“Great to see you,” Paisley replied, smiling.
“Excuse me,” Melinda said. “I’m going to grab you a drink.”
Melinda stepped inside and plucked a fluted glass from a server’s tray and returned, handing it to Paisley.
“I’m so glad you could come,” Angela chimed in, sipping her own glass. “And that red dress is killer!”
“It’s a shame Lucas isn’t here with you,” Melinda joked. “But maybe it’s a good thing. No man could resist that.”
“Lucas?” Esme asked, her brows drawn in. “Lucas Ford?”
Paisley smiled and gripped the stem of her glass. “Yes.”
“Her new husband,” Melinda added.
Angela’s eyes darted to Paisley’s hand, then back up. “It’s a good thing he didn’t come,” she murmured.
“Excuse me?” Paisley asked.
“Getting him in a room full of Perrys is probably not the best idea,” Esme added. “He has had a thing for our dad for years.”
Paisley stared at the women, stunned by what she heard, but trying to process everything. Lucas hated Sterling that much? A hatred that spanned years and he’d failed to say one word to her when she first approached him?
No, that couldn’t be right. He wouldn’t hide something like that from her.
“I forgot about that,” Melinda said, clearly surprised. “I mean, I knew Lucas hated Dad, but I didn’t put it all together when you said you guys had married. I was just so happy for you. He still would’ve been welcome here.”
“Of course,” Angela added. “Lucas is a nice guy and his reputation is impeccable. But I’m not sure he would’ve liked it very much or felt comfortable here.”
Paisley remained silent, confused, hurt, wondering if this was true. She wanted to believe him, she’d put so much faith in him. Lucas hadn’t said a word when she’d told him whose party she was attending. Not. One. Word.
Surely this was all wrong information or gossip.
“You didn’t know this, did you?” Melinda asked, sympathy lacing her tone.
Paisley took a sip of her drink, mostly to have something to do and to help push down that lump of emotions and doubt that clogged her throat.
“No, I wasn’t aware,” she admitted, suddenly feeling nauseated. “We were apart for years, so we both have things in our past that haven’t come out yet.”
Like the fact she’d never stopped loving him and he opted to deceive. Oh, she prayed that wasn’t the truth, but the niggling in the back of her mind said she had to be realistic.
“Apparently our dad did something to Lucas’s father years ago,” Angela added. “I don’t know all the details, but I do know Lucas has made it clear he’s not a friend of the Perrys.”
The women continued to discuss, reminding each other of what their father had indeed done to Lucas’s. Something about a business deal gone wrong, lies, betrayal...all of that sounded like Sterling, and Paisley wasn’t doubting all of that had happened.
What she was doubting, however, was her husband’s devotion to her. If all this was true, was Lucas using her as a stepping-stone to get closer to Sterling and serve justice for his father’s wrongdoings?
The idea made her tremble—out of fear, anger, the unknown.
Paisley’s cell vibrated in her clutch beneath her arm. She’d been waiting for Lucas to get back to her. Could that be him now? Had he found the truth he’d been looking for?
“Paisley, I drove by your shop earlier and that is a gorgeous strapless gown in the window,” Melinda stated, obviously trying to turn the conversation around. “If I marry, I want that one.”
Paisley attempted a smile. “I will be happy to set you up. You would make a stunning bride.”
“I just want to come in and try everything on,” Esme said with a laugh. “Your shop is so elegant and every wedding you’ve done that I’ve been to has been like a fairy tale.”
“I love my job and I hope every bride feels special when she’s there.”
Paisley did not want to stand around and make small talk, not even when the chatter involved her beloved boutique. She wanted to make haste and get back home. She wanted to know if Lucas had deceived her purposefully. If he’d married her only as a way to seek the ultimate revenge.