Or everything he'd said to her their first night here could have been part of a plan—one designed to end the charade and make their relationship real so his sister, and possibly even his company, could reap the benefits.
“You're overthinking this,” she said. “Duncan doesn't have an ulterior motive. He's not Grant or Luke.”
She didn’t think of her ex-fiancé often, but he popped into her thoughts now. When they’d first met, she hadn’t known that Luke had any political aspirations. Even when he’d proposed six months after their first date, she still hadn’t known that he planned to run for Congressman Russ Crowley’s seat the following year when the congressman retired. She hadn’t learned of Luke’s intent until she’d overheard him talking to his dad at a party. That night she’d been about to walk away rather than eavesdrop when she heard her name. After that, she’d been unable leave. Instead, she’d listened as Luke explained how his connection to the Sherbrooke family after their marriage would all but ensure he won the election.
“Duncan is nothing like Luke,” she repeated.
Turning onto her side, she punched her pillow. If she didn't get some sleep, she'd look like hell in the morning. And she'd prefer not to resemble a raccoon in Ivy's wedding photos.
The cell phone on the nightstand rang, as if the universe had something against her sleeping. Tory didn't need to look to know the call was from one of two people. Ever since the Castillos returned to their hotel room, she'd known a call from either Mom or Dad was imminent. But when ten o'clock came and went, she'd assumed it wouldn't come until tomorrow.
A glance at the phone confirmed her assumption. Either Mom had forgotten about the time difference between California and Puerto Rico because she never called this late—or early, depending on how you looked at it—or there had been a family emergency.
“Why didn't you tell me you were seeing someone?” Mom asked after greeting Tory.
Grateful the call wasn't because of an emergency, Tory switched on the bedside lamp and sat up. Some conversations required an upright position. This was one of them.
“Instead, I had to learn about it from Becky. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was? A mother should know what's going on in her daughter's life. And that includes a vacation with a man I've never met and didn't even know was in your life.”
Rolling her eyes, Tory waited for a break in her mom's lecture and, not for the first time in her life, wished she had parents more like her cousin Leah’s or any of the cousins on that branch of the Sherbrooke family tree.
“I didn't think of it.” At one in the morning, it was the best lie she could come up with.
“You didn't think of it.” Somehow, the volume of Mom's voice never changed, but her outrage still came through loud and clear. “What kind of excuse is that?”
“Mom, it's one o'clock, and I have to be at the salon at six to get my hair and makeup done for Ivy's wedding. Can we talk about this later?”
She already knew the answer, but she asked the question anyway because she might get lucky. Mom liked Ivy, and she would want Tory looking her best for the wedding.
“No, we cannot.”
It was never a good sign when Mom didn't use contractions in a conversation.
“You can have extra coffee if you're tired, and makeup does wonders for covering circles under the eyes.”
Yup, just the answer she'd expected.
“If you're on vacation with someone, I at least need to know who he is. How long have you even known him? You've been in Boston less than a month.”
Tory took a deep breath as she counted to three. “We didn't just meet, Mom,” she said and then launched into their predetermined story. She also threw in that Duncan and Alec were close friends for good measure.
“Well, if he's a friend of Alec's, it makes me feel a little better.”
Tory didn't need Mom to explain her comment.
“But what about Grant?”
“I don't see what Grant has to do with Duncan and me.”
“You and Grant are perfect for each other.”
Wow, had Grant recently gotten together with her parents and come up with that line?
“Many couples go through a separation period,” Mom continued.
To say many couples went through such a period was an exaggeration but not entirely untrue.
“If you give him another chance, I'm confident you can work things out, Tory.”