by Nita Brooks
The thought made her lips twitch, and before she knew it, she was chuckling at the absurdity of it all. Her life had become a soap opera plot line. There was no way she could handle any more surprises. Not unless some long-lost aunt on her absent father’s side left her a castle in England and a title. She could deal with being a duchess.
Sandra greeted her with a big smile and hug. “The house looks perfect!”
Yvonne followed her inside and had to agree. She’d focused on complementing the architectural features of the home. Natural colors along with the excellent lighting, and bolder colors in areas that needed to be brightened. Heirloom antique furnishings and fresh transitional pieces coalesced to create a stylish and welcoming feel to the home.
“I’m glad you like it.” She was proud of her work. This was why she loved interior design. She got to make people’s homes speak for themselves. She made sanctuaries, work spaces, and havens for her clients.
“With the house being photographed today I thought it would be a good idea to have you on my show in the same month your article with Nathan comes out. It’ll be good publicity.”
Yvonne stopped walking. “About that.”
Sandra turned around. She wore a long, red and purple silk tunic dress that brushed her feet and swirled when she moved. “The rumors about you and Richard Barrington. I wondered if you were going to bring them up or if I should.”
Not surprising Sandra was well caught up on the gossip. For some reason, the woman was tuned in to what happened in Yvonne’s life. “There’s nothing to the rumors.” Not really, now that she’d told Richard she wouldn’t be with him. “But Richard wasn’t the reason Nathan and I broke our engagement.”
“What were the reasons?”
“We want different things.” Different people.
Sandra crossed her arms over her chest and she lifted a brow. “I wondered when you would realize that.”
Not the answer she’d expected. So, Sandra had assumed she and Nathan wouldn’t make it. The thought irritated her. “I don’t understand where you’re coming from.”
“I saw the look on your face when he asked you. I watched the video over and over, and each time nothing changed. You looked panicked and surprised for a split second. Then you were all smiles, hugs and kisses. He did that and you two hadn’t ever talked seriously about marriage before, had you?”
“You got all of that from watching the video of the proposal?” Yvonne raised a brow.
“It’s my job to read people when I’m interviewing them. Split second facial expressions always give people away.”
“Why were you watching the video over and over? Was it to make sure you were hiring someone who was legit?”
“No, it’s because I’m nosey and I wanted to know more about you two. My parents were terrible at marriage and, let’s be real, dating can suck. You and Nathan seemed too good to be true,” Sandra said as if daring Yvonne to question her reasons. “Even though I thought that, I’m kinda bummed you two aren’t going to work out.”
Yvonne rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. Guess I won’t be gracing television screens with my designs.”
Sandra cocked her head to the side. “Why not?”
“Nathan and I are split. We were doing the show together.”
“You don’t need Nathan to do a show.”
Obviously, but doing a show had been Nathan’s idea. He’d originally agreed when Judy approached them about doing that. He’d pushed to make sure their image was impeccable, so they could represent the “Southern Sophistication” the show they pitched was supposed to represent.
“It was Nathan’s thing,” Yvonne said.
“But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do a show. I mean, contractors are a dime a dozen. The spark in your relationship with Nathan was you. You’re the one the people loved when you both were noticed on Celebrity Housewives. You’re the one people want to know about.”
“You think?” She considered Sandra’s take. Sure, she was the one the producers on Celebrity Housewives noticed first. Her interactions with the housewife had become a focal point of one episode. When Nathan asked her out, that’s when the producers began to pay attention to them both.
“I know. I watch that show and so do my listeners. And, to be honest, most of the online chatter is in your favor.”
Yvonne shook her head. “One, what online chatter? And, two, I’d expect more people to be sympathetic to Nathan. I’m the one with the kid whose father showed up.”
“First of all.” Sandra held up a finger. “I need you to stop pretending as if there isn’t online chatter about you. Second.” Another finger popped up. “You and Richard aren’t together. The question was asked if Nathan couldn’t deal because Jacob’s father came back. Which doesn’t endear a lot of people to him for bailing after his promises of always and forever, let’s wait until marriage, Yvonne is my best friend. He’s not contradicting the rumors, and he was seen in Savannah with a redhead yesterday. Everyone is Team Yvonne on this split.”
“Wow.” She couldn’t believe it. Maybe she did need to check out the online chatter. After the split, she hadn’t wanted to see what people were saying. So, she’d focused on making the transition easier for Jacob. Even so, if people were sympathetic to her, and if the interest was in her personality, could she still have a show?
“Exactly. If I were you, I’d find a new publicist and start telling networks you’re ready to still do the show without Nathan.”
Yvonne nodded and smiled what felt like the first real smile she’d been able to muster since the disastrous day she’d had her relationships with Richard and Nathan implode. “Maybe I will. Hey, Sandra, I appreciate this. I know when we first met I was . . .”
“Standoffish?”
Understatement of the year. “A little. Through all of that you’ve always been extremely nice to me, and willing to go above and beyond. I appreciate that.”
Sandra sighed then bit her lower lip. “Well, I have my reasons.”
“Whatever they are, I’m happy you have them.”
Sandra wrung her hands together. For the first time since Yvonne had known her, she appeared nervous. “You may not say so once you hear. There is really only one reason I want to not only know more about you, but also help you out.”
“Mind telling me what that reason is?”
Sandra swallowed hard then grinned. A big, broad, nervous grin. “We’re half-sisters.”
Yvonne’s jaw dropped. She had to be joking. She’d wanted a lost aunt who left her a castle and title. Not . . . this. “What the hell?”
Sandra held out her arms. “Surprise.”
Chapter 26
Yvonne stared down at the piece of paper with the proof that Sandra was indeed her half-sister. She placed a hand over her mouth and took a long, considering breath. What in the world? She had another sister.
She looked up from the paper across the table to the only sister she’d known all her life. They sat in Valerie’s office. That was the first place Yvonne had considered going after getting the results of the DNA test Sandra had agreed to. The DNA test wasn’t really necessary. Sandra had nothing to gain by claiming to be Yvonne’s sister. It wasn’t as if Yvonne was about to inherit that castle she’d fantasized about, and Sandra ran a successful business and had a massive following through her radio show. If anyone would benefit from their relation, it was Yvonne, because she’d now have a sister who was tapped into such a broad reach.
“It’s true then.” Valerie said. Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows in Valerie’s office and the golden color on the walls gave the room a warm glow.
“What are you going to do?”
“What can I do?” Yvonne pointed at the paper. “She’s my sister. I can’t change that.”
Valerie rolled her eyes then looked at Yvonne as if her brain wasn’t functioning. “I mean, what are you going to do now that you know? Are you okay with it? Angry she kept it from you for so long?”
“I’m . . . happy.”
“About what?”
“I finally have some link to my dad’s family. It’s not just this dark void of family history that I’ll never get to explore.”
“Are you going to spend time with him?” Valerie asked.
Yvonne shook her head. “No. Before we decided to take the DNA test, Sandra told me she’d spoken to her dad . . . our dad. He said she was making a mistake stirring up old dirt like this. He told her not to do it, and that if she insisted on going through with it, he didn’t want anything to do with me.”
“Really? After all these years, he still wants to be a jerk about this?” Valerie sounded like she wished Yvonne’s dad was in the room so she could knock some sense into him.
“The thing is, I don’t care about him being a jerk.” Valerie raised a brow and Yvonne shrugged. “Okay, knowing he still wants nothing to do with me does sting.” A lot. “But not as much as it did before when I knew nothing about him. I’ve had a long time to come to terms with my father not wanting me. This newest revelation isn’t anything less than what I would have expected of him.”
She hadn’t even been able to muster up a lot of outrage when Sandra apologetically told her about her father’s stance. She was angry her father hadn’t felt the need to take care of his responsibilities. That he’d been willing to walk away from a child he helped create and never look back. But that was his problem. Letting that anger control her life would only cause her grief. Her dad was still out there living his life. Not thinking about her. There was no reason to hinder her mental state carrying around the stress and anger of a situation she couldn’t control.
Instead, learning she had another sibling. Not one who resented her or blamed her for the problems in her parents’ marriage, but one who cared enough to find her, get to know her, and ultimately help her. Well, that didn’t make up for her father being an asshole, but it damn sure made the sting of his rejection less potent. And knowing he was against Sandra getting to know her but Sandra insisted, made the petty side of her brain very happy. Everyone should indulge in the petty in certain situations.
“I guess you’re right,” Valerie said grudgingly. “I just don’t know if I could be that . . . open to someone new in my life.”
“The way my life has changed so much over the past few weeks, I can’t help but be open to new experiences and sudden changes. I can’t control what’s happening around me, but I can control how I respond to what’s happening.”
“You sound like a training video on handling stress.” Valerie looked skyward with the flatly delivered words, but her lips quirked up at the ends.
“I think I did hear that in a training somewhere.” Yvonne grinned at her sister’s I-knew-it smirk. “There’s actually good information in most training videos. The problem is that people don’t follow the advice.”
“And you’re following the advice and going to embrace having a new sister in your life. It’s all slumber parties and let’s braid each other’s hair.”
“I’m not saying all of that, but she has been there for me so far. She introduced me to one of the executives of Tribute Network. The talks are super preliminary, but he was really excited about the idea of doing a show with me.”
“Seriously?”
Yvonne nodded. “Seriously. This may work out. Can you believe it?”
“I can. I know it was originally Nathan’s idea for you two to try and do a home renovation show, but I know you can pull it off. You don’t need him to carry you. You can carry yourself.”
“I can carry myself.” Yvonne nodded and let the words sink in and support her confidence. “I like the sound of that. It’s true. I got so wrapped up in having a partner in Nathan, I forgot about how much I’d been able to accomplish on my own. I’m ready to tackle what’s ahead.”
Valerie tapped on the paper. “Including having a new sister.”
Yvonne picked up the paper and studied the results. She thought about Jacob and Nadia, how she wanted them to know each other and have some type of relationship even if she and Richard hadn’t worked out. If anything, she’d learned family was important. Her mom and sister had been her support system for years. Maybe not always providing support in the way she’d wanted, or even needed, but she’d known they’d been there. She wanted that for Jacob. For him to know where he came from and who he was connected to. The best way to do that was by also embracing her connections.
“No hair braiding and slumber parties, but, yes, I am ready to include having a new sister in my life.”
* * *
Two days before Yvonne’s radio interview on Sandra’s show, Nathan came by her office. Bree was out of the office so there was no one there to pretend as if Yvonne was out for the day. Yvonne wanted to be annoyed by the interruption, but the time had come for them to talk. Her anger had died down, and now she only wanted to understand what had happened.
Nathan stopped at her door. He watched her warily with a hesitant smile. He looked good. More tan from working outside. His sandy brown hair lighter. The white button up shirt and jeans flattering against his lean, muscular form. She still cared about him, but she didn’t feel the rush of love she’d once felt. Love that had been wrapped up in a sense of comfort like a baby in a blanket. Warm and protected with no worries, while someone else handled responsibilities.
That’s how she’d viewed Nathan. As her protection from the storm of life, and the never-ending gale of worry and doubt. She’d thought she was struggling to make things work on her own and that Nathan would make things easier. When, in reality, she had been making it on her own. Nathan had been a bonus, but it took their relationship imploding for her to realize that.
Yvonne stood from behind her desk. “Come in.”
Nathan closed the door, and she walked over to the round meeting table she kept in her office. Nathan crossed to her, his arms spread as if he were going to hug her.
Yvonne looked away and pulled out a chair before he could follow through. “How’s it going?”
Nathan’s hands lowered slowly. After a heartbeat, he pulled out the other chair and slid into it. He ran his hands over his pants legs. “I’ve been busy. We’ve got the hospital in Savannah under control. I’m starting on a few other projects. You?”
“Going well. I have the interview on Sandra’s show in a couple of days. We’re going to talk about my plans for the future.”
“I heard about you getting your own show.”
He smiled, and she searched to see if it was sincere. There was no hate in his voice or his eyes. She shouldn’t have expected there to be any. Nathan had always been supportive. “Yeah, it’s kind of amazing and scary, but I’m ready for the challenge.”
“You deserve it. You were always the more interesting personality in our idea. I can’t wait to watch.”
“I appreciate that, Nathan. Thanks.”
“Sounds like things have worked out.” His pitch raised at the end of the sentence, turning it into a question.
She picked at the edge of her blouse. “Not all things.”
Nathan grimaced and ran a hand through his hair. “Guess not.”
“So . . . do you want to tell me about that?”
Nathan leaned back. He blew air out in a long steady breath. “The thing with Cassidy started a while ago.”
“How long is a while?” She was ready to talk, and had let go of the anger, but if he told her he’d been messing around with Cassidy the entire time they were together she couldn’t guarantee angry Yvonne wouldn’t resurface.
His eyes widened as her meaning settled into his brain. Nathan held up a hand and shook his head. “Not like that. Not while we were together. Our parents got married when we were twelve. It was weird because we’d known each other from school. She was the cute girl my friends and I had just started to notice, and suddenly she became my sister. Mom and Dad really wanted us to get along, so that’s what we did. We became best friends. That worked through middle and high school. C
assidy went to college, and I took over for my dad’s contracting company. Whenever she came home, we went right back to being friends, but things shifted. Felt . . . different. We slept together after she graduated.”
“That was years ago. Are you telling me you’ve been having this secret thing for years?”
Nathan shook his head. “That’s not what happened. The next day we tried to tell Mom and Dad, but they were planning a family reunion and were looking through old pictures. They kept going on and on about how proud they were of us, and how lucky they were that we’d gotten along and become true brother and sister. I didn’t have the heart to tell them. I felt terrible, guilty, dirty. Cassidy thought I was being stupid. I moved to Atlanta and made a pact to get over wanting Cassidy. I thought lust was the reason for what happened. So, I decided to abstain. I wouldn’t let lust and desire push me into making another bad decision. I swore off meaningless or spontaneous sex and focused on finding a wife.”
Yvonne could understand the confusion that must have come after he and Cassidy slept together. She couldn’t imagine being in his position and couldn’t say what she would have done if put in a similar situation. Though she didn’t agree with his plan of living like a monk as punishment for a perceived sin. That only suppressed feelings and lead to emotional explosions like the ones he and Cassidy frequently had. “You pushed yourself to try and be with someone you don’t really want.”
Nathan leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “I’d say you were doing the same.”
Truth tended to sting when people threw it back at you. When she saw Richard again, she’d known deep down he still had access to her heart. A part of her still wanted him. Couldn’t shake that silly voice that said he was the one. The elusive person you were destined to be with. But if that were the case, and she really was supposed to be with Richard, why did he keep messing things up?
Maybe because you aren’t his one.
That hurt to think about, so she addressed Nathan’s accusation first. “First, Richard was out of my life for years. When we went out, I wasn’t trying to be with someone I didn’t want.”