Page 91 of The Seven Rings
“He favors Tom Ford and Armani,” Sonya murmured.
“Okay, probably one of those. I know his lawyer—he went local, which is the right thing. Not a slouch, but he couldn’t control him. And the judge heard him call you a bitch. A couple of outbursts, and he and his attorney got a warning over contempt.”
“And somehow,” Cleo observed, “the day just got even better. That’s all I needed to know. Tying on the anchor again, Sonya.”
Sonya smiled. “Splash.”
Chapter Twelve
Due to busy summer schedules, Sonya set the first Saturday in August for her family barbecue.
“That’s actually better,” Cleo decided. “It gives us time to come up with a menu.”
“I figured burgers and dogs.”
The manor chef looked appalled. “Absolutely not! We can do lots better. Think casual elegance.”
“Casual-casual was my aim.”
“Aim higher. Trey’s whole family’s coming, and your mama’s driving up from Boston for the weekend.”
“I’m excited about Mom coming, and worried.”
“We’re not going to worry.” Cleo sat back in her office chair, pleased with the space, and thrilled she’d finished using it for the evening. “Just like with our open house, people, happy people, lots of light.”
“I keep waiting for the light to go on in here.” Sonya tapped the side of her head. “And I’ll say,Well, yeah, that’s it. That’s what I have to do to get the rings, kick Dobbs out, and all’s right with our world.”
“It’ll happen when it happens. Right now, I’m pretty happy in our world. We’ll be back upstairs tomorrow, doing our search for clues. It makes me feel like Daphne.”
“I thought I was Daphne.”
“You’re definitely Velma—brainier. I guess since he’s a lawyer, I’d have to cast Trey as Fred in our Scooby Gang.”
“So Owen’s Shaggy?”
Thinking, Cleo pursed her lips. “Doesn’t quite fit, does it? Sonya, I didn’t expect it to fit either, but I’m in love with him.”
“You’re in love with Shaggy?”
On a laugh, Cleo brushed a hand over her hair. “With Owen.”
“I knew what you meant, and also knew that.”
“Sonya, I mean all-caps love. I mean the-man-could-break-my-heart love, looking-ahead-to-having-his-babies love.”
She’d known Cleo to be in lowercase love, but all-caps love meant the real deal. “Oh.”
“I thought we’d just enjoy each other. Serious, but not too. It’s been a thousand little things, and a bunch of big ones. The way he held Pye when she was hurt? Well, that just tied it up in a big, shiny bow.”
“He’s a really good man, Cleo. He wouldn’t be my favorite cousin otherwise.”
“I’ve asked myself if it’s just because we’re all in this situation together—the intensity, the proximity. But it’s not.” She lifted her hands, let them fall. “So I’m stuck.”
“In the it’s-all-about-me arena?” Sonya tapped a finger on her chest. “My best friend, my favorite cousin? I love it. Aside from that? You’re good together, Cleo. From where I stand, you really fit. So, is it a problem?”
Cleo hunched her shoulders. “I don’t know yet. On the practical side, I met him like five minutes ago. But I’m the first one to say love’s not practical. The way you feel about Trey’s not practical.”
“Not even close.”
