Page 74 of Blue Hawaiian
“Of course, theirs wasn’t the only romance going on at Big Bear. Everyone knew about Jess’s childhood crush on Connor, but what most of youdidn’tknow was that they finally hooked up once Jess turned eighteen.” Brody chuckled. “And by the looks of it, they’re having just as much fun in Maui as they did at Big Bear. I guess some habits never die, right?”
No.Jess’s cheeks flooded with warmth. If she had to guess, she’d say this revelation hadnotbeen part of Brody’s original speech. She wanted to vanish in a puff of smoke, but instead, she had to endure the shocked looks of everyone at her table.
Brody gestured toward her. “Don’t worry, Jess. I’ll make sure Connor doesn’t break your heart again. Good old Brody has your back.”
Oh God.“Thanks, Brody,” she said weakly.
“I’m glad you’re moving back to California because I’ve missed the hell out of you. Chicago’s too far away.” Brody swayed, then righted himself on the arm of the chair. “Whoa. Why is the ground moving? Was that an earthquake?”
He stepped back unsteadily, sending his chair flying backward. His leg caught on one of the rungs, and he stumbled over it, collapsing onto the grass. Connor sprang up to help him and half led, half dragged him away from the terrace.
No one spoke. Then Marc stood and addressed the guests. “Sorry, everyone. I’m going to make sure my brother’s okay, but I’ll be back in a few minutes. Please, enjoy dinner.”
As Marc left, Jess wished she could follow him. All she wanted to do was hide in her hotel room and escape the inevitable questions.
But it was too late.
Chapter 28
Jess swallowed back the painful ache in her throat. Not only had Brody exposed her lies, he’d done it at a time when Gabi was stressed to the breaking point. Just like that, all the attempts Jess had made to support her sister no longer mattered. Not when her deception had been outed in such a public fashion.
“You’re moving back home?” her mom said. “How long have you been planning this?”
Gabi was right on her heels. “What’s going on with Connor? You said nothing happened.”
“You slept with Connor?” Victoria said. “I thought you were over him.”
Jess hoped the Blackwood parents weren’t listening in, but they seemed immersed in their own conversation, probably discussing Brody’s epic fall from grace. She spoke quietly, hoping her family would do the same. “One question at a time.”
“Me first,” her mom said. “Why are you leaving Chicago? What about your job?”
“I got laid off at the end of March after Simon dumped me,” Jess said. “I’ve been working at temp jobs, but I can’t afford to live in Chicago anymore.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” her mom asked.
Jess tried to control the waver in her voice. Bursting into ugly tears would only add to her humiliation. “Losing Simon was bad enough. But losing my job made me feel like a total failure. I thought if you found out, you’d expect me to come home, and I still wanted to give Chicago a chance. I tried to find something else, but I failed. I hope it’s okay I’m moving back next month. It’s only temporary—until I get a job and a place of my own.”
“Of course it’s okay.” Her mom stood up. She walked over to Jess and held out her arms.
She stood, surprised her mom was offering a hug, rather than a lecture. She leaned against her, inhaling the familiar scent of roses. “You’re not mad?”
“How could I be mad? It’s not your fault. I’m sorry Chicago didn’t work out.”
“Thanks, Mama.” After all this time, telling the truth was like lifting an enormous weight from her shoulders.
Gabi’s voice cut razor-sharp. “What about Connor? When did that start?”
“A couple of days ago.” Jess stepped back from her mom’s embrace. Telling everyone about Chicago was one thing. Fessing up about Connor was a much greater level of mortification.
“You told me you were just friends,” Gabi said. “Was that a lie?”
She bowed her head in shame. “Sort of. You said you didn’t want any drama.”
“So, you saved your big reveal for tonight?” As Gabi stood to face her sister, her voice rose above the buzz of conversation, capturing the attention of the other guests. “Why not announce it at the wedding before Marc and I were about to exchange vows? Wouldn’t that have more impact?”
Jess forced herself to meet her gaze. The fury in Gabi’s eyes made her recoil. “I didn’t mean for everyone to find out tonight. That was Brody, not me.”
Over at the far table, the Blackwoods were now watching the Chavez women as if they were a trashy reality show.
