Tell Me No Lies

Dan’s head came up. “Mmm, what?”

“I don’t know. I worry about her, too, I guess.”

Sipping his iced tea, Dan frowned.

“She ever talk about her past?” Nick asked.

“Why?”

“No reason. Does she?”

Since Tessa was circumspect about her background, he’d never discussed this with Nick before. “She grew up in the Midwest with Janey and a grandmother. No parents in the picture. She came east when…” He thought a minute. “I guess when her grandmother died. Anyway, she was a waitress in Chico’s Diner and living with Janey when I met her.”

“She seems sad to me sometimes.”

Dan studied his brother, hating the fact that Nick might know information about Tessa he didn’t. “Do you think something’s wrong with her?”

“Nah.” Nick set his napkin down on the table. “You, on the other hand, I could write a book about.”

“Don’t start.” Dan concentrated on his salad.

“You live in fear that it’s genetic, Dan.”

The it didn’t have to be clarified.

“I’m nothing like Dad was.”

“I had his unethical tendencies in me.”

“How did we get on to this topic?”

“Probably because you brought up Claire.” Nick refused to call their mother Mom. “It’s obvious that she thinks I got my bad seeds from him.”

“That’s crap.”

“Then why have you spent your life in self-imposed perfection? I think you’re trying to prove you’re not like our embezzling bastard of a father.”

“It’s not necessary to get into this, Nick. I know I’m conservative because of our background. Tessa and I have discussed it. She accepts that about me. It works for us.”

“Okay, fine.”

“Let’s talk about something else. How about your love life? Any women on the horizon?”

“Scores.” Nick was always secretive about the women in his life, past and present.

“I’ll bet that’s true.”

Nick had the Logan looks—dark hair and slate-blue eyes, classic bone structure. But whereas Nick held himself with easy grace and comfort, Dan was coiled up. Smiles came easily to Nick, while Dan was sober most of the time.

Well, he loved his brother and was grateful to have Nick back in his life. It was his father—the convicted felon—who Dan hated with a passion that wouldn’t dissipate. Regardless of how much he talked to Tessa about it.

“MOM!” Nine-year-old Molly shouted the word from across the room, then hurtled herself at her mother as if Tessa had abandoned her for weeks, not left her one day with her favorite cousins. “I missed you.” Molly’s grin was infectious, and she always made Tessa smile. Her carefree child loved life and showed it with exuberant charm.

“I missed you, too, Mol.” Tessa hugged her and glanced over at Janey, who was rolling her eyes. “Well, I did.”

“Did you and Dad have a good time on your anniversary?”

“Yeah, did you have a good time?” Janey teased.

Tessa drew back. “We did.”

“What’d ya do, Mom?”

“Oh, grown-up stuff.”

Very grown-up stuff. She shivered at the thought of how Dan had touched her last night. She loved it when he lost himself in their lovemaking. It didn’t happen every time, but she treasured those rare occasions he couldn’t even remember his name.

“Hi, Mom.” Sara stood in the doorway. At almost eight, fourteen months younger than Molly, she eyed Tessa warily. She looked like her dad with dark hair and blue eyes, whereas Molly had inherited Tessa’s hazel eyes and light brown hair. Molly’s hair fell in curls down her back, but these days Tessa blew her hair straight.

“Hey, baby. Come give me a hug.”

Sara approached her with dainty little steps. She hugged Tessa tentatively. Her younger daughter was quiet and self-contained. Again, like her dad.

“Go pack up your stuff, now. We have to do some grocery shopping before dinner.”

“Can we get ice cream?” Molly asked. “The kind Aunt Janey has, with pieces of candy bars in it?”

“I think so. Just as long as you don’t overdo it.”

When the girls were gone, Janey sat at her kitchen table and Tessa followed suit. “Sara’s too serious,” Janey said. “It would be healthy for her to overdo it once in a while.”

“Maybe.”

“You, too.”

Tessa’s sister had a strong protective streak, evident all through their youth, and when Tessa came to live with her in Orchard Place. Even now that they were adults with their own families, she played mother hen frequently.

“You know why I’m like this.”

“The accident wasn’t your fault.” Janey hesitated before she continued. “That anniversary is coming up, too.”

“Please, don’t talk about it. I can’t risk somebody finding out.”

Janey’s expression turned sad. “You should tell Dan.”

“After his father’s situation? Are you kidding? We’d never have gotten together if he’d known about me.”

“Hey, he was the one who pursued you. Relentlessly, I might add.”