“But he is ruthless about getting what he wants.”

“And you are ruthless in standing for the truth. That can be overwhelming at times and a great burden to bear at others, but it’s as far from the man who exploits the weakness of others to provide for his own ill-gotten luxuries as the life you now live is to the one you were born to.” She needed him to see that.

“I did not want him punished for what he did to me, but I wanted his world to see him for who he was and how he took advantage of others.”

“I know.”

“He destroyed too many lives.”

“And I bet he was never sorry he did so. He and Art have more in common than you and him.”

“Too bad they are not related.”

“Yes, it is. Art’s family are decent, nice people. I have no idea how he turned out so selfish and blind to his own faults.”

“My mother did not want to give me up. Even when I was a small boy, I understood that. She felt she had no choice. She did not want me to be raised in a whorehouse.”

“So, she chose the lesser of two evils, and paid the rest of her life for having to do so.”

“I think you are right.” He looked like he was having a revelation.

“It’s that mother-to-be oracle thing again,” she teased.

He smiled and then went serious again. “That is why you want to invite her to the wedding. You think it is time she stopped paying.”

it is time you both stopped paying for things

call her

“Thank you.”

project spreadsheet, but all he saw was an image from the past—his mother’s face one of the many times she told him she loved him

and he

James started playing in that tinny way that ring tones did, bringing him

pressed the talk

made up for. She’d programmed the song into his phone as her personal ring tone after agreeing to marry him. She was going to go all gooeyeyed over the wedding ring set he had ordered to be overnighted from Tiffany’s. He’d had their names and the date they met

it go?” Piper asked

“She cried.”

“You’re not surprised.”

“We agreed to meet for dinner on a day before the wedding, as you suggested.” Piper had thought him seeing his mother for the first time in more than two decades at his wedding might be too much

thought he might be

Are we meeting at a

to come to her home,”

“And you agreed?”

“Yes.”

for a second and then asked, “Will her

all out at once. “He’s coming to

met that

to talk to me,

he want to

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