Charlie… well, to put it nicely, Charlie hadn’t been gentle when he touched her and the excitement of being with Charlie Childress could excuse bruises for only so long. The fact that the man had been on Devlyn Caracus’s gang had only increased his desirability.
Lisa wouldn’t deny her constant need to be “seen” by her father, even if it was just at random times or in passing when he spoke with Charlie.
So meeting up with Johnny when he’d adored her, worshipped her almost, had been headier than she could cope with. She’d used his connections in the pageant arena to manipulate her way into either winning the pageant or suing.
Just bad luck for him that she’d sued the company.
How could she love him when she didn’t understand how to love herself?
Johnny had been too safe.
Charlie hadn’t been safe at all.
Lisa needed to find stability in herself before she could focus on a man. Hadn’t she learned from Devlyn Caracus that men couldn’t be relied on? No matter how safe they seemed?
Finding herself on the front porch of the Rourke home didn’t erase the surreal moment that Lisa still couldn’t grasp. She had more sisters. More.
Even though Mary had never acknowledged her as a sibling – maybe didn’t know about it – Lisa had always known about one… but two more? And hadn’t Sara Beth mentioned something about a total of five of them? Five… the staggering number gave her goose bumps. To have four sisters and not know about it. Wow.
She inhaled long and slow then reached out and pressed the doorbell. Mere seconds passed and Rosie, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed older Scott sister answered the door with a polite smile.
She ushered Lisa inside, closing the late summer heat outside and keeping the controlled cooler air trapped. “Come in, Lisa. We’re in the living room.” Rosie motioned toward the back room.
Lisa remembered how to get there from the few times she’d been to the ranch to provide physical therapy for Sara Beth. But that had been before the “Great reveal” of all the Caracus offspring.
The house had a hushed-waiting to it, like the furniture sensed the tension and held its breath.
Shoving her shoulders back to relieve the anxiety that knotted along her spine, Lisa held her chin high. She didn’t want to be there, but doing the right thing would hopefully bring some benefits.
Maybe part of her anticipation came from being worked up over the events of that afternoon as well.
Ugh, Lisa hated Mondays.
Rosie entered the room first.
The arched entryway subtly announced the simple grandeur of the rancher great room.
A large fireplace dominated the main wall, offering a center place to focus one’s attention as well as something besides a television to smack in the middle of the room. Large river rock built up the mantel, funneling to the chimney leading through the ceiling.
Deep brown leather couches set in a U-shape framed a rough-cut-tree-trunk coffee table. Grooves and lines of old roots had been enhanced, the shiny product resulting in a warm and inviting piece.
Lisa didn’t want to acknowledge Sara Beth sitting in the farthest chair. She took another moment to appreciate the interior of the large but cozy room. Even the distressed wood of the flooring had a class all its own. Finally, against her better judgment, she dropped her gaze from the whitetail deer mounted above the nearest window and gave her attention to Sara Beth.
The fool sat there calmly, smiling with warmth as she waited. Rosie motioned to the couch across from the two sisters and then folded her long legs under her as she sat.
What was it with the matching women? The only thing Lisa had in common with them was the brilliant blue eyes. She shook her dark hair behind her shoulders and bit her inner cheek. They didn’t need to have the upper hand. She wasn’t competing with anyone. She’d come out there to warn them, get it over with already and get the heck out of the house.
Lisa cleared her throat, lowering herself to perch on the edge of the couch. If she wasn’t careful, the cushions would welcome her as one of their own. She scooted back a bit more into the softness. “Congratulations on the wedding, Mrs. Rourke. Sorry to hear about your honeymoon.”
Rosie smiled and patted Sara Beth’s shoulder. “Thank you. Call me Rosie. I’m fine waiting on the honeymoon part. There’s too much to do during the fall season. I’d hate to miss out on the branding over at Lacey Caverns and Michael has a bunch of horses he’s trained that are going to auction next week.” She offered a half-shrug. “Way too much going on to leave right now.”
“I understand that.” Lisa worked at the skin under her inner lip with her teeth. Did she just blurt it out? She wasn’t there to make besties or anything. Go for it, Lisa. What’s the worst that could happen? “Well, I tried telling Sara Beth at the wedding – the reason I went – about a guy… well, he’s not just a guy, he’s a federal agent and he’s searching for all of Caracus’s kids.” Okay, that could’ve been delivered smoother.
Sara Beth and Lisa glanced at each other, their gazes heavy with coded understanding. Sara Beth leaned forward, her legs noticeably still. “Johnny said he saw you talking to an agent at the rodeo. Was it the same guy?”
Shoulders slumping at the realization that maybe she wasn’t in it on her own brought a modicum of relief, Lisa leaned her head back and then nodded slowly. “Yeah. I lied then about knowing any of you guys or knowing about what he was talking about, but he showed up at my place Saturday before the wedding and… well, to put it nicely, he’s gunning for us. I’m just not sure why.”
“We usually hear about this kind of stuff from Ronan James. On those days, when the feds are closing in, we just stay out of town.” Rosie pressed her lips into a thin line, watching out the window behind Lisa. She glanced at Sara Beth. “Do you think he’s contacted either of the other two?”
Lisa cocked her head to the side. “Yeah, your list said there are five of us? Who else?” She didn’t offer them the name of one. Keeping at least one ace up her sleeve wouldn’t hurt anyone.
Sara Beth held up her hand and ticked off a name with each finger. “Me. Rosie. We have the same mom. Then there’s you. A Mary Caracus and a Jennie Williams. You’re listed with the same last name as Mary, but you obviously didn’t keep it.” She grinned. “And why would you, right? The name isn’t exactly well-known for any good reasons.”
Her joking comment stung.
Lisa couldn’t hide the grimace as it tightened her cheeks and mouth. “Devlyn Caracus was a complete ass, there’s no denying that, but he’s the only thing close to a dad I had. Growing up with his last name didn’t make things easy on me… or on Mary.” She tipped her hand, almost unwittingly, as she fought back the memories of growing up in a nearby dumb, hick town and all the excruciating emotions tied into it.
“Wait a minute, you know Mary? This Mary?” Sara Beth whisked a handful of papers from a side table and rifled through the small stack. She shoved one from the bottom toward Lisa, thrusting her finger at the grainy picture. “Her? Mary Caracus?” Eyes wide, Sara Beth’s chest heaved, making her hands quiver.
Lisa didn’t need to see the picture to know it was Mary – her Mary. She nodded her head and pasted the fakest smile she could manage on her lips. “I know her very well, actually.” A scent of vanilla filled the air. Why hadn’t she picked up on it sooner?
Sara Beth flopped back into the couch. She looked toward Rosie, tears in her eyes. “We found two of them. One more.”
Her expression stunned Lisa. “Why do you care?” She had to know. Lisa had spent her entire life avoiding relatives or anyone who didn’t like the reputation Devlyn Caracus wore like a cloak. His illegal activities drenched him in tar and the good stuff clung to the hem of his cloak like small feathers – the people he tore apart.
He’d damaged so many people, most especially the mothers of the girls being pursued.
Rosie held her composure, waiting for Sara Beth to field the question. She watched Lisa with curio
sity and zero hostility.
“Because you’re our sister. And so are Mary and Jennie. We’ve never met anyone else but you, yet we all have the same father. We just… Rosie and I know what it’s like to at least have each other. If Caracus worked the same way on everyone else’s mothers like he did ours, no one was allowed to date or be with anyone else. So, our guess is, if you’re listed on here without any siblings, then you don’t have any. And we want to fix that.” Sara Beth stuck her bottom lip out and puffed air toward her forehead.
“You can’t just be a sister because you want to be, you know? What if none of us want that?” Claustrophobia struck up walls around Lisa and pressed inward. She tried to breathe, but she didn’t take kindly to others making her choices for her.
Sara Beth held up her hands, fingers splayed. “No, we don’t want to force anything on any of you. We just want to make sure you’re okay and let you know that the option to get to know each other is there. We would love to. If you’re interested, we can take the next step.” She smiled tremulously, her lashes spiky with slightly shed tears.
Lifting her hand to rub at the nape of her neck, Lisa focused her gaze on the coffee table. She traced the whorls in the tree’s rings with her eyes, not willing or ready to look up. She sighed. “I don’t mean to come across as rude or even uninterested. I’m just… I’m not ready right now. That doesn’t mean I won’t be later or even tomorrow, you know? I’m just not ready for that kind of jump right now. It feels…” She lifted her gaze. “It feels contrived and I’m not the biggest fan of fake.”
Rosie nodded. “We understand. The offer still stands and we’d love to get in touch with Mary. If you don’t want to pass along the message, we can do it.”
“No, I need to call her to warn her about Mendez.” Lisa gripped the tops of her thighs, ready to stand.
“Mendez? Is that his name? The guy that came by?” Sara Beth pulled a pencil from the side table and leaned forward again, writing on the back of one of the slips of paper. “This didn’t feel like much of a warning.”
Stymied, Lisa wrinkled her nose. “There’s more. I just… well, you’re very distracting. Yeah, Jason Mendez. He’s a feebie but I’m not sure what division. I have no idea what he’s investigating besides us. He suspects you guys are the ones he’s looking for. He’s hardcore, though. Like a dang ‘coon around garbage or something.” Lisa stood, unable to sit any longer with them staring at her, expectations widening their eyes. “You need to know that he’s after a treasure Devlyn Caracus was rumored to have stolen a few years back. People have romanticized the rumor by saying one of his offspring will have the treasure. Apparently, it’s a lot of money – a lot of federally insured money.”
Lisa sighed, cracking her knuckles. “I’ll get ahold of Mary. Why don’t you guys try to find Jennie and let her know this guy is trying to find us?” She held up a finger and spoke slowly. “He’s not nice, ladies. He’s been very threatening and he pushed himself into my place.” She kept to herself the taunts and cruel one-liners he’d thrown at her.
“So he thinks we have this money, huh? Like we stole it?” Sara Beth scowled.
Lisa shrugged. “I have no idea, to be honest. I don’t know if he thinks we stole it or if we have it, or even if we know about it. But if it’s in the millions like the rumors say it is, I’m not surprised he’s getting desperate. And starting to get physical.” Lisa glanced at her wristwatch. When could she leave to see Ryan?
“This sounds pretty serious. We need to proceed with caution with this guy. Let’s agree to not do anything rash with him, okay?” Rosie stood. “I know you’re busy. I’ll walk you to the door. Thank you for the heads up on Mendez. We’ll see what we can find out about Jennie. And please, keep us updated on Mary.” She turned to Sara Beth. “I’ll be right back. Michael went to get Johnny for some help, so you’re stuck with me for lunch.”
“Oh, great. Tuna sandwiches, again!” Sara Beth laughed. She waved at Lisa. “Just come on out if you want to visit, Lisa. No pressure.” And she returned to the magazine on her lap.
There really didn’t seem to be any pressure to put more into the relationship than she wanted. A small amount of tension abated and Lisa’s step felt a little lighter as she left the large ranch.
Next on her list of to-dos for the day? Chaperone Jesse while Ryan’s ex-wife came for a visit. Interesting that Ryan had called Lisa. Interesting he hadn’t mentioned their conversation at the wedding.
Even more interesting? For the first time in a long while, Lisa wondered what it would be like to kiss the gorgeous ethnically-ambiguous man.
Note to self, don’t share that information with the ex or with the new “sisters”. Some things didn’t need to be heard… or felt.
Ryan
Chapter 8
Ryan wiped his hands on the kitchen towel. Jesse would be ready any minute and Ryan still hadn’t figured out what was running through his ten-year-old mind. The nerves were too real and Jesse should talk about any anxiety that might be crippling him further.
A soft creak made Ryan turn. He tossed the towel to the counter and strode toward his grinning son.
“Hey, Dad, do you think this shirt is too tight? Lisa likes to make me try to do push-ups and stuff. Last time I thought my muscles were going to bust through my sleeves.” Jesse held up an arm and winked at his dad, giving over to a fit of laughter at his own joke.
Chuckling at the boy’s joking confidence, Ryan pulled up a wooden dining chair alongside Jesse and pointed at the seat as he retrieved his own. His throat had tightened, making it difficult to speak normally.
“Get it? I’m so big.” Jesse continued giggling, claiming the seat and swinging his twisted legs with his hands tucked beneath his thighs.
Ryan sat beside him and leaned forward, elbows on his thighs, lacing his fingers together. He spoke slowly, careful not to choke on his nerves. “Jesse, your mom is going to be here in less than an hour. Do you have any questions?”
Watching his dad, Jesse picked at the skin on the side of his thumb. “Um, no, I’m okay.” But he looked like everything was anything but okay. He shot his gaze left and right while he waited for his dad’s words.
“Okay, so you understand what happened right? I got her phone call Saturday, while I was at the wedding.” Ryan swallowed, the words foreign, even as he’d gone over and over what he’d say in his head. He cleared his throat then swallowed. Nope, throat still tight. “As you know, it was your mother.”
Jesse’s gaze shot to Ryan’s face, holding steady as they pierced him beneath knitted brows. “Saturday? She called Saturday… but you didn’t tell me Saturday.”
“I know. I’m sorry. But she… well, she and I made arrangements for her to come see you. I wasn’t sure I was ready for that, you know? I had to come to terms with it first.” Ryan paused at Jesse’s sharp intake of breath.
Jesse’s hands flew toward the sides of the chair, knuckles whitening as he gripped the wood. “But Dad, why didn’t you tell me? That’s big, you know?”
Reaching out, Ryan clenched Jesse’s fingers in his. “I didn’t want you worrying, so I didn’t tell you.”
Jesse yanked away, embarrassment reddening his skin. His eyes bright with unshed tears, he whispered. “Did you think I couldn’t handle it? Like the horses?” He nodded sharply. “I heard you arguing with Kelsey about me being able to ride them at Lonely Rivers. I’m not as weak as you think I am.” His jaw tightened. “I’m not a cripple.”
Ryan jerked back, as if he’d been slapped. “I know you’re not. That’s not what this is about.” How could Jesse think that?
“Are you sure?” Jesse climbed from the chair, positioning himself at his walker. “Because you’re always saying I can’t do anything and you’re always protecting me from whatever might hurt me. I can do more than you think.” His lips quivered in a straight, firm line. “I can certainly see my mother without falling apart. I’m not a baby.”
Speaking softly, sadly, Ryan nodded. “Yea
h, I know, buddy. I just don’t want you to get hurt.” He couldn’t imagine how Jesse was feeling, but he tried again. “I know I’ve never offered for you to meet her. She doesn’t want me here and I don’t want to see her.” Of course he didn’t want to see the devil incarnate. “So, I asked Lisa to monitor you, be here in case you need some back up. She agreed. She’ll be here before Wanda is.” At least Ryan hoped so.
Staring at the ground, Jesse’s head bobbed like he agreed, but he didn’t say anything. After a long drawn moment, Jesse backed his walker out of the gaggle of chairs and shuffled outside. He didn’t say another word to Ryan.
Returning the chairs to their original spots, Ryan tried not to focus on the multiplying emotions running through him. He couldn’t even imagine what Jesse was experiencing right then. He hadn’t even asked Ryan any questions.
He grabbed his hat, slamming it to his crown. Waiting could be accomplished just as well outside. He needed to check in on the calf anyway.
Resisting Redemption (The Redemption Series Book 3) Page 4