look

“You are,” he agrees

“And there was aabout the way she’d talked about Ashley’s wedding, and the vulnerability that I’d seen in her eyes

“What?” Da at me intently

“I just think that, despite all the Elizabeth Fairchild nonsense, part of her really does want to be here forday”

For a moment, Damien only looks at me, his hands on my shoulders Then he leans forward and captures my mouth with the sweetest of kisses When he pulls away, I expect an argument I expect hi my mother has done to me, to us I expect him to point to his own father, who Hell, I expect him to talk some sense into me

Instead, he says simply, “Be careful”

I s and nod, because I know that he’s right to be concerned

Once again, the door chimes, but this tieous, with dark hair highlighted by gold and red He carries hiaze sweeps the rooray eyes

“We should finish up with Sally and get going,” I say to Daot other customers to deal with”

“I’m sure she does,” he replies, “but Evan isn’t one of them He’s with me”

“Holy crap,” Jamie says, “do you travel in packs?”

Dah There aren’t many people who can knock hi about?” he asks