“Nature versus nurture is an interesting study.” She held her breath as soon as those words came out of her mouth. She’d been thinking of her, Lorelei and Reagan—not her father and his derelict brother—but if her mother had suspected that she might’ve discovered the secret of her birth, this could lead her right back to it.
“It is,” her mother said. “But they were raised in the same household and have the same genes. Who can say why your father turned out so well, and Vance didn’t?”
Her mother’s strident voice suggested she wasn’t second-guessing the conversation. But the comment about Uncle Vance and her father having the same genes made Serenity briefly wonder if Vance could have fathered Lorelei and Reagan.
No. If that were the case, they would’ve come up as first cousins, not half sisters, on her family tree. “Where does he live now?”
“I think he’s in Vegas. Shows up here in San Diego every once in a while—whenever he needs something. He called your father just last week, asking for a loan.”
“Did Daddy give it to him?”
“Probably. I didn’t ask, didn’t want to know. It galls me to give Vance money. He received as much of an inheritance as your father did, but he blew through his in record time. Now he has nothing. If there’s a new woman in his life, it’s probably someone who hasn’t figured out yet that he’s using her to pay the bills. I doubt it’ll last.”
“That’s disappointing.”
“It is. I don’t know how your father copes with having such a useless brother. But enough about Vance. What do you have planned for the day? Have you been able to get anything done on your book?”
“A little.” Serenity rolled her eyes at the image staring back at her in the mirror. This was another lie.
“That’s great, honey. You can pull out of the funk you’ve been in. No one’s a better writer than you are.”
“You’re always so good to me, Mom. So supportive. Thank you.”
“Of course. I love you and your brother and sisters more than anything in the world.”
“I know you do,” she said and prayed that her mother would be able to forgive her when she learned that Uncle Vance had nothing to do with what was really going on.
* * *
lorelei
“So now you call me?” Mark said. “I finally gave up waiting to hear back from you. I’m at the hardware store.”
The pique in her husband’s voice put Lorelei on edge. He was lucky she’d called him at all. Dialing his number hadn’t been easy for her. She didn’t even want to hear his voice.
But she didn’t say that. Although she’d left Lucy inside the cabin with Serenity and Reagan so she could talk without feeling inhibited, she wouldn’t make this call any more difficult than it had to be. “I’ve been busy.”
“Doing what, for God’s sake? You’re on vacation.”
She kicked at a clump of snow. “While you’re slaving away at home, fixing things around the house, you mean?”
“Well, I’m sure as hell not having any fun.”
Lorelei moved farther from the cabin, into the thicket of trees surrounding it. “Is that the problem? Is that why you had an affair with my best friend? You’re looking for more fun?”
“Please tell me Lucy isn’t overhearing this,” he said flatly.
Lorelei let her head fall back so she could stare up at the clear blue sky. “She isn’t.”
“Where is she?”
“In the house, making brownies with Serenity.”
“So you’re free to make cutting remarks.”
“I think most women would make cutting remarks under the circumstances, don’t you? Besides, all I said was that you had an affair with my best friend, and it’s true.”
She could see part of the roof of the cabin where Finn was staying. As she gazed in that direction, she remembered his engaging smile and tried to cling to the memory of the evening they’d shared as a group of friends getting to know each other.
“Right. I’ll give you that. I’ve ruined our lives, and I’m as upset about it as you are. Do you think that I’m happy Francine’s pregnant? Do you think I intended this problem? No! But it happened and now we have no choice but to try to move past it.”
“I can’t imagine why I can’t get with the program,” she said.
“Sarcasm isn’t going to help, Lorelei. Please, can we just...put it behind us?”
“Why not? After all, it’s been so long since I found out.”
“More sarcasm? Really?”
“Okay, I’ll play it straight. I’m not sure I can,” she admitted. When he screwed up, he never wanted to talk about it, didn’t want to suffer through her disappointment. It was frustrating not to be able to express herself, not to be able to thoroughly discuss their problems and get beyond them. She’d gotten used to the way he was and could let most things go. But this fell into an entirely different category, and yet he was trying to treat it the same.
“I’ll give you time,” he said, obviously realizing that he was being unreasonable.
“I think you’re going to have to give me a better understanding as to why it happened. You said you were bored with your life. Were you really saying you were bored with me?”
“No, of course not.”
“Then is it your job? Do you want to quit and do something else?”
“No, it’s not my job.”
“But if your job isn’t to blame, and I’m not to blame, what’s left?”
Her question met with silence. Then he said, “I’m at the hardware store, trying to buy some parts to fix the mower, which broke down this morning. I can’t have an emotional blowout right now.”
“Okay. I’ll give you a call tomorrow. Or maybe the next day,” she added as an afterthought.
Seemingly shocked that she was willing to put an end to the conversation that quickly, and that the promise of another call was such a loose one, he said, “Wait! Don’t go yet. Tell me...tell me about your trip.”
She swatted at what little snow was left clinging to the boughs of the closest tree and watched as it showered down on the ground. “I’m having a good time. I’m really glad I came.”
“You are.”
“Yes.”
He didn’t sound pleased despite the fact that she was trying to be positive. “What have you been doing?”