Sisters in White

by Melissa Foster

  “Oh no.”

  Treat turned his back to the railing and finished his drink.

  “How did you know I was looking for them?”

  “I saw you earlier this evening in the lobby, and I put two and two together. Lacy came out about an hour ago and looked like she was searching for something.” He shrugged. “I just wanted to be sure everyone was okay. Blake’s family. You’re going to be family, too, and if there’s one thing the Bradens do, it’s look out for family.” He shrugged again, like that should explain his innate ability to see when things were amiss.

  “I should go to Lacy.” Danica watched Lacy, still as a statue. “You didn’t see Madeline, my father’s wife, did you?”

  He pointed up toward the hotel rooms above them.

  “Oh, that can’t be good.” Dad left Madeline alone to be with Mom?

  “If you need anything, just let me know. I’m going to head in and do a bit of paperwork.” Treat took a step forward, then turned back around. “One question. Max? Is she...spoken for?”

  Danica smiled. “No, she’s not. But I’m not sure she’s one for one-night stands.”

  He nodded. “Understood. Good night, Danica.”

  Danica caught up to Lacy in her spot under the tree. “Hey,” she said softly.

  “Hey.” Lacy kept her eyes trained on her father and Danica’s mother. “This is what you were looking at before. Them, right?”

  She desperately wanted to lie to her, to tell her anything but the truth. She didn’t want to hurt sweet Lacy, but she wouldn’t lie to cover her father’s tracks.

  “Yes.”

  Lacy nodded. “I’ve been watching them for a long time. I can see how they must have been together. They’re so easy with each other. I think I’d be angry, or at least, if I were your mom, I’d be angry at my mom, even if your mom did steal him away first.”

  “I’m not sure what that means, steal him away first.”

  Lacy lowered herself into a chair. “My mom was married to him. Only for a year or so, when they were in high school.”

  “What? No way. I’d have known that.” Married?

  “Would you?” Lacy asked. “My mom was pregnant. They married. She lost the baby. Your dad—our dad—and your mother got together. End of story. Or so I thought.”

  Danica’s lungs stopped functioning. She was going to pass out. Throw up. Both. Oh God. She sank into the empty chair, feeling as though shards of glass had shattered her heart.

  “I guess paybacks really are hell,” Lacy said as she tore her damp eyes from their parents and looked stoically at Danica.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Danica paced the floor of the women’s bathroom, where she’d escaped with Lacy on her heels. Her pulse raced, her head hurt, her stomach ached. “How can this be? This is wrong on so many levels.”

  Lacy leaned silently against the sink with a stricken look on her face.

  “Why didn’t your mom say something when we had dinner that first night? She took all of the blame.” None of this made any sense. Danica couldn’t even think straight.

  “Who knows? I can’t think of any reason she’d want to protect your mother, but...” Lacy shrugged.

  Maybe she wasn’t protecting Mom. Maybe she was protecting me and Kaylie. Kaylie. Oh God. “What am I gonna tell Kaylie? How can I get married with this shit going on?”

  “It’s not your life.”

  Danica looked at her incredulously.

  “I mean, it’s their lives they’re messing up. We’re adults. We’re not little kids anymore.” Lacy shrugged. Her eyes were cold, her face, a blank slate.

  Lacy was so matter-of-fact about the situation that Danica had to wonder if her father had done this other times, with other women. My God, what has Madeline been through?

  “Do you think it is what we think it is? I mean, it could be innocent.”

  Lacy shrugged. “How would I know?”

  “How can you be so blasé about this?”

  “Blasé? Am I blasé?” Lacy furrowed her brow. Anger or hurt—Danica couldn’t tell which—filled her eyes as her chest lifted and fell with each breath, each one a little harder than the one before. “Look at my life, Danica. I grew up knowing you guys were out there, and every breath I took brought with it a wonder. Will they hate me? Will they ever accept me?” Tears filled her eyes. “My mother was his mistress. Do you know how embarrassing that is? Do you have the tiniest idea what that feels like? What it feels like when kids at school ask you why your father isn’t at Father-Daughter Day? Why your father doesn’t pick you up at birthday parties or why you talk about imaginary sisters that no one believes exist?”

  “Lacy, I had—”

  Lacy pushed away from the sink and wiped her tears. “You had no idea. No shit. You think I blame you? I don’t. And I don’t blame Kaylie either. I blame my friggin’ mother and my lame-ass father, who put us all in this situation. And your mother?”

  Danica felt the protective armor slipping into place.

  “Your mother? How can anyone blame her? Was she the first one who stole him away, or was my mother the first one in high school, or middle school? God, how can anyone know what to believe? It’s all shit. Shit, shit, shit.” She sank to the floor and sobbed.

  There were no words to fix what she was feeling. Danica couldn’t therapy this hurt away in the bathroom of the hotel, mere hours before her wedding. This would take years, ages of therapy. Lacy was just as broken as all of them were. And here Danica thought they had the perfect little family, the ideal father-daughter relationship.

  She sank to the floor beside Lacy and took her hand. Lacy’s head met her shoulder, and together they sat, tears streaming down their cheeks, hands interlaced. Two sisters, two broken hearts, and a world of hurt lying just outside the bathroom door.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Danica paced the hotel room she shared with Kaylie. Her heart told her that Kaylie needed to know what was possibly, maybe, going on. But her head told her not to thrust that stress on her sister. It was their wedding day. Why ruin it for her? Because I can’t get married. How can I get married knowing how messed up everyone is?

  A knock at the door pulled her from the turmoil in her head. Danica hadn’t slept all night, and as she passed the mirror on the way to the door, she paused. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. Even her face looked like it was retaining water. Forget the way her shoulders drooped, because there was no way she could find the energy to stand up straight, much less walk down the aisle.

  It was six o’clock in the morning. It had to be Lacy. Who else would be up at that ungodly hour? She pulled the door open.

  “Good morning!” Scarlet smiled brightly.

  “Scarlet? Oh no. Has something gone wrong? It’s so early.”

  “Oh no, quite the opposite. Mr. Braden has scheduled a spa treatment for the brides this morning.”

  “Spa treatment?” I’m too tired to even think of a spa treatment. This can’t be happening.

  “Yes.” The word came out as on long syllable, a purr of sweetness. Scarlet walked into the room, as if barging in on guests at six o’clock in the morning was something she did every day. “I suggest that we wake Miss Kaylie to join us. Mr. Braden was very specific about treating the brides like queens. He’s got the entire spa staff ready and waiting.”

  Danica was so tired that she couldn’t think straight.

  “Really? Thank you,” was all she could manage.

  The idea of being pampered didn’t appeal to her at all. All she really wanted to do was burst into her mother’s room and ask if what Lacy said was true. Then she wanted to go to her father’s room and punch him in the nose. And then...then...she didn’t even know what she wanted to do next, but she wanted to do something. Run as fast as she could, as far as she was able. Yes, running would be good. Blake. Oh, Blake. She didn’t even want to be in his arms at that moment. He couldn’t fix this hurt. He couldn’t make it all disappear or convince her that the last twenty-four hours hadn
’t really happened.

  But he can soothe me.

  He can help heal me.

  He can hold me.

  He can—

  “A spa treatment? Incredible! I love Treat already!” Kaylie popped out of bed like she’d been up for hours.

  “Were you only pretending to be asleep, or did the words spa treatment filter through your rem state and spur your energy?”

  Kaylie waved a dismissive hand at Danica. “Wow, Danica, you look like shit,” she said on her way to the bathroom.

  Everything about the spa was sumptuous. From the glass doors with gold filament to the black marble floors and the staff of six of the most gorgeous people Danica had ever seen, dressed in perfectly pressed white and gold outfits—the women in silk dresses that ended just above the knees, the men in white linen slacks and shirts. Where does he hire from? Victoria’s Secret and GQ?

  “I will leave you in the capable hands of Olivia and Kaleb.” Scarlet unfolded her hands as if she were Vanna White presenting a gift.

  “Thank you, Scarlet. This is simply amazing.” Kaylie looked around with stars in her eyes.

  “Thank you. I’d like to thank Treat in person.” When I’m human again. Danica couldn’t even imagine when that might be.

  “Yes. He’s leaving sometime today, but I will advise him of your wish to see him.”

  The perfectly coiffed blond bun on Olivia’s head must have taken an hour to create, and not a hair was out of place on Kaleb’s gorgeous head, either. His skin was the color of honey, his eyes as dark as the night sky. Their pearly whites gleamed through smiles that hadn’t changed since Danica and Kaylie arrived, which Danica found a bit unsettling. Stepford Wives came to mind, then I, Robot. Exhaustion had sucked her brain cells dry, and it took all of her energy not to continue running through movies and books that might fit the situation. It’s Complicated starring Alec Baldwin and Meryl Streep. Stop. Stop. Stop!

  “Shall we get you changed?” Olivia had one arm around Kaylie and one around Danica, though she barely touched their backs.

  “Isn’t this amazing?” Kaylie gushed. “What are we having done?”

  Kaleb stood silently by, his hands still neatly folded in front of him as they walked past. What on earth was he even there for? His looks? Well, it worked. Danica’s mind had officially been off her troubles for the past five minutes. And now, with the eye candy gone, she was right back where she’d started. Only now Kaylie was talking up a storm and she was being told to undress. Everything. Take it all off. We don’t want to get our lotions and creams on your delicates. Danica groaned as she pulled off her clothes and wrapped the thick, insanely soft white robe around herself and tied the belt.

  Couldn’t she just lie down on the pretty little white settee in her private, ample dressing area and close her eyes? Forget the whole night before and maybe sleep through the day and wake up after everyone had gone home?

  “Are you coming?” Kaylie called from beyond the dressing room door.

  Kaylie’s smile was too bright and too cheerful for Danica’s thumping head. She looked like she’d already been pampered. Her hair was sexily mussed and her skin tan and smooth without the unsavory sights having sucked the life out of them from the night before, like Danica’s.

  Despite her resolve to pretend that all was well, despite the smile Danica forced for Kaylie’s sake, an exhausted sigh escaped her lips.

  “What on earth is wrong with you? I told you to take the Ambien last night.”

  “This way, ladies.” Kaleb’s voice was every bit as scrumptious as his looks. “We’ll be soothing our way from the top down today.” He looked from one woman to the other. “I promise you, you’ll never feel better than when you leave our hands.” His eyes lingered on Kaylie, whose eyes were so round she looked like a kid in a candy store.

  I bet.

  “And don’t worry,” he added, turning toward Danica, “there are no blemishes we cannot take care of.”

  Blemishes! It’s fatigue, you evil handsome man.

  Danica lay on a cushioned table, strong hands rubbing, kneading, caressing, and generally making love to, her face. Her skin stretched and pulled in ways she’d never even tried to achieve. The tension in her jaw and beneath her eyes magically dissipated. She could lie there all day. Yes, that was a good plan. Soothing music drifted around her in the room she shared with Kaylie, who lay on the table next to hers.

  “This is too delicious,” Kaylie moaned.

  The thought of talking was too much. Danica lay silent, hoping she’d fade into sleep.

  “I can’t believe Treat did this for us. I wonder if Chaz and Blake knew. What about Mom? Oh my God, Camille and the girls will be so jealous.”

  Please shut up. I just want to have this person massage me until I no longer exist.

  “What did you do last night? At some point I woke up to pee and you weren’t there. Where were you?”

  Sleep. Precious sleep.

  “Danica!”

  Danica startled. “Yeah?”

  “Are you even listening to me?”

  “I’m tired, sorry. I must have been getting a drink or a magazine or something when you got up.”

  “Huh.” Kaylie paused.

  Thank you.

  “I didn’t see any new magazines or any dirty cups or anything. Where did you go? Did you go to the café or restaurant and eat there?”

  “Mm-hm.”

  “Which one?”

  Oh my God! Stop! Why do you care?

  “Dan, where did you go? Was anyone else up? I didn’t see Michelle or the boys anywhere when we went upstairs. Did they have fun?”

  Danica was about to lose her mind, when one of the masseurs cleared his throat and said, “The tension will fall away much easier if we’re quiet. Respecting our minds and our body’s need for peace.” He made a tsk sound and waved his hand.

  “Sorry,” Kaylie said in a pouty voice.

  Danica reminded herself to tip the man well as she drifted off to sleep.

  An hour later they were being led down another wide hallway.

  “Next, we’ll move on to our body ceremony.” Olivia spoke of the body ceremony like they understood what she meant.

  Danica couldn’t help but envision men bowing down to her and Kaylie as they donned some sort of Egyptian attire while standing on an altar.

  Instead, they were led into another room with cushioned tables. A fireplace threw wavy shadows in the dim light, and some sort of chant played through wall-mounted speakers. Another beautiful Stepford Wife stood beside each table, their hands folded before them. Their updos left no hair out of place. They, too, boasted the somewhat eerie and still smile.

  Danica lay on the table on her stomach with nothing but a towel covering her butt and her face settled in the comfortable face cradle. She watched the reflection of the fire dancing across the marble floor. She missed Blake. How could one night feel like a year? She wondered if he missed her, too, or if he was thinking about their wedding. God, I’m getting married today. Married! She reveled in the happiness that brought until she was unable to push the image of Lacy from the night before from her mind.

  She couldn’t stop thinking of Lacy’s admission. She’d come apart right in front of Danica, and Danica hadn’t known what to do. How could she have practiced therapy and helped so many people when she couldn’t even help her sister? Half sister or not, Lacy’s pain was Danica’s pain. Maybe not as painful as it would have been if it were Kaylie falling apart on the bathroom floor, but it was awfully close.

  Kaylie.

  Tell her.

  I’ll ruin her wedding day.

  I can’t tell her.

  Keep it to yourself, then.

  Okay. I will.

  There.

  There.

  Settled.

  Danica closed her eyes and allowed herself to fade into the foggy darkness of her mind as the hands of one of the Stepford Wives traveled across her shoulders and down her back, easing the ache with
every intense rub. One of them explained that after their massage, they’d be given a detoxing Mayan herbal wrap, which was just too complicated for Danica’s mind to even process. Sleep, blissful sleep, swept her away.

  Danica didn’t know how much time had passed, but she groggily followed Kaylie and another GQ model to yet another room. A pungent, sweet and spicy smell intertwined with an aroma akin to hot oil. The combination alit her senses.

  “Are you nervous?” Kaylie asked.

  “Are you kidding? They can do whatever they want to me. My muscles are in heaven already, my head doesn’t hurt as much, and we’re not even done yet.”

  “I mean about the wedding,” Kaylie snipped.

  “Oh.” Yes. Scared shitless that I’ll run from the altar, or that Mom and Dad will do something that will make the whole thing fall apart. “Nah. It’ll be wonderful.”

  “On the way through the lobby, I heard someone say something about a storm front heading this way.”

  “Not today. Treat said yesterday that the weather was expected to be beautiful.”

  “Right.”

  Danica looked at her sister then. Really looked at her, and what she saw surprised her. Kaylie didn’t look any more relaxed than she had when they arrived. In fact, she looked a little worse. “Are you okay, Kay? You look a little peaked.”

  “I’m sure I do. I just keep thinking, maybe we should have had the rehearsal. What if the kids freak out? What if no one does what they’re supposed to?”

  “What happened to, Whatever happens, happens? I thought you were all about a spontaneous, memorable wedding.” And you have no idea how memorable this trip already is. “Stop worrying,” she assured her. “It’s gonna be fine.” I hope.

  Kaylie let out a breath as Mr. GQ left the room and two more beautiful women explained that they were going to wrap them in heated sheets infused with Mayan herbs to detoxify their bodies and draw the toxins to their surface.

  “Sounds lovely,” Kaylie said.

  What do they do after the toxins rise to the surface?