Page 112 of Best Kept Vows

“Baby, what’s the problem?” he asked softly, stroking a finger down my cheek.

I swallowed. “I don’t want to deal with her.”

“Or maybe you’re worried that I won’t defend you if she gets toxic.”

My eyes lowered in shame. Sebastian had done nothing to make me doubt him.

The past months had beenheaven—not like when we were newly married. No, then it was all new, and we wereyoung—but now we were older and wiser, and wekneweach other and loved one another despite our flaws.

“Put me to the test, baby,” he coaxed. “Let me show you that you are the most important person in my life—even more important than me to me.”

“It’s fine,” I murmured, giving him an uneasy smile.

Since the debacle at the wake, I hadn’t seen any of his relatives. I had heard from the Savannah grapevine that Coco and Bryce had moved to Atlanta. No one knew where Birdie was, except that shewasn’twith Craig anymore.

Dolly had put the estate on the market, and once the mortgage and the debts were paid—which were considerable since Bryce had not just run the company into the ground but had taken loans by putting the company up as collateral—the estate sale would have to plug those holes as well.

My mother-in-law had brought this on herself, pushing Abraham to not only appoint Bryce as CEO but also co-signing the loans Bryce took out in an attempt to modernize Boone Metals, which was a futile attempt at resurrecting a dying business.

In the end, the company wasn’t sold as a whole but dismantled and sold off for parts.

Abraham had supported his investments by mortgaging the estate, which Sebastian said he couldn’t understand, but that was what he did. Now, he wasn’t sure if the investments could cover the mortgage after the sale.

Dolly wouldnotbe destitute. After everything was sold and paid off—she’d still be handsomely situated. Not like before when she thought she could walk into a jewelry storeand pick up a bracelet for three hundred thousand dollars—but she could probably get a trinket for a couple thousand.

For most people, the kind of money Dolly would have would be considered a fortune; I was sure Dolly thought it was not enough to sustain life.

But the Boone fortune wasn’t the first and wasn’t going to be the last of the old money wealth that diminished—unfortunately, this was a familiar story.

To give her credit, Dolly didn’t ask why I was there when she saw me. She greeted us politely, her Dior perfume making my nose itch.

“We’ve already eaten lunch, Mama,” Sebastian explained when he said we’d only order drinks.

Dolly looked annoyed but didn’t force the issue. Once our drinks were served—champagne for Dolly and me, and a glass of white wine for Sebastian—my mother-in-law went for the jugular.

“Since you destroyed Boone Metals, Sebastian, the least you can do now is cover the debt that’s left after the fire sale.”

Sebastian didn’t look shocked, thoughmymouth fell open.

Seriously?

She’d invited us to meet her for lunch to ask us for money.

“No. I don’t think so,” Sebastian said softly.

“Sebastian, this is not up for discussion,” she shot back as if her son wasn’t a grown man of forty-five but an errant teenager.

“Dolly, I think you’re being unreasonable,” I murmured.

“Nobody cares what you think, Lia,” she snapped. “I don’t even know why you’re here. I want to talk to my son, not?—”

“Mama,” Sebastian cut her off. “I don’t think you understand the situation. You want to talk about my family’s finances, you talk to Lia.”

Okay, what?

He’d only had half a glass of wine, so I knew he wasn’t drunk.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Dolly quipped.