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“Paris. She’s only five and we’re working on her manners not to interrupt my meetings.”

“What a sweetie,” I said. As the nanny carted her away back into the kitchen, the girl’s big blue eyes lighted on me over the woman’s shoulder. She shyly waved, and I waved back. For whatever reason, she appeared familiar to me, but I blinked that thought away as just the sugar high overloading my brain.

Out of the corner of my eye, Chelsea grinned. The wave didn’t go unnoticed by Mom either, who was almost as obsessed over the idea of eventually becoming a grandmother as she was about this wedding.

It definitely didn’t escape India’s eyes. “Will you two have a family right away?” She asked, the cameras zooming in on us once again.

Chelsea and I exchanged loving glances, and I answered. “We’ve talked about having children in the next couple of years, but no hurry. Whenever she’s ready to, I’ll be as well.”

“Hear that, Miriam? You’ll be a grandmother someday. How do you feel about that?” India pried further.

“I think it’s wonderful, and high time someone continues the Buchanan blood line. I expect their first born a year after the wedding.” She eyed us, full of intent. Her response was nothing less than I’d expect, but sadly mistaken if she thought motherly pressure would force the next major life decision for us.

“Now where were we—oh yes. All the flavors, no problem at all.” Vivian punched more notes into her iPad.

“Okay, that’s settled. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I need to talk to Chelsea in private.” Done with this, I stood, bringing Chelsea with me, and rushed her out the door of the shop with India complaining behind us. “Just taking a break, India. Deal with it.”

Only a few steps away out on the sidewalk, though, Miriam poked her head out the door, hailing me back. “Rex. A word, please.” I couldn’t miss the stern nature of her voice.

“Be right back.” I sighed and kissed my bride on the temple, and left her there so I could face-off with Mom five feet away. I was fairly certain of the topic of conversation.

“I need to know the status of the prenup,” she started, and I was right, but I hushed her quickly. Peeking back at Chelsea, I could see her head was buried in her phone messages, hopefully not hearing a word of our conversation.

“What about it?” My voice was just above a harsh whisper.

“You said the prenup was signed, but my lawyers haven’t received a copy yet. What’s the holdup?” Miriam crossed her arms and raised a brow.

With my best poker face, I stammered about it being lost somewhere on my desk and I’d send it over next week or the week after. But she always had a knack for sniffing out my lies since childhood. Either that or Richard told her.

“Ah-hah. You didn’t get Chelsea to sign it, correct?” Damn, she was good at this, complete with glaring at me over the frame of her glasses.

“Mom, look at her. She’s a beautiful, sweet womanwithout a mean bone in her body. There’s no malicious intent flowing through her veins, only pure love for me, and the likelihood she’ll end up another Janet is zilch.”

She flinched at the name and rubbed the bridge of her nose between thumb and forefinger. “If Richard’s fiasco wasn’t enough of a scare, I don’t know what would be. Take care of it. Immediately.”

“And if I don’t get it signed?” I stood my ground. “You can’t stop me from marrying the love of my life.”

She reached up and cupped my face, adding aTsk-tsk.“Oh, my dear boy. Love can be so consuming.” In her eyes resided all the contradictions between a loving, caring, mother but also the tough matriarch of our family. “Look what happened to Richard. Now, grow up and stop thinking with your dick. I want that on my desk asap.”

With that, she turned on her heel and huffed back into the shop. I hung my head after her retreat at first, wanting only to soothe the pain Mom felt about Richard’s sad situation. In some ways, she was right. Protection was the best defense, and I probably needed to wise up and take care of this. But I wanted my bride happy, and Chelsea wasn’t running any slick plays for my fortune; how could I believe the worst about her when I had no proof of it?

41

LET THEM EAT PIE

REX

“Everything all right?”Chelsea’s hand on my arm jolted me right out of my thoughts about the prenup situation. Our eyes locked, and her emerald beacons of concern blazed a path right through my heart and into my soul.

“Absolutely. You know Miriam, always something.” I shrugged and guided her down the street, placing her hand in the cook of my elbow. My hand rubbed my stomach. “Damn, the cake was delicious.”

“Hmm. It was.” Her small smile didn’t sit well with me. “I hope you saved room for lunch with my mom, and don’t forget after that we’re meeting up with my friend Sadie at Choco Dee Lites to taste test the chocolate wedding favors. Her champagne white chocolate truffles are to die for. Then we have?—”

“I know, I know it’s a full day of it here in Holly Creek.” I stopped us right there on the sidewalk, just feet away from Flora’s Diner. “What’s really going on with you, sweetness?And I know you well enough by now, so don’t say it’s nothing.” I brought her hand to my lips and placed a few kisses on the back of it.

Chelsea squared off with me. “Fine. I’m wondering if you really mean what you said. What I want, I get? Because I prefer pie over cake, cocoa over cocktails, and roses over bird feathers. I feel like there’s constant pressure around every wedding decision to have things Miriam’s way. Even my engagement ring was hers.”

She sucked in a quick breath, covering her mouth with her hand, and stared at me with enormous wet eyes. “Oh, I didn’t mean to say that.”