Page 2 of Hat Trick

Time for my special poison of toughlove.

My fingers slip over the blanket and I give one powerful yank, revealing my mother’s tiny body huddled in a ball of despair. “Mom.” Her sniffles increase in volume as she buries her face in the pillow. “Mom, talk tome.”

“He’s a rat-snake bastard, Gwenny. Fuckhim.”

If only she’d sung that tune when Rat-Snake Bastard Ty Corwin proposed—despite the fact that he’d been dating Adaline while still wearing a wedding ring from his then-wife.

“You’re right,” I say, swallowing the fight, “he’s a dick, Mom, and you shouldn’t be spending even a second thinking abouthim.”

“A rat-snake, tree-loving bastard, Gwenny.” She heaves a sob, and the sound squeezes my heart. “He’s a vegan. How can a vegan cheat onme?”

“Because he’s a rat-snake tree-loving bastard, Mom, and that’s their specialty.” And because infidelity is all encompassing—vegans included. I don’t say that. No point in riling her up even more. “Okay, time to get up. You need toshower.”

“I don’t want toshower.”

God helpme.

My eyes squeeze shut and I count to ten.One . . . two . . .three. . .

“Gwenny, why are you wearing adress?”

Because I’m supposed to be at my best friend’s engagement party, celebrating happy love that I don’t know exists, but instead I’m here being shown, once again, that itdoesn’t.

“My friend is having an engagementparty.”

“Did you tell her that all men are ratbastards?”

“I haven’t had thechance.”

Her blond hair rustles against the pillows. “Never lasts, Gwenny. It never fucking lasts. Her man will walk out on her as soon as that ring is on her finger, just like my Ty did. But it’s not the men—they’re weak. What about the women, yourfriends?”

Once upon a time, in a far, far away land—all right, let’s cut the shit. Honestly? My mother has been spewing her gospel for years now. Probably since my dad left her because he couldn’t deal with her antics. And, sure, I spent a good number of years believing everything she toldme.

How could Inot?

From the age of eight onward, when my mother was on her second marriage, I watched each subsequent husband leave her for women Adaline considered close friends. I watched it all happen, and then I digested my mother’s warnings—women could not be trusted—and I reactedaccordingly.

What I never saw then, and what has taken me years to truly accept, is that Adaline Corwin is no better than any of her so-called besties. Tangled webs don’t have shit on the group my mother runs in. Adaline has stolen her friends’ husbands, and they, in return, have takenhers.

It’s bat-shitcrazy.

Totallynuts.

And I want no part init.

“Gwen.” My mother finally lifts herself from the bed, her blond hair hanging in front of her face like that creepy girl from the movie,The Ring. “Gwen, what do we always say about otherwomen?”

On a day that I’m supposed to be celebrating my best friend’s engagement, I’m not playing into my mother’s games—not even when she’s reeling from another inevitable divorce. Ty Corwin is the fourth in line, but I doubt he’ll be the last. Christmas is only weeks away, and I bet with every fiber of my being that she’ll have someone new chasing after her by New Year’sDay.

Nothing ever changes with AdalineCorwin.

But I’vechanged.

“I’ve got to go, Mom. I’m sorry and I love you, and I’ll be back in the morning but I can’t missthis.”

I bend to kiss her forehead, sweeping her knotted blond hair back from her face as I do. She turns her face away, unwilling to even give me a slice of affection. Feeling a little chillier than I did when I showed up two hours ago, I head for thestairs.

Manuel is waiting for me by the front door, as predicted, and from the uncomfortable expression on his face, he’s heard the whole thing go down. Still, the man has a heart of gold, and he only offers me a small smile. “Ready to go,Teacup?”

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