Page 110 of Last Wish Wedding

“Who’s that?” Noah asked, abandoning the pinecone game.

“I’m not sure.” Kelsey slowed her pace. A sense of unease prickled at the back of her neck.

“Should we go around back?” Tyler suggested, already picking up on her hesitation.

Before Kelsey could answer, the driver’s door opened. A petite woman stepped out, expensively dressed in a pale blue cardigan and tailored pants. Her chestnut hair was pulled back in a perfect chignon, but something about her appearance seemed off, slightly disheveled, as if the polished exterior had begun to crack.

Jennifer Prescott.

A jolt of surprise shot through Kelsey as Jennifer stood looking at them with an unsettling rigidity, her smile too fixed as she spotted them.

“There you are!” Jennifer called, her voice pitched oddly high. “I’ve been waiting for ages.”

“Jennifer,” Kelsey acknowledged, instinctively placing herself slightly in front of the boys. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I wanted to surprise Noah.” Jennifer’s gaze fixed on the boy with an intensity that made Kelsey’s skin crawl. “Hello, Noah.”

Noah edged closer to Kelsey, his eyes wary. They had told him about the restraining order, so he was aware that it was wrong of her to be there.

Indeed, something was very wrong. Jennifer’s eyes had a glassy, unfocused quality, and despite the cool evening air, beads of sweat dotted her forehead.

“Noah,” Kelsey said quietly, “why don’t you and Tyler go inside? I’ll be right in.”

Jennifer stepped forward abruptly. “No, no—stay, Noah. I’ve come to take you home. To your rightful home.”

Kelsey felt Noah stiffen beside her.

Alarm bells clanged in Kelsey’s mind. She needed to get the boys away, but Jennifer had positioned herself between them and the front door.

“Noah is exactly where he belongs,” Kelsey said firmly. “You need to leave right now, Jennifer. You shouldn’t be here. Does Jason know you’re here?”

Jennifer’s smile sharpened. “Jason doesn’t understand what needs to be done. But I do. I’ve prepared everything, your room is all ready, Noah. Blue walls, just like you told me you liked. Sailing prints on the walls. A telescope by the window.”

Noah pressed against Kelsey’s side. “I never told you that.”

“Of course you did, sweetheart. You just don’t remember.” Jennifer’s tone remained honey sweet, but her eyes darted frantically. “We’re going to be such a happy family.”

Kelsey’s nurse training kicked in, and she recognized the signs of someone in a delusional state. Calm, clear communication. No sudden movements. De-escalation.

“Jennifer,” she said gently, “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I can call Jason for you.”

“No!” The word exploded from Jennifer with unexpected force. “Jason doesn’t know I’m here. He thinks I’m at my sister’s in Portland. He doesn’t understand what needs to be done. Especially after your husband ruined him.”

Kelsey nodded slowly, buying time. “I see. And what needs to be done, Jennifer?”

“Noah needs to come home. He’s the Prescott heir.” Jennifer’s hand slipped into her cardigan pocket. “Only we can take care of him the way he needs.”

Behind her, Kelsey could feel the boys’ fear like a physical presence.

“Boys,” she said quietly, not taking her eyes off Jennifer, “I think dinner might be ready at Amy’s. Here, take my phone. Then ask her to call Dr. Mitchell about that prescription I mentioned.”

It was a code they’d developed for emergencies at the clinic. Dr. Mitchell was their signal for calling 911. She prayed Amy would remember. It would set Jennifer off if she asked Noah to call 911.

“But Mom…” Noah began.

“Now, please,” Kelsey interrupted firmly. “Tyler, make sure he doesn’t dawdle.”

Jennifer’s eyes narrowed. “They don’t need to go anywhere. We’re all going to the Prescott house together.”