How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Chapter 119

She never finished her sentence.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded at the doorway.

A low, cool male voice cut through the room. "I'm not late, am I? Darling?"

Elodie's words were snatched from her lips.

She whipped around, stunned, half-convinced she must have misheard.

Everyone else in the room looked over, just as surprised.

Jarrod strode in, calm and assured.

Seeing him, Ivan's brows knit in surprise. He hadn't expected Jarrod to give Elodie such respect-calling her "darling" in front of everyone.

But then again, Ivan realized, today it was just the Thornes-no outsiders, no need to keep up appearances. Jarrod could afford the pretense of

acknowledgment. If even one unknowing guest were present, Elodie would never hear such a word from him.

Tall and impeccably dressed in a black suit, Jarrod crossed the room. He glanced at Elodie, then nodded politely to Rosemary. "Business kept me for a while," he said, voice even. "My apologies, Grandma."

Elodie's expression cooled.

"darling" had almost cracked her composure. The shock she felt at

to go this far for a

marriage, he'd

she'd already accepted that Jarrod was with Selma and

was plain black, not the red-patterned one Sylvie

about this made sense. Her frown

her, his tone casual. "What's

did Elodie realize the look she'd been giving him. With Rosemary and the others still watching, she

"Work."

but she let it drop. It wasn't her place to dig

matriarch, she chose not to press further. She simply

the ritual with

from the word "darling," nudged Alexander, bewildered. "What's going on? Aren't they already divorced? He hasn't even changed how he

lowered his voice. "Maybe Elodie negotiated something with him. Either way, since he's here,

really hadn't shown, Alexander would have told Elodie to get a rabies shot in memory of all the

of this made sense. By rights, Jarrod should have been spending

maybe the fireworks show-the real highlight-wasn't until tonight. That would leave him free to come

wondered the same. The third anniversary memorial would wrap up before noon; she figured Jarrod would leave as soon as the ritual was over. That way, he

motionless, playing dumb, but a faint smile touched his lips as he greeted Jarrod. "I thought Mr. Silverstein might be

had really