“How do you think? Everyone knows. The gossip brigade.” Marla comes back in with a garbage bag, tossing everything she views as trash.
Jed and Rylan continue to play, shifting left and right to see the screen whenever Marla gets in their line of vision.
“The gossip brigade.” Jed laughs. “Shouldn’t they be thankful they survived the war and just live in peace?”
The gossip brigade is a small group of military veterans who think they have the investigative skills to get any information they want. I’m fairly sure they’re Nikki’s primary source for her little radio station stunt.
“You know your sister will be announcing the news tomorrow morning,” my dad says.
That makes my stomach sour. First, I cancel on the woman, and now before she and Clara can even meet, people in town will know who Presley is and the circumstances for her arrival in Sunrise Bay. At least anyone who hasn’t already run into the gossip brigade. But since they mostly hang out in the Handyman Haven store, it explains how my dad found out.
“Okay, we’re out. Call us if you have any problems. If we don’t answer, don’t worry, we’ll call you back.” Dad winks, and I suppress a full-body shiver. “Marla, it’s their mess. For heaven’s sake, stop.”
Dad and Marla say their goodbyes and leave. I walk over behind the couch and ruffle Rylan’s hair. I don’t mind the kid spending the night. He trains for soccer so much that I don’t see him as much as I should.
“How’s Calista?” Jed elbows him.
“Stop it. She’s annoying,” he says, but there’s a flush to his cheeks that makes me smile.
“You can’t stop the Greene genes, kid. Women love us,” Jed says, his thumbs flying over the controller.
“I’ll order pizza.” I go into the kitchen and pull out my phone. Before I order our dinner, there’s something else I need to take care of.
Me: Do me a favor and hold the story for one more day.
The three dots come up.
Nikki: Why?
Me: Put yourself in her shoes.
Nikki: Tell me the REAL reason and I’ll consider it.
Me: What do you want me to say?
Nikki: I heard you asked her out. Come on big brother. Fess up.
I blow out a breath, knowing exactly what she wants.
Me: I like her. Is that what you want to hear?
Nikki: One day. Then it’s my job to report what’s going on. Make it count. ;)
Me: Thanks.
Nikki: ☺ who’s your favorite sister?
Me: Chevelle
Nikki: Okay who’s your favorite stepsister and think carefully about this…
I laugh.
Me: You of course.
Nikki: Good answer.
I pocket the phone, happy she’s willing to hold off. But still, I only saved Presley for twenty-four hours. Then we’ll see if she can handle some of what comes with a small town. I’m not sure if I want her to handle it or run back home.
I might as well get the Uber driver’s personal number because every day, the same driver picks me up. I guess the area is small, but he’s on autopilot when he drops me off at Trent Lawson’s office the next morning.
Mr. Lawson’s receptionist takes in my outfit. After Cade asked me out, I went shopping in downtown Lake Starlight, finding a new outfit at a boutique store for our date. I’m not letting it go to waste, even if my heels are a little fancy to meet a lawyer.
“Mr. Lawson,” I say as if we’re in such a big city she wouldn’t remember me from yesterday or that Mr. Lawson isn’t probably the only lawyer in this office.
“Nice to see you, Miss Knight. Please allow me to introduce myself this time.” She puts out her hand. “I’m Beth Lawson.”
I nod. She’s his wife. So that whole lawyer-client privilege probably doesn’t hold up. I shake her hand. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Lawson.”
“Please call me Beth.”
“Okay, then call me Presley.”
“You seemed… deep in thought last time, otherwise I would’ve introduced myself then.”
I give her a wane smile.
She smiles back. “It’s a very pretty name. Your mo—Denise was a good friend of mine.” I’m not sure what look I give her, but she’s quick to wave her hand. “She never told me about you or anything. It wasn’t until she got sick and planned some things out with Trent that she divulged the information to me. I’m sure you have some personal feelings about it all, but I just wanted to let you know, she was a good person.”
I’m stiff and robotic in my response. “Thank you.” I’m not sure if that’s the answer she wants to hear or not, but that’s the one she’s getting.
“Let’s get you into Trent’s office.” She ushers me back but doesn’t shut the door because someone else is joining us this time.
My stomach twists with the thought of coming face-to-face with Clara.
“Good morning, Miss Knight,” Trent says, and I shake his hand, sitting down. “Have you come to a decision?”
What’s with this guy? “No.”
He nods and holds up his hands as if it’s none of his business. But he’s the one trying to push me into a decision. I hate lawyers.
Then I hear Beth talking to someone in the reception area. “Clara dear, how are you holding up?”
All I hear after that are murmurs. Trent looks at me as though he’s trying to decipher how it makes me feel. Last I checked, this was a lawyer’s office, not a psychologist’s.
“Clara’s here, Trent,” Beth says behind me.
I close my eyes for a second before Clara comes into my peripheral view. It’s not as if I haven’t seen her, but now we’re actually going to speak to one another. Do our voices sound similar?
“Hello, Clara, did Xavier come with you?” Mr. Lawson asks.
She sits in the chair next to me, and I brace myself to face her. Her eyes aren’t red-rimmed like they were before. She’s more casually dressed this time, wearing jeans, a sweater, and boots. Because she’s an Alaskan and this is her hometown. Another stark reminder I was not raised here.
“No. I’m here by myself,” Clara says.
“As you know, Clara, this is Presley. Presley, this is Clara.”
The two of us look at one another, saying hello as if we’re nine and our parents are at our sides, forcing us to be nice to one another.
At least we’re on the same page. I can’t imagine how I’d react if she was excited to discover she had a sister and wanted to be my best friend or something.
“So the building. You’ve both had a chance to think about it. Have either of you come to a decision?”
Why is this guy in such a rush to have us settle this?
“I haven’t,” I say.