job. She couldn’t deny that she wanted Royce forever...but a big part of her still doubted she would actually have him that long.
“Maybe the night of the masquerade,” Ivy said, “especially if I wear this—”
She came out of the dressing room in a formal green dress. It faithfully followed her curves. Jewel chips formed flowers across the bodice and down one hip. The fit was gorgeous on Ivy’s petite yet rounded figure. The color perfectly complemented her dark blond hair.
“Wow, Ivy,” Jasmine breathed. “That’s beautiful.”
“Considering he’s never seen me in anything but a business suit, I certainly hope my boss thinks so...”
Jasmine hung her dress in the alcove off the ballroom of Keller House, once again amazed at its brilliant blue color. The off-the-shoulder style and intricate beading were perfect. A fitted bodice flowed into a layered, full skirt that showcased her shape. Thank goodness the owner of the shop had stepped in and found an answer to her dress conundrum.
If only everything else were that easy.
The next two days certainly wouldn’t be. She was at Keller House today to oversee the final setup. Most of tomorrow would be spent in preparation for the masquerade tomorrow night, and then there would be the event itself. Sunday she was hoping for a lazy sleep in, but as little as poor Rosie had seen of her this week, she wasn’t holding her breath that the munchkin would cooperate.
She could at least have a lazy Sunday at home, though.
She made her way through the finished hallways to the incredible kitchen Royce had had installed. It was up and running, the catering staff currently finding a home for everything. She could see Geraldine laying out her plan and giving instructions on how to execute it. Having worked with the woman before, Jasmine didn’t think there would be any problems there. Geraldine was as thorough and organized as Jasmine.
It would all work. The food was one area Jasmine didn’t have to worry a lot about, but she couldn’t stop herself from going over her checklist.
“Dominic, are you bumming samples?” Jasmine teased when she found the photographer in the kitchen.
He grinned. “Busted.”
“We can always use an independent taste test,” Geraldine said.
“Then you are a more generous woman than me.” Jasmine smiled. “Of course, I know exactly how much he likes the sweet stuff. Doesn’t Greg keep you in good supply at home?”
“Don’t give away my secrets,” Dominic said in a mock whisper.
“Okay... I’ll distract you with a video, instead.”
“Miss Rosie?” he asked.
“You bet.”
Jasmine pulled out her phone and cued up the video Ivy had sent her from the night before. She’d been in the other room on the phone, confirming the catering list. Her sisters hadn’t wanted to yell and distract Rosie, so they’d videoed it while they could. Thank goodness for modern digital technology.
Dominic gasped when Rosie started to show off her new crawling skills. “She’s been rocking for a couple of weeks now...” Jasmine explained.
“And she just took off?”
Jasmine nodded. The excited conversation attracted the attention of the caterer and the kitchen staff, who converged on the phone to see Jasmine’s daughter’s new and exciting prowess.
Dominic shook his head, eyeing Jasmine with a mischievous look over the crowd. “Oh, you are in trouble now, girl.”
“For what?” Royce asked as he entered the room. His business voice was one she rarely heard anymore—the no-nonsense, almost stern tone he used to command and commandeer. She and the entire kitchen staff jumped.
Dominic ignored them. “Check out this video of Rosie, Royce.”
Jasmine suddenly felt like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. The phrase not a day care roamed round and round in her brain. Not only had she been discussing her daughter in detail during work hours, but she’d distracted the staff with the video, also.
She was disrupting their productivity and focus...
Surprisingly, Royce did look at the video...actually, he frowned. To Jasmine’s shock, he then swiped a finger across the phone and started the video over again.
Finally, he said, “She crawled? Even though she’s so little?”
Royce’s gaze met hers, and she could see her own feelings mirrored in his eyes. Awe, excitement and a touch of fear.
Dominic said, “Cool, isn’t it?”
“She’s actually crawling right on time,” Jasmine said, unable to quell her need to chatter. “Seven months. The doctors had worried about issues with her motor skills after...” Jasmine swallowed hard, trying to push back the memories of Rosie’s mother struggling with drugs early in her pregnancy to ease the pain of her cancer. But the moment she’d known Rosie was there, she’d never touched anything her doctor didn’t approve. “But she’s a little trouper.”
Royce shook his head slowly back and forth. “I’d be afraid of stepping on her or losing her.”
Jasmine and Dominic shared a smile. “Well, it’s not like I’m suddenly giving her free rein in the neighborhood or the keys to the car,” Jasmine teased.
Dominic nodded in her direction. “Trust me, it’s time to invest in some baby gates. She’ll be into everything, as curious as she is.”
“How do you know?” Royce asked.
Dominic puffed his chest out. “Proud, loving uncle to five nieces and nephews.”
“Five?” Royce’s surprise amused Jasmine.
“That’s right,” Dominic confirmed. “Five. And this little cutie is gonna be a handful. I guarantee it.”
“I’d rather you didn’t,” Jasmine warned.
Despite her concern, Jasmine felt the glow of maternal pride. It was still fairly new, though less tentative than when Rosie had been a newborn. It had taken a while to give herself permission to feel it, to embrace it. Even though she’d legally been Rosie’s mother from day one, it had taken time for her to grow into the role. She’d shared the daily responsibilities with Rosie’s biological mother until she hadn’t been able to help anymore. Her health had gone downhill rapidly after Rosie’s birth. Her death had thrown Jasmine headlong into the reality of being responsible for such a small being’s life.
Dominic winked. “Oh, before you know it, she’ll be standing beside you at events like this in her own ball gowns.”
Jasmine was shaking her head before he even finished, the words causing a distant panic to mix in with her pride. “Let’s get
