Carolina Moon

and grief. I’m sorry you could never see beyond them to the children you had left, to the life you might have made outside of that bubble you surrounded yourself with.”
    “You would speak to me this way?”
    “I’ve tried every other way. If you did what you had to do for yourself, I won’t blame you for it. If you continue to live as you have these last eighteen years, it’s your choice. But Faith and I have lives of our own. And mine is going to be with Tory.”
    “Well, congratulations.” Faith lifted the glass of wine she’d just poured, then drank it herself. “I suppose this should be champagne. Tory, let me be the first to welcome you into our happy family.”
    “Be quiet,” Margaret hissed, and got no more than a shrug from her daughter. “Do you think I don’t know why you’re doing this?” she said to Cade. “To spite me. To punish me for some imagined wrongs. I’m your mother, and as such I’ve done my best by you since the day you were born.”
    “I know that.”
    “Depressing, isn’t it?” Faith murmured. Cade merely glanced at her, shook his head.
    “I’ve nothing to spite or to punish you for. I’m not doing this to you, Mama. I’m doing it for me. I’ve had a miracle in my life. Tory came back into it.”
    He took her hand again, found it icy, drew her up beside him. “And I found out I’m capable of more than I imagined. I’m capable of loving someone, and of wanting to do my best by her. I’m getting the best of the bargain here. She doesn’t think so, won’t even after this. But I know it. And I intend to treasure it.”
    “By tomorrow, Judge Purcell will have my new will drawn up. I will cut you both off without a penny.” She aimed her furious gaze at Faith. “Not a cent, do you understand, unless you stand with me now. You have no personal stake in this woman,” she said to Faith. “I will see to it that you receive your share, and Cade’s, beginning with the fair market value of your interest in the Marsh House and the Market Street property.”
    Faith contemplated her wine. “Hmmm. Now, what would that fair market value be?”
    “In the vicinity of a hundred thousand,” Cade told her. “I can’t speak for what my share of our mother’s estate might be, but I would assume it edges quite a bit closer to seven figures.”
    “Oooh.” Faith pursed her lips. “Imagine that. So all that will be mine if I just toss Cade to the wolves, so to speak, and do what you want me to do.” She waited a beat. “Now, when, I wonder, have I ever done what you wanted, Mama?”
    “You would be wise to think this through.”
    “Second question. When have I ever been wise? Do you want wine, Cade, or would you rather a beer?”
    “I will not make this offer a second time,” Margaret said coldly. “If you insist on going through with this farce, I will leave this house, and you and I will have nothing more to say to each other.”
    “I’ll be sorry for that.” Cade’s voice remained calm. “I hope you’ll change your mind given time.”
    “You would choose her over your own family? Your own blood.”
    “Without a minute’s hesitation. I’m sorry you’ve never felt that way about anyone. If you had, you wouldn’t question it.”
    “She’ll ruin you.” Gathering herself, Margaret looked at Tory. “You think you were clever to hold out. You believe you’ve won. But you’re wrong. In the end he’ll see you for what you are, and you’ll have nothing.”
    The words were there, just there, making her understand she’d only been waiting to say them. “He sees me for what I am. That’s my miracle, Mrs. Lavelle. Please don’t make him choose between us. Don’t make all of us live with that.”
    “I had another child who chose you, and she paid a high price for it. Now you’ll take a second. I’ll make arrangements to leave immediately,” she said to Cade. “Have the decency to keep her away from me until they’re complete.”
    “Well, well.” Faith poured a second glass as her mother walked away. “That was pleasant.”
    “Faith.”
    “Oh, don’t give me that look,” she said, brushing Cade off. “I don’t imagine either of you were particularly entertained, but I was. Enormously. God knows she had it coming. Here.” She pushed the wine into Tory’s hand. “You look like you could use this.”
    “Go talk to her, Cade. You can’t leave it like this.”
    “If he tries, I’ll lose all this new respect and admiration I have for