He could see it in her eyes, nerves bubbling just beneath the surface. She kept fussing with her dress, smoothing out invisible wrinkles, searching for flaws that weren’t there. It made him smile, watching her, usually so calm and confident, fidget like this. “There’s no need to be nervous,” he murmured amused, placing a gentle hand on her lower back as they stood on the front porch. Today was important. His fiancée was about to meet his mother.

Ms. Zabini had a reputation stunningly beautiful, fiercely composed, and shadowed by the mysterious deaths of her seven former husbands. People whispered about her, feared her even. But Blaise knew another side. To him, she was the gracious, intelligent woman who had loved him fiercely and raised him well. He understood why his fiancée was tense, but he also knew they’d get along. They had to. After all, they were going to be family.