Page 130 of Ella Gets the D
“I think you should sit,” Claire says with a nod to the sofa behind me.
God, please don’t let it be Julian.
“I’ll stand.”
The two share another look before Katharine steps forward. “Charles is getting arrested.”
My ass hits the leather sofa with a thud, but not loud enough to alert the house. “What?“ I must’ve misheard her.
“I hired a private investigator after photos of Julian and Camila started turning up,” Claire says. “I assumed it was him, but I also discovered certain…habits that signaled something else.” She pulls out her phone from her cranberry sheath dress—with fabulous pockets, by the way—and scrolls. “Do you know this woman?”
The hell?
“Tiffany Hearst.” I nod at the image of the parent volunteer Queen B and Charles huddled together in the corner of a restaurant. “Was that here?”
“Santa Barbara.”
What?
“There’s strong evidence he used money from the organization for personal gain. He’d expense business trips to conferences he wasn’t present for and travel to destinations that did not benefit the organization. Tiffany popped up twice this month. There is also reason to believe he used Mt. Corbel money to help finance a property in Florida.”
“Misappropriation of funds is serious,” Katharine adds.
“Don’t forget embezzlement,” Claire throws in.
“Yes.” Katharine tears her eyes away to steady her chin. “Because my son crossed state lines”—she sucks in a shaky breath—“he could face federal charges.”Shit. “I can’t undo the harm he’s caused, but I can make sure he doesn’t hurt you again.” Her trembling hand reaches for mine. “You are my family, Ella.”
“And we protect the ones we love. Always have, and always will,” Claire says. “I’m sorry I didn’t catch Asher in time.” Her gaze shifts to Katharine. “We didn’t know, and Charles was careful to not meet him in person. The only time they did was at that scholarship dinner. I was ready to go after him, but you beat me to it.” She considers me with a gentle stare that eases into a smile. “Whether you and my son make it official or not—which Ihope you do at some point,” she laughs, “you will always be my daughter.”
All I can do is gawk. Julian’s mom hasn’t been unkind to me, but I wouldn’t expect her to root for us, either.
“What about Camila?”
“What about her?” She scoffs and sucks her teeth. “I only entertained that girl to see if she was the one feeding those photos to the blog. They came from your ex, but she will answer for her part. Trust me on that.”
Claire’s words hit me at full force. They would knock me on my ass again if I wasn’t already sitting. I’m baffled and dumbfounded, which might be the look of the day. A nervous smile peeks out. “I didn’t think you’d approve of us.”
Claire tips her head back and laughs.Laughs. “I see the way my son lights up when he sees you or speaks about you. The boy is sprung, and I couldn’t think of a better person for him to be with. Just don’t tell anyone. I do have a reputation.” She winks.
“Grandma!” Haile drops her plate on the counter to rush into Katharine’s arms. Her small hands wrap around her cream trousers. “Bonswa,” she says to Claire, whose eyes grow at the familiar greeting.
She looks to me for an explanation. “Her class is learning about cultures.” I smile. “Julian is teaching her some Haitian Creole phrases.”
“Maybe you could come one day?” Haile peeps.
Claire’s eyes shine. I’ve never seen her cry. Ever. She wipes a stray tear and nods. “I’d love to.”
Haile leads them into the den of laughter known as our dining room. Charles’s pending prosecution is another fight for another day. He’ll need to figure that out with his attorneys. For now, our kids are happy, and they have everything they need to heal.
I take the opportunity to grab my jacket and shoes and head out into the night air.
The moon is full, bathing the neighborhood in a luminous glow. The kaleidoscope of tulips and primroses in full bloom sway in a tender breeze. The kids and I made the flower bed last summer, a lifetime ago, when I dug through hard ground to scatter seeds I would nourish and grow.
I tip my head back, close my eyes, and repeat Grier’s words from earlier today in the courthouse:
“It’s done.”
Finished.
