Sisters and Secrets

by Jennifer Ryan

  It truly had been a wonderful proposal, filled with poignant moments. Mason had put a lot of thought into it and her gifts.

  Her mom touched the charms on the bracelet. “This is lovely, Sierra.”

  “Mason wanted to remind me of the past we share. It was really beautiful.”

  Her mom looked from her to Mason, standing right behind her, his hands on her shoulders. “I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together.”

  “Thank you, Dede.”

  Sierra touched her fingers to Mason’s hands on her shoulders. “Mom. If you don’t mind watching the boys for just half an hour before we take them to Mason’s—”

  “Our house,” Mason corrected.

  An uncontrollable smile spread across her face. “Yes. Our house. I wanted to show Mason something out by the pond.”

  “Sure, honey. Take your time.”

  “Thank you.” She took Mason’s hand and tugged him toward the back door.

  “Why are we going to the pond?” A sparkle in his eyes hinted at what he hoped they’d be doing by the pond.

  “It’s not what you think.”

  His face fell in disappointment, but he rallied. “Are you sure?” He stepped behind her, took her hips in his hands, and kissed the side of her neck, nuzzling his nose in her hair.

  She leaned back into him. “Come on. You’ll see.” She grabbed his hand again and pulled him along.

  They made it to the garden gate before Mason slowed his pace. “Sierra, why are we going out there?” He meant the place where David and Heather snuck away to so long ago.

  Funny how it felt like a lifetime ago now.

  It was hard to be mad when she felt so excited and happy and hopeful.

  “It’s not what you think. There really is something I want to show you. I didn’t remember it until this morning when I was talking to my mom. And then you proposed and now it seems even more important to show it to you.”

  Mason reluctantly went along, holding her hand all the way to the pond. She stopped near it and stared out at the two ducks floating in the water.

  “How many summer days did we spend out here?”

  “A lot. Amy strutted around in her bikini.”

  “How many times did she pretend to have a leg cramp so you’d help her out of the water?”

  Mason chuckled and shook his head. “She tried, I’ll give her that. But I always preferred hanging out with you.”

  “Funny how we never took it further back then.”

  “Maybe we always knew there was time and we’d be together eventually.”

  Sierra’s heart sped up. “I think you’re right. And I can prove it.” She grabbed his hand and led him to the shed they used as a little cabin. She didn’t hesitate to push the door open and step inside. Memories assailed her as she stared at the board games stacked on a bookshelf, the old afghan and mismatched pillows on the worn leather sofa, the blue-and-cream braided rug on the floor they had sat on during countless card games, bowls of snacks spread around them.

  But it was the dozens of pictures they’d tacked up on the walls over the years that caught and held her attention.

  Sierra spotted the one she remembered this morning and walked over to it, Mason right behind her. She plucked the old Polaroid from the wall, the tack still stuck in the top. She turned to him and showed him the picture of the two of them sitting on the small dock that stretched into the pond that they used to jump off all the time.

  They were sitting so close together their shoulders and arms touched. She was looking up at him and he was looking down at her, both of them smiling.

  She traced her finger over the picture. “I don’t even remember someone taking this shot of us.”

  They’d often been lost in conversation together, avoiding everyone else, happy to just keep things between the two of them.

  “It could have been taken any number of days.”

  He bumped his arm to her shoulder. “We spent a lot of time together. I’d bring my friends out here. You and your sisters would have yours. It was always a party. Nothing wild. Just fun.”

  “I really loved our friendship. I had my sisters, but somehow you were always easier to talk to and be around.”

  “Probably because I was an only child, I liked hanging out with you guys. It was better than being alone at the ranch. And you liked doing everything I liked to do.”

  “But there’s something else that’s special about this picture that I remembered this morning. Even back then, I think I knew we’d always be together.” She turned the picture over and showed him what she’d written on the back. Inside a big red heart she had written Sierra + Mason.

  “I don’t know why I wrote it like this. We were just friends, but I knew I loved you. Not the way I do now. It’s so much bigger now, but still . . .”

  He linked his fingers with hers. “We laid the foundation. Now we’re both ready to build on the love that started all those years ago.”

  “You get it. I know it’s sappy.” But she didn’t care.

  “No, it’s not.” He tapped the picture. “Sometimes we wish for something and feel like it will never come true. Maybe that’s how you felt when we didn’t take things to the next level back then. But here we are back together and getting married.”

  Her smile came fast and filled with joy. “We’re getting married!”

  He tapped the photo. “Because Sierra plus Mason equals a whole lot of love.” He kissed her then, drawing it out, letting her feel how much he loved her.

  He broke the kiss and stared down at her. “I’m glad you showed me this. After Amy told me you weren’t interested before you married David, I thought I was the only one who harbored feelings from back then. I know now that wasn’t true, but this just really seals it for me.”

  “I always knew what I wanted, but I guess we both had to experience what didn’t work so we could really appreciate what we have now.”

  “That’s a great way to put it.”

  She hadn’t exactly wasted that time. She had the boys to show for it, and she’d never regret her relationship with David for that reason alone.

  And maybe it was a little petty, but she found it fitting to know that David and Heather came here to this little hideaway and carried out their betrayal and all the while this picture hung on the wall with her wish clearly stated on the back.

  Standing next to Mason, his ring on her finger, a future of happiness on the horizon, Sierra found it easy to let go of the past. Life had led her to this home when she was a teen and she’d found her first friend in this new place with the boy next door. When circumstances turned her life upside down and took everything but the boys from her, she’d landed here again and found that friendship with the boy who’d turned into a very good man was even more necessary. And the love she’d harbored for him all these years was free to grow and fill her up like nothing else she’d ever had in her life.

  Sierra tacked the picture back up on the wall.

  “You don’t want to take that with you?”

  “It’ll be here waiting for me if I need it.” Just like Mason had been here waiting for her all these years. “Let’s go home.” She took his hand and walked out of the shed, leaving her hurt behind, knowing she had everything she needed to be happy.

  She had her boys.

  She had Mason.

  Chapter Forty

  Sierra woke up with Mason’s big body plastered to the back of her, his arm draped over her hip, and his face buried in her long hair. A sense of all-encompassing contentment filled her up. She’d have liked to spend the rest of her life just like that, nestled in Mason’s arms, feeling that much love and joy at just being with him.

  It had been that way for the past two weeks.

  The boys had settled in without any apprehension. They loved their rooms and pretty much took over the rest of the house like they’d always lived here. Mason didn’t mind at all, but he’d made it clear his office was off-limits.

  They’d found a
routine that worked for all of them.

  Mason left early for work each morning, using the extra hour in his office before any of the other staff arrived to catch up on paperwork or go over his cases for the day. Sierra dropped the kids at school, then went to work. When their schedules permitted, she met Mason for lunch since they worked so close to each other. Mason picked the kids up right after school on Fridays, saving them from going to after-school care. He took the boys horseback riding before Sierra got home.

  Mason cooked Friday to Sunday. Sierra did the cooking during the week.

  She loved that they found a rhythm and everything synced so easily.

  Seeing Mason embrace the new structured chaos in his life and enjoy it so much made her feel safe and secure. Mason took on her and the boys with enthusiasm.

  Sierra now sipped her coffee in the kitchen Mason had redone just for her.

  Not only had he welcomed them into his home, he’d made it feel like theirs, too.

  “What are you thinking about?” Mason walked in and went to the sink to wash his hands.

  The boys chatted down the hall in their bathroom doing the same after helping Mason feed and water the horses.

  “I’m standing in our beautiful kitchen thinking about how much I love living here with you.”

  Mason shot her a surprised and exuberant look. His smile made her heart melt. “Everything about this place has changed. Especially the feel of it.”

  She knew exactly what he meant. This was a big place for a bachelor to live in alone. Now, the house had a family. It was cozy.

  It felt like home. A place where they laughed and loved and shared their lives.

  Mason dried his hands, hung the towel from the oven door handle, then closed the distance between them. “You look amazing in that dress.” His gaze skimmed down to her toes and back up again, momentarily stopping at the deep V in the pretty wrap dress she’d chosen for the engagement party her mom was throwing them in half an hour. The simple white dress had tiny pink flowers sprinkled over it. It felt feminine and flirty.

  With Mason’s hot gaze sweeping over her, she felt sexy and desirable.

  She placed her hands on his chest. “I thought you might like it.”

  Mason traced his fingers along her shoulder and settled his warm hand on her neck. “Are you ready for today?”

  She heard what he didn’t ask in that question. “I asked my mom to invite Heather and Hallee to the party.”

  His eyebrow shot up. “You did?”

  “I listened to your argument, thought about it, and decided you were right. I can’t ignore her forever. What she did doesn’t erase the fact we are family and at some point I need to accept that the boys have a sister they should get to know better.”

  “And you and Heather need to have a real talk about what happened. It’s not good to keep your feelings all bottled up.”

  “I know. I heard you, Counselor. I’m not sure today is the day to do that, but as you said, I don’t want to look back and miss having everyone together to celebrate with us.” She wanted to see if she could be in the same vicinity as her sister and not want to kill her. “If nothing else, this will make my mom happy. It’s the least I can do, since she’s throwing us the engagement party.”

  “Wait until she finds out we’re getting married in less than three months.”

  Sierra felt the nervous butterflies in her stomach. “We have so much to do in such a short time.” The ocean view boutique hotel she fell in love with had a cancellation and because the owner and Mason were friends, they got first dibs on booking the date. They planned to keep the guest list to family and close friends, but on Mason’s side that meant a lot of people because of his status in the community. She didn’t mind. Not when it meant she’d be Mason’s wife.

  “We have a lot to celebrate.”

  They sure did. Besides their upcoming wedding, Sierra had sold the property in Napa for a better than decent price to a developer thanks to Mason’s brilliant negotiations on her behalf. Most of the insurance money she’d received went to paying off the loan and setting up college funds for the kids, but she invested the property money and set aside a chunk in savings for a rainy day.

  Going forward, she and Mason would combine their funds. Mason’s income far exceeded hers. He’d told her she could quit her job or scale back her hours. Whatever she wanted to do. He had no problem supporting them. At first, she’d balked at the thought of not working. After what David had done to her financially, she wanted to know she had the money if something happened. But then she reminded herself that Mason wasn’t David. He didn’t hide things from her. He didn’t lie. She trusted him.

  So she talked to her boss and scaled back her hours to thirty a week so long as she was available by phone for emergencies. After the wedding, her new hours would take effect.

  And who knew, maybe she’d quit altogether when a new baby came along. Talk of marriage had sparked talk of expanding their family. They planned to start right after the wedding, and Sierra couldn’t wait. She wanted another child. Mason loved the boys, but he dreamed of a child of his own. She wanted to give him one. Maybe two.

  “You’ve got that sweet smile again.”

  “This year we’ll celebrate our wedding. Maybe next year we’ll celebrate the birth of our child.”

  Mason’s hand brushed down her arm and swept over her hip. “I can’t wait.”

  “A few months ago, I had nothing left of my old life. The boys and I came here with next to nothing. We have a whole new life and it’s wonderful and so full I couldn’t ask for more.”

  “I didn’t know how much I was missing in my life until you came back into it. I can’t help but feel like this is how it was always meant to be.” He kissed her softly.

  “Kissing again,” Oliver announced to Danny who followed him into the kitchen.

  “Aren’t we supposed to leave now?” Danny finished buttoning his white dress shirt.

  Oliver had also changed into his party outfit.

  The boys looked great in their black pants and white dress shirts.

  “I guess I better get dressed.” Mason kissed her on the forehead and gave each boy a shoulder squeeze on his way out.

  She smiled at Danny and Oliver. “How lucky are we?”

  They both stared back at her, wondering what she meant, but deep down they understood. In the years to come, with the life she and Mason would give them, they’d understand.

  Home is where you are always loved and welcome.

  Chapter Forty-One

  Dede wanted the party to be everything Sierra and Mason deserved for this happy occasion. So far, the guests seemed happy, the food and drinks were plentiful, and everyone gathered in small groups to chat on this beautiful sunny day.

  She checked her watch. Almost time for the cake and a toast to the happy couple. The caterer was already setting out the plates and forks.

  The poster by the cake table caught her eye again. She loved how Sierra had blown up the old Polaroid of her and Mason sitting on the dock when they were teens. Amy had snapped a new picture of the pair in the exact same pose. The poster showed the two pics side by side. They’d grown up, but their smiles—and the way they looked at each other—were the same.

  “Thank you so much for the party, Mom. It’s beautiful.”

  Dede encircled Sierra’s waist with one arm and used her other hand to point to the poster and the old photo. “Those two belonged together.”

  “It took us a while to get here, but we’re really happy.”

  Dede turned and faced Sierra. “Thank you for including Heather and Hallee. I know it’s hard, but I think it’s important for both of you to keep a connection no matter how tenuous.”

  Sierra put her hand on Dede’s shoulder. “I mostly did it for you, Mom, but I also wanted to see if I could do it without making today about the past. And I can. Today is about me and Mason and our love story.” She held her glass up toward the poster, the past and future represented. �
�I want to keep looking forward, not back.”

  “I hoped you’d feel that way.”

  Sierra glanced over at Mason talking to his friend and neighbor, Luke Thompson, with Oliver hanging on Mason’s back, his chin propped on Mason’s shoulder. “Look at him. At them. How could I not be happy today?”

  “I just want you to know I know it’s there under all the good and I appreciate that you’re strong enough to bury it and appreciate what you do have, not what you lost.”

  “Maybe it’s callous . . .” Sierra frowned. “Or maybe it’s just my way of coping, but what Mason and I have is so much bigger and better than what I had with David. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all bad.”

  Dede touched Sierra’s hand. “I’ve been married and divorced three times, sweetheart, I know what you mean. The love you have for Mason is different from what you felt for David. It’s okay to feel that way. It’s okay to celebrate it without feeling like you’re disparaging David’s memory and what you had with him before it went bad.”

  “I don’t feel bad. I’ve gotten to a place where I can hold on to the good and not let the bad steal the joy from that. We loved each other. We had two children together. That’s worth holding on to fondly without letting the bad taint it.”

  “Good for you, Sierra.” Dede hugged Sierra again and whispered her wish, “Maybe in time, you’ll be able to do that with your sister.”

  * * *

  The caterer waved her mom over and Sierra took a minute to appreciate her mom for being the rock she needed and the thread that tied Heather, Amy, and Sierra together.

  “I know you invited her, but are you ready for me to ask her to leave?” Amy pointed her wine glass at Heather, who walked back into the garden area from the path that led to the pond and shed.

  It made Sierra think of how Heather and David snuck off there. Anger flared, but the sad look in Heather’s red-rimmed eyes drew sympathy from what she thought was her hardened heart.

  Sierra thought about her trip back to the shed with Mason and how the memories came back and filled her with all the emotions she’d felt then and now for him.