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“Now you’re talking.” Owen gave her another toast.

“RSVPs started coming in.” Cleo smiled, pure satisfaction. “We’re going to have a packed house.”

“Word’s going around.” Trey offered Sonya some of his salmon. “You’ve got the hot ticket of the summer.”

“And we’re going to do it up right. Cleo and I are hitting the garden center, and we’re going to meet with the florist. We ordered the party lights, but we need a couple of handsome handy men to help with that.”

“It’s always something,” Owen muttered. “You want that boat, don’t you, Lafayette?”

“I do.” Cleo gave him a lash flutter. “How long does it take two handsome handy men to hang some fairy lights?”

“How many did you get?”

Now she just smiled, said, “Mmmm.”

“That’s what I figured.”

“You can be bribed with meatloaf and sex.”

“Probably.”

“Definitely,” Trey corrected. “Are you worried about what Dobbs might pull with so many people in and around the house?”

“I’m trying not to think about it, but yeah, I do think about it. Still, when my mother came before for a couple days, things were benign, and relatively quiet.”

“I’m counting on the good energy outweighing her dark energy. Lights, music, people?” Cleo lifted her hands. “It’s what the manor was built for.”

“She won’t win.” Sonya spoke decisively. “Maybe it’s naive, but I feel like getting the Ryder account, and it was against the odds, means that just standing up, pushing forward counts. And maybe if—when—I go through the mirror again, I’ll learn something more. Some way to get the rings. I wouldn’t be here, Cleo wouldn’t, the four of us wouldn’t be here together if things hadn’t happened the way they happened. So…”

With a shrug, Sonya picked up her water glass. “Keep standing up and pushing forward. What?” she said when Trey just smiled at her.

“She doesn’t have a chance.”

“I can give you some time on Saturday for the damn lights.”

Cleo raised her eyebrows at Owen. “Without a bribe?”

“Oh hell, I’ll still take the bribe—no sane man turns down meatloaf and sex. But family doesn’t need bribes.”

“As much as I liked Clarice, you’re secure in the favorite-cousin slot. I’m probably going to regret this, but let’s order dessert.”

They lingered over dessert and coffee, over easy conversation. Then Trey rose to extend his hand to the man who walked to their table. Owen did the same.

“Good to see you. Sonya MacTavish, Cleo Fabares, this is Anson Miller, Seth’s dad.”

The first word that came to Sonya’s mind wasdistinguished. Flecks of silver dashed through a head of gold hair brushed back from a narrow, sharp-boned face. He had hazel eyes with a hint of green and a ready smile.

“It’s nice to meet you. You have a beautiful hotel.”

“Thank you for that. I had a dinner in the private dining room with some VIPs, and saw you when I came out. I just wanted to say hello, and don’t want to interrupt.”

“You’re not,” Sonya assured him. “Can you join us for coffee?”

“Thanks, but coffee at this time of night’s only for the young and adventurous.”

But when the server offered a chair, Anson took it.

“Just for a moment. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet the new mistresses of the manor. From Louisiana, aren’t you, Ms. Fabares?”