Page 40 of Some Kinda Romance

“I love her work,” Diana said, leaning forward and studying the picture. “It’s very natural and not at all gaudy or tacky.”

I laughed softly. “Exactly. That’s what I love about her. Mia May is also great. She has a real knack for making dramatic look classically stylish, which is amazing. She’s won awards all around the world, and as it happens, she owes me a favor, so she’s promised to be available if we decide to go with her.”

Diana took the mouse from me and scrolled through some of Mia’s work, but then she shook her head. “I think I prefer Maggie, so perhaps you should use your favor for a bride who wants Mia specifically.”

“Okay, then.” Julie grinned. “That’s makeup sorted. On to hair.”

I moved to the next folder I’d prepared for her, flipping through some of the recent work of the two hairstylists who worked with Maggie the most often. “Of course, we can work with anyone you like, but Maggie prefers these two gentlemen. They know each other well and they know not to get in each other’s way, so my advice would be that unless you’ve got someone in mind, we go with one of them.”

Diana flicked through the pictures once more, settling on one of the two hairstylists I suggested before she suddenly smiled at me. “As always, I’m so impressed with you, darling. You’re such a natural at this and I know from personal experience that not everyone is. You’re doing a remarkable job and you’re excelling at making this process so unbelievably easy for me that I can’t actually believe we’ve almost planned an entire wedding.”

I chuckled, but she reached across the desk and took my hand. “I mean it, Serenity. This is what you were meant to do with your life. I’m glad you got this company in the divorce. You deserve it.”

I flushed, accepting the compliment but turning the conversation away from myself as fast as I could. We slipped into casual conversation first, talking about the industry and her experience with it, having been married to one of the legends of the game for so long.

Eventually, of course, that brought us to the topic I was most interested in today—Dash.

“I love all my sons equally,” she said, smiling as she spoke about them. “They’ve all got their strengths and their weaknesses, but that boy is my pride and joy. I know he hasn’t always been kind to you, but that’s only because he’s a bit of a lone wolf. I think growing up with four brothers got overwhelming for him at times, and he started breaking away from the pack more and more often as they got older, but his bark is worse than his bite.”

I laughed. “I’m starting to realize that, and don’t worry about me. He’s been better recently.”

Julie winked at me and I almost rolled my eyes before I caught myself. Instead, I listened as Diana boasted about her son and I loved hearing her talk about him this way. “At his core, he really is a good man. Sometimes, it takes him a beat to understand the reasoning and emotions of the people around him and even of himself, but once he understands, you will never find anyone as supportive. Or as efficient.”

I leaned back in my chair, relaxing and content to keep listening to her tell me more about him. The door suddenly opened again and I stiffened. My heart jumped into my throat, but then Dash walked in and it was like I could feel the tension in my muscles being replaced by warmth.

Now that I knew it wasn’t Ethan dropping in for another impromptu visit, a grin curved on my lips and relief made me feel lighter than air. Our eyes met just as Diana spun to see her son standing in the doorway.

She smiled. “Your ears must’ve been burning. We were just talking about you.”

He arched a dark eyebrow and I blushed when his gaze moved back to mine. After holding it for a beat, he smiled and walked further into the room. “I’m sorry I’m late. How about I take you all out to lunch so you can catch me up on everything I missed today?”

“That would be lovely.” Diana beamed at him.

Julie nodded. “I’m in.”

Not about to be sole holdout, my smile widened. “Of course. Do you have someplace in mind?”

He nodded, but before we could leave, my phone rang and my stomach turned into a pit of dread when I glanced at it and saw who it was. The call ended, but it was followed immediately by a text that popped up, short enough that I could read it in its entirety.

“Serenity?” Diana said as the phone started ringing again. “Are you okay?”

I cleared my throat, my chest burning with panic and my hands shaky, but I looked up at her and forced a smile. “I’m fine. You guys go ahead without me. I need to take this and I, uh, I have to leave.”

Without any further explanation, I gave them a tight nod and picked up my phone, racing out of the office to take the call where no one would be able to hear me.