“Dr. Stratton, there’s a call for you,” Nurse Bostian said.

“For me? Who is it?”

“I don’t know, I’m a nurse, not a receptionist.”

Jack stalked toward the front desk. He couldn’t be cross with the nurse. It was highly frowned upon to get personal calls at the hospital, but not against the rules. Who the hell would call the hospital and not my phone? “Hello?”

“Jacob, it’s me.” His mom’s Melbourne accent was crystal clear across the lines.

“Mum? Why didn’t you call my phone?”

“I did, you didn’t answer your phone,” she sniffed.

“Right, because I’m at work. You know, in the ER.”

“Surely you can get away for a few minutes. As you just did.”

“The, uh… the connection is pretty good.”

“That’s because I’ll be landing there in an hour.”

“Here? Tahoe? In an hour?”

“Jacob, that’s what I just said. You need to listen better.”

“It’s just that… well, it’s quite a surprise.”

“I asked when your shift was up, and it’s any minute now, correct?”

“Yes…”

“So shall we say dinner at six o’clock? That should give you time to freshen up. I trust that you know the decent restaurants in town by now.”

“I do, but—”

“Fantastic, I’ll give you a call when I land. Do answer your phone this time, won’t you, Jacob?”

“Yes, Mum,” he muttered.

“Sounded urgent,” the receptionist said and gave him a sideways look.

“Highly.”

Jack looked at the clock. He was off in ten minutes, assuming there were no urgent cases that came in. He started toward his locker and tried to piece together how this would go. Surprisingly, the first person he wanted to reach out to was Addy.

Or maybe that’s not so surprising anymore.

When he grabbed his phone from the charging station, he saw that there was indeed a missed call from an unknown number. He took a deep breath and called Addy’s phone.

“What’s up?” she asked. She sounded breathless. “I’m just on a run to the bank for more change.”

“What time are you off?”

“Uh, about an hour. Why?”

“My mum’s come to town.”

“What?”

“And she’s a picky bitch.”

“Jack!”

“Sorry, love, but there’s no time for tact. We’re having dinner at six.”

“We are?”

“Yeah, is that enough time for you to get ready after work?”

“I mean… I guess? I could have used more warning—”

“Same here. Oh, and one more thing? She might not know that I’m married, per se.”

“Excuse me? What the—then why the hell do I even need to go? This is going way past what we agreed upon—”

“That’s what I love about you, how you roll with the punches.”

“Jack, I’m serious.”

“Look, I’m sorry. She took me by surprise, too. But do this for me, and I swear I’ll make it up to you. I’ll shelter you from her as much as I can, too.”

“Oh my—fine. Whatever. Where are we going?”

“Same place we had that incredible triple date before. Only the best for Mum.”

Addy groaned.

“Can I meet you there? I don’t have anything clean to wear, I need to raid Kenzie’s closet. And check on Dad,” she added.

Jack gulped. He felt guilty about springing this on Addy when her dad had only been home from the hospital for just three days.

“Yeah, sure, love. Meet us there.”

* * *

Jack waited on the tarmac for his mother’s plane. It wasn’t unusual for private planes to land in Tahoe, but he still felt like he was getting stares from the locals who worked there.

He tried to shake it off, but it still got to him. He’d hoped to leave the spoiled rich kid shadow behind. But as soon as his mother was en route, it all came back.

When her plane arrived, the ground crew immediately hustled toward the private jet. She emerged with newly shorn hair, a razor-sharp silver bob that had been her signature look for as long as Jack could remember.

Her cream silk skirt suit was impeccably tailored, without a wrinkle in sight. She didn’t even bother to remove her Jackie O sunglasses as she swished toward Jack, used to everyone rolling out the red carpet treatment for her.

“Jacob,” she said, and air kissed both his cheeks.

“It’s Jack,” he said, but she brushed it off as always.

She finally did remove her glasses to take in the Jeep as he hoisted her Louis Vuitton Damier luggage in the back.

“Mum?” he asked, as held the door open for her.

“I’m not getting in your trashy little plaything, darling,” she said, her nose wrinkled. “Fortunately, I know how boys are. Even ones raised to such high standards. It’s a good thing I had my assistant order a chauffeured town car. Where’s the transportation entrance? They said they’d wait there.”

He gritted his teeth and escorted her to the sleek black town car.

“Oh, just come with me, darling,” she said. “Nobody’s about to steal that tank of yours.”

“Where to?” he asked as he slid in beside her.

Jack knew better than to suggest she stay with him, at a hotel, or anywhere else. She was a force to be reckoned with, and it was always better to let her take the lead.

“The hospital,” she said as she pulled out a compact to check her makeup.

“The… my hospital?”

“Oh, you hardly own it. The one you work at, dear,” she said. “I thought we’d do that first, so I could see how you spend your days. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

He felt his heart rate increase the closer they got to the hospital.

“Just wait right here,” she told the driver.

“Mum, this is for ambulances,” Jack tried.

“Well, I’m certain he’s capable of moving temporarily should one arrive,” she said.

Even in her teetering stilettos, she managed to stay a few paces ahead of him.

He was greeted with surprised and confused looks from the rest of the staff. “I thought you were off for the night,” Philip said.

“I am—I was. This is my mum, Diana.”

“Mrs. Stratton,” she corrected.

Philip held out a hand and offered up his winning grin, but she paused uncomfortably long.

“I’m sorry, dear,” she told Philip. “Don’t take it personally, but considering the place and your job, I don’t know where those hands have been.”

“Oh! Right, okay,” Philip said.

He gave Jack an odd look as he pretended to look at his pager and wandered off.

Jack felt the shame thicken around him as his mother was rude to everyone they approached—until she caught sight of Rosalie.

“Rosalie, darling!” she called.

Rosalie whipped around. It took her a moment to recognize Diana, but when everything clicked into place Jack saw Rosalie freeze. He easily remembered their last, and only meeting—it had been just a brief dinner, but his mum had been cold and frosty to her.

What’s she up to?

“Mrs. Stratton,” Rosalie said. “What a surprise.”

She accepted the air kisses, but shot Jack a What the hell? look over his mother’s shoulder.

“Well, when I found out that you followed my Jacob here, I realized just how serious you two were.”

“Excuse me? I didn’t follow—”

“Mum!”

“Oh, hush,” she said, and patted Jack’s hand. “Rosalie, dear, you must join us for dinner.”

“Dinner?” Rosalie looked at Jack, confused.

“Mum, I’m sure Rosalie will still be on shift—”

“What time are you done, dear?”

“Uh, in about thirty—”

“Perfect, we’ll see you there. Jacob? I’m ready to leave,” his mother said.

“Alright. We’ll text you the details,” he muttered, happy to get her out of there as quickly as possible.

Before they’d even exited, she began to pick apart the building.

“Poor quality craftsmanship is all I can say,” she said. “Honestly, Jacob, I don’t understand why you would leave your prospects in Melbourne for… this.”

Jack was quiet. She egged him on, but there was no way he’d let her rile him up before she met Addy.

“Where to?” the driver asked after he’d opened their door and slid back into the front seat.

Jack looked to his mother, who raised her brow.

“Well?” she asked. “Give him your address, Jacob.”

Shit. No hotel? He mumbled the address to the driver. Jack could feel his mother’s appraisal of him as they made the short drive.

“Haven’t had time for the gym lately,” his mother said. It was a statement, not a question.

“Been busy,” he said.

“Too busy to even get out into the sun? That’s the one good thing about this place in the summer. You look sickly without a tan, Jacob.”

“Yeah, well. I’m a doctor, Mum. Kind of busy.”

“Jacob, don’t make excuses. If your father could do it, so can you.”

He clenched his fist and jaw, but the buzz of his phone distracted him.

Just got back to the condo, Addy said. Got a black dress from Kenzie that I think will work.

“Here we are,” the driver said as he pulled up to the building.

Jack’s mother peered at the craftsman-style condos and raised one judgmental brow. “Jacob—”

“Mum, I need you to listen to me.”

The driver got out of the car and came toward their door.

“It’s very important that you be nice to the person you’re about to meet.”

“About to mee—Jacob.” She scowled. “I knew it. You moved here for a girl, didn’t you—”

“I met her after I moved here,” he said, cutting her off.

The driver opened the door and offered an arm to his mother. She took it with a huff.

“Be nice,” he repeated as he opened the door.

“I’m always nice, Jacob.”

Addy sprung off the couch as soon as he threw open the door. Jack saw that she’d madly cleaned the condo as best she could. Even in the crazed state only his mother could put him in, he couldn’t help but notice how incredible Addy looked.

Her hair was blown out and the black dress with the lace cap sleeves hugged her figure perfectly but balanced modesty and sensuality.

“Addy, this is my mum, Diana. Mum, this is my wife, Addison. Addy.”

Addy reached out her hand. He saw the usual disgust in his mother’s face, but it faltered at the word “wife.”

“I’m so happy to finally meet you, Mrs. Stratton,” Addy said.

“Your… your…” his mother said. He’d never seen her shaken like this before.

Before Addy could realize his mother wouldn’t take her hand, he engulfed her in a hug.

“It’ll be okay,” he whispered to her, but she was clearly terrified.

He felt the small trembles that poured through her. Not that he could blame her. If he were in her shoes, he’d have run for the hills by now.

His mother glanced at her watch.

“Jacob? We must go to the restaurant now. I don’t want to keep Rosalie waiting.”

“Rosalie?” Addy visibly deflated a bit, and Jack saw his mother smirk at the reaction.

“Go get your purse,” he told Addy. “Rosalie’s excited to see you again. You haven’t hung out with her since you two went camping together, right?”

Only he would have noticed Addy’s little flush at the mention of camping, but he wasn’t about to let his mother make Addy feel inadequate.

“Quite friendly, are they?” his mother asked as Addy went to the bedroom for her purse. “Rosalie and Allison.”

“Addison,” he said, though he knew she knew her name. “Yeah, they’re friends.”

“Huh. Odd,” his mother said. “Brave of Allison, though. I wouldn’t want such a sophisticated, gorgeous woman as Rosalie around my husband.”

“Mother, behave,” he said, and turned to her with a pointed finger. “Because if you don’t, I’m perfectly happy to be motherless.”

She balked and her mouth dropped open.

“Ready,” Addy said, and held up a little black satin purse she must have also borrowed from Kenzie.

“What a lovely purse, dear,” his mum said, without even a hint of sarcasm.