Juliet grabbed her by the arm and steered her to the couch, which was clearly Vivienne’s bed, judging by the jumbled blankets and pillow. In one swoop, Juliet balled the bedding up and tossed it over the back.

“You and Leo had a fight? About the Max thing?” Vivienne asked. Juliet speared her with a look and shook her head in a way that clearly meant not now. “I—I’ll make us some tea.”

“We didn’t just have a fight,” Tessa whispered. “It’s over.”

“Oh, Tessa.” Juliet put a hand on her arm. “I’m so sorry.”

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Juliet approached the window and peeked behind the curtain. She called over her shoulder to Vivienne, who was in the little kitchenette filling up the teapot. “Viv! You didn’t call Mom and Gram, did you?”

Vivienne held up her hands. “Why does everyone always blame me? Not me this time.”

“I called them,” Tessa said. “I have to talk to Mom. I have to talk to all of you.” She was going to do what she hadn’t done in a very long time: confide in her family.

Juliet let in their mother and grandmother, who were both dressed in their robes and nightgowns.

“What is this about?” her mother asked, looking around at her three daughters.

“It’s three in the morning,” Gram said, tying a knot in her blue silk robe. “All of you are alive and breathing, so who’s pregnant?”

“Tessa and Leo had a giant fight,” Vivienne said.

“No one’s pregnant,” Tessa said as everyone sat down and Vivienne passed around mugs of tea. “Max Hammond came into the bakery today and let it slip that Mom was considering selling the bakery to the Castorinis.”

Someone let out a gasp. It might have been Juliet. Her mother sat bone straight, her teacup in her lap, unflinching. The woman should play poker, because she had no tell.

“When it was clear I had no idea what he was talking about,” Tessa said, “Max got embarrassed and apologized and said I’d have to ask Leo. Turns out, I found a proposal drawn up for the sale of the bakery. In Leo’s desk.”

“Oh no,” Juliet said. “Leo was planning to buy our bakery?”

“He said Mom came to him, and he didn’t tell me because he believed that with all our plans, I’d make the bakery worth too much for his dad to buy. And he said I needed to talk to you, Mom.”

“Leo would tell the truth,” Vivienne said, nodding her head.

“Leo never told me about any of this,” Tessa said. “I had to find it out for myself.” She turned to her mother and pulled the paper from her shorts pocket. “Did the Castorinis force you to sign this?”