by Maggie Thom
Tijan knew she’d heard her mom right but it didn’t make sense—not for the woman she knew. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She had a feeling this wasn’t going to be easy to get through. Meeting her mom and dad at the hotel the night before had been amazing, but their getting to meet Tarin had been the best present Tijan had ever been able to give them.
“I grew up wealthy. My parents, your grandparents, are still alive. I haven’t spoken to them in about thirty years. They disowned me. And though I did what I could, when they cut me off I had no way to make money. I started dating men, no sex, but for money. I—” she looked at Cal for a moment. “I was a paid escort. When James said he’d like me to have his child I—” Their mom turned away to look at the ornate gold trimmed mantel over the fireplace.
Tijan and Tarin looked at each other at the same time. Tijan didn’t have to read Tarin’s mind to know that she was as steamrolled as she was. Tijan was debating about pinching herself when Tarin pinched her. Confused, she looked at her sister.
“I don’t know why I did that; it just felt like I needed to.”
Tijan smiled and moved to one side of her mom while Tarin moved to the other. Tijan knelt down beside her wheelchair. Her mom looked at her with pain-filled eyes.
“I loved you from the moment you were born.” She caressed Tijan’s face and then turned to do the same with her other hand on Tarin’s face. Looking back and forth between them, she continued, “You both were perfect. So beautiful. So happy. I just couldn’t turn you over to that cold man. He was ruthless and controlling. He told me what I could eat, when I could eat and what exercise I was to do. I was young and had just left that kind of tyrannical lifestyle; I wasn’t about to stick around to endure it again. And I sure didn’t want my baby to grow up in that. At the time, I only knew about one of you. I didn’t trust doctors and I was able to convince the one that James had me go to, not to do any ultrasounds or anything like that. And of course, he couldn’t tell James. It wasn’t easy to convince him but he was a nice older man. He hated a woman’s tears.”
Tijan felt as though she had stepped into the world of Oz. It was like her mom was telling them a bedtime story; only not one that should be told to children.
“Anyway, I ran away. When I gave birth to twins a few weeks early, it eased my mind. I’ve never been so happy as that day you arrived—4:03 and 4:45 a.m. I still remember the exact times.”
Tijan felt like she was in a vacuum where words were going in but nothing made sense.
“I rented a big, old farmhouse in rural Alberta. We lived in the foothills; actually, not too far from where we now live.”
Tijan couldn’t tell her that she’d already gone there to see it.
“For two years, we had so much fun. It was beautiful. The two of you were best friends, always checking on this owl and her babies—”
“In a tree, in the front yard.” Tijan and Tarin said it at the same time and then grinned at each other over their mom’s head.
“Yes. You were so concerned for them. One sadly didn’t make it, which made you two even more determined to make sure the other one did. Then... then came the day your father found us. He didn’t know there were two of you. I thought I was prepared. We snuck out and I tried to cross the swollen creek with both of you. The water knocked me over and Tarin, your tiny arms couldn’t hold on. I tried to find you. I tried!” Sobbing uncontrollably now, she clutched at Tarin, who held on tight.
Tijan’s hand pressed hard against her chest as she tried to choke back the tears and pain. Giving in she hugged them as best she could, leaning over her mom’s wheelchair. They stayed like that for a long time.
“I put Tijan on the far bank and went after you but your little body was being swept down the creek. I couldn’t grab you. I couldn’t—” Her mom pressed her hand to her chest. “Then they shot me and I went under. Cal saved me but I didn’t come to for days after.”
Tijan jerked back. “That’s why you’re in a wheelchair—because our father shot you?”
Tarin’s couldn’t have looked any more stunned. Tijan clapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Is it true?” Tarin asked tentatively.
Their mom took Tarin’s hands. “I—It is. Your father just wanted you so badly. He—”
“No, what he wanted was a robot. He took so much from me. He almost killed you. God, I hate him.”
“No honey. Don’t do that. Don’t hate. Then you will be like him and he will have won. I know it hurts. It kills me to know that you were alive and out there and I never knew. I thought you had died. The rescue workers couldn’t find you. Your father rescued you; he saved your life.”
Tijan rushed to her sister’s side and pulled her into a bear hug. “Please don’t change. I love you the way you are. We didn’t get to grow up together but we can be together now. He’s not worth it.”
“What am I doing here? I need to go back to the office.”
Tijan’s head snapped around at the voice she heard. Tarin was much faster though and was already across the floor and slapping the face of the man who had raised her.
“How dare you? How dare you keep me from my mom and my sister? We are finished.”
He looked stunned. It was almost comical as he looked from Tarin to Tijan. “There are two of you. Tyana?”
Tijan frowned as she turned to look at her mom, who was now locked in an eye duel with James.
“Who’s Tyana? Your Meigan.”
Her mom pressed her hand to her mouth and took a deep breath before replying. “My original name was Tyana. I changed it to Meigan so that James wouldn’t find me.”
“You shot her.” Tarin was back in his face, not ready to let him off the hook. “We brought you here to look after you so you could heal. But you’re an awful man.”
Her father had looked almost robust and healthy but now he seemed to age ten years in front of her eyes. The gray at his temple which had looked distinguished now appeared dull and almost like it was spreading. The wrinkles she was sure he’d been keeping at bay with botox seemed to instantly reappear. The pallor of his face suddenly looked stark like he might pass out.
Since Tarin wasn’t in any mood to help him, Tijan walked over and took his arm, steering him to a chair.
“I want answers.” Tarin was back in his face.
Tijan thought about telling her to give him a break but she could understand her anger. Tijan was angry too, but she’d grown up in a loving home; Tarin, she was sure, had not.
“I wanted a child to teach my business to. To leave my business to. She was from good stock.”
“Jesus, she’s a woman, not a breeding horse,” Tijan snapped.
He shrugged. “I needed a child. And she agreed. I paid her good money.”
“You cold bastard. Know this, you will never get near my son. He is not taking over your dynasty, although as we speak it is going into receivership. Yes, I made that happen. I have also hired Cooper Hotels to take over management. You really shouldn’t have left me in charge, Father.”
“You can’t take all the credit, Tarin. I did help.”
They grinned at each other. They had done what they could to right so many wrongs.
“It’s my company.”
“Not anymore. Remember all those forms you signed at the hospital—the ones you couldn’t take time to read? I tried to tell you what was in them, but you weren’t interested. All you heard was I was protecting your business. Which I did.”
“I’ll sue you.”
Tijan shivered, never having met someone like her father that was so single-minded.
Meigan wheeled forward. “No, actually you won’t, James. If you go after one of our girls, I will charge you with attempted murder and kidnapping.”
It seemed that their raised voices had grabbed attention—Graham, Guy, Bailey, August, Bill, and Dorothea soon joined them—along with an elderly man who was holding Dorothea’s arm.
“What are you doing here?” James snapped. “Come to gloat?”
The elderly man, Calib, patted Dorothea’s arm before letting her go and sitting in a chair across from James. “No, son. I came to put this crazy vendetta you’ve had against me to rest. You hated me so much that you got into bed with organized crime? That saddens me but I will no longer let you bully anyone. If you want a job with C-Lite Hotels we’ll talk. But I won’t give you back your hotels. When CSIS is done investigating, you’re probably facing jail time. Time to grow up, James.”
Tijan felt like she’d just heard a child scolded. Age didn’t matter; if a parent thought you’d done wrong, they’d let you know. Already she was warming up to the gentleman that she was going to guess she and Tarin got their blue eyes from.
“Grandpa, I’d like you to meet my sister, Tijan.”
Chapter 66
“Have you ever experienced anything so crazy?” Tijan brushed her hand down the silk shirt Tarin had loaned her.
August smiled as he took her hand, his thumb caressing her palm. “No. I’ve had some odd moments in my life but this beats it. I met my father. You met yours.”
“Yeah, but I think you got the better deal.”
“My dad is a war vet. It sounds like he was suffering from PTSD for many years. I guess that was why he left. Guy and Graham have done a lot for him. They got him some help, gave him a place to live, and gave him a security job. I’ve been angry with him for so long.”
“I didn’t know my dad existed. I thought he was dead; which is just as well because I would have hated the man. I still get angry that he took my sister away from me and disabled my mother. But I need to remember the good that has come out of this. I have a cool grandpa. And I found my sister. And I have the cutest nephew.” Tijan looked around, wishing there was more of a view but loving the beautiful area surrounded by trees. She leaned forward in the deck chair. Her sister and Graham, and whoever else they’d let in on this, had gone to a lot of trouble to make this romantic. When she and August mentioned they were going for a walk, her sister gave them directions to the old house across the field from Dorothea’s mansion.
August turned away for a moment before handing her a glass of wine. “They seemed to have thought of everything. A toast to new beginnings.”
Tijan raised her glass and clinked it with his letting him hold her gaze. She took a sip. “Hmm. Good wine. I guess that might be why Caspian Winery has won awards.”
August nodded.
“I hope you don’t feel like—well, I mean I know that we don’t know—”
August got out of his chair and kneeled in front of Tijan. He leaned forward and kissed her. “I like you too.”
Tijan wrapped her arms around his neck as she laid her forehead against his. “Good thing, because I was going to ask if you have some vacation coming I’d like to take you to Alberta and show you the foothills and the Rockies.”
“I don’t know if I’m even still employed. So, yes. It might be too soon, but I think I’m falling for you.”
“Don’t get too caught up in the excitement and drama that we just went through. It’s really far from my life and who I am.”
“Good. I couldn’t handle much more of that. And it’s really far from my life too. I’d love to come to Alberta.”
“So, I’ll get you on a horse?”
The End
Thank you for reading The Caspian Wine Series. I truly appreciate you. There are a few things you can do that would really help me.
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I write because I want to give you a story that will take you on an adventure beyond your fingertips. I want you to become entangled in a web of secrets, lies and deceit and try to figure out who is really the guilty party and how it is going to end. My goal is to write unique stories.
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Maggie Thom
Other novels by Maggie Thom
Tainted Waters
He didn’t commit suicide but who’s going to believe her...
Deadly Ties
She went to jail for the right reason but the wrong murder...
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About Maggie Thom
Award winning author, Maggie Thom, took the challenge and leapt off, leaving a fulltime, twenty-year career in management, to write full time. She grew up in a house full of books and often made weekly trips to the library to get more. Reading was her go to, when it was too cold outside to play. She started experimenting with writing at a young age, letting her imagination take her away on many adventures. Maggie has written everything from technical writing, to nonfiction, to fiction for children, youth and adults, along with poems and short stories. She finally settled on her love of puzzles, mysteries and roller coaster rides and now writes suspense/thrillers that will take you on one heck of an adventure. Her goal has been to write novels that take you, the reader, on an adventure beyond your fingertips. She wants the story to come to life for you and for you to feel like you are right there with the character, whether you like them or not. Writing is a gift that she honors every day.
Her motto: Read to escape... Escape to read...
"Maggie Thom... proves her strength as a master of words, plots and finely chiseled characters... she weaves a brilliant cloth of the many colors of deceit.” Dii - TomeTender
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