Page 4 of Totally Off Limits

So she came up with a plan that would kill two birds with one stone.

As soon as her mother returned with a glass of white wine, Sierra asked, “Mom, would you mind keeping an eye on Mia and then bringing her to my place after the reception? I think I’m going to head home. My head hurts.”

Actually, it was her stomach that was all tied in knots.

“Good heavens, Sierra. The reception is just a few more hours.”

Sierra waved her arm to indicate the scope of the ballroom. “I don’t think I’ll be missed.”

“It’s theidea.”

Faith, one of the three golden children and the most vocal, sat up straighter. “I can help with Mia, mama.” Grace, the quiet triplet who looked all but identical to her sister, merely smiled and nodded.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Then she turned her eyes back to Sierra, changing from Hyde to Jekyll in seconds. “Fine, Sierra. Do what you must. I don’t know how late we’ll be bringing her back. If you want, we can keep her overnight.”

“No, that’s okay. You can bring her to the condo.” Her mother had plenty of time with Mia as she was the child’s babysitter when Sierra worked—meaning she was under her mother’s influence far more than Sierra would have liked as it was.

Her mother merely rolled her eyes but Sierra would take that over more barbs. Fortunately, Layne and her father were off somewhere, probably smoking cigars with some of the old professors still teaching at the community college where Paul Hayden continued serving as president. Smoking those cigars was the stupidest, most antiquated thing, but Sierra suspected her father sometimes tried to stay out of his wife’s crosshairs as much as Sierra. Considering Layne loved echoing every negative thing her mother had to say, though, she appreciated only having the one voice at the moment.

Fortunately, the third triplet Hope approached the table, Mia’s hand in hers, having taken the child to use the restroom earlier. Although the triplets were alike in most ways, Hope was probably the one Sierra could relate to the most. The girl was less likely than her identical siblings to drink the Hayden Kool-aid.

“Were you good for Auntie Hope?”

“Yes, mama!”

Behind her, Hope nodded and smiled. “I’m gonna go get another Shirley Temple,” said the strawberry blonde young woman before darting off—joined by her giggling sisters of the same age. Sierra, too, was their sibling, but the girls’ bond was such that she usually felt like an outsider. But who was she kidding? She felt like an outsider to theentireHayden clan.

Maybe they weren’t so foreign, though. After all, she knew the triplets didn’t actually want a Shirley Temple. They just wanted more flirt time with the cute bartender.

But that guy paled in comparison to Mickey Morton.

And why was she thinking like that again? She and Mickey would never work—which was why she’d run from his bed almost four years ago.

Leaning over to touch her forehead to her child’s, she said, “Mia, mommy’s going home now. But you can stay with grandma and your aunties if you want.” Sierra knew Mia might decide to go home with her—and, if that was the case, then maybe she’d just ditch out completely, ducking out now instead of saying goodbye to everyone here that she knew.

In fact, that was an even better plan:nottalking to Mickey again would make things infinitely easier. She’d just call a cab and call it a night.

“You’ve been such a good girl, Mia. Grandma will get you another piece of cake. Would you like that?”

Damn it. More than once, Sierra had asked her mother not to bribe her daughter with sugar—and it was as if she was telling her daughter that if she left Mia with her, she’d do whatever the hell she wanted. But thiswasa special occasion and Miawasbeing an absolute jewel.

Now was not the time. “Give mommy a kiss, Mia.”

After she kissed and hugged her precious daughter, the one and only thing in life that brought her any joy, she said, “Be good for grandma, okay?”

“Mmm-hmm.” With a nod and a sweet smile that lit up her dark eyes, Mia then ran to her grandmother. The woman was already standing, ready to load her up with cake.

“Thanks, mom. I’ll see you later. Mommy loves you, Mia!”

As Sierra picked up her little purse off the table and grabbed the taupe jacket from the chair, her mother said, “Make sure you stop by the bride and groom’s table so you can wish them well before you go.”

Stifling a sigh and a frown, Sierra gave her mother a quick nod. So much for making a quick escape. Still, it wouldn’t take too terribly long—and maybe itwouldbe rude if she didn’t. Maybe not, though. Although she had no idea how many people were here, it had to be well over one hundred.

Well, she’d walk by their table. If they weren’t there or if someone was already talking to them, at least she’d be able to tell her mother shetried. But, as she got close, she saw the bride and groom sitting at the table talking intimately.

Ah…this was going to be awkward. But she’d promised.

Fortunately, as she got closer, the bride and groom noticed and turned their heads. The bride said, “Sierra, thank you so much for coming. It means a lot to us.”

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