A black-haired woman walks in from the yard. She’s in a simple summer dress with a floral print, her feet bare. But even so, she’s like Aphrodite emerging from sea foam. “Who’s thorough?” she says.
“David,” Cora says. “Are you bringing us beer?”
“I was bringing your father beer.” She rolls her eyes and turns to me. “Hi. I’m Margo Darling. The mother of these two.”
That explains the extraordinary beauty. Cora
and Alec must’ve gotten it from their mom. Kathleen, too.
“So where are Marcus and Linda? And Josh and Ned?” David asks.
“Held up in a meeting. They texted to let me know they’re arriving late,” Margo says, sitting next to Trent.
“Josh just wants you to save him dessert,” Alec says.
“Can you blame him? He knows I’m making three different pies,” David’s mom says.
David leans forward, his expression as serious as when he’s in a budget meeting. “What kind?”
“Apple, pecan and cherry.” She looks at Cora with a wide grin. “With all the butter and sugar they deserve.”
“Yay!” Cora raises her fists in the air. “Delicious fat and sugar. Real flour, too, right?”
“Yup. I don’t do gluten-free. That’s your sister’s thing.” David’s mom shakes her head. “Poor Kathleen. So deprived.”
I smile at the obvious affection and love flowing among the Darling family to hide an almost painful longing to belong to it. And all I have to do is accept what David offered earlier. Pretend everything’s going to be fine. These people are so nice and open that they’ll take me into their fold, no problem.
David leans over. “Cora eats everything Kathleen won’t,” he whispers.
“A sibling thing?”
“I can hear you,” Cora says. “Why should I give up good stuff when I don’t have to stand in front of a camera and worry about the extra pounds it’s going to add? Besides, our app has filters to make you look fashionably thin.” She waves her hand dismissively. “Life’s too short to give up pie.”
The door opens again, and Alexandra enters. I straighten as nervous energy runs through me. She’s a huge influence, not just over David but everyone here. Everything I’ve read and heard about her says she has an unusually incisive mind. What if she sees through me?
There’s such a youthful radiance to her that it’s hard to believe she’s in her late sixties. Her hair is done in a sleek gray bob and there are laugh lines around sharp, bright eyes. A coral jumpsuit hangs on her slim frame, and her small feet are encased in teal leather flats, a woman who wants to look good and be comfortable.
A twinkle in her gaze, she goes to David and hugs him. “David! Missed you so much!”
I’m shocked at her exuberance. The only time I saw her, she was consummately professional, her manner brisk but courteous, as befits a CEO.
Then she turns to me, her eyes warm. “Welcome, Erin. So good to see you in a more casual setting.”
Oh wow. I can’t believe she remembers me. “Thank you. I feel the same way.”
“So.” She takes a seat and crosses her legs. Trent hands her a glass of white wine, and she accepts it with murmured thanks. “What did I miss?”
“Nothing much. Our dads are barbecuing,” Cora says. “And I was about to offer to help Erin plan her wedding.” She turns to me. “Unless you’ve already hired somebody?”
The abrupt change in topic stuns me. I blurt out, “Uh, no. I haven’t. We haven’t decided on anything yet.”
“Is your mother going to be flying to L.A. to help you?” David’s mom asks.
I clear my throat. I should’ve known she’d want to know about Mom…and Dad. And no matter what, the meeting with my dad won’t go well. Since David’s mom’s still waiting for an answer, I shove aside the apprehension and focus on the present. “No. She passed away when I was in high school.”
Sympathy ripples through the Darling family. But there’s none of that undercurrent of pity I hate. It’s just them experiencing sorrow for my loss.
And just like that, I feel more bonded to them in ways I can’t put my finger on.