by Robyn Grady
Her gaze slid across Elaina’s wedding photo, then jerked back. Her chest tightened as if her heart was in a straitjacket. The photo of Elaina in the arms of her ex-husband Travis Strickland during their wedding dance instantly made India wish she’d gone on to LA. They were smiling and staring into each other’s eyes. Elaina and Travis had been happy that day, and India had wanted to cry. She hadn’t expected to still feel so disappointed.
“I hate that picture,” Elaina said. India jumped and whirled around to face her sister. “Daddy loves it,” Elaina continued. “He still thinks it’s fate the boy he saved fell in love with his daughter.” She took a long sip from the glass. “I’ve considered throwing it out the window, but he’d just print another.”
India swirled the wine in her glass. “It is a good story.”
Elaina laughed softly and drank the rest of her wine. “The story sounds nice. The ending isn’t so happy.” She stared at the picture a few more seconds. No emotion on her face, but her hand tight on the wineglass before she turned and sat primly on the edge of the couch. “How long are you here for?” she said in a cool, let’s-change-the-subject tone of voice.
Usually, when Elaina intentionally tried to change the subject, India would use the opportunity to keep pushing. That was part of the little sister code of conduct, tease older sister relentlessly. But, when it came to Elaina’s marriage, India was more than happy to stray from the habit.
Besides, Elaina and Travis were divorced now. Elaina had called her two years ago to tell her she and Travis were ending things, but because Travis was their brother’s best friend and partner in a successful law office, she’d have to keep him in her life. Elaina hadn’t said what caused their split, and India hadn’t asked, even though she’d wanted to know. In the end, the why didn’t matter. She couldn’t go after the man she’d always wanted when he was her sister’s ex-husband.
“I’m only going to be home a few days.” India sat on the other end of the couch. “The orchestra’s tour for the year is over. I’m taking some time to recharge. I submitted my request to audition for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.”
Elaina tilted her head to the side. “Los Angeles. Impressive.”
“Only if I get the job.”
“You will. You’re persistent and that violin was always attached to your damn hand. You’ll be fine.” She said the last with a wave of her hand and more than a hint of pride. Elaina may be cold and distant, but India would never call her unsupportive. As if realizing she’d let her pride show, Elaina frowned at India. “How did you get here?”
“My plane landed about an hour ago. I rented a car at the airport.”
Elaina looked confused. “Why? Daddy would have had a car waiting for you.”
“I didn’t want that. I hoped to sneak in. I wasn’t ready to see everyone just yet.” She looked away from Elaina and turned the glass in her hand. Her dad would be hurt she’d sneaked home, but he’d also be happy to see her. They’d Skyped and video chatted while she’d toured, but she hadn’t been home in years. Somehow seeing Travis when he was free of Elaina had seemed harder than seeing them together.
“He’ll be happy to know you’re here for Byron’s announcement,” Elaina said. “He’s worried your prolonged absence reflects badly on Byron.”
India froze with the glass of wine halfway to her mouth. “How?”
“You being away makes it look like our family’s torn apart.”
“What? Where on earth did that come from?”
Elaina’s lips twisted into a small smile and she shook her head. “I wish I could blame it on his overactive imagination, but I do think this is from Byron’s campaign manager. You running off and not coming home for years does make it look as if you don’t want to be around.”
“I didn’t run off. I’ve been touring.” That’s what she told herself anyway.
“Doesn’t matter. You know Daddy only thinks three things are important. God, family and Robidoux Tobacco.” Elaina raised a manicured finger with each word. “To him, you’ve turned your back on two of the three. I’d admire you for doing what you love instead of sticking around here and doing what he wanted, if it hadn’t made my life so damn difficult.”
“Sure, Elaina, I left just to make your life difficult,” India said sarcastically.
The corner of Elaina’s mouth lifted for a half a second before she sighed. “I’m the one who argues with Daddy. Byron hangs onto his every word and you’re the sweet one who can do no wrong. Did you really think you could go traipsing off across the world and Daddy wouldn’t shift your share of the pressure to live up to the family’s legacy on me and Byron?” Elaina brought her glass to her lips, frowned when she realized the glass was empty and stood. She quickly crossed the room to the bar.
“I didn’t think he’d take things out on you two.” Honestly, she hadn’t thought about how her leaving would affect Elaina and Byron. She’d only known she couldn’t stay and pretend as if her heart wasn’t breaking every time she saw Elaina and Travis together.
Elaina poured another glass of wine. “You should have known Daddy wouldn’t be easy to deal with after his favorite daughter defied him.”
India rolled her eyes and fell back onto the chair. “Don’t be dramatic. I didn’t defy him. Daddy knew about the offer to play with the Transatlantic Orchestra. I told him I wanted to go.”
Elaina strolled back to the couch. “Yes, and he said you couldn’t go, remember? That meant the case was closed. Even I thought you were staying. You never went against what Daddy wanted. What happened?”
The need to go against her dad’s wishes had never been a problem before, because until then their dad hadn’t denied her anything she’d wanted. He’d disciplined her when she’d messed up and pushed her to be not just good but great in everything she did. She hadn’t fought him on things the way Elaina used to, so he never had a reason to say no to India’s requests.
The urge to tell the truth about why she left was on the tip of her tongue. To shed light on things in the open and unravel why events had played out the way they had. India sat forward and swirled the contents of her glass instead. Confessing her sins and fighting with Elaina would make a difficult homecoming worse.
“I wanted to go, that’s what happened. I was tired of being Daddy’s baby girl. It was time to live my life.” That part was true as well. She’d had no identity before leaving. The youngest Robidoux. The sweet baby sister. Leaving her family behind had allowed her to grow and depend on herself. For that, she’d never regret her decision.
Elaina scoffed and sipped her wine. “You’re Grant Robidoux’s daughter. You don’t get to live the life you want.”
India swore there was bitterness in Elaina’s voice, but her face held no sarcastic or angry smirk. Instead she stared off into space. Grant Robidoux making demands of his family was no secret. Everyone was expected to do their part to uphold the traditions their paternal grandparents started when they opened Robidoux Tobacco. Their mother had helped market the company before she’d passed away ten years ago when India was twenty. Elaina worked at the company and oversaw some of their other holdings and was primed to take over the helm, Byron had been one of the many legal counsels for them before opening a law firm with Travis, not to mention all of their aunts, uncles and cousins who also worked somewhere in the company.
India was the only one who hadn’t wanted to grow the empire. As his baby girl, her dad had let her indulge in her “little violin hobby” until she got serious about making music her career. He couldn’t accept that what he considered a hobby was a passion for her.
“Where is Daddy anyway?” Except for the noise of preparations downstairs, the house was quiet.
Elaina smiled widely. The expression was so unlike Elaina that chills of foreboding skittered down India’s spine. “He’s off with his new project. You’re going to love this.” The glee in her voice o
nly increased India’s unease.
“Forget the dramatics and let me know where he’s gone.” Her words were confident, but her stomach quivered.
“He’s off with Russell Gilchrist. The newest young executive at Robidoux Tobacco. Marketing division. Daddy’s bringing in all this new blood to revitalize the brand. Russell’s one of them.”
“Okay, so why are you smiling like Cruella de Vil?”
“Because, I heard Daddy say he can’t wait for Russell to meet his baby girl.”
India started shaking her head before Elaina finished talking. “Don’t tell me he’s playing matchmaker and he doesn’t even know I’m home.”
“Daddy’s always planning for the future. Apparently since I can’t make babies, and Byron won’t get married and make any, he needs you to carry on the family line.”
India cringed. During her first Skype calls with her dad a few months after she’d left with the Transatlantic Orchestra, he’d told her about Elaina’s miscarriage. India hadn’t even known her sister was pregnant. When she’d tried to call Elaina afterward, her sister discussed the medical details as if she were going over a business proposal before rushing her off the phone. “Don’t talk like that.”
Elaina’s lips tightened. “Don’t patronize me. Look, forget my broken womb and prepare for yours to be claimed faster than the last yeast roll at Sunday dinner. Daddy’s ready for you to get married and make little Robidoux children. Our cousins are being fruitful and multiplying. If we don’t catch up, the company will end up completely in their hands. So, beware of Russell.”
India shook her head. “No, no, no. I’m not going to let him coerce me into anything. I’m only here for a few days.”
Elaina sipped from her glass and raised one slim shoulder. “I wouldn’t complain. Russell isn’t bad. He’s young, smart, good-looking. I don’t think you’d find it hard to cozy up to him.”
India scowled. “Then you cozy up to him.”
“I’m not the cozying type.” Elaina waved a hand. “Enough about that. I’ll wait and see who wins that battle after we get through the party tonight.”
“Where’s Byron? If this party is for him, I’d expect him to be here.”
“As if the favored son would dare take the time to plan his own party,” Elaina said without any animosity. Byron had always been spoiled and doted on by their father and late mother. Even India, his baby sister.
“He’s off with Travis. They’ll be in later,” Elaina said.
India’s stomach twisted as if she’d had six glasses of wine instead of half of one. “Will Travis be at the party?” she managed to ask in a steady voice.
“Of course, he will. He and Byron are joined at the hip.” There was one emotion Elaina wasn’t afraid to show and that was irritation, something which was thick in her voice as discussed her ex-husband and brother.
After what happened between her and Travis, every time India saw him with Elaina it felt like jagged claws sinking into her chest. The pain had dulled somewhat over the years, but Travis had never belonged to her. Elaina had been married to him. They’d shared so much. India could only imagine how hard it must be for Elaina to see him so often. “That doesn’t bother you?”
Elaina ran a finger over the rim of her wineglass. “Travis and I don’t love each other. He worked for the company and is my darling brother’s best friend.” The words sounded like a carefully crafted public relations statement.
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
Elaina pointedly looked India in the eye. Her push me on this and I’ll eviscerate you feelings were very clear in her direct gaze. “No. It doesn’t bother me,” she said carefully. “I don’t love Travis and shouldn’t have married him. Our divorce was the best thing that could have happened to either of us.” She capped off the very mature-sounding words with a serene smile.
The words were little comfort to India. She was happy her sister wasn’t heartbroken, but had they really not loved each other? She’d consoled her own bruised feelings and reasoned that Travis had married Elaina because in the end he realized he had loved her. That maybe he’d felt guilty after what happened the night of India’s birthday and had tried to make things right. For Elaina to say they never loved each other made the bitter disappointment she’d felt back then come back even more.
That doesn’t mean he would have married you. It doesn’t mean anything would have been different. She’d been too young, too idealistic and too romantic back then. Maybe the truth was Travis had just been looking for a Robidoux sister to marry so he could further his own goals. Just because he kissed her once on the edge of the tobacco field, whispered words that she’d longed to hear, didn’t mean a thing.
She managed a small smile. “I’m glad you two are still friends.”
Elaina’s shoulders relaxed along with the tightness around her smile. She clearly had not wanted to continue to explore any of her feeling for Travis. “I’d thought Daddy lost his mind plucking him from that trailer park and training him up, but he’s proven himself to be loyal. That’s all the family needs.”
India opened her mouth to ask what Elaina needed, but footsteps sounded in the hall right before a man walked into the room. India’s breath rushed from her lungs.
Time had only enhanced his good looks. Dark brown skin smoother than the finest mahogany. Midnight black bedroom eyes that used to pierce through her shyness to the bold girl she’d tried to hide from her daddy. He had a swimmer’s body. Tall, sleek, well-defined. He wore a maroon polo shirt and dark brown slacks that complemented his dark skin. His full lips were parted in a big smile. He hadn’t noticed them, as he looked back and smiled at her brother behind him. Yet flashes went through her mind of his lips brushing her neck and his eyes staring at her beneath lowered lashes in the moonlight.
Byron saw them and his grin brightened the room. “India. You’re home.”
Travis swung around. His dark gaze collided with hers.
“India?” His deep voice washed over her. She’d forgotten the sound of her name on his lips: low, smooth, intoxicating. As if he savored the syllables as they rolled off his tongue.
Her stomach tightened and she chugged the remaining wine in her glass. Heat prickled across her skin like a thousand needles. She should have gone to LA. She should have realized running from a problem didn’t make the problem go away. Her brain screamed run and her feet twitched with the urgency to obey as the one answer she’d come home to find out robbed her of the ability speak. She was still in love with her sister’s husband.
Forbidden Promises
by Synithia Williams
Look for it March 2020 from HQN Books!
Copyright © 2020 by Synithia R. Williams
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The Dating Dare
by Barbara Dunlop
One
It wasn’t like I was completely alone.
I had friends at work. Well, acquaintances really. But some of us exchanged Christmas gifts. We went to lunch. We even stopped for drinks in the evening before heading home.
My lifelong friends Layla and Brooklyn might have moved out of Seattle, but I’d rebound from that. People rebounded from absent friendships all the time. They filled their lives with other things, new experiences and new companions.
The companions didn’t even have to be people.
I liked cats. I especially liked kittens. I’d heard once that kittens should be adopted in pairs, littermates if you
could get them. That way, they kept themselves company when you were away.
A librarian with two cats.
Perfect.
Exactly how I hoped my life would end up.
I was at the Harbor Tennis Club in downtown Seattle contemplating the latest text message from Sophie Crush, the fourth close friend in our circle. Several games were underway on the indoor courts below me. The frequent sound of balls popping hollowly against the painted surface faded into the background while my herbal tea cooled on a round polished beech wood table in the lounge.
I liked herbal tea. It was a comfort drink, and I didn’t want to give it up. All the same, I was thinking I might have to choose between tea and cats to keep from becoming a cliché.
I had acquaintances here at the Harbor Club, too. I’d been a member since I was a teenager. I’d taken lessons and played matches over the years with most of the other members in my age range.
But acquaintances weren’t close friends. They weren’t the people you could call up to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon with dressed in yoga pants, eating gourmet ice cream and loaded nachos, adding wine as soon as the clocked ticked over to four o’clock. They weren’t the people you could count on when you were feeling down.
I was feeling down.
I told myself it was normal. And it was. I didn’t begrudge Layla and Brooklyn their happily-ever-afters. I was happy for them. But it was hard to be happy for me right now.
I checked my cell phone screen again. The text from Sophie stared back at me.
Her lunch was running late—her lunch with her new guy was running late.
I surmised from the grinning emoji that lunch with the new guy was going great.
I was happy for her, too. Again, just not for me.
She’d canceled our Saturday tennis game at the last minute, so here I was sitting alone in my tennis shorts, my racket by my side, with no plans for the afternoon and none for the evening, either. I found myself wondering how late the animal shelter was open on weekends.