Free Tess's Tale (The Chanel Series Book 3) by Donna Joy Usher

recognise my mother’s voice anywhere. What was she doing here?
    ‘Mom?’ She hovered next to Lou the Brain and I mentally head-slapped myself. Of course. Lou. He had never taken her anywhere nice before, but I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that he would bring her here. To my wedding reception. For the wedding I hadn’t invited her to.
    Tears rushed to my eyes, fighting each other to get out first. I hadn’t invited my own mother to my wedding. What sort of shitty person did that make me?
    After the obligatory and awkward introductions, Harry squeezed my hand and then said, ‘Hey Lou, gotta minute?’
    I waited till the two men were heading for the bar before I said anything. ‘I’m sorry. I should have invited you. I should have come to see you. But….’ I cut my eyes to Lou’s retreating back. If I never saw him again it would be too soon.
    Mom swivelled to look at him as well as she nodded her head. ‘I knew when you walked out the door I wouldn’t see you again. Not there anyway.’
    She had been right. There was no way I would go back to that house while he was there. It held far too many memories. None of them good.
    ‘I wasn’t a very good mother. I know that.’
    ‘Shhh. Don’t.’ It was true, but I still didn’t like those words coming out of her mouth.
    ‘I should have protected you more.’ She let out a laugh. ‘But looks like the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘Look at you. Married to the very thing you ran away from.’
    I could almost smell the indignation oozing out of me as I straightened my spine. ‘ Harry is nothing like Lou .’
    She snorted. ‘They’re all alike love. You’ll see.’ She wasn’t trying to be nasty, but it was the worst insult she could have given my husband.
    He wasn’t anything like the others. He wasn’t. He was good and kind and… I looked around the room at the other men. Some of them swayed on the dance floor with their wives. Another group burst into laughter at a joke. They all looked normal. None of them had horns. I shivered and looked back at Mom.
    ‘He’s not. You’ll see.’
    ‘I hope you’re right love. I really do.’ She hugged me awkwardly and then stepped back, brushing her hands over the front of my dress. ‘Don’t want to crush you.’
    ‘Here you are.’ Harry took my half-drunk glass from me and handed me a fresh one. ‘It tastes much better when it’s cold.’
    I noted that Lou hadn’t brought Mom back a fresh glass. I squashed the smug smile that was threatening to take control of my lips. See. They were nothing like each other.
    ‘You’d better keep mingling.’ Mom nodded her head at me. ‘You’ll never meet all these people as it is.’
    She was right, but I didn’t think most of the people there gave a rat’s about whether or not they met me. They’d all come for the free booze.
    I lent forwards and kissed her on the cheek then I let Harry steer me away from them.
    He led me over to the windows and stared into my face. ‘You okay?’
    ‘As good as can be expected.’ If I was honest, it wasn’t totally horrible. The food was lovely, the music was jazz and the champagne was French. Plus I had my movie-star-good-looking husband with me. I gazed up into his eyes, reaching a hand up to touch his face.
    ‘Dad gave me this.’ He held an envelope out to me. I flicked it over and stared at the back. It was from Cindy.
    ‘What’s it say?’
    ‘She’s coming to town next week. With Billy.’
    ‘I get to meet him?’
    ‘If you’d like to.’ His eyes showed his uncertainty.
    ‘Of course I’d like.’ I smiled up at him. ‘I want him to be a part of our lives.’
    ‘It will only be a small part.’ He pulled a face. ‘I don’t get to see him as much as I’d like.’
    I felt a pang for Billy. I hadn’t known my Dad. It was no way for a kid to grow up.
    ‘We’ll have to visit them as soon as we can.’
    He smiled and pulled me towards him, but before he could