Chapter 19: Go Ahead, Pour It on Me

Back in the living room, Sophie sneezed out of nowhere. She sniffled, wondering idly if someone was talking about her behind her back.

She sat up just in time to see Julian stepping out of the room.

"Brother," she said, a little guilty, "are you two actually moving out? If I promise to stop giving her a hard time, can you just stay?"

"We were always going to move out eventually," Julian said, unbothered.

Sophie didn't follow. "Wait are you seriously abandoning Mom?"

"Spend more time with her while you can," he said, which only confused her further.

"...Huh?"

He ruffled her hair on his way past. "Don't give your sister-in-law a hard time."

"I never gave her a hard time," Sophie said, pouting at his retreating back.

Then, muttering to herself: "...Not going forward, anyway."

She still wasn't thrilled about the whole second-marriage thing, if she was honest but Wendy didn't seem like a bad person, and her temper was practically bottomless. If there was one black mark against her, it was that ex-husband.

With dinner planned for that evening, Sophie decided to make a peace offering.

She knocked on Wendy's door. It opened in under two seconds and Wendy's eyes shot straight up on reflex.

Sophie sighed. "Relax, I'm not actually going to hang myself at your door. I came to take you shopping for clothes."

"No need," Wendy said. "I already have plenty."

Sophie frowned, and Wendy clarified, "I bought some just today."

Only once she confirmed it wasn't a dodge did Sophie's expression ease.

"Fine, jewelry shopping then." Sophie glanced at Wendy's bare finger. "Where's the ring?"

"Tucked away. I don't want to scratch it up wearing it around the house."

Sophie shoved her back toward the bedroom. "Put it on. What's the point of buying it just to let it sit in a drawer?"

Wendy laughed and, with dinner coming up, went to retrieve it.

"You remember I mentioned school starting back up?" Sophie said, a little awkward now. "Mom's leaving on a trip tomorrow, and Brother's going to be slammed with work."

Wendy caught the subtext immediately.

"You want me to take you to school?" she asked.

"Is that a problem?" Sophie shot back.

"Not at all. If you're comfortable with it, I'm happy to."

Sophie clearly wasn't bothered either way, and Wendy didn't dwell on it further.

Despite agreeing earlier not to go clothes shopping, Sophie still managed to load up a cart's worth for both of them before the afternoon was done.

Dinner that night turned out to be the same Western restaurant from before.

Wendy shot Sophie a look. Sophie raised her hands, innocent. "Wasn't my call. Take it up with my brother."

The last visit hadn't gone badly, exactly, but Wendy was wary of being recognized the last thing she needed was someone connecting the piano-playing woman from that day to the one dining with the Vance family tonight.

"Relax," Sophie said. "The people who eat here know how to keep their mouths shut. Emotional intelligence isn't usually an issue at this price point."

That eased some of the tension in Wendy's shoulders.

Julian and Diane were already seated when they arrived. Wendy took the chair beside Julian, while Sophie draped herself over Diane, full charm offensive.

Their table sat by the window, the river outside catching moonlight in long silver ribbons like a piece of the night sky had spilled down into the water.

"Wendy," Diane said warmly, "once you're settled into the new place, you're bound to run into a few snags. Call me if anything comes up."

Anything serious probably called for a professional, but the gesture mattered. "I will. Thank you, Mom."

Diane turned to Sophie next, reminding her to focus on her studies and stay out of trouble.

The meal stayed light, more family gathering than formal dinner, laughter circling the table easily.

It had been a long time since Wendy felt this relaxed. She let herself have an extra glass of wine.

Diane left once the meal wound down, leaving the three of them to linger.

With Diane gone, Sophie yawned. "Should we head out too?"

Wendy had no objection. Julian stood. "Give me a minute, I'll go settle the bill."

The waiter could easily have handled that table-side Julian knew that as well as anyone. He'd gone up front deliberately, giving the two of them a moment alone.

Sophie, oblivious to the reasoning, toyed absently with the centerpiece flowers, bored.

Wendy tried to fill the silence. "Sophie, need anything else before school?"

"If I need something, I'll just buy it when I get there," Sophie said, shrugging.

Wendy realized, a beat too late, that it had been a slightly pointless question Sophie had never needed anyone else to buy her things in her life.

They lapsed into a slightly awkward quiet.

A figure approached fast. By the time Wendy registered the movement, it was already too late to dodge.

Wine splashed across her, soaking into the fabric, cold and clinging against her skin.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there," came the voice, dripping with false concern.

Wendy looked up slowly to find Cassidy standing over her.

Whether it was deliberate hardly needed asking.

It was deliberate.

Cassidy had been furious ever since Nathan walked away from her that day. She'd gone straight to Vanessa Hale for backup, and Vanessa had promised to "teach Wendy a lesson" which, as it turned out, meant quietly blacklisting her from a handful of music studios.

That was the lesson? Cassidy had expected something with more bite.

But pushing Vanessa further wasn't worth the risk, so she'd swallowed her disappointment.

What really stung, though, wasn't Vanessa it was the disaster that followed the next day, when she and Nathan had gone to see Grandpa Hale together.

Cassidy had prepared meticulously the right makeup, the right outfit, a carefully chosen gift determined to make a good impression.

None of it mattered. Grandpa Hale barely looked at her. He had her set the gift down without a flicker of interest, and within ten minutes announced he was tired and needed to rest.

Cassidy had been floored. Hadn't he already signed off on the engagement? Why the cold shoulder now?

She'd looked to Nathan for help, but he'd been lost in his own thoughts, barely present.

A sharp tug on his sleeve snapped him back. Catching the old man's sour mood, he asked carefully, "Grandpa, is something wrong?"

Grandpa Hale struck his cane against the floor, fury barely contained. "Wrong? You drove Wendy out of this family, and you're asking me what's wrong?"

Cassidy's mouth tightened, resentment simmering. They were divorced. Why did Wendy Miller still have this much pull?

Nathan's frown deepened at the mention of her name. "What's so special about Wendy? Grandpa I'm your grandson. She's a stranger to this family now."

"A stranger, is she?" The old man snatched up the gift Cassidy had brought and hurled it at Nathan. "You ungrateful, unfilial excuse for a grandson! Get out! Both of you, out!"

Cassidy watched the gift hit the floor, her expression curdling, though she forced herself to look concerned instead. "Grandpa, please, don't upset yourself"

"Enough!" He glared at her and ordered the housekeeper to see them both out.

Nathan left in a thunderous mood. Cassidy was left standing outside the gate for two humiliating hours before Grandpa Hale finally had someone drive her home.

Back in the restaurant, Sophie yanked a wad of napkins from the table and shoved them at Wendy, rounding on Cassidy. "Who even are you? Are you blind?"

Cassidy's brow twitched at the insult, then she murmured, almost too quiet, "I really didn't mean to."

"What's going on?"

Nathan appeared behind her, and froze the moment he saw Wendy.

The wet fabric clung to her, outlining a figure the dry clothes had kept more modest.

Cassidy caught exactly where his eyes had landed and nearly cracked a molar.

She was standing right there, and he was staring at another woman his ex-wife, no less!

"Have you lost your mind?" Sophie planted herself squarely between Cassidy and Wendy. "If you can't see where you're walking, maybe get your eyes checked!"

Sophie recognized Nathan instantly, and watching him hover near Wendy sent her temper straight back up.

This pathetic excuse of a man. This is my sister-in-law. Does he think he gets to just stand there and ogle her?!

Nathan, barely in the door and already being yelled at, shot Sophie a dark look.

Sophie's bravado faltered under that glare, words catching in her throat.

Wendy pulled Sophie behind her, expression flat. "Mr. Hale, you might want to keep a closer eye on your company wandering around unable to walk a straight line makes for quite the scene."

"Brother Nathan, she just yelled at me," Cassidy said, wounded.

Nathan read the situation fast enough but kept his irritation with Cassidy to himself not in front of Wendy. He slid an arm around Cassidy's waist instead, playing it off. "She's already apologized."

Cassidy pressed her lips together, delicate. "I thought her silhouette looked familiar I assumed she was the musician on break and wanted to say hello."

"What musician?" Nathan asked, curious now.

"You haven't heard?" Cassidy's eyes widened in mock surprise. "There was a video going around everyone thought a new talent had shown up here. Except..."

She trailed off deliberately, watching his curiosity build before continuing, reluctant.

"Except it turned out to be Wendy. Though there was another story floating around too that she'd been playing for tips because she couldn't afford her own meal."

Cassidy sighed, gazing at Wendy with manufactured sympathy. "I had no idea things had gotten this bad for her. Reduced to performing just to get by."

Wendy let out a short, unimpressed laugh, not bothering to dignify it with a real response.

Enough people nearby had started watching the scene that staying silent wasn't really an option anymore.

If she let this slide, it'd only fuel more gossip and worse, it would reflect on the Vance name.

"That's called having a skill," Wendy said evenly. "If Miss Reed ever found herself without a dime, she'd probably be stuck washing dishes instead."

"Actually," Wendy added, tilting her head, eyes half-lidded, "given how clumsy she is, she'd probably break half the dishware. Taking out the trash might be more her speed."

"You!" Cassidy sputtered, coming up empty.

If she really were broke, dishwashing would be a stretch for her too.

"It's one glass of wine," Nathan said, condescending. "No need to get worked up."

Wendy's expression went cold. "Then let me return the favor."

She reached for the half-full glass still sitting on the table.

Nathan's hand shot out and caught her wrist, voice hard. "Try it and see what happens."

His grip was punishing. Pain flickered across her face, but she refused to let it show weakness.

A second hand closed over hers the one holding the glass and calmly pried Nathan's fingers off her wrist.

"Pour it," Julian said, voice level.