“Right now?” my dad asks with an enormous grin on his face. Making progress on one of his inventions is the best Christmas present he could ask for.

“Is that okay?” Leo murmurs to me, his voice lower.

The truth is I’m nervous about standing in the middle of the Morelli gala without Leo by my side. But I also don’t want him to feel trapped. What if he thinks I’m clingy? He’s brave. I should be, too. Besides, I have Daphne and Cash with me. “Of course it’s okay.”

Then they’re off, weaving through men in tuxes and women in elaborate gowns.

That leaves my brother and Daphne, two people I love.

“He loves his work, doesn’t he?” Daphne asks Cash.

“He loves it so much he’s willing to burn the house down for it.” Cash rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling. “Other than a few kitchen fires, we’ve managed to keep it to a small explosion in the basement. The fire extinguisher worked, thanks to Haley checking them regularly.”

Daphne’s eyes go wide. “An explosion?”

The crowd next to us parts and Sarah Morelli appears. By next month she’ll be my mother-in-law. We’ve met multiple times, but only when I was with Leo. She’s petite and pretty with red hair and fine features I recognize from Leo’s face. Her eyes move over the three of us. The look in her eyes is distant, haughty, and a little bit sad. I know better than to relax my guard, though. “Daphne. Haley.” She finally settles on Cash, who stiffens. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”

“This is my brother, Cash. I think you might have met him at the engagement party.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Morelli.” Cash looks nervous under her cool gaze.

She inclines her head in a regal nod.

“Sarah!” comes a voice through the throng. A woman pushes her way to us. She looks about the same age as Sarah Morelli. “So nice to see you. Thank you for the invitation, of course. My Rolly and I adore spending time in your lovely home.”

“Victoria,” Sarah says, her voice no warmer for this woman than it was for Cash.

The woman named Victoria looks at me. And does a double take. I can tell she recognizes us as Constantines from the way she tenses. I don’t recognize her, but that doesn’t mean much. The Constantines are notorious, even the poor cousins like me. And with my white-blonde hair I can’t hide my identity.

“Hello, Mrs. Lowell,” Daphne says, breaking the awkward silence. She sounds nervous. Which matches my mood. “This is Haley, Leo’s fiancée. And her brother Cash.”