Jake addressed the doubled-over Dominic. “I’m tired of pandering to your colossal ego. I don’t work for you and we both know that.”
Dominic growled and flew at Jake, landing a hit that sent Jake back a few feet. “And I’m tired of you talking to me like I wouldn’t have a company without you.”
Rubbing his quickly-swelling jaw, Jake shoved Dominic backward, toppling the serving table beneath his weight. “You wouldn’t.”
The fists flew faster, leaving no time for words. It only slowed when both men’s faces were swollen and they were holding their sides.
Dominic wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, and actually laughed. “I had no idea you had it in you.”
Jake bent over, hands on his thighs, his breathing a bit labored from pain. “It felt surprisingly good.”
Mrs. Duhamel made a tsk sound with her mouth and said, “Are you boys through, now?”
Dominic looked at the older woman with a bit of chagrin. “You know he had that coming, Marie.”
Marie nodded. “I know.” To Jake, she said, “You did.”
Jake conceded with one nod. “So did he.”
Marie smiled. “No one is questioning that, Jake. But now you two need to make up so our poor Abby can enjoy her engagement party.”
As usual, she was right.
Jake held out a hand. “Truce?”
Dominic shook it but added, “You’re still marrying Lil.”
Abby stepped forward at that. “What did you say, Dom?”
Dominic said, “He heard me.”
Abby clarified her question. “I heard you, too, but why would you say that?”
Dominic returned to his place at the head of the table and said unhappily, “Our plan to get the two of them together worked a bit too well.”
Abby looked quickly at the door her sister had departed through and exclaimed, “That’s why she’s so confused this weekend.”
Nicole added, “Poor thing.”
Dominic placed his napkin decisively on his lap as if doing so would bring an end to the conversation. “Don’t worry, Jake is going to rectify the situation.”
Abby stood behind Dominic’s chair and put a hand on one of his shoulders. “Don’t make things worse, Dom.”
He scowled up at her.
She touched his cheek lightly and his expression softened. She said, “You can’t force Jake. No one wants to marry a man who doesn’t want to marry her.”
Jake returned to his own place at the table and said, “I never said I didn’t want to marry her.”
All eyes turned to him.
Jake shrugged. “Well, I didn’t.”
Stephan’s aunt, Elise, said, “Isn’t it amazing that men and women get together at all?”
Jake continued, “I even asked her to move in with me, but she said no. Now she won’t even talk to me.”
Abby said, “I’ll go find her.” She wagged a finger at Dominic. “Behave while I’m gone.”
He simply smiled up at her and she hesitated.
Stephan’s mother, Katrine, said, “Go on, Abby. We’ve got this.” She turned to her sister-in-law. “Elise, doesn’t this bring back memories?”
Her husband, Victor, laughed and asked, “Were we this bad?”
Elise threw both hands in the air and joked, “Worse.”
Stephan sighed and said, “Makes me almost wish I had a brother.” When both Dominic and Jake aggressively jumped to their feet, he quickly dissolved the tension by raising his two hands in an amused call for peace. “Almost.”
They sat somewhat reluctantly.
Nicole said, “Zhang left the table, too. Do you think we upset her?”
Katrine said wryly, “I don’t know what she could have seen that would make a sane person reconsider having dinner with us.”
Nicole smiled and laid her hand on her fiancé’s. “At least we know the wedding won’t be boring.”
Dominic looked across the table at Jake and asked, “Best man?”
Jake dabbed a napkin into his glass of water and pressed it to a cut on his cheek. “Absolutely.”
Lil slipped out a side door and onto a balcony that overlooked one of the main gardens. To her surprise, it was already occupied. “I’m sorry,” she said hastily. “I just couldn’t stay in there a moment more.”
“Nor could I,” Zhang answered.
Lil moved to leave and Zhang said, “Your sister is a wonderful woman. I now proudly count her as one of my friends.”
Lil heard something in the woman’s voice that gave her pause. She turned and walked back to where Zhang was seated on a bench. “But you don’t want to be in her bridal party.”
“Precisely.” Zhang motioned for Lil to join her. “Is there a customary way to decline the honor without either side losing face?”
Lil sat on the bench beside her. “If you hear of one, tell me. I don’t want to be in it either.”
A look of surprise crossed over the woman’s face, just a brief flash before she regained her composure. “That’s surprising.”
Lil shook her head sadly. “Not really. If Abby is smart she’ll choose someone better suited. I’m a walking disaster.”
“That’s not the way Abby described you.”
“Really?” Lil heard the hope in her voice and was somewhat embarrassed by it.
Zhang’s tone warmed. “Abby and I have spoken about you on several occasions. She said you were born with your mother’s spirit—quite the warrior soul. She admires your strength.”
“I didn’t know there was a thing about me that she approved of,” Lil said, surprised and moved by Zhang’s words.
Zhang didn’t let Lil’s side comment slide by without rebuttal. “Then you don’t know your sister very well. She also envies your circle of friends. She said you collect people who would do anything for you.”
“I’ve always been very lucky with that.”
“Friendship is not a result of luck, it’s a testament to our character. You inspire loyalty in your friends because you’ve earned it.”
“I don’t know how.”
Zhang considered her and said, “An eagle will never swim as well as a dolphin. The eagle’s potential will only be realized when it decides to soar instead of dive.”
Lil cocked her head thoughtfully. “You think I’m trying to be Abby?”
“You tell me.”
Lil thought about how she’d always wished she were more like Abby. How, even at their parents’ funeral, Abby had seemed able to make better decisions. She hadn’t cried too long at the caskets, hadn’t refused to meet relatives who had flown in from around the country and definitely hadn’t thrown a bowl of candies at someone who had dared to try to console her.
No, right from the start Abby had been the better person.
Or, at the very least, the less controversial one.
Oh, my God, I’ve been trying to be Abby.
And hating her because I couldn’t be.
“Did Abby really say I was like my mother?”
Zhang smiled. “She did. Did you know that your mother was arrested for participating in a war protest?”
Lil’s jaw dropped open. “No. I’ve never heard that story.”
“Apparently your mother’s fighting heart got her into a few tricky situations—some even involving the law.”
That’s not possible.
“I don’t remember my mother being anything but warm and loving.”
“Your sister has been going through some of your parents’ old papers and was equally surprised by some of what she found. I’m sure she would love to show you the newspaper clippings if you were interested.”
“I am. I can’t believe my mother was ever arrested. She was so . . . perfect.”
Zhang gave a rueful smile. “The heart remembers people kindly, but no one is perfect. I’ve heard about some of your adventures and I admire your spirit. You stand up for those you care about. You say what you think, no matter the cost. Those are qualities I respect. You
should, too.” The simplicity and power of Zhang’s comment hung in the reflective quiet that followed them.
Ok, so I’ll never be Abby, but if Zhang was right—maybe I don’t have to be.
“I’ve wasted a lot of time second-guessing myself,” Lil said, marveling at how comfortable she felt sharing her greatest concern with someone she didn’t know. Or perhaps it was simply because she didn’t know Zhang that she could say what she had tried to conceal from even herself.
Zhang shrugged. “I didn’t get where I am today by never making a mistake.”
Maybe I’ll be a good mother after all and this year will simply be newspaper clipping my kids will laugh about. “Thank you, Zhang. I can’t tell you how much you’ve helped me.”
Zhang nodded, still looking far too solemn.
Her unhappiness was none of Lil’s business.
This was exactly the type of crossroad Lil felt she often made the wrong decision at.
Things would go much smoother if she didn’t get involved.
I’ve never really been the one to take the easy road, maybe it’s time to embrace that about myself.
“Why don’t you want to be in the wedding?” Lil asked.
The same woman who had freely discussed Lil’s personal life did not seem as willing to reveal anything about her own. “I’m not exactly the American wedding type.”
“You don’t want to drink too much while dressed from head-to-toe in mauve taffeta and wake up the next morning wondering why you French kissed your best friend’s brother?”
Zhang didn’t so much as crack a smile.
Tough crowd.
“Something like that,” Zhang said.
“Why do I get the feeling you’ve never done that?”
That did get Zhang to smile.
“I haven’t either.” At Zhang’s raised eyebrow, Lil admitted, “Okay, once . . . maybe twice.”
Zhang shook her head in amusement.
Lil defended herself with humor. “Hey, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Something about weddings makes me a little nutty.”
The other woman’s smile slipped away. “Weddings make me sad.”
Now, we’re getting somewhere.
“Is that the reason you don’t want to be in Abby’s?”
Zhang didn’t respond for a moment. Instead, she took in the night sky as if no response were anticipated. Finally, she said, “I’m the woman I wanted to become. I have more than I could have ever imagined. I’ve done more than I ever dreamt I could. But I’m alone.”
It was difficult for Lil to imagine that a woman as confident and beautiful as Zhang wouldn’t have a man in her life. The real sadness in her voice hinted at a level of loneliness more profound than a romantic dry spell.
“Don’t you have a family?” Lil asked.
“Yes, of course. My parents often join me in whichever home I am using at the time, but I go to sleep alone. I wake up alone. When I close on a deal and want to celebrate I can call friends who wonder how much money will be enough for me, parents who think it’s time for me to concentrate on finding a husband, or keep the news to myself. I often choose the latter.” Zhang’s intense black eyes revealed a pain Lil was certain the woman had not shared with many. “Your sister tells me that you won’t accept anyone’s help because you want to be independent. Be careful what you wish for. Sometimes it’s not everything you thought it would be.”
Lil thought about Jake. She’d been afraid that she would lose herself if she accepted any help from him but, looking back, Jake had consistently shown her that he valued her interests and her goals. It would have been easy for a man of his wealth to dismiss her desire to finish her degree, but he hadn’t. Another man might have asked to see one of her sketches and buried her beneath a deluge of flattery that would have meant nothing, but Jake hadn’t done that either. He had respected the desire every artist has to learn and improve. Her gut told her that Jake wouldn’t make her choose—she could still be a strong, independent woman and be his.
If only he loved her.
Yes, he wanted her. Yes, he respected her, but what if he had nothing more than that to offer her?
Even if I take my betrayal with me to the grave . . . is half of Jake better than none?
There were plenty of things Lil had no control over: she couldn’t make Jake love her, she couldn’t undo the past, but she could damn well put her insecurities aside and do the right thing for Abby.
“I’ll make you a deal, Zhang.”
The woman looked at her.
“I’ll find Abby and tell her that I’d love to be her maid of honor if you say yes to being a bridesmaid. You keep me out of trouble at the wedding and I’ll make you laugh.”
Zhang’s expression was difficult to interpret.
“Deal?” Lil asked hopefully.
“Yes,” she said slowly.
Abby stepped out onto the balcony. “Oh, this is where you two disappeared to.”
Zhang stood and said, “Excuse me, but I know the two of you have things you need to discuss.”
Lil touched Zhang’s arm before she left and said, “Thank you.”
Zhang nodded with a smile that reached her eyes and said, “Don’t be afraid to soar, Lil. Find your wings.” Then she exited the balcony.
Abby came to sit beside her sister. At first neither said anything and then they both said, “I’m sorry,” in union and stopped.
Lil said, “I wish life had a do-over button, Abby. I feel like I have so much to apologize to you for.”
Abby took her sister’s hand in one of hers. “I understand that feeling all too well.”
Lil squeezed her hand. “I blamed you for so many things that were not your fault, Abby.”
Abby put a supportive arm around her. “Oh, don’t worry, some of it was my fault, I’m sure. I wanted to be there for you, Lil, so much so that sometimes I didn’t listen to what you were telling me you needed.”
Lil said, “I’m sorry that I embarrassed you in front of the Andrade family.”
Abby gave her a small smile. “Trust me, your walk out was not the most embarrassing part of the meal.”
Lil shook her head in confusion. “Really? What happened after I left?”
Abby suggested, “Let’s talk about that later. First, I want to apologize for putting you in an awkward position by asking you to be my maid of honor with an audience.”
Lil could not have felt worse than she did. She met her sister’s eyes and hoped the extent of her remorse showed in her expression. “Well, I’m sure you thought, rightfully so, that my answer would be a yes.”
Abby touched her sister’s cheek softly as a mother would touch a child they weren’t sure how to console. “Either way, it was wrong, and I respect your decision. I don’t understand it, but I know that you didn’t say it to hurt me.”
“I’m scared,” Lil blurted.
“Of what, Lil?” Abby asked in surprise.
It was time for honesty, at least, for as much as she could share without endangering her friends. “What if I do something that takes all of this away from you? You’re finally happy. I love seeing you with Dominic, but I feel like the closer I come to you and your wedding—the more potential there is that I could mess something up.”
Abby hugged Lil closer and said, “If my relationship with Dominic is so fragile that it can’t survive a Lil Dartley escapade, then it wasn’t going to last anyway.”
Lil pulled back and searched her sister’s face. “How can you be like that? How can you look the worst case in the eye without being afraid?”
Abby smiled sadly and confessed, “Who said I’m not afraid? I’m flipping terrified half the time and I have been since Mom and Dad died.”
“Really?” That didn’t sound like Abby.
“Lil, I was eighteen when they passed away. I had no idea how to pay bills, keep a house, mother someone.”
The enormity of the responsibility that had fallen onto Abby’s shoulders at an age when she should
have been thinking only of herself filled Lil with sudden shame. What could she say to someone who had given up so much and been shown so little respect in return? How do you begin to make up for that? “But you did it.”
“Yes, and I still go to sleep each night wondering if I’ve done any of it well.”
“You have, Abby. You have nothing to regret.”
Unlike me.
“Lil, fear is a nasty little condition that touches everyone’s life at one time or another. Dominic may look all tough on the outside, but he gets scared just like you and I do. He has a box of his father’s papers, one that was sent back to him from the auction Nicole had, and he won’t open it. There could be bonds, deeds, or a personal letter from his father, but he says he doesn’t want to know what’s in it. He says he’s spent too many unhappy years to risk losing what he has now over something in that box of papers. Imagine worrying that whatever is in there could ruin his new relationship with his sister and possibly even what we have. Fear is a disease that no one is immune to.”
Lil had no idea what to say. She sat quietly absorbing her sister’s words.
Abby said, “Jake is no better. I used to think he had it all together, but I’ve watched him try to handle this China situation and he is coming undone over it.”
“The China situation?”
Abby hesitated then said, “I probably shouldn’t even talk to you about it, but the server Dominic was supposed to put online next month has been hacked and corrupted. We could lose everything if the deal goes south. That’s one reason we want to have the wedding early—we don’t know what life will be like a month from now.”
Oh, my God! That brought a whole new meaning to for richer or poorer.
“Abby, I had no idea!”
“No one does. Well, we’re hoping no one does. I’m only telling you this because it might explain why Jake may not be showing you his best right now. He’s under an extreme amount of pressure to help Dominic find a solution and so far nothing has worked.”
So, that explained why he was flying all over the country and paying hush money.
Could Jeremy have found something that could help them?
Abby said, “This weekend doubles as an engagement party and a cover for Dominic to fly in some big named programmers without sending up any red flags. Jake is going to need a friend, Lil, especially at the party tomorrow.”
The Legacy Collection Box Set Page 30