She showed me the contract, careful not to hand over original paperwork until she knew what kind of mess she was in. I saw Eden’s name. Brett’s name listed as secondary contact. The date. The anniversary event. The deposit. The total package. The venue field: Sutton Family Lake House.
Sutton family.
I almost laughed again.
Not because it was funny.
Because sometimes people insult you with such confidence that your body does not know whether to cry or clap.
“This is my grandfather’s cabin,” I said. “My deed. My taxes. My insurance. Eden knows that.”
Maren looked tired now, and angry in the controlled way working women get angry when they are still on the clock.
“I’ll need to speak with her immediately.”
“You’ll get the chance,” Colleen said, looking down the driveway. “Because here she comes.”
Eden’s white SUV came fast up the gravel, dust billowing behind it like she was arriving at her own rescue. Brett sat in the passenger seat, shoulders tense, sunglasses on though the sun was behind him. Eden parked crookedly, jumped out, and started talking before the door had fully closed.
“Victoria, thank God. Okay, I know it looks like a lot, but wait until you see the tables set up by the water. It’s going to be gorgeous.”
“Stop.”
The word came out sharper than I expected.
She froze.
Everyone did.
I took one step toward her. “You told Lakeside Lux I approved this.”
Her eyes flicked to Maren, then to the tent, then to Colleen, then back to me.
“I was going to explain.”
“You said I was out of town. You said I was part of a surprise. You told them not to get my signature.”
Brett got out slowly on the other side of the SUV.
“Eden,” he said quietly.
She ignored him.
“I knew if I asked, you’d say no.”
“Yes,” I said. “That’s usually why people ask.”
Her face tightened. She was dressed for a party already: white linen pants, a soft pink blouse, gold sandals, hair blown smooth. She looked like a lifestyle ad standing in front of someone else’s violated boundary.
“This was important to me,” she said.
“So you lied.”
“It’s our anniversary.”
“It’s my property.”
“It was Pop’s.”
“And he left it to me.”
Her jaw clenched. “Because you made him feel guilty.”
That one landed.
Maren looked down at her clipboard. Colleen’s mouth tightened. Brett stared at the gravel.