Page 15 of Embracing the Change

“Until we?—”

I heard no more, I disconnected.

The instant I reached for my bag to drop my phone inside, the driver opened my door.

I stepped out, pasting a brilliant smile on my face.

“My dearest!” I cried, throwing out my arms. “The fun can officially begin. Mother is here!”

The confusion and concern swept from my beloved girl’s beautiful features, and she returned my smile.

“I love your dress,” she said as she finished her trek to me.

“Of course you do,” I replied as I wrapped my arms around her. “It’s fabulous.”

It was from Carolina Herrera’s resort collection of several years ago. But it was Herrera, so it was timeless. A muted, flirty, feminine, off-the shoulder, chiffon floral print up top, juxtaposed with an above-the-knee, bold floral print at the bottom. I wore the wide, black with white polka dots belt it had been styled with on the runway. But the dress was a long way from matchy-matchy, so I paired it with strappy, gold, high-heeled sandals.

Cadence and I linked arms and followed the crew member carrying the last of my bags up the ramp.

“Is the gang all here?” I asked.

“Not yet, there are going to be some, um…late arrivals,” Cadence said.

I wasn’t surprised about this, considering it had been thrown together at the last minute, and the sheer number of people made it a scheduling nightmare. Considering who those people were, from Hollywood movie stars to busy billionaires, it was a miracle, the like Chloe Oakley crafted on not a rare occasion, that it had come about at all.

“Is everything all right?” I queried.

“No biggie,” Cadence answered. Then she shot me another big smile. “It’s all going to be great. I can’t wait.”

Her excitement was infectious, and although it didn’t entirely clear away the unease I felt at my conversation with Roland, or the looming vacation that Jamie was to be a part of, it significantly alleviated it.

We made the starboard deck and Dru was there, giving me her usual tight hug, which told me that Jamie had not shared our rift with his daughter (truly, she was his stepdaughter, but that was semantics). Or perhaps he did, and Dru was being Dru. She was a sweet girl, along with smart, and as such, she made up her own mind.

When I turned to Chloe, she looked me top to toe and inquired, “Herrera 2019 resort collection?”

“How are you not of my loins?” I replied.

She smiled a cat’s smile.

This further pressed my question, as did her tiered maxi-dress that both minimized and celebrated her pronounced baby bump.

We embraced.

When we broke, she stated, “Bon voyage champagne in the forward lounge.”

I could use champagne.

“Excellent, are you coming?” My inquiry was aimed at all of them.

But it was Dru who answered, “We’re the welcoming committee.”

“Of course,” I murmured, making my way toward the bow. “I’ll see you when your duties are complete.”

“You will!” Cadence cried, her exuberance still on show.

And since it was, I felt it somewhat odd.

I’d known her since she was a baby. I wasn’t sure she’d ever taken a trip on a private yacht, but she hadn’t lived a sheltered life. She’d traveled. Her mother was an explorer in every way that could be, considering Mika was a celebrated artist, and I’d learned, through Mika, that to be such, you had to thoroughly explore. They had money, quite a bit of it, so that hadn’t narrowed their adventures.

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