Page 112 of Red Hot Harmony

That thought warmed me a little.

“Will you pass by the boutique?” I asked. “I don’t know when we’ll be able to get out of here.” Whatever information I’d just read online wasn’t conclusive on whether the roads were reopening.

“Yes, I will.”

“Stay safe.”

“You too.”

“Hey, Mom?”

“Yes?”

“What about the minivan?”

“We had to leave it. I hope it’s still there, but if it’s not, I won’t be surprised. Be careful, and tell Ally I said hello.”

After making another quick call to Harper, I stepped out of the bathroom and headed to the front of the house, where Dante and Cassy were already seated on the living room sofa, sipping on their drinks. Cassy was having coffee, and by the look and smell of the hot liquid in Dante’s mug, his appeared to be black tea. A plate of assorted pastries also sat on the coffee table in front of them.

They seemed relaxed, at ease, like old friends, like they’d done this a million times, and this strange, idyllic scene made me wonder if the things I’d read about Frank and Dante in the tabloids were true.

And then I remembered the meltdown video, the raw anger they’d projected, the words they’d spat, the fists they’d thrown. And people had been watching and laughing and recording, and it made me sick.

My heart thudded against my chest at the memory.

If Frank had been able to forgive Dante for all that the man had done, wouldn’t it be only fair for me to do the same and stop being butthurt and selfish over something that seemed so childish and insignificant now, especially considering the fact that he couldn’t control the circumstances that had put him into that tough position in the first place?

“Good morning.” Cassy gave me a wave. “There’s coffee.”

“Thanks.” I followed the smell to the kitchen and poured myself a mug, then returned to the living room and gingerly sat on the side of the couch Dante was occupying.

“How did you sleep?” he asked softly.

“Okay. Considering.”

“Ally still in bed?”

“Yeah.” I turned to look at him and when our gazes met, all my fears of what needed to happen next suddenly reflected in his dark eyes.

I realized I didn’t know how to talk to my daughter about these things, about legal repercussions of what had happened, about boundaries, about the nature of sex.

Approaching footfalls somewhere in the house, followed by Frank’s voice saved me from further self-deprecating thoughts.

“Good morning, everyone,” he said as he padded over to give Cassy a quick kiss on the cheek. His sandy hair was wet and slicked back and he didn’t wear any shoes or socks, just jeans and a tee, and it made me feel a little better about my own ensemble.

“Did you and Ally manage to get some rest?” Frank glanced at me and grabbed the remote to turn on the TV.

I thought by now that I was used to seeing the rich and famous being human and domestic, but Frank was on an entirely different level.

Dante made it cool.

Frank made it natural.

“Yes, I appreciate your hospitality,” I told him as I worried my coffee mug between my hands. “I hope this isn’t an inconvenience.”

“Absolutely not.” He shook his head and flipped through the channels until he found the one with the local news.

A shot of the freeway filled the screen. The stretch looked painfully familiar. Huge orange flames edged both sides of the road, spitting black smoke into the sky.

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