Page 85 of Broken Pact

Jasper grins and unmutes the phone. “Ma, meet Coraline. Coraline, meet my mother, Jane Devereaux.”

He leans over, angling the camera so I’m in the frame. And I get my first glimpse of Jasper’s stunning mother. She doesn’t look a day over forty, dressed in a black blouse with a high collar and diamond gold earrings in her ears. Her glowy, fair skin and sleek black hair, styled in a longer bob. Her dark brown eyes almost sparkle as we regard each other.

“Oh, my, Jasper. You punched up, son,” she murmurs with a smirk.

It’s the same smirk I see mirrored on the man next to me. The kind of smile that says I know something you don’t, and I’m enjoying the hell out of this.

Yeah, I definitely like her.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Devereaux.”

“Oh, please call me Jane,” she says with an absent wave of her hand. “So tell me, Coraline, what do you do?”

My shoulders tense. I wasn’t expecting her to ask me that, even though I should have. It’s like the first thing anyone asks when they meet someone new. I’m proud of Sugarplum Bakery, and I love what I do. But I’ve had a lot of disapproving frowns to last me a lifetime.

I smile, but it feels all wrong, brittle around the edges. “I own a bakery.”

Her face lights up with genuine interest. “Ooh, that’s so fun. Where is it? Avalon Falls? I’ll have to stop in next time I’m visiting.”

Some of the tension leaves my shoulders at her easy acceptance. “Of course. You’re always welcome. I’m only open for custom orders right now, but I’m happy to show it to you.”

“Don’t let that fool you, Ma, she built an entire community around her socials. She’s got like a million followers, and they’re all active as hell on her posts.”

“Shh, no one likes a stalker, son,” his mom chastises.

I laugh, feeling a warmth spread through me. Jasper’s mom seems kind and welcoming, and it’s strangely comforting to be included in this little charade.

“Jesus, Ma, no one is stalking anymore,” Jasper says, exasperation tugging his shoulders toward his ears.

I look at him, amusement dancing in my veins like popping candy. “I mean, you definitely kind of do.”

He stares at me, his brows arching toward his hairline again. “You trying to rat me out to my ma?” He shakes his head, but his smile grows wide. “That’s cold, baby.”

His mom hums like she’s pleased about something. “Well, I won’t keep you two. Coraline, it was lovely meeting you. And I hope to see you next time I’m in Avalon Falls.”

“It was so nice to meet you, too.” I hold up my hand and wiggle my fingers in goodbye.

“I’ll talk to you later, Ma,” Jasper says, angling the phone squarely back on him.

“I like her, son. So you better treat her right. Take her on proper dates, none of that grab a drink at the local watering hole shit. I mean fancy dinners and nights at the theater.”

“Oh my god, Ma, you have got to stop watching those reality dating shows. Having dinner on the top of the Eiffel Tower is not what normal people do on dates.”

She sniffs, and I imagine her giving him a droll look. “Well, they got married in the end, and you’re currently unwed, so I guess it worked for him, didn’t it?”

Jasper drags his hand over his face as the doorbell rings. “Love you, Ma. I’ll talk to you later, yeah? I gotta run.”

I sit up, my attention snapping to the front door and then back to Jasper. “Are you expecting anyone?” I murmur quietly.

He nods and pushes off the couch, heading toward the front door.

“Alright, love you my only son.”

The call ends as he opens the front door. I can’t see who it is from this angle, so I scoot over to kneel on the other side of the couch for a better vantage point. It’s Hawke. What’s he doing here?

Their conversation is hushed, their heads close together. I try not to let the paranoia win, but I can’t help it if I’m a naturally curious person. I stroll toward the front door, not trying to be quiet, but not trying to be loud either. I can’t help it if I overhear something.

Jasper claps Hawke on the back and turns toward me with a brown paper back. He stops when he spots me a few feet behind him. “Sneaking up on me, baby?”

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