Evie steps in close. “That’s sort of a lot of money, Mom.”
I shake my head at her. “I can’t be swayed by the almighty dollar.”
Serena steps in close. “That money could mean a much-needed renovation to both the NICU and the PICU.”
I know that she’s talking about the neonatal and the pediatric intensive care units, and now my heart feels heavy that I’m outright refusing the money.
It seems every critical eye in the bourgeoning crowd around us is on me as if they’re awaiting an answer themselves.
“I said no and I mean it. I’m sorry, but that show is centered on nothing more than voyeuristic humiliation and I won’t put my family through it.”
“Okay”—Cressida shrugs—“have it your way. I’ll donate two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to any children’s unit at Honey Hollow General Hospital if you do your paternity reveal on live TV. But since you’ve deemed Marissa Popovich beneath you, how about something a little more local? Like the Getting Candid with Candace Show?”
A light round of applause breaks out among us.
“No,” I’m quick to refuse it. “But I’m sure there are plenty of people who would be willing to take you up on that offer.”
“It’s not available to anyone but you.” Cressida spears me with that obnoxious look on her face because she thinks she’s bested me.
“You’d better do it, Lot,” Carlotta whispers. “People have their phones out and pointed in your direction.”
Everett holds up a hand “It’s not happening. If the children’s unit is in need of money, I’m sure the townspeople of Honey Hollow can throw a fundraiser together for it. But our family is off-limits.”
“One million dollars.” Cressida flexes a short-lived smile.
I glance around at all of the frozen faces awaiting my response—frozen from all the Botox, I’m sure. And I can’t help but note that more than a few phones are trained in my direction. If I refuse a one million dollar payday for the hospital, my bakery could reap the backlash, not to mention that Noah and Everett have dealt with enough backlash from being in my proximity let alone for potentially giving me a child.
“We’ll think about it.” I flash a short-lived smile right back at Cressida.
The crowd breaks out into applause once again, and soon the room swirls back to its regularly scheduled merriment as the music seems to tick up a notch in both volume and speed.
The tall man, Judge Owen Kellerman, comes back with his wife, the redheaded Ariella, as they share a warm laugh.
Ariella shakes her head at Noah and Everett. “Leave it to the two of you to bring the drama once again. I knew things were still hostile between you, but I had no idea you were fighting over yet another woman. I guess some things never change.”
Owen honks out another laugh. “How about that, Everett. You’re still shaking your wick at anything in a skirt. Just like your old man, huh?”
Everett doesn’t bother with a verbal comeback. He goes in swinging and lands a right hook over the man’s left eye, sending him stumbling into the crowd as the room lights up with screams.
Owen tries to charge Everett, but Noah restrains him from behind while Alex does his best to hold Everett back.
Two things run through my mind at once. I have never seen Everett go from zero to locked and loaded in a single bound—outside of the bedroom, of course. And hey? Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing. Surely they’ll give Everett the boot from this snazzy, snooty shindig, and I’ll have to go home with him seeing that I’m his official plus one. I’ll be forced to take my staff with me, along with Noah, and we can all pretend this high school horror never even happened.
Owen touches his eye a moment. “I’d have you hauled off for assault Everett, but unlike you, I’m a merciful judge. You’ve been through enough with Cressida hiding your love child, Noah impregnating your wife, and let’s not forget the fact you’re staring down the barrel of a prison term. I’m just glad you showed your true colors here tonight. Finally these girls who have been panting after you for the last umpteenth years can see that you’re nothing more than a menace with money.”
With everything in me I want to echo Everett’s words, it takes one to know one, but I decide to keep my lips zipped.
“Come on.” Ariella plucks her husband free from Noah’s grip. “I think we need a drink.” They zip off in the direction of the bar, but they don’t get far before a man with dark hair and a neatly trimmed goatee steps their way and begins to rail into Owen as if he were about to blacken his other eye. And I’m rooting for him to do just that. I think I recognize the man with the neatly trimmed goatee from what little I’ve seen of Money on the Med and the tabloid pictures. I’m positive that’s Slater Sutton.
Just as I’m about to turn back to comfort Everett, I catch Jasmine giving a rather violent push to a woman with long silver hair. The woman is pretty, as seems to be the requirement for the female student body of FPA. Her hair looks to have been dyed that gleaming color, but it looks fabulous on her and expensive.
The woman tries to grab onto Jasmine, but Jasmine slaps her hand away before heading in this direction and I quickly turn to Everett in hopes she didn’t see me witnessing the hostile exchange.
“Essex”—Jasmine wastes no time zipping in close—“let me take you into a dark corner and kiss all of your booboos like the good old days.” She gives a hearty wink and I’m suddenly sick.
I glance around and note that Evie is back to working the dessert table with Carlotta, and I’m hoping she missed out on the part where her daddy gave one of his old classmates a knuckle sandwich.
“I’m sorry, Jasmine”—Everett carefully removes her wandering hands—“but I’m a happily married man.”
The dark-haired beauty sucks in a quick breath. “Oh, come on, Essex. We’ve all heard the rumors. Your wife is secretly in love with Noah. It’s just a little bit of history repeating itself.” She tries to latch onto his tie and the petite blonde I met earlier, Jen, snatches her by the wrist.
“Would you stop?” Jen riots right in the girl’s face. “Everett is married. He’s off-limits. I’m sick and tired of watching you demand everything go your way. Lottie is having a baby! And so what if it’s Noah’s? That’s none of our business. It’s bad enough Cressida had to make a spectacle out of herself, and my word how things have not changed one bit in that department. But you can’t leave well enough alone, can you, Jazzy? You just push and you push and you push until you take someone to their breaking point! Well, guess what? I’m sick and tired of you dragging me down with you. Just because you sank your ship, doesn’t mean I’m interested in sinking mine.” She zips off into the crowd and the room seems to take a collective gasp. All eyes are on Jasmine as if they were anxious to see her next move.
“What are you all looking at?” Jasmine riots. “Ariella?” she barks as she turns to stalk off and bumps into that dark-haired man I saw giving Owen a piece of his mind.
Hey? Maybe he’s going to give her a piece of his mind next?
“And you!” Jasmine pokes a finger in his chest. “You are not getting away with anything. You don’t get to ruin me. I ruin you! When I’m through with you, you’ll regret the day you ever met me!”