“Good afternoon,” I said when we reached them, my tone the same smooth, practiced tenor that had gotten me out of trouble more times than I could count. “How are you ladies doing on this fine, summer’s day?”
The older woman turned first, her expression warm and open, immediately setting her apart from her daughter. Jacqueline was glaring at me like I’d gotten her favorite TV show canceled.
“Hello,” her mom said kindly, her gaze wandering down to the toddler at my side and a smile immediately spreading on her lips. “Oh, hello, precious one. Who are you?”
“Jesse,” I offered, even though I knew she hadn’t been talking to me. “Well, both of us are.”
Her smile widened. “Stacy Calhoun.”
I was already about to start stacking on the charm when Jacqueline spoke up. “He’s a Westwood, Mom. Can’t you tell by the starch in his shirt?”
“I have never once starched a shirt,” I said, offended. My gaze snapped to hers, finding her looking at me with her eyes narrowed, assessing and unimpressed in a way that felt targeted.
I had absolutely no idea what her problem was, but Stacy blinked, glancing between us before letting out a soft, slightly awkward laugh. “Oh, how nice to meet you. Westwood is my maiden name. Which branch are you from?”
“Chicago,” I said. “But yes, our family gets around.”
Stacy smiled. “It sure does.”
“That’s all you’re getting from us,” Jacqueline said like she was drawing a line I hadn’t even realized I’d crossed.
“Okay,” I said slowly, my gaze locked on her captivating golden-brown eyes as I tried to figure out why she looked so disapproving. Women rarely looked so angry at me until after a few nights together, mostly when I didn’t call them. But if I had slept with Jacqueline, I would have remembered. The woman was captivating, even with anger flashing in her eyes.
Long before I’d even begun to figure it out, the uncomfortable silence that had suddenly fallen between us was lifted by Will calling my name. “Jesse! Where are you kids?”
I turned to see him and Eliza approaching across the lawn, looking a lot more relaxed and rested than when I’d arrived. Both were glancing curiously between me and the women I was with, polite smiles on their faces when they reached us.
“There you two are,” Will said, his gaze flicking once again to the women. “Making new friends, I see. I’m Will Westwood and this is my wife, Eliza.”
Eliza’s smile was bright. Little J squealed and launched himself at her, and she stepped forward, hoisting him into her arms.
I gestured at the Calhouns. “This is Jacqueline and Stacy Calhoun, formerly Westwood. They’re cousins. We met over at Sterling’s last weekend.”
Will grinned like I’d handed him a gift. “Oh, wow. It’s so cool to meet you guys. We really wanted to go to the wedding, but with this little guy, it’s just not the best time for us.”
Hands were shaken and smiles were exchanged, but Jacqueline still seemed pissed off. Stacy, however, looked a lot happier than her daughter, like she was legitimately happy to meet more of her extended family.
“Why don’t you come back to the castle with us?” Eliza offered. “We could give you a proper tour after some tea.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Stacy said, clearly delighted.
Jacqueline said nothing, just glancing at me briefly like she was taking my measure. We fell into step beside each other as the rest of the group moved ahead, Little J already demanding Will’s full attention.
I glanced at Jacqueline from the corner of my eye. “So, did you enjoy the wedding?”
The stony mask her features had set into didn’t change. “No.”
I chuckled. “Cool. It’s good to know I wasn’t the only one.”
She finally glanced at me, amusement flickering beneath the surface of those eyes. “You didn’t enjoy it?”
“It was painfully boring.”
Her eyebrows lifted just a tiny bit. “The whole thing dragged on. Self-indulgent, if you ask me.”
“I was over it before they even said their vows,” I admitted, smiling. “True love is for suckers.”
I expected her to disagree with me, but she chuckled humorlessly and nodded. “On that, we can agree.”