Cinders (11 page)

“Yes.” Whether or not that would add weight to his request, Brennen didn’t know, but he wasn’t about to lie to his friend.

“And you say it’s a small window?” Paper flipped in the background—presumably his friend was going through his calendar.

“Possibly already closing.”

“I know a guy who can crack the average safe but he might not be available right away. Regardless, he can direct me. Still, we’ll need some time—can you guarantee when this house will be empty?”

He couldn’t, but hopefully Gina could—especially if it meant catching her stepmother. “I’ll call you back in a few.”

“I’ll start making arrangements.”

He found her in the large kitchen, sorting through the boxes of supplies delivered earlier that morning. She popped open a bag of decorative chocolate pieces and offered him one, grinning faintly as she popped it in his mouth and her finger rested a moment on his lips.

“For a diabetic-friendly version I’ll offer.”

He chewed and swallowed the chocolate, which he admittedly could barely tell the difference from the regular kind, and marveled at how quick she’d been from the very beginning to accommodate dietary restrictions of some of the guests.

“I spoke to my friend.”

Gina paused her rummaging and glance up at him, her expression growing cautious. “And?”

“He’s willing to help but your stepmother and sisters will need to be out of the house, at least for a few hours. Will they all possibly be working at the shop tomorrow?”

“Not all three. Tatum and Tamara wouldn’t both be working at the same time. And given Maureen’s attitude about the bakery, it wouldn’t surprise me if she closes it tomorrow since I’ll be busy catering and blame me for ‘loss of profits’.” She drummed her fingers on the countertop. “Did they get an invite to the party?”

Brennen wasn’t familiar with the guest lists—it was just generally understood that a large number of Midsummer’s residents would be there. “I don’t know about specifically. Did you see them with the RSVPs?” He knew Gina had been through the lists to plan the desserts and double check any notes of allergies and dietary concerns.

“Not that I recall.”

“I’ll get you one. If they’re at the party, even if only for a few hours, combined with the travel it should keep them out long enough for Mike to look around.” He wrapped his hands around her upper arms and pulled her close, gazing down at her. As much as he believed her, he also knew she’d been through a lot and before he committed his friend to something definitely illegal, he had to ask. “You’re...sure, Gina? Your stepmother is horrible, I don’t doubt that. But you really think Mike will find this evidence?”

Her eyes darkened, lids fell and long lashes swept down to hide her gaze for a moment. “I don’t know why she does what she does, but it’s true, Brennen. She
is
that cruel. Maybe she resented me because Dad left things to me, which meant less money for her. Maybe she thought I’d leave by now and when she realized I wasn’t, she decided to try selling. I just know she terrifies me and she’s absolutely capable of doing it.”

He gave her arms a squeeze and drew her to him, holding her tight and breathing her in. “Okay. Let’s get things in place and Mike will go in tomorrow night.”

Chapter Eleven

Gina had slid the invitation on the table in front of Maureen that evening before she went to make dinner, throwing a, “I was informed you hadn’t received an invitation. That is for you and the girls.” Maureen simply raised a slim, ice-blonde brow and said nothing, and Gina added nothing more, continuing with her chores for the evening while dinner cooked. With any luck, her time as free labor would be severely limited once Brennen’s friend looked around.

Brennen had an extra copy of her house key cut and would deliver it to his friend for her; she would later confirm for him when her stepmother and stepsisters had gone, Brennen would tell Mike when they’d arrived, and then his friend’s team would enter and do their thing.

Nervousness twisted her stomach and she barely slept a wink Friday night, everything from fear she’d somehow be caught to worry something would go wrong with the party.

The party would officially begin at four in the afternoon, though Gina’s part in things began at seven in the morning. Brennen’s father sent a car for her and immediately she went to work, finishing the baking work she’d done the day before and preparing everything that had to be fresh. Cookies and cakes, decadent squares and tarts. The rich desserts would rival the
hors d’oeuvres
being served.

Just as the first guests started to arrive a half hour prematurely, Gina exited the house to be driven back to her home again. She could’ve gotten cleaned up and dressed at the Prescotts’ but she wanted to see Maureen, Tatum, and Tamara out the door and
ensure
they were coming.

Skies had remained clear as early evening came, which would benefit the guests who wandered the gardens at the Prescott estate prior to the big cake reveal. The Prescott car brought Gina to her house and then looped around the block, heading off to pick someone else up. They’d return for her in ninety minutes or so, she knew, giving her time to get ready and then she could arrive like any other guest.

Maureen’s car was in the driveway. Gina walked past it, her feet and back already aching, and headed through the front door. The large house was mostly silent except the tapping of heels upstairs, likely Tatum and Tamara getting ready. Gina skipped the main staircase and instead crossed through the kitchen to the old servant stairs so she could reach her room without running into the others.

Her stepsisters’ voices carried, not audible words but giggles and mumbles. They probably should’ve left already but then they’d take extra time dressing and preparing, and Maureen would be shrieking at them to hurry up until her voice rang through the house and Gina ended up with a headache.

Soon they’ll be gone. The shop will be mine and I’ll never have to listen to this again.

It seemed both within her grasp and impossibly far away at the same time.

In her dark musky attic bedroom, Gina stripped from the clothes she’d worn all day for baking and slipped her old bathrobe on. Before heading to the bathroom, she stopped at the far closet and pulled the creaky door open. It was storage, mainly, boxes and trunks of items that used to belong in the house but Maureen didn’t want around.

And, among them, her mother’s things, packed up after she died and before her dad remarried.

The boxes were dusty but Gina held her breath and moved on, the faint light from her bedroom spilling into the large closet area so she could see. She shifted boxes out of the way, frowning and growing more frantic as she didn’t see the labeled one she was looking for. The one with her mother’s clothes sealed—there was a dress there, simple but elegant in silver, kept zipped in plastic.

Box after box, tearing lids open, checking behind the trunks. There were other items missing too, photo albums, more clothes, knickknacks, but the dress...

Her heart thumping hard, eyes watering from dust, Gina spun and tore out of the closet, out of her room, down the stairs. The voices no longer came from the bedrooms but the lower level, front foyer—they were preparing to leave.

She ran down the hall and main stairs just as the front door creaked open. Gina paused in the middle of the steps, staring in horror at her stepmother.

Maureen, her hair severely pinned back and a mink stole over her shoulders, paused by the door to pull on long white gloves and looked up at Gina. “Yes?”

Tears fought with rage for dominance, and even Gina didn’t know what would win. “Where are my mother’s things?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Gina.”

She took three more steps down, her hand gripping the railing to keep herself upright. “Yes, you do. You’ve been in my room and you took the boxes with her dresses.”

Maureen watched her coldly for a moment and then flicked her hand over her shoulder; Tatum and Tamara had the sense to be silent and slipped outside without a word.

When they were gone, Maureen faced Gina fully, her shoulders pulled back and chin lifted, eyes unblinking. “Those dresses were damaged, Gina. Moth-eaten, moldy. Everything was thrown out ages ago.”

“That’s not true—”

“I can’t have things breeding disease and bugs in my home.”

Her home?
Her
home? Gina took a deep breath. “I looked at those clothes a month ago. They were fine. You did this so I couldn’t go to the party.”

“
Why
would I do such a thing? Really, child.”

“Because you’re spiteful and evil.”

Of all things, Maureen smiled. “This obsession with me being the villain in your life will have to end at some point.” She clasped the door handle and started outside, casting one look over her shoulder. “See you at the party. If you can make it, that is.”

The door snapped shut, then the deadbolt followed. Gina sank down on the steps weakly, staring blankly ahead, not quite able to cry but certain she would soon. Everything, gone.
Everything
. Maureen had scrubbed each and every piece of Gina’s mother from the house, the business, from Gina’s own room. It wasn’t about the damn party, the dress. It was her history, her family, completely gone.

Like they never existed at all.

****

Gina wasn’t sure how long she sat there—she was in shock, still, that her entire evening had just unraveled, crushed that despite years of cruelty her stepmother could take meanness to an entirely new level—when the front door creaked open.

She sat up straight, nervous, and then an unfamiliar man peeked inside. It took a moment but she realized she
did
recognize him—he’d come in the bakery some weeks ago with Brennen. He would be the friend, Mike.

Damn it, how long have I been here?

Mike had his phone to his ear, met Gina’s eyes, and sighed. “Yeah, she’s here and she’s fine.” He let the door close behind him and walked to meet her on the stairs, offering his phone. “Brennen.”

Gina winced and answered. “I’m sorry.”

His warm voice filled her ear, easing some of her worry. “She showed up here and you hadn’t called yet. I thought something had happened.”

She thought of the dress and closed her eyes. “Just...an argument. I lost track of time.”

“Are you still coming? I know once they bring the dessert out, people are going to want to talk to you about your catering.”

Gina glanced down at her ratty old bathrobe. Yeah, she’d make quite the impression.

“Did you want the box that’s on the front step?” Mike asked, hanging by the door still.

She glanced at him and frowned. “What box?”

He took a quick look out the door and then snatched the long flat box from the step and set it by the steps for her. When she noticed him glancing around, she pointed out the door to Maureen’s office, and then pinched the phone between her shoulder and ear while she took a look at the box.

The logo on the front was for Lady in Red.

“Gina?” Brennen prompted on the other line.

She said nothing, lifting the lid to the box. The inside was filled with red tissue paper with a single white card on top that said,
Grandma wanted to say thanks. ~R.

Gina parted the tissue paper and her breath caught.

“I’ll be there shortly,” she said as she scrambled to her feet.

Chapter Twelve

Brennen glanced at the grandfather clock across the room. It was nearly seven and no sign of Gina.

Her horrid stepmother and stepsisters had made the rounds. The younger girls were flirting with a pair of men Brennen’s age in the gardens and their mother was mingling. Waiters walked with trays of appetizers and flutes of champagne, some of Gina’s desserts already on display. He’d heard rumblings from a few guests on the snacks and whenever someone mentioned Sweet Haven, Brennen was quick to correct them with Gina’s name.

He wandered the ballroom, the string quartet playing in the background, looking at the clock yet again. Mike had said Gina was just
sitting
there on the stairs, looking crestfallen, but he had no idea why. Then he’d called again to reassure Brennen Gina was on her way, yet there was no sign of her. Surely the car he’d sent to get her would’ve been to her place and back by now. The large anniversary cake would be rolled out soon and he didn’t want her to miss it, not after all the work she put into it.

Couples mingled, some danced, and Brennen scanned the room yet again, growing more restless as the minutes ticked by. If she didn’t arrive in the next fifteen minutes, he’d get his car and—

His gaze settled on a petite figure moving through the main door into the ballroom, her eyes falling on his.

Brennen’s pacing halted, lips parted in words that didn’t come, as he watched a wholly transformed Gina Cassidy move delicately through the crowd. Her sun-streaked curls were bound up with tendrils brushing her bare shoulders; her dress was turquoise, a form-fitting bodice that could’ve been tailored just for her, offering a glimpse of cleavage that was both tasteful and alluring. A satin skirt grazed the floor, swishing about her legs.

Gina’s smile was cautious as she reached him, her shoulders turned slightly inward like she already braced for something horrible despite looking like a goddess. “Hi,” she said softly.

Of all the things he wanted to say to her, Brennen managed, “Hi.” He felt his lips stretched in a ridiculous grin, all the worry that had wound around him thus far disappearing in an instant.

“I’m sorry I’m late, my...plans for apparel changed rather last minute.”

His gaze swept over her again. “It was worth it.”

A blush darkened her cheeks and Brennen offered her his arm, which she took. He imagined her stepfamily was sending rather venomous glares their way or would be soon enough, and he resolved to ignore them entirely. A couple hundred people were there and it was time to introduce Gina to those who had been admiring her desserts all evening.