Page 36 of Promise Kept

There’s a chance if I step away from Tamara, she will drop her dress and turn around anyway.

“Larissa,” I say.

“Oh, so glad you finally stopped by,” Tamara says.

I see the look on Larissa’s face. I have to take my chance.

I walk away from Tamara. I certainly don’t look back.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“You answer first,” Larissa says. She looks beyond me. “I mean…”

I’m about ready to jump to my own defense, but I’ve done nothing wrong.

And even if… with Tamara… that would be nobody’s business.

But that doesn’t matter right now.

I turn my head.

Tamara is thankfully fully dressed.

She turns, smiles at me…

I have this sinking feeling right now that Tamara did this on purpose. That’s her style. Her personality. A flare for causing drama and smiling like she has no clue what’s going on.

I can picture it now.

She has Larissa show up to find me in an interesting position…

Larissa is young and confused by her father’s sudden death.

Maybe Tamara promised Larissa a better relationship and tonight was supposed to be the start.

Ah, fuck.

That’s perfect, huh?

Larissa gets mad.

Runs off and tells the guys that I’m fucking her mother.

And now the fights with the rest of us get worse than ever.

Tamara Sydney is evil. Seductive evil.

“You said you wanted to see me,” Larissa says to her mother.

“Have a glass of wine with me,” Tamara says. “We can sit. Talk. Share memories. Have a good cry together. Lord knows we both need it. Oh, and you know what? You can spend the night! We can order out. Or just stay up and drink wine. In the morning we can have breakfast and maybe… does any of this interest you?”

“Not really,” Larissa says. “You seem to have double booked yourself.”

Tamara snorts and rolls her eyes.

I’m really not in the mood for a mother-daughter argument here.

Not in front of me.

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