“No. Of course not.” Tessa didn’t miss the little dig. Somehow, over the years, her relationship with her sisters had devolved into more of advice-giving and being a surrogate parent than a sister—and she wasn’t quite sure how to change that.
“Good. Because this time it’s for real. We’ve navigated all our differences, we’ve matured, and…and I love him. He’s the one.” She stood there as if she’d just confessed a huge revelation.
Yes, the one to cause endless heartache, Tessa truly believed. “What makes you think that he’s planning on popping the question?”
“He asked me to go for a hike in a few weeks in the same park where his parents got engaged. Then he made dinner reservations at that new winery where everyone eats overlooking the lake. And he said we have something important to discuss.”
“Just please be careful. I’d hate to see you hurt again.”
“Don’t ruin this for me, okay?” From that almost-an-eye-roll look her sister just cast her, Tessa could tell she was holding back. Vivienne had never given her lip like this. “Please try to resist playing mom.”
Tessa bit back her tongue. She’d had to play mom after their father died, when their mother had been overloaded with stress and grief. Someone had had to step up and mother her sisters. And somehow, even after her mom had recovered from the shock of their father’s death, Tessa had kept the role. All of them had sensed that their mother could take only so much overload, and Tessa had always picked up the slack. She held up her hands. “Okay, no more warnings. I hope he is the one.”
Then Tessa’s phone rang, and the image of her youngest sister, Vivienne, lit up the screen.
She picked up the phone and held it so Juliet could see too. “Hi, Viv!”
“Hi, Tessa! Hey, Juliet!” Vivienne called. “I miss you!” She was smiling widely, but maybe a little too widely. Tessa heard a slight tinge of sadness in her voice. Probably just homesickness, as Viv hadn’t been home since last Christmas.
“You called at the perfect time,” Tessa said. “It’s just the two of us.”
“I think there’s going to be an engagement in the family soon,” Juliet said in a sing-song voice.
“Tessa met someone?” Vivienne asked.
“No, Viv,” Juliet said a little indignantly. “I’m talking about Jax and me!”
Oh dear. This wasn’t going well. But on a positive note, at least one of Tessa’s sisters still held out hope for her to find love, too.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Jules,” Viv said. “I thought you two broke up.”
“We’ve resolved our issues,” Juliet reported. “And things are going really well.”
“That’s great,” Vivienne said. “Congratulations.”
“How’s your art internship?” Tessa asked, changing the subject.
“Awesome.” She rushed on to say, “The d’Orsay is quite a place. I’m learning so much. And every day I walk by the Monets and I can’t believe how much more stunning they look in person than on postcards and umbrellas. Tonight we have a dinner to recognize up-and-coming artists.”
The d’Orsay. Monet. Viv was living her dream. Tessa was really happy for her baby sister. And, she hated to admit, a little sad for herself.
“Is your photography going to be on display at that gallery you talked about?” Juliet asked.
“Not yet. But maybe someday! Hey Tessa, I thought of you. Because I actually ate in that patisserie in the Marais you used to have a photo of in your room, remember? I took all kinds of pics for you. I’ll send them.”
Tessa felt a tiny stab in her gut that she quickly shooed away. Never mind that she’d longed to do every single one of the things portrayed in the many photos Viv sent to them: visit the Eiffel Tower, eat macarons from Ladurée on the Champs-Élysées, stroll the markets for fresh cheeses and bread, and walk the cobblestoned streets of the Marais in search of a wonderful café to have a croissant and a coffee as she watched Paris stroll by.
And the patisserie in the photo… It was her absolute dream pastry shop. With a black and white tile floor and a pink glass chandelier and a killer view of the famous Pont des Arts over the Seine. One day, she’d told herself, she’d have a little shop just like that. Minus the Seine, but hey, you can’t have everything, right?
“Oh, Viv, that’s wonderful,” Tessa said. She loved her baby sister, and she was thrilled that she was in Paris and living her dream of working in the art world.
Even though it had really been Tessa’s dream, if you substituted pastry for art. Instead, Tessa had baked and decorated cakes at night, Juliet had taken on tutoring in addition to her bakery shifts, and the whole family had scraped together enough for Viv’s study-abroad experience. Since then, Vivienne had managed to support herself, and Tessa was proud of her.
All Tessa wanted now was the opportunity to find her own dream, instead of helping everyone else’s come true.
But when? When would it be her turn?
A thought formed in her still-throbbing head. Leo. His strange plan could make that happen.
She pushed the rogue thought aside. That “plan” would create havoc among both their families. Plus it was…marriage, fake or not. Something not to be taken lightly.
“How’s everything going in the bakery?” Viv asked. “Are things better? You can tell me since Mom’s not around.”
Tessa and Juliet exchanged a tacit glance off-camera. Vivienne didn’t need to know the whole truth, because she was too far away to do anything to help. Why ruin all her plans by making her rush back when it probably wouldn’t even matter?
Besides, Vivienne hated working in the bakery. Part of the reason was that she had gluten sensitivity—and that precluded her from eating anything they made there, which was a special torment for her.
“Business is…better,” Tessa lied. It might be if she and Leo joined forces. But surely there was a better way.
No lightning bolt suddenly struck her with a better idea, that was for sure.
If she agreed, she could use Leo’s resources to get more accounts for the bakery. Plus she could bake her desserts for real, showing her mom she was serious. Their parents would have to soften to each other, because they’d be family. And Leo’s father would be inclined to listen to his ideas.
She had to admit, as outrageous as Leo’s idea was, it could actually work. For both of them.
Then she would be free to pursue her dream.
“How’s Mikhail?” Juliet was asking.
“Mikhail is amazing,” Vivienne said in an overly bubbly voice. “He’s just started his surgery residency, so he’s pretty busy. But I am, too. So are the crab apple trees blooming? Could you use the phone to let me see?”