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For once, Jess was sure that she and Aubrey were thinking the same thing.

What did Trenton hear?

For his part, Trenton seemed oblivious to any “getting caught” comments. He appeared to be absolutely thrilled to have pulled off this…prank? Surprise? Ambush? He held his arms aloft. “Didn’t expect to see us here, did ya?”

Diana froze as he rushed up the stairs to hug her, her own arms stiff at her sides.

Kiki was staring at them, her brow slightly furrowed, which seemed normal, considering Trenton springing out of nowhere like a damned jack-in-the-box. Meanwhile, Poppy just sat there on the cart’s driver seat, watching the growing awkwardness with a strangely blank expression. Was it the remaining stress of Jeremy Treadaway’s death or the additional stress of unexpected guests arriving in the wake of Jeremy Treadaway’s death? Did the Osbournes even have room available for Trenton’s group? Sis had mentioned that this was the end of their season, but honestly, this felt like an imposition on the spa staff.

“Well, DeeDee made it sound so nice when she called.” Trenton wrapped his thick arms around Diana’s unyielding shoulders. “I didn’t like the idea of you being out here all by yourself, so I thought we would join y’all.”

Diana nodded, and Jess could see the effort it was taking to thaw her face. Aubrey, for once, was quiet, glancing between the prospective bride and groom with a calculating expression—as if she was trying to figure out how to best spin this development to her advantage. Jess stepped out of her line of sight, closer to Kiki.

“Oh, he brought Chad,” Kiki sighed. “What joy is mine.”

Jess sort of recognized Trenton’s longtime best friend, Chad Hardcastle—blond, built, boorish. He’d attended Harrow with the rest of them and bumped the outskirts of the social circles that Jess orbited. He definitely seemed more Diana’s type, but honestly, Jess couldn’t remember seeing the two of them together at school. Then again, Jess had largely avoided Chad, who had all the personal charm of discarded Kleenex. And his eyes never seemed to stray above the neck of any woman unlucky enough to interact with him.

“Did Trenton and Diana start dating in college?” Jess asked quietly, watching as Diana ruffled Trenton’s hair. Trenton ducked his head into her neck and hugged her tight.

Kiki shook her head. “The pair of them didn’t really ‘find each other’ until years after graduation. Trenton found Diana scary and aggressive, which…wasn’t entirely wrong. But a few years ago, right after Trenton’s, well, ‘starter marriage’ fell apart, they met at some charity thing. Diana had learned to fawn a little more effectively by then, to hang off Trenton’s arm and treat everything he said like it was a fascinating treatise on geopolitical polarization—like she’s doing right now.”

Jess glanced at the “happy couple.” Trenton was leaning into Diana’s hands as she stroked his hair, which really didn’t help with the whole “man as a Saint Bernard” thing. Clearly, he was no longer afraid of Diana.

“Did you bring Bitsie, too?” Diana purred. She peered around as if Trenton’s older cousin and her stamp of Tillard family approval were being concealed somehow behind Chad.

“No, she still couldn’t make it,” Trenton said glumly. “She had a nail appointment she just couldn’t miss.”

Ouch.

Diana frowned, her expression appropriately insulted. The Tillards were really making an effort to let it be known they didn’t approve of Trenton’s choice. Jess might have felt sorry for her, but she’d heard Diana speak aloud, so…

“Well, did you at least bring one of those fancy satellite phones that will get a signal up here?” Diana asked. “I could at least post the selfies from inside the villa.”

“No.” Trenton frowned. “Was I supposed to?”

“I told you it was impossible to get a signal up here and I was having to use the office landline,” Diana said, pouting prettily. “What did you think I was trying to tell you?”

Trenton shrugged. “I kinda thought that was the whole point of coming up here, getting away from it all. Reduced screen time, mindfulness, and all that.”

“Honey, part of marriage is recognizing each other’s needs and meeting them before your partner can even make them known,” Diana told him. “And I need to let my followers know that I’m OK. I’m just on a break to focus on our loving, luxe future. Remember?”

“External attentiveness and internal affirmation,” Trenton assured her, kissing the tip of her nose. “I’ll work on it, DeeDee, I promise.”

Jess was willing to bet there were going to be even more flowers waiting in the villa when they got back. It did strike Jess as odd that Trenton didn’t pick up on that rather enormous opportunity to meet one of Diana’s demands…maybe Trenton wasn’t as supportive of Diana’s social media aspirations as advertised. Maybe Trenton wasn’t as much of a clueless puppy as she thought. Maybe he was clueless like a fox.

None of this boded well for them long term, but…Jess didn’t include a happiness guarantee in her contracts, so that was not her problem.

“Wait, our phones won’t work?” Chad spluttered. “What the hell, Trent?”

“I texted you about it,” Trenton insisted, sending Chad an imploring look as Diana wound her fingers through his.

Chad pulled his phone out of his pocket and searched for a signal. Finding none, he let loose a string of extremely creative, colorful curses.

“It’s not so bad,” Diana admitted, giving Chad her best sympathetic pouty-face. “I just miss being able to wake up and see how many people loved my posts while I was sleeping, you know? But I hardly think about it now, they keep us so busy here.”

“Well, your typing thumbs probably need a break from your phone anyway, because pretty soon you’re going to have some big news to share,” he said, kissing her hands. Diana squealed with delight and Trenton beamed as she threw her arms around him and covered his cheeks in loud smacking kisses.

Somehow, he’d managed to redirect Diana from one of her favorite subjects—her followers—to her other favorite subject—their engagement. Jess’s eyes narrowed as she watched Trenton gleefully accept Diana’s affection. Well played, Trent. Well played.

The other newcomer, who bore a close resemblance to Chad, was loading bags into the rear luggage rack. Jess had met him in passing at a few of Trenton’s family events. Seth or Shep. Something like that.

“Now, don’t worry, ladies,” Trenton told them, holding up hands that seemed the size of baseball mitts. “I’m not here to interrupt your sacred wedding planning time. Chad and Sev and I brought our golf clubs, so we’re good. You won’t even know we’re here.”

Jess glanced at the third man. Sev, that was it. Jess remembered now. Sev Hardcastle had the same athletic good looks as his…cousin maybe? But he lacked the cruel glint to the deep-set brown eyes, the smirking quirk to the thin lips. Jess’s neck didn’t immediately clench up in Sev’s presence, so she considered that a positive sign.

Also, Jess was going to let Poppy be the one to break it to Trenton that the closest golf course was about an hour’s drive away…and that none of the villas had TVs. But Poppy wasn’t making eye contact, she was staring into space, probably imagining the number of guest-death-on-the-property-related chores she had to do.

“Jessie, Trenton says we all went to school together. I don’t really remember you, but I probably should,” Chad said, winking at her while he looked her up and down. He wasn’t even subtle about it, like she should just expect it. Because Jess and her boobs were present in his eyeline. Also, was he trying to neg her with a lack of nostalgia? Jess shivered.

“But I’m looking forward to us getting”—he paused to grin at her—“reacquainted. Trenton told me they’ve got all kinds of hot tubs here.”

Jess smiled without showing any teeth. She would so rather be imagining death-related chores at that moment. When Jess didn’t add anything more, Chad turned to Trenton. “I’m not into foot rubs and facials and shit. Maybe we can find a place to rent ATVs or something.”

Jess could see the conflict playing out on Trenton’s face. Trenton Tillard the Fourth desperately, desperately wanted to be the kind of guy who could just tear ass across a mountain trail on an ATV with his buddies. He wanted to be the guy who would skydive or bungee jump or even roller skate without a helmet. But Trenton’s dad had never really invested that sort of time with him, preferring the company of his own college buddies and, well, various cocktail waitresses. Between an emotionally detached father and a mom who spent most of her time at Junior League meetings, Trenton turned out to be more of an “intense gaming sessions while the housekeeper brought him snacks” type of guy. Golfing was as physical as he got. He didn’t enjoy being muddy or sweaty or covered in fish guts—all the traditional markers of Southern masculinity.

Fortunately, Diana was savvy enough to know Trenton would never voice that in front of Chad. Instead, she curved herself around Trenton’s side and twined her fingers through his. “Oh, if you’re here, I just won’t stand for you going off and doing all that. I want you right here with me, where I can see you all the time,” she purred into his ear. “Maybe we can find a hot tub for two.”

Ooof. That was almost as well played as Trenton’s anti-social-media maneuver. Maybe Diana and Trenton were equally matched.

Trenton beamed at her. “You heard the lady, Chad. She needs me right there with her.”

“Whatever. We’re gonna kill some balls on that back nine,” Chad grumbled, throwing his golf bag into the cart’s second row.

“Well, we’re so pleased to have you!” Aubrey cooed, finally finding her spot in the conversation. She moved forward to shake Trenton’s hand, only to have Trenton pull her into a bear hug. Aubrey didn’t appear to enjoy it, which made Jess’s day just a little bit better.

“All right, all right, I’m gonna need a beer before I’m decent company,” Chad groused.

Jess wondered if he would be decent company after a whole six-pack.

Poppy seemed to snap out of the trance she was in. She huffed out a long breath, shoving the sleeves of her goldenrod-colored sweater up her long pale arms. “Oh, we don’t serve alcohol here.”

Chad suddenly straightened in his seat. “Wait, what ?”

“Ladies, if you’d join us, I’ll drive you down to the villa and get the newcomers settled,” Poppy was saying.

“What do you mean there’s no alcohol!” Chad demanded as the women climbed into their seats—everybody but Jess.

“Oh, uh, I don’t think there’s enough room,” Trenton said, frowning at the golf cart.

“Oh, well, Jessie can walk down,” Aubrey said. “You did say you liked to walk around the property, right? You’re sturdy.”

“Why. Is. There. No. Alcohol?” Chad ground out.

Poppy shot a glance at Jess, but Jess waved her off. Poppy then launched into her “booze, hot tubs, and heights” safety explanation, which seemed more poignant now, considering the Jeremy of it all.

“Oh, well, I don’t feel right about that,” Trenton protested over Poppy’s speech. “I’ll walk down with you.”

“Don’t be silly, Trenton,” Aubrey said. “We can’t have our host walking down a mountain!”

“Come on, man, just get on the cart, she’ll be fine,” Chad said with a groan. “We were in that car for an hour and I gotta take a piss!”

Sev pinched the bridge of his nose in a gesture that felt very familiar to Jess.

“I don’t mind,” Jess assured Trenton.

“That’s right, Jess doesn’t mind walking,” Diana said, now fully transitioned into the mincing, sugar-sweet version of herself that seemed to emerge when Trenton was around. “In fact, Trenton, honey, you should walk Jess down. You know she gets a little clumsy.”

Jess knew this wasn’t a gesture of trust toward her. Giving Trenton and Jess time together meant they could talk about the impending proposal. Aubrey tried to speak up, “But—”

Poppy hit the gas pedal and the cart took off as Chad yelled, “You can’t be serious!”

Jess assumed that someone had just told him about the lack of golf.

Trenton gave her his best sheepish smile. “Hey, Jess.”

“Trenton.” She took a deep breath. Even after all these years, it was still difficult to take this man seriously. How did he work for a major international corporation while looking like an overgrown teddy bear? Unfortunately, this also made it very difficult to be mad at him. “We weren’t expecting you.”

“I know!” he said, grinning and bumping her lightly with his shoulder. “That was the whole point.”

“But how are you gonna meet us at the airport, ready to escort Diana to her dream proposal and surprise engagement party, when you’re already here?” she asked him. “I don’t want to be rude, but I think we both know that if you’re not present at the botanical gardens to greet your family, they’re going to claim there was some sort of misunderstanding about the date and slink off before we can get there.”

He blinked at her as if he hadn’t thought of that, and then frowned because he realized she was right. “Mama did say that she thought maybe she had theater tickets for that night.”

If the extended Tillards thought they could get out of even the appearance of welcoming Diana into the family, they would cling to any excuse. Jess pressed her lips together and prayed for patience. He’d tossed all her botanical garden plans aside without a thought.

“Do you think you could arrange a new proposal up here?” he asked, his mood brightening suddenly. “It could be something quick, so we can just enjoy the rest of our week together. I know we set up the whole garden party thing, but I just don’t think I want to spend another day not engaged to Diana.”

Jess frowned at the almost frantic tone in Trenton’s voice. Was he trying to rush things because he was afraid his family would try to stop him or because he was afraid Diana would say no? Or both? What had his parents said to him since Diana had departed for Chickenhawk Valley? There had to be more at work than his mother’s bullshit explanation about maybe having theater tickets.

“It won’t be the spectacle Diana’s expecting,” Jess reminded him. “And, as you mentioned, I will have to undo all the work I did to set up the party. You will lose deposits.”

“Yeah, well, I was having trouble getting people from my side to RSVP to the party on such short notice in the first place. Diana would hate a barely attended party worse than having no party at all,” he said, frowning. “Besides, she’d probably like this better anyway. No one else has ever posted a proposal story from this place. I asked her, and trust me, Diana would know.”

Jess knew he was right. Diana would love to have the first proposal documented at the Golden Ash, particularly if it would help her ignore the Tillards’ mass avoidance of her party. Jess could arrange for the proposal here, but it would be more difficult to keep it a secret from Diana. Jess would have to forgo any enjoyment of the amenities and make a lot of contact with the outside world, but ultimately, Trenton was the client and this was what he wanted.

Jess would just have to do a lot of sweet-talking to make it happen.

Or begging. She was going to have to do some begging.

“Do you have the ring with you?” she asked.

“Oh, yeah, I keep it in my pocket, just in case.” He beamed at her, pulling the box out of his jacket. The man was walking around with a four-carat diamond in his pocket like it was loose change.

It was the first time Jess had seen the engagement ring in person and she knew that Diana was going to love it.

“It’s not the Tillard family ring,” Trenton said, his tone sheepish. “Mama didn’t think it would suit Diana. She said that five generations of Tillards wearing it was probably enough and we should give Diana a fresh start.”

Jess’s eyebrows winged up. She knew a matriarchal rejection when she heard one. Bitsie’s refusal of a bridesmaid role was one thing, but this was truly a dark portent of marital felicity. Diana had zero chance of ever truly being accepted by the Tillards, even if she married Trenton. She would spend her whole life as an accessory, posed at the edge of formal portraits, never really folded into the family. Jess wondered how deeply Diana would mourn that loss.

But…the ring in Trenton’s hand was a perfect emerald-cut solitaire flanked by two smaller rectangular stones on a band studded with tiny round diamonds. It certainly fit the wedding’s “branding language.” It was lavish. It was romantic. It was definitely genuine.

“It’s perfect.” Jess patted his arm, and his smile grew even larger.

“I’m glad you think so,” Trenton said. “You probably know Diana better than anybody.”

Jess stared at him, wondering if Trenton had confused her with someone else. She knew what she could cull from Diana’s social media. That didn’t exactly equal emotional intimacy.

“I’m just going to need to talk to the Osbournes to set it up,” she told Trenton. “And this is going to increase my fee, because you have effectively undone and then doubled my work on short notice.”

This didn’t faze Trenton in the slightest. “I’m sure it won’t take any time at all to cancel all the botanical garden party plans.”

Spoken like the guy who wasn’t going to have to make all those phone calls.

Jess sighed. “Right.”

“Oh, I knew you could do it, Jessie!” he exclaimed, hugging her tight.

“I haven’t done anything yet,” she reminded him after he released her. They began their descent down the hill, while a rapidly growing to-do list spooled through Jess’s head.

“I know, I’m just so glad that you’re here with DeeDee. Having one of her best school friends around at a time like this? It’s just a huge weight off her shoulders,” Trenton told her. “And to think you’re pulling double duty as our proposal planner and her bridesmaid. That’s just so sweet of you.”

OK, this was getting weird.

“Oh, but I’m not a—” Jess started.

“It’s going to be perfect,” he gushed. “And Diana is just so thrilled to have one of her closest friends involved in her ‘wedding journey.’ I mean, I know you and I didn’t spend a lot of time together back at Harrow, but I’m glad you two have stayed close over the years. And now we’ll have the chance to get to know each other better.”

Jess opened her mouth to respond. While Chad had said almost the same thing, it sounded infinitely more sincere and less creepy coming from Trenton. But she had to wonder what exactly Diana had told him about their “friendship.” Did Trenton not realize that Jess and Diana hadn’t spoken in years? What kind of narrative was Jess walking into here?

With Trenton’s payment in mind, Jess chose the better part of getting paid and shut the fuck up.

“She’s just so nervous about fitting in with my family,” Trenton told her. “And that’s fair, I guess. They’re not super thrilled about her whole Instagram thing or her family. Especially her family. But she’s just so…Diana, you know? You can’t just ignore her. She’ll win them over eventually.”

Jess wasn’t exactly a gambling expert, but she didn’t like Diana’s odds.

Trudging along the path gave Jess a chance to survey the grounds. The first rule of proposal planning was thinking about what the client wanted, not what you wanted. And Diana’s priority was photos. Everywhere you looked here, there were solid locations for photos. Jess could arrange for them to have some sort of candlelit picnic down by the trees. She could create a luxury camping site out here—no, Diana wouldn’t like that. Jess could try a light installation, using the thermal suite as a backdrop. No…she kept going back to the trees. That was the best asset at the Golden Ash, the forest.

Right, right. Diana wouldn’t want to sit on the ground, but Jess could get a table arranged over on a flat area between their villas, surrounded by trees. She could ask Dean to make a special small menu just for them. Jess could beg and wheedle and bribe Andrew into flying up here to take just the right photos.

“I can do it,” she told him. “But it’s going to cost you.”

“Oh, absolutely,” he said, nodding quickly. “Do whatever it takes.”

Wait.

“Do me a favor? Don’t tell Aubrey about this,” Jess asked.

Trenton frowned. “Why not?”

“Well, I’m not going to be around much, trying to set this up for you two, and Aubrey needs to be focused on wedding details, which will also distract Diana from my absence,” she lied. Aubrey had proven she was willing to take over something Jess considered important, simply to prove she could do it better. That would be the ultimate work-related checkmate for that weirdo.

“Aw, that’s a good point,” he said, nodding. “You’re such a thoughtful friend, Jess.”

“Mm-hmm,” Jess hummed, smiling sweetly. “So, you brought Chad?”

“Well, he’s gonna be my best man,” he said. “This is sort of our pre-engagement party, right? And you can’t have a pre-engagement party without your best man. You know, I was thinking that you two would be good together. You could help him straighten out, calm him down a little.”

Jess snorted. She would rather hook up with a rattlesnake…with chronic halitosis.

“Oh, I think you should probably talk to Aubrey about that,” she said as they approached Tranquility. The golf cart was still parked out front. From a distance, she could see Aubrey and Diana standing on the porch, deep in discussion. Where was Poppy? Was she inside getting yelled at by Chad about the alcohol thing?

Jess tried to pick up the pace down the hill, but Trenton slowed to an all-out stop. He appeared to be watching Sev carrying their bags the considerable distance to the next villa, Serenity. He frowned. “Aw, I was kind of hoping Chad would help him with the bags. I don’t want Sev to feel like he’s working this week.”

“Beg pardon?”

Trenton lowered his voice, like the squirrels nearby were eavesdropping. “Well, you know Sev works in the general counsel’s office for my family’s company.”

Jess had no inkling of Sev’s profession but nodded anyway. “Sure.”

“His dad is friends with my granddad, which is how he got the interview. And Chad…well, Chad hates the fact that his own dad doesn’t have that kind of pull with Tillard Pecans. My family holds Chad at arm’s length because Granddad thinks Chad’s whole branch of the Hardcastle family are a bunch of idiots. He’s OK with us hanging out, but he doesn’t want any one of them near our business.” Trenton paused for what she assumed was an impersonation of his blustering grandfather. “?‘Wouldn’t even let those dipshits water the orchards.’?”

He grinned at Jess as if he expected applause. Meanwhile, she marveled at the extensive tangled mess of generational grudges and old-dude entitlement.

“But doesn’t the ‘whole branch’ of the family cover Sev, too?”

“Not in my granddad’s mind. You know, because Sev is technically Chad’s uncle,” Trenton said, pressing his lips together.

“But they’re the same age.”

“Sev’s dad, Chadwick Upton Hardcastle the Fourth, is damn near ninety, married five times. He’s also Chad’s granddad . Married the nanny he hired for the children from his fourth marriage.” Trenton paused to wave toward Sev. “Sev’s mom was that nanny. I think Chad’s dad, the Fifth, is from the second marriage. Anyway, Sev is about two months younger than Chad—who is Chadwick Upton Hardcastle the Sixth. And because Sev’s mom is just a little bit petty and never liked Chad’s parents, she decided Chad shouldn’t be the only one to carry on the name for his generation. So Sev is Chadwick Upton Hardcastle the Seventh . And to keep things easier, he just goes by Seven. Sev for short. Sort of an inside joke.”

Jess shuddered. “I think I’m gonna need a chart to keep up.”

“Southern families,” he said, shrugging. “Anyway, Sev kind of insisted on coming with us, last minute. He was in Savannah on business and flew here to meet us. I didn’t even think about it. But Sev’s a nice guy and I thought great, maybe this would be a chance for them to, I don’t know, bond or something. I mean, weddings bring people together, right?”

In Jess’s experience, weddings made people lash out over a venue’s inability to magically create more tables and fight over whether shrimp cocktail could be considered a vegan option. But that wasn’t what Jess’s client needed to hear.

While they’d explored the complexity of Sev’s family tree, their party’s conversation groups had shifted. Diana and Chad were having a quiet conversation while Chad sucked down a tiny airplane bottle of vodka. To Jess’s surprise, Poppy wasn’t giving him the “you know your own body” speech. She hovered at the end of the porch, watching the group warily. When Poppy saw her, Jess could see the attempt to slide her customer service mask into place, like a ripple of cheerful, porcelain-perfect control settling over Poppy’s face. But then her features sagged in exhaustion, giving up the fight. Poppy was simply too tired to continue the effort. Diana caught sight of Jess and Trenton, and a welcoming smile burst over her face.

“What do you think of this place, honey?” she cried, stretching her hands out toward Trenton. She gripped his hands and pulled them tight against her chest before giving him a loud smooch. “Isn’t it beautiful?

“It’s real nice,” he agreed.

“I might as well go check out our minibar. I don’t care what the lady said, there has to be more booze somewhere around here. My supply won’t last me all week,” Chad insisted, glaring at Poppy. He slumped off toward the other villa, tapping the last few drops from his mini-bottle into his mouth.

“Why don’t I show you to your rooms?” Diana asked, all lovey-dovey chirrups. “You’re too good to me, TrentyBear, really.”

“You two go on,” Jess told them. “I need to chat with Poppy for a second.”

Trenton winked at Jess as Diana pulled him toward the men’s villa. Kiki was apparently somewhere inside their own rooms. But where had Aubrey gone?

“Are you OK with these people?” Poppy asked her. “The energy of the group seems off.”

“It’s fine. Diana just wasn’t expecting Trenton to make himself part of all this,” Jess said, waving her hand at the general splendor. “But I’m going to need to talk to you about the combined group’s stay and how Trenton just changed it.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not thrilled with some of his add-ons,” Poppy muttered. “Come by my office when you can, Jess. I’m an early riser, and mornings are best. We’ll talk soon, OK?”

With that, Poppy practically scurried to her golf cart. Jess sighed, staring over the spa’s landscape, trying to recall the peaceful feeling she’d had when she’d arrived. The view was still charming, but her week had gotten a lot more complicated. And well, there was the dead-guy pall hanging over everything.

Jess chose to savor these precious private minutes to herself. She wished she could be any one of the other guests in those little glowing bungalows. She wished she could move over to the Osbournes’ side of the grounds, where there were people who liked her. She turned toward the door and noted the lights on inside the Serenity Villa. Through the window, she could see that Sev and Chad were arguing. Well, Sev was arguing. Chad was sitting on the couch, looking bored and chugging more tiny booze bottles.

Classy.

Jess turned to find Diana walking up the villa’s steps. “Any idea why Trenton keeps talking about what ‘close friends’ we are?”

Diana scoffed as they moved inside their living area.

“Well, when he botched his own proposal, I told Trenton we should call you. I may have made it sound like setting up a proposal for me was something you would love to do, as a dear old friend from school and someone who wants to see me happy. Otherwise, it would just look weird that I immediately thought to call some girl I haven’t seen in years.”

“I don’t think you have an accurate gauge for what’s weird,” Jess noted, following her into the villa.

Diana frowned at her as she dropped gracefully onto the sofa. “Well, I haven’t ignored the word-of-mouth about your little company. And I’ve seen the photos your clients have posted of your work. I want that for myself. Honestly, I didn’t know you were the Bricker in Bricker Consultants until Lally Shoemaker told me. I’d kind of forgotten you existed.”

“Well, the world makes a little more sense now,” Jess told her. “So do you frequently fabricate relationships from thin air to impress your boyfriend?”

Diana plucked at the fringe of a soft coral throw over the couch’s arm. It felt like an attempt to prevent making eye contact. “Look, I implied to Trenton that we’ve kept contact over the years…And that we were close when we were kids…and that’s why I was able to get ahold of you so quickly when he messed up his proposal. Honestly, I didn’t expect your grandmother’s number to still be listed. Who even has a landline anymore? Anyway, it doesn’t hurt for Trenton to think that I’m friends with a girl like you.”

“What does that mean?”

“You know, a nice girl,” Diana huffed. “Someone who’s grounded and real and works hard—even though Trenton spends most of his work time on the golf course, ‘developing contacts.’ He barely remembered you from college, but when he looked into your background—after I insisted we should hire you—he was just so impressed with what you’ve done with your life, especially when you consider that you’re ‘self- made.’ He says you have substance. He’s never said that about any of my other fri—well, the girls I’ve introduced him to. I don’t have that many people I would call ‘friends.’ Besides, isn’t part of your job to put me in the best light possible, even with my own fiancé?”

Jess considered that and…yes, that was probably part of her job.

Diana heaved a put-upon sigh. “It’s just so on-brand for him to come running up the mountain like a big, adorable, goofy cartoon bear, crashing into everything. I suppose he wants you to set up a proposal here?”

When Jess’s brows arched, Diana responded with an eye roll. “I know a panic response from Trenton when I see it. I didn’t expect him to travel here, but if he’s going to make the effort to do that, he’s going to want to seal the deal before we leave. I guess his parents are still giving him grief about me?”

“He didn’t say exactly,” Jess said, trying to be kind.

“That Penelope Tillard is such a—” Diana stopped herself before she said something unforgivable and sighed. “Of course it’s them. They don’t want him rushing into another ‘mistake.’ Trenton only rushes toward things, that’s just how he is. It’s sort of endearing, that enthusiasm. And Penelope will have to get over the fact that he doesn’t want to marry one of her friends’ daughters. He wants me. ”

Jess shook her head. “OK, I have to ask, why risk the second proposal? You had him and then you sort of spiked him like an unwanted volleyball.”

“First, because the proposal was terrible. Not photogenic. Not memorable. Not personalized at all. Second, Trenton isn’t used to being told no, and he is intrigued by chasing what he thinks he can’t have. I’m getting him to double down.” Diana shrugged. “He’s way less likely to go back on the proposal if he’s done it twice— he’s invested. And if he does it in a big, showy, public way—like me posting our proposal story from such a high-profile location—there’s no way his parents will make him break the engagement, as distasteful as they may find it. He’ll be tied to me, and his parents will have to shut up about it.

“I’m playing the long game here, Jess. How do you think I was able to hold out this long to get married? Patience. You don’t know what it’s like,” Diana said, seething. “There’s a difference between growing up working for more and growing up twisting yourself inside out to try to get back what you used to have. You don’t know what it’s like to have family that sees you as an investment instead of a person. They never stop calling or texting or dropping by to remind me of what I owe every single one of them for making my life so easy— like my life is easy. They never stop , and I can’t think or move or breathe without being reminded of how to do it better, sweeter, prettier. And I can’t get away from them, because then, who would I be? Just a pretty girl, alone in a world full of pretty girls. Getting engaged to Trenton will make it easier for me to breathe—to build my brand. And when my numbers get big enough, I can launch a cosmetics line, perfume, hair extensions, home furnishings. It will give me a chance to make something of my own.”

Jess had never expected to feel sorry for Diana. Jess’s mom had been, well, awful, but at least she knew her grandparents loved her. Who did Diana have? Kiki seemed to be one of the nicer Helstons, but even she was only there for Diana to avoid criticism from their family. Jess wasn’t sure if Trenton loved Diana or if he was just fascinated by her, as he seemed to be fascinated by many shiny objects. But securing long-term happiness for Diana wasn’t Jess’s job. She could only try to secure her own.

And seriously, where was Aubrey? This was the sort of emotionally vulnerable moment she’d probably been hoping for—to trauma bond them and secure Diana’s loyalty. As it was, Jess felt like she was listening to a supervillain monologue. Calming a supervillain couldn’t possibly be her job.

“OK, so there’s no reason to be upset,” Jess replied. “I’ll arrange a beautiful, memorable, personalized proposal right here at the spa. We’ll get you two engaged—with lots of photos and tasteful public exposure. Trenton will pay my fee. But after that, I will not be wearing any sort of bridesmaid’s dress. I don’t care what color it is.”

Diana looked confused for a moment. “Oh, right, I told Trenton you were going to be one of my bridesmaids.”

“He mentioned it,” Jess replied, sounding very tired, even to her own ears.

“Well, I still want Trenton’s cousin Bitsie to be my maid of honor. I think that would help me cement those connections with Trenton’s family, you know? But like I said, she hasn’t gotten back to me.”

“I do appreciate that, Diana, but that’s not how any of this works,” Jess said.

“Oh, don’t fuss, it’s only temporary until Trenton finally pins his cousins down, but honestly, two bridesmaids and a maid of honor is a nice conservative bridal party. I’ll probably ask Aubrey to fill in as well. She’s ambitious enough to say yes. Of course, if Trenton’s cousins fall through and you have to walk down the aisle, we might have to do something about your hair.”

Diana was talking in a stream-of-consciousness rant, staring off into space. Jess wouldn’t have been able to make eye contact while shoveling that bullshit, either. She was starting to see why Diana didn’t have any friends.

“Yeah, I’m not agreeing to that. Not even temporarily,” Jess told her.

“You don’t want to be part of my wedding?” Diana asked, sounding oddly insulted.

“Decidedly not. It’s a super weird blurring of professional boundaries. It’s possible I blurred those boundaries myself, agreeing to this ‘work retreat’ in such a remote location. But I’m here now, and I’ll deliver the best proposal I can for you. And, with respect, once Trenton’s payment clears, that’s where our relationship will end—personal, professional, or otherwise.”

“Well, for now, I think you should play nice and keep Trenton thinking that we’re dear old friends,” Diana replied, her lips curving upward, which was downright unnerving. “Otherwise, I might have to ask him to cancel your contract, maybe even get him to demand the deposit back. I would hate to do that, since that would hurt our relationship. Especially since I’m not asking that much, Jess, really. So, I think it’s in your best interests to keep me happy.”

There it was. The threat. Go along with this incredibly weird charade or Jess wouldn’t get paid. Her dreams of buying the bakery building would be smoke in the wind. Hell, Diana might use Aubrey to spread rumors about her incompetence in her target demographic. She’d be a laughingstock with no apartment and no office. She would have to start over from almost nothing.

Again.

Any semblance of sympathy Jess might have felt for Diana disintegrated. Jess slid right back into a wary desire for distance.

“I will deliver the best proposal possible, Diana, and that’s where the relationship ends,” Jess told her again.

Diana shrugged and walked toward the bridal suite. “We’ll see.”

“What does that mean?” Jess called after her. Diana ignored her and shut the bedroom door. Jess stared after her. How was it so difficult to set boundaries with these people? Was it a money thing or an “attractive people with confidence” thing? Either way, Jess seemed to be really bad at it.

She whispered to herself, “What the hell does that mean ?”