Christmas Baby for the Billionaire (South Shore Billionaires 1)

“Oh, I’m sorry, Tori. Mom is now Carol Heppner. I can’t believe I forgot to mention that.”

“Yes really, Jeremy, it’s like you don’t care who I am at all,” his mother chided, but instead of being hurt she just looked...disinterested.

“Oh, wait.” Tori tried a smile and pried open the catch on her purse. “Mrs. Heppner, I brought you something. Just to say thank-you for having me tonight.”

She took out the robin’s-egg-blue bag and held it out. When she’d been shopping for Jeremy’s decorations, she’d seen it and had thought maybe it would be fancy enough for his mother. She hadn’t wanted to arrive empty-handed.

Jeremy looked uncomfortable and Carol stared at the bag for a moment before taking it. “Thank you.”

She moved to hand it off to a servant when Jeremy’s brittle voice came from beside her.

“Aren’t you going to open it, Mother?”

With a sigh, Carol opened the bag, then the box inside, and the pouch inside that. She removed the delicate snowman on the red ribbon that Tori had thought so cute and that had taken a substantial chunk of her bank account.

“Isn’t that...charming.”

She stared at Tori’s belly again, then looked at Jeremy and said, “I do hope you enjoy the party. Have you seen Sarah? She’s here.”

“We saw her on the way in.” With a defiant set to his jaw, he added, “She wanted to congratulate us on the baby.”

A weak smile touched his mother’s lips. “Odd, how you wait until a party to tell your own mother. Oh, well. Let me add my congratulations, then. But excuse me. I do have other guests to attend to.”

She walked away. Tori watched as she handed off the ornament to a staff member as if it were nothing at all.

“You got her a hostess gift? Tori, that’s ballsy.”

“Yeah, well, she didn’t look impressed.”

“Of course not. She’s never impressed.” His gaze softened.

“I knew she’d have...exacting tastes. I know it was small. And a snowman... I’m an idiot.”

He put his arm around her. “No, you’re not. You’re incredibly sweet and have better manners than my mother. Come on, let’s find Sarah. She’s as emotionally stunted as the rest of us, but she tries. And she’s an ally.”

Tori tried not to laugh but couldn’t help it. Emotionally stunted? She didn’t think Jeremy was. She thought he covered a lot with smiles and charm, but the last week he’d revealed a lot about himself.

“All right. Could I have another club soda, though? I feel like I need to have something in my hand.”

“Of course. And dinner will be soon.”

They mingled their way through the room in search of Sarah, whom they found in a corner drinking a glass of wine and holding an animated conversation with a man who looked perhaps thirty. As they drew closer, Tori could tell the conversation was centered on financial stuff she didn’t understand. Sarah was clearly schooling the younger man, who was openly flirting back. What was it like to have that kind of confidence?”

“Excuse me,” Sarah said. “I’m going to chat with my brother for a few minutes.”

She extricated herself from the conversation and turned to Tori and Jeremy. “Oh, my goodness. They get younger every time I turn around. Thanks for the rescue.”

“One good turn deserves another. We saw Mom.”

“That must have been entertaining. I’m sorry I missed it.” She took a big sip of wine. “What did she say?”

Tori looked up. “She said congratulations.”

Sarah snorted. “She did not. And if she did, it wasn’t in that sweet way that you just did. By the way, I can’t place your accent. Where are you from?”

“Nova Scotia.”

Sarah looked at Jeremy. “Last summer’s trip.”