by Jean Oram
Chapter Five
Her mother was seizing the day and chasing after her dreams, and what was Amber up to? Nothing.
The same old, same old.
Well, other than mulling over the new discoveries in her life. Such as her father didn’t know of her existence. She had a possible sister who wanted to meet up. She had an undetermined number of half siblings. Her mother was no longer the predictable, staid woman Amber had always counted on. And her ex-boyfriend wanted money for his stupid writing cave.
Oh, and she was daydreaming about her best friend in a friends-to-lovers kind of way.
Her mom had told her to believe she was enough woman for Scott and now Amber couldn’t get the idea out of her mind. Or the arguments about how her mother had to be wrong. Scott Malone was a man who upheld laws, whereas Amber went out and stumbled into them, sometimes shattering them in her wake. Her friend hadn’t come to the city when she’d left town, despite her constant begging. She hadn’t been enough for him to consider uprooting himself. And now that she was here for an indeterminate length of time, he was leaving. She’d never be enough. She got herself into embarrassing situations and it was too much for a man like Scott to take. As a friend, fine. As more? Not happening.
Besides, they weren’t even well matched. Not beyond their awesome friendship. For example, Scott definitely wouldn’t be considering finding a long-lost sibling without consulting his parents first.
As Amber was.
The email from her possible sister requesting a get together was open on her laptop, staring at her. Amber really wanted to meet the woman named Delia Whitehart. She didn’t want to wait for her mother or the government to confirm their relationship. Sick with excitement and fear, Amber wanted to find out everything about Delia. Every single little thing.
They could have a ton in common and become best friends.
Then again, her sister might not want to have anything to do with her after she found out that Amber was the flaky heroine in a new novel currently taking the country by storm.
Amber wanted to be like her mother and seize the day, jump on the offered unicorn of dreams and ride it over the rainbow and into the sunset.
But she couldn’t. It would mean not thinking about the impact on her mother.
Being an adult sucked.
Yet she could still argue that this was her sister and it was her right to meet her.
And on the other side of the argument, Amber would be betraying her mother and her trust. But then why would her mom mention her sister if she didn’t secretly want Amber to find her?
She felt as though she was standing on the edge of a cliff. The edge of truth. A turning point in her life. Before sister; after sister. If she didn’t pursue this, she’d always wonder.
But pursuing it could cause a rift between her and her mother.
Instead of continuing to argue with herself, Amber got in the golf cart and drove into Blueberry Springs, parking in front of the police station. Scott was sitting at his desk, typing up a report. He look impossibly large hunched over the small machine, and as she had hundreds of time before, she sat across from him in the empty chair, waiting for him to finish what he was doing. Nobody else was in the office. Scott was usually the only officer on duty, and Dispatch—who also served as reception and secretary—was already gone for the day, leaving them alone.
She knew he would finish his reports, then check on any animals in the pound, taking the dogs for a walk. Then he’d seek either her or his family out for a little downtime.
“Guess what?” Amber asked, when he finally pushed himself away from his keyboard. “I have a sister!”
Shoot. So much for her promise to her mother that she’d keep her secret safe. But there was no way Amber could deal with something this huge on her own. She needed someone to talk to. She needed Scott.
“It’s confidential,” she added hastily.
“Okay.” Scott studied her face, but remained quiet, listening.
“Not only that, but I think I may have found her. I want to wait until the government has confirmed it before I tell my mom, but my sister wants to meet. Tomorrow.”
As she spilled the secret, Amber kept waiting for something to click. For it all to feel real. For the hole inside to somehow backfill, making her into some sort of elegant, mature woman who could run the PTA without accidentally giving all the fund-raising money to a charlatan. Someone Scott would be proud to have on his arm.
She was thinking of him again. Why did every thought seem to act like a Scott-magnetized boomerang these days? It went out into the world perfectly fine, but always turned midflight and landed at Scott’s wonderful size eleven feet.
“I think my mom has always wondered about my sister, but she’s scared to open that can of worms. I can’t decide if it’s better to go see this possible sister and report back to Mom, or wait. If I wait, she might say no. And if she says no then I can never go forward.”
Scott stared at Amber contemplatively.
“Well?” she asked. “What do you think? What should I do?”
He folded his hands and leaned forward.
“I could use more family,” she prompted, hoping he’d reply, “Go for it.”
If she had his blessing, she’d know she wasn’t being impulsive and that she wasn’t fooling herself with false logic.
“It’s exciting. The idea of having all this family out there. It’s not just me and Mom. We have a clan.”
“I know where you’re coming from,” Scott said at last. “But how will your mom feel if you go out and meet her while she’s away? Will she feel betrayed? Is she ready to let this come out in the open? I didn’t know you had a sister—this is pretty big.”
“You don’t know everything,” Amber said, hoping the doubt she felt wasn’t evident in her voice.
“I’m a cop in Blueberry Springs.” He paused to let that sink in. “I know more than Mary Alice and Liz combined.”
Shoot. Okay. Regroup. New argument.
There wasn’t one.
“So, what should I do?”
“You can’t wait, can you?”
“No.” Amber practically exploded, her limbs flying out from her sides. “I’m like a cat using up all nine lives due to the depth of my curiosity on this one.”
“I chased a few more reporters out of town today.”
Changing the subject. She knew that tactic; she used it all the time to get out of tricky conversations.
“I should find her, shouldn’t I?”
“They were snooping around, interviewing people about you. You need to watch what you do with these family secrets. These guys will be following you, digging up dirt. If they catch wind that you’re trying to find your sister and father, they could blow up everything. I don’t think that’s how you want to be introduced to new family members.”
“So that means I should move fast, right? Beat them to the punch?”
Scott had missed a spot shaving this morning and there was a small fuzzy patch under his chin she wanted to test with a finger, longing to know if the bristles were soft or sharp. Longing to know how they would feel against her skin.
And there she went again. The Scott boomerang. She really needed to stop or she’d end up like Liz’s niece Nicola, drooling over her best friend. And that girl was drooling worse than a dog in front of a juicy steak that was tantalizingly out of reach.
“What I’m saying is that this knowledge could ruin someone’s life if exposed in the wrong way,” Scott said.
“Being my father or sister could ruin their life?” Amber knew she was misinterpreting his words, but she couldn’t help it. “Nice. Like the past two weeks haven’t been bad enough, Scott. Thanks for that.”
She stood, heading for the door, but he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned away from his embrace, not ready to be coddled into forgiveness.
“Stop and think about it,” he whispered.
“Wouldn’t someone want to know if he ha
d a daughter? Even if it was me?”
Scott turned her around, brushing a tear from her cheek, still holding her close.
“Oh, Amber.” He gave her a sweet smile so full of what looked like it could be love that she wanted to will more tears onto her cheeks so he could brush them away. So he could allow her to be vulnerable and take some of the pressure from her life.
“You have to look outside yourself,” he said. “Maybe your father has another family who wouldn’t take too kindly to the fact that he has a child he’s never acknowledged. Ignoring your family is not something to be proud of. It’s not an easy thing to face.”
“Mom said she didn’t tell him about me.”
“Then maybe she kept it a secret for a very good reason. And sometimes the longer you wait, the worse it feels when it comes to demolishing secrets.”
“People need to focus less on themselves and what others think of them,” Amber said, her voice muffled by the cave of his arms.
Scott chuckled. “I agree. And I also have a plan that will help satisfy your curiosity, as well as respect your mother’s privacy. Ready to hear it?”
She tipped her head up to look at him, touching the spot of fuzz under his chin. It was soft but sharp-edged at the same time.
“Ready as ever.”
* * *
Amber stood outside the gated community in the nearby city Dakota, pacing. Scott had driven her to the neighborhood after she’d given him the info she’d compiled on Delia. They planned to do a drive-by, but nothing too stalkerish. Just a little something to help quench her curiosity and make her less antsy while she waited for her mother to return home.
Scott rubbed his chin and stared at the gate, his mouth opening as though he was about to say something. His window was down and Amber could tell he was considering all the possible ways of entering the closed community.
Should they hit the buzzer for her half sister’s house and tell the truth about why they were there? Pretend to deliver pizza? Maybe just hit all the buttons in hope that someone would let them in, no questions asked? Jump the gate?
“Are you going to ram it?” Amber asked hopefully, when Scott finally looked away from the buzzer, his grip tightening on his truck’s steering wheel.
He gave her an amused glance. “Is that really how you want to introduce yourself to the woman who may be your half sister? And I just had this baby repainted.” He patted the side of his classic Ford truck.
Amber glanced at the thick gates again, fingers of dread clenching her stomach. She had dreams of her and her sister being similar. Of seeing herself reflected through familiar but different eyes. That she would somehow see in her sibling that piece she was missing inside herself. But now, looking at the posh gated community, Amber started to believe that maybe she was missing the half her sister possessed and it could never be found and patched in. Half of her sister came from someone else’s genes. The half that made her a success.
Her sibling lived in a community with its own lake and a gate. Not a three-inch-high plastic fence propped around some wilted petunias and a mud puddle.
A vehicle drove in, the gate opening.
“Shall we?” Scott asked, putting his truck in gear. He rested his foot on the brake, waiting for Amber to give him the go-ahead.
Through the open window she placed a hand on his forearm, holding him back. The gate began to close and she quickly whacked his arm, encouraging him to speed through before it shut. Scott complied and Amber jogged alongside, the black metal gates sealing behind them. He stopped on the other side and she hopped into the passenger seat.
“Whew,” she said. “That was close.”
“You’re nuts.”
“You’re the one who went for it.”
“You told me to.”
“I didn’t say a word.”
“Remember,” Scott warned, “no ambushing. We’re simply doing a curiosity-fueled drive-by.”
“Right. No being the creepy person who tracked her down.”
“It might be a little too late for that,” he muttered as he turned onto a wide boulevard lined with large homes, manicured lawns and gardens surprisingly lush for the earliness of the season. The evening sun gave everything a haze that made it seem idyllic and unreal. Amber hadn’t even realized there were homes like this in Dakota. As they drove by one with a pool house and guest cottage, she tried not to daydream about what it might be like if she and her sister got along famously. Would she move into their guesthouse and join her sister for coffee every morning before work?
Then the doubt began.
“What if we don’t have anything in common?”
Scott, his arm resting on the frame of the open window glanced at her. “You have the same mom.”
“But we obviously lead entirely different lives. I doubt she’s ever dropped an ex-boyfriend’s trailer off a cliff.”
“You get along with everyone, Amber. It will be fine.”
Scott slammed on the brakes, narrowly missing an old dog. The golden retriever meandered down the middle of the pavement, blocking their way, sparing them a glance. They were still two houses from her sister’s, and Amber didn’t want to stop. She wanted to keep going, hurry along, not be noticed. At the same time she wanted to ask Scott to find an excuse for her to stop and gawk, absorb every detail about the area and her possible-sister’s home.
“Thank you for stopping,” a woman called with a wave, and Amber slumped down in her seat. The woman left the sidewalk and called to the dog, which ignored her, continuing on his way. “Sorry! He’s deaf and old.” She wore capris that fit amazingly, and Amber looked down at her own worn jeans. Maybe she should have dressed up more so she wouldn’t look so out of place. No, it didn’t matter. She wasn’t meeting anyone and definitely not her sister. They were just passing through. Nobody would notice her.
The dog lay down in the middle of the street, blocking their way, oblivious to the truck wanting by. The young woman gave a frustrated shrug and tried to tug at his large shoulders, but he didn’t budge, seeming to have decided this was a good place for a rest.
Scott pulled the vehicle to the curb and parked.
“What are you doing? We’re practically in front of my sister’s house,” Amber whispered. “What if she looks out her window and realizes it’s me?”
“And how is she going to recognize you? Does stalking run in the family?” He shut off the engine and opened his door.
“But what if she sees me today and then when we meet she remembers me and realizes I was hanging around her house and being creepy?”
“Then hide in the backseat. I don’t care. But we’re getting nowhere with Old Yeller in the middle of the road. They need help.”
Scott walked over to the dog, which turned his head but remained where he was. Scott chatted with the woman before talking to the retriever, scratching his belly, then eventually trying to lift him. The dog growled and Scott backed off.
Amber sighed and got out of the truck. They needed to move before things got out of hand or embarrassing. She bent low and slapped her thighs, using a high-pitched, excited voice to call the dog. The animal turned his head and she encouraged him, continuing to coo. “Thatta boy! Come here. That’s a good doggy.” The retriever stood, joints stiff, tail moving. He waggled over to her before sitting on her feet and looking up at her with a happy smile. She petted him and gave Scott a smug look.
“Thank you so much,” said the woman. “He’s gotten so old he just does whatever he wants.”
“You don’t always have to be old to do that,” Scott said under his breath, giving Amber a glance.
She replied to his comment by sticking out her tongue. He grinned. Always so darn cute.
“He usually doesn’t like anyone but me.” The woman gave her a long look as Amber continued to pet the dog, bracing herself as he leaned more weight against her legs. The woman’s gaze came to rest on Amber’s hands, and she tried to hide them in the retriever’s shaggy fur. She probably had dirt un
der her chewed nails, from trying to get the little plastic fence around her flowers to stay upright. She doubted anyone touched dirt or chewed their nails in this part of town.
“She’s great with dogs,” Scott said.
“Thankfully.” The woman studied Amber, apparently unable to look away from someone so obviously out of place. “I’m Delia.” She reached out to shake hands, and Amber froze.
Delia?
How many Delias lived in any given neighborhood?
Amber weakly shook the woman’s hand, barely daring to breathe. A young couple walked by with a baby stroller, and Delia turned to say hello to them. Amber backed away, giving them room to pass, trying to get Scott to flee with her.
“Oh, where are my manners?” Delia laughed, drawing Scott and Amber back in. “These are my neighbors, the Lunts. They’re over from the UK with their beautiful baby girl, Blossom. Isn’t she adorable?” Delia commandeered the stroller, turning it to face Amber and Scott. “Every time I see that darling little face it makes my own biological clock start ticking a little louder.”
Amber smiled at the baby, who rewarded her with a gummy grin. Amber laughed. “She is pretty adorable.”
“I babysit her whenever I can steal her away.”
The parents laughed, then leaned in to share a quick peck, making Amber wish she could have something like that.
Someday.
She was going to figure out this Thompson bad-luck gene and break it. Defeat it. Overcome it. And her sister was going to help her.
“I’m Scott,” he said, shaking everyone’s hand, and Amber reminded herself to bury the man’s body somewhere nobody would think to look. The last thing she needed was introductions that would undoubtedly lead Delia to figure out there was a connection between this Amber and the one she had been emailing.
“They helped me with Sasquatch,” Delia said, tugging her dog closer. “This is…” She held out her hand to Amber. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“Amber,” she said, while clearing her throat.
“Sorry? Amber?”