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“You really think so? Your father doesn’t like this color on me.”

“Ignore him. He’s colorblind. Sapphire is your color.”

The fact she was beaming from something I’d said to her brought a knot into my stomach. I’d been so damn rough on her through the years. “You are such a beautiful soul. I’m so glad you could make it. Amber has been asking about you.”

“Where is she?”

Sasha rolled her eyes. “In the tent. That girl is going to be the death of me. Do you know she wants to be an actress now? God help me.”

We both laughed. “Next week that will change.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. Get a drink. Maybe you can coax her to the main house.”

“I’ll do my best. Do me a favor in the meantime. Don’t let Pops feed my son every single cookie. I do not need a cranky baby boy on the trip home.”

She winked. “Leave it to me. I’ll make him a plate of his favorite foods.”

I squeezed her arm and moved to the massive living room that could double as a ballroom for any hotel. I hadn’t grown up here, the house a purchase for Sasha as a wedding gift. It had always seemed foreign to me, but it was beautiful. I grabbed a glass of champagne from one of several waiters walking through, waving to a couple of people I knew.

Kind of knew.

I’d distanced myself from my father’s world so long ago that even the old family friends didn’t seem familiar any longer. It was odd to be a member of the family and feel like you were looking from the outside in.

I headed to one of four sets of French doors. The moment I cracked one open, the blasting music assaulted my senses. The kids had returned to enjoying metal music along with their hip-hop and rap. Not that I was an expert in music. I rarely had time to listen to anything but a little bit of news in the morning.

Or one of Gabriel’s three dozen Disney movies. Over and over again.

And again.

I laughed softly to myself as I headed down the stone pathway. The house was situated beautifully on several acres of land, dense forest surrounding it on both sides. In the back was a beautiful view of a body of water. There was something very serene about the entire area of Bay Shore.

It was close enough to New York to keep an eye on business, but not too snotty as my father called the Hamptons while still a lovely place to raise two kids. My ten-year-old self had considered herself an adult.

I’d been such a little prima donna.

At least I didn’t see that in Amber. With the present I’d purchased months before in my hand, I headed down the path to the tents. The first was set up with food and beverages, not all of them nonalcoholic either. I didn’t see a chaperone. Lordy. I’d need to look the other way by the end of the night.

The second was where all the action was, as many as one hundred kids already dancing and squealing.

But the highest pitched squeal came when Amber saw me. She went tearing through the crowd, throwing her arms around me. “You came!”

“Of course I came,” I yelled, given how loud the music was. “Can we go outside?”

“Sure.” She pulled away and clapped her hands. She looked like a fairytale come true, her chiffon dress perfection.

I’d been a tomboy. She was the epitome of an Italian princess. So beautiful. So sophisticated.

I was proud of her as if she was my own. We headed out of the tent and she immediately eyed the present.

“Is that for me?” she asked, even batting her eyelashes, a signature move.

“That depends on if you’re the birthday girl.”

“You know I am.” She didn’t wait for me to hand her the small box, snatching it from my hand. When she ripped off the gold foil, her smile was huge. It was as if she didn’t have several tables full of presents waiting for her to open.

The moment she opened the box, she gasped and looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “It’s beautiful! I love it.” She fingered the sterling silver dolphin, which happened to be her favorite creature on earth.

“His eye is a sapphire, diamonds on his fin.”

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