Page 76 of Karma's Kiss

I poke my head out of the bathroom, expecting to see Marge’s maroon Toyota Corolla, but instead there’s a black Escalade with tinted windows. The sleek-looking SUV doesn’t belong to Queenie or Marge, that’s for sure. I watch as the doors open in tandem, and then my stomach drops.

I blink, not quite believing what I’m seeing. Three Masons have arrived in Oak Hill, Texas. Matthew and his parents walk up onto the sidewalk and squint at the door of my mom’s office, readingLuellen’s Travel Agencyand probably wondering where the hell they’ve found themselves. They’re dressed like they’ve just come from the campaign trail, Mr. Mason and Matthew both in sharp navy suits. Mrs. Mason is wearing a shift dress with pearl buttons running down the center.

They’re probably hot outside, but I’m all too happy to let them stay confused out there in the sweltering heat. Unfortunately, Mr. Mason strides forward with determination and yanks the door open. I don’t think fast enough to duck back into the bathroom before he sees me.

Immediately, his stern expression softens. “Madison!” Turning back, he waves the others in behind him. “I knew this was the right address.”

There are a million ways forward right now, only a handful of which include me stepping out of the bathroom and being gracious to these uninvited out-of-town guests. Matthew walks in behind his mom, looking a little like a shamed puppy. His shoulders are slumped and his attention is on the floor. I look at him as I walk over to greet them, willing him to meet my gaze, to say something, but he doesn’t. It’s his father who comes over to me and gives me a hearty side hug. His mom smiles and compliments my dress. It’s like, for them, nothing has happened; I should be happy they’re here.

“It’s so good to see you, hun,” Mrs. Mason gushes, taking my hand in hers and patting the back of it.

The small smile I was able to muster when they first arrived is already starting to fall as I look between them and ask point-blank, “What are y’all doing here?”

Mr. Mason chuckles and smooths a hand down his Auburn red tie. “Thought we’d pay a visit to our favorite girl, of course. Matthew, be polite, would you?”

My ex-fiancé lifts his head and looks at me, his expression schooled into neutral indifference. “Hi, Madison.”

“Hi” is all I can manage.

Then suddenly the three-minute alarm I set on my phone starts blaring.

OH MY GOD.

I reach into my dress pocket and turn it off, blushing as I apologize. I want to run to the bathroom and look at the tests, but I can’t. Not while they’re here.

WHY are they here?!

When I left Montgomery, I assumed I’d never see Matthew or his family ever again. Now they’ve shown up at the worst possible time.

“I apologize if I sound rude, but honestly, I’m really not sure why you’ve all come to Texas,” I press. “Isn’t…Isn’t Matthew getting married this weekend?”

Saturday is July1st, isn’t it?

The mention of Matthew’s wedding has the three poised Masons appearing, if not quite embarrassed (they would never deign to show that much emotion), at least deeply uncomfortable.

“No.” His dad laughs and squashes the question like he wishes he could extinguish it from existence altogether. “Of course not. That was all such nonsense.”

I look quickly at Matthew to see him wince, but he doesn’t argue. It seems the wedding is off. Does Emma know yet? Is she somewhere distraught over the turn of events? I almost feel bad for her.

Southern hospitality and outright curiosity have me inviting them to take a seat on the couch near the front door. I can sense their relief as they sit—Mr. Mason, Mrs. Mason, then Matthew—all in a straight line facing me as I take the chair across from them.

Mr. Mason clears his throat. “I hope you’ll forgive me for speaking plainly—”

“Actually,” Matthew interrupts. “Could I use the restroom? It’s been a long travel day and—”

“NO.” My response is a bullet fired too fast. None of them are allowed in the bathroom, not while those pregnancy tests still sit on the counter. I force an apologetic smile. “No bathroom.” I point to the sidewalk. “But there’s one at the coffee shop next door if you really need one.”

Mr. Mason sends his son a lethal glare, and Matthew swallows meekly. “It’s fine, actually. I’ll hold it.”

“Right. Now…” His father straightens and reclaims everyone’s attention. “As I was saying, we’re all adults here, and I’d rather cut to the chase so we don’t waste anyone’s time. These last few weeks have been hard on everyone, and we—our entire family—want nothing more than for you and Matthew to get back on track. We’re prepared to make that happen by any means possible, starting with a buyout of Evermore Events.”

My jaw goes slack. What is he talking about?

Mrs. Mason leans forward on the couch, smiling ear to ear. “We’ve already discussed it with Tanya. She’s ready to hand over the reins of the company.”

No.That can’t be right. Tanya loves Evermore Events. I assumed she’d continue building the business for another decade or two. She’s not evencloseto retirement age.

When I point this out to the Masons, Matthew’s dad laughs. “Well, let’s say things changed. She seems very happy with the arrangement we presented to her, so there’s no need to worry.”

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