Candi blinked in surprise. “Me?”
“You’ve told me about everyone else in the family, but the only thing I know about you is that you feel guilty a lot and you once took a DNA test.”
Candi shrugged, but the simple motion carried the weight of a lot of unspoken things. “I’m the black sheep of the family.”
“How do you figure?”
Candi started picking at her chipped nail polish. “I have no idea what I want to do with my life. I’ve switched majors four times.”
“So.”
“We’re Vanderpools. We don’t do that.”
“Then do things your own way. Life is short.”
To Alexis’s horror, tears flooded Candi’s eyes. “I know.”
“I’m sorry.” Alexis winced. “That was a thoughtless thing to say given your father’s health.”
Candi shrugged half-heartedly. “It was hard for me, too, when I found out about you.”
“I can imagine.”
Candi’s face darkened. “He denied it at first, that you were his daughter.”
Alexis held her emotions back, hoping the sting of that information didn’t show on her face.
“But I told him there was no way the test was wrong,” Candi said. “I could only share that much DNA with someone who was my sibling, and unless I came from a different mother, which, obviously, I didn’t, then you had to be his.”
“He must have been pretty shocked.”
Candi nodded, eyes staring at the window. “He begged me not to tell Mom. I hated him for that, you know? I hated him for asking me to lie for him.”
“But you did.”
“For Mom’s sake, not his.” She gnawed her bottom lip. “I feel bad that I didn’t at least warn her before you came to the house. She shouldn’t have found out that way. She’s still mad at me.”
Alexis pulled her legs onto the bed crisscross style and turned to face Candi. “Listen to me. Don’t let this, me, get in between you and your parents. It doesn’t solve anything to hold on to grudges.”
“It’s not a grudge. I don’t understand how he could just walk away from you and your mom.”
“You might not be here if he hadn’t. Besides, he didn’t know about me back then. He didn’t know my mom was pregnant. She’s as much to blame as he is.”
The admission was as sour as a shot of apple cider vinegar and burned just as badly. But it was true, wasn’t it? Her mother could have told Elliott she was pregnant. She should have told him, and the most frustrating thing about all of this was that Alexis would never be able to ask her mother why.
Candi shook her head as if fighting off the emotions that had made her lips tremble just moments before. “Do you have any pictures of your mom?”
Wordlessly, Alexis slipped off the bed, retrieved her phone from her purse, and tapped the icon for her photos. After clicking on the album where she kept photos of her mom, she handed the phone to Candi.
Candi swiped slowly, studying each photo as if trying to build a connection with the woman who’d once been part of her father’s life. “She was really pretty,” she finally said.
Alexis peered closer at the photo Candi was looking at—a picture of Alexis and her mother at Alexis’s graduation from culinary school.
“Dad was right,” Candi said. “You look so much like her.”
“But the eye color is definitely Elliott’s.”
“And mine.”
“And Cayden’s,” Alexis added. She immediately regretted it when she saw Candi’s face light up.
Candi handed back the phone. “Thank you for showing me those.”
“I don’t have many extended family photos like you,” she said, curling the phone into her hand. “My mom was an only child, and so am I.”
“That sounds kind of lonely.” Candi sucked in a gasp and smacked her forehead. “Why do I keep saying stupid shit?”
“It’s not stupid. It was lonely sometimes.” Another sour admission. Another burn of resentment, this time toward her mother. Her eyes grew wet, so she looked away quickly.
“How come you never looked for him?”
Alexis shrugged and returned the phone to her purse. “I didn’t see the point.”
“But you weren’t curious who your father was?”
“I went through phases, I guess. But I had my mom, and she was all I really needed. I figured any man who would abandon her wasn’t worth my time.”
Candi winced.
“Sorry,” Alexis said. Though why she was apologizing, she didn’t know. There was no point in sugarcoating things. “I obviously didn’t know the truth.”
“But does it matter, really? He did abandon you. He cheated on my mother and walked away like there would be no consequences. Whether he knew about you or not, it’s still a shitty thing to do.”
Alexis climbed back onto the bed. “What part of that actually makes you mad? That he lied? Or that he cheated?”
Candi shook her head and bit her lip, as if to hold in something profound and painful. “He kept you from me,” she finally said. “We could have been sisters. I always wanted a sister.”
“Candi,” Alexis sighed, folding her legs under her again. “Even if things had been different, we have no way of knowing how our lives would have been. You can’t regret a romanticized Hallmark version of a past that never existed. We know each other now. Let go of what might have been and let that be enough.”
“But . . .”
“But what?”
“I just . . . The only bond we have now is because he’s dying. What about after the surgery? Will we still see each other?” She blanched. “I swear I’m not trying to pressure you.”
Alexis rested her hand on Candi’s arm. “I know you’re not. And I wish I could give you an answer that puts your mind at ease, but I can’t. I have no idea what the future will hold.”
“But can we at least try?”
“Try what?”
“Being sisters.”
Something akin to a punch to the chest made her heart crack and bleed. Alexis had to swallow several times to loosen the tight ball of emotion that had become lodged in her throat. “I don’t know how to be a sister.”
“I do. It’s just like being friends. It’s a friend you’re related to.”
A silence descended on the room, but for the muted sounds of the comings and goings of the nursing staff in the hallway. Alexis had come to detest the noises of hospitals when her mother was sick. The incessant beeping of monitors and the squeak of wheels. That and the annoyingly calm, hushed tones with which people seemed to speak around her, as if softening a voice could lessen the blow of bad news. And it was always bad news.
But inside her room now, the only sound Alexis could hear was the beat of her own heart, because, for once, her own thoughts were peaceful. Maybe this would be another one of those before-and-after moments that she’d look back on someday and realize it was when things changed, once again.
She suddenly, desperately wanted it to be.
“I should go,” Candi said, sliding off the bed.
“Thank you for coming by and for the photo album.”
Candi did the nervous lip-bite thing and tugged her hands inside the cuffs of her sweatshirt. “So I guess I’ll see you later?”
“How about if I call you tomorrow to let you know how things went?”
Candi’s smile brightened the room. “That’d be awesome.”
Alexis scooted back on her mattress as Candi turned to leave.
“Hey, Candi.”
Candi turned around.
“I always wanted a sister too.”
“Really?”
Alexis managed a shaky nod. “Thank you for finding me.”
* * *
* * *
It felt wrong to leave the hospital. Noa
h tried going back up to their hotel room, but the silence and the empty spot next to him on the bed drove him to distraction. So he ended up in the lobby bar instead, incessantly checking his phone as he nursed a beer. He’d left the hospital an hour ago, and there was still nothing from Alexis.
Noah lifted his hand to the bartender to order another beer. He tried to focus on the college football game on TV but didn’t actually give a shit. He hadn’t gone to a football school and could never understand the obsession people had with the game. He wouldn’t ever say that to Malcolm, of course.
Noah checked his phone again. Still nothing from Alexis. With a frustrated shake of his head, he turned the phone facedown on the bar and tipped the bottle back.
“May I join you?”
Noah looked to his right, and a blood vessel burst in his brain. Elliott stood next to him, hands shoved in the pockets of a windbreaker.
Noah made a noise that was half snort, half Are you fucking kidding me? “Is that why Candi went to the hospital? To occupy Alexis so you could ambush me separately?”
Elliott blinked and started. “Candi’s at the hospital with Alexis?”
Either he was an incredible actor or he honestly didn’t know. Noah clenched his jaw. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought maybe we could talk.” Elliott extended his hand. “We didn’t meet properly the first time.”
Noah jutted his jaw sideways. After a moment, he accepted the handshake but immediately returned his attention to the TV. He didn’t want Elliott there, didn’t want to talk, and sure as shit wasn’t going to make this easy on him.
Elliott pulled out the stool next to Noah and sat down. The bartender scooted over and placed a napkin in front of him. “What can I get you?”
“Just ice water, please.” He swiveled to look at Noah. “Can I get you anything?”
“No.”
“I didn’t know Candi was going to visit Alexis tonight.”
“Well, she did.”
“I’m glad. This has been really difficult for Candi.”
Noah made an ugly noise and tipped his bottle back. “Forgive me if I find it hard to generate much sympathy for any member of your family.”
“I understand your anger, but Candi is innocent in all of this.”
“So is Alexis, yet it seems they’re the two people hurting most of all because of you.”
The bartender set a glass of water in front of Elliott, and he immediately downed a long drink. “I deserve that,” he said, turning the glass round and round on the bar.
“If you’re expecting me to argue that point, you’ll be waiting a long time.”
“That’s fair.”
Noah’s anger got the best of him. He whipped his gaze to Elliott’s. “Let’s make one thing absolutely clear. Alexis is only doing this because it would never occur to her to say no. Because that’s who she is. She takes care of people often to her own detriment, and it would haunt her the rest of her life if she didn’t do this for you. So you can play the contrite patriarch all you want, but I hope you spend every day knowing that you don’t deserve this gift she’s giving you.”
Noah stood, dug out his wallet, and dropped a twenty-dollar bill on the counter. Without so much as a glance at Elliott, he stormed off.
But Elliott’s voice quickly stopped him. “I looked into your father’s death.”
Noah froze. He barely remembered turning around much less walking back, but somehow he stood next to Elliott’s stool again. “What did you say?”
“You were right. His death was entirely preventable and should not have happened.”
Noah’s hands balled into fists. “How do you have access to information about my father’s death?”
Elliott smirked, but it was more sad than arrogant. “I have a pretty high security clearance.” He paused, and the sad smirk became remorseful chagrin. “Your father was sent to war with insufficient protection, and even though it wasn’t my company, it was a company like mine that failed. And it failed for the exact same reasons that my company was under federal investigation. Greed. Pure and simple.”
“That would make an excellent opening statement to Congress, but I don’t buy a word of it.”
“I just want you to know that I understand why you would question my motives.”
Noah braced a hand on the bar and leaned down, seething and shaking. “What do you want? A gold star for stating the obvious?”
Elliott stood. Slowly. Bracing a hand on the edge of the bar to steady himself. “Mortality has a way of bringing things into focus. It makes you realize what really matters and what doesn’t. I just want you to know how sorry I am for your loss.”
For the first time, Noah saw him as he was—a man staring death in the face and desperately wanting to make up for his mistakes. The flare of empathy that would have softened Alexis simply hardened Noah’s anger. “And you think sorry is enough? It’s not. Where was this remorse when your company was under investigation? If you want redemption, don’t just apologize. Do something.”
Elliott’s smile was sad as he stepped away from the stool. He lightly patted Noah’s arm. “I’m trying.” He paused as if wanting to say more, but then shook his head as if deciding against it. Instead, he squeezed Noah’s arm. “You’re braver than I could ever dream of being. Your father would be proud.”
He shuffled away, leaving Noah standing with his mouth agape and a single question racing through his brain. What the fuck was that all about?
CHAPTER TWENY-FIVE
Alexis was done with all her tests by noon. Noah spent most of that time pacing in the hallway and trying to figure out how to tell her about his bizarre run-in with Elliott. Now he waited outside Jasmine’s office, where she and Alexis had disappeared more than fifteen minutes ago. He’d killed a few minutes by running her overnight bag out to the car, but now he was back to pacing.
He finally gave up and leaned against the wall opposite Jasmine’s office door so he could will it to open. A few minutes later, Alexis walked out, smiling, laughing, and clutching a black binder to her chest. Jasmine followed.
“We’re all set,” Jasmine said. Her eyes locked with Noah’s. “Thank you for supporting her through this. This can be a very emotional process for everyone involved.”
“Everything okay, then? That’s it?”
Jasmine and Alexis exchanged a look.
“What’s that mean?” Noah demanded.
Alexis used her placate an angry customer voice again. “We have a surgery date.”
Noah tried to control his expression, schooling it into something less than holy fucking shit. “When?”
They did it again—shared a look. Alexis was even more cautious this time. “Soon.”
“How soon?”
“Two weeks.”
Gravity failed beneath his feet, and he swayed. He propped his hand against the wall.
Jasmine’s face softened into the sort of practiced patience they probably taught in medical school. “The sooner the better. Since everyone is ready now, there’s no reason to wait longer than necessary.”
Alexis came to stand by his side. “It’ll be okay,” she said, resting her free hand on his stomach. “We have plenty of time to prepare, and once the surgery is over, I’ll have more than enough time to recover before Liv and Mack’s wedding.”
Like he gave a shit about the wedding. Noah bent and brushed his lips across hers.
“Call me if you have any questions or concerns,” Jasmine said. “Make sure you study all the pre-op information I gave you, because it’s really important that you follow all the instructions prior to surgery.”
Alexis thanked the woman and then slipped her hand in Noah’s as they walked down the hallway. They stopped briefly at the nurse’s station so Alexis could sign a few papers, and while they stood there, the elevator opposite the desk
dinged. The doors opened, and out walked Elliott, Candi, and a woman who was an older version of the bride in the wedding announcement.
“Lexa,” Noah said, his hand instinctively coming to rest on Alexis’s back.
She looked up at him and then immediately followed the direction of his gaze.
“Oh,” she said, and the word managed to sound both bewildered and pleased. “Hi.”
“Good, we caught you,” Elliott said, slightly out of breath as they closed the distance to the counter. “We tried to text you that we were here, but you didn’t respond, so we were afraid you’d already left.”
Alexis dug her phone from her pocket and let out a quiet shoot. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear my phone. I was in Jasmine’s office.”
Noah splayed his fingers across the width of Alexis’s back. “What are you doing here?”
Elliott smiled. “Just checking on our patient.”
The word our sent heat racing up Noah’s neck.
Candi walked to Alexis and embraced her. And the only thing more surprising than that show of familiarity was that Alexis returned the hug with equal ease. There was a warmth between them that made him both suspicious and jealous, which also made him feel like a total shit. He should be happy that Alexis and Candi had apparently reached some kind of peace.
When Candi stepped back, Elliott set his hand on his wife’s back. “This is my wife, Lauren.”
The woman looked brittle, like a hostage in a proof-of-life photo. He couldn’t really blame her. Talk about shitty. She had to stand here and be polite in front of the living, breathing reminder that her husband had cheated on her before they got married.
Noah decided to take the high road with her. He extended his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Her smile was as tight as her fingers were loose. “Likewise.”
Candi nudged her father with an elbow.
Elliott nodded. “Right. I know it’s last minute, but we were hoping that we could maybe take you out to lunch.” Elliott’s eyes darted to Noah. “Both of you, of course.”
Noah flared his nostrils. Lunch? “We were planning to head back—”
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