Susan Mallery - Secrets Of The Tulip Sisters

He stood and held out a chair. “I do. Leo, my floor supervisor, has a kid playing. He asked me to come. What’s your excuse?”

“I couldn’t stay home.” With that she pulled a bottle of vodka out of her large tote bag. “They still serve sodas and stuff here, right?”

He eyed the full bottle, then pointed to the concession stand by the wall. “Sure. What do you want?”

“A large glass with ice. Tonic water if they have it, otherwise club soda and a lime.”

“I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks.”

The room was filling up and the noise level rising. They were going to have a full house tonight. He walked over to the serve-yourself concession stand and filled a large Solo cup with ice and three inches of tonic and added a couple slices of lime. When he returned to their table, Kelly sat staring at the far wall. Her eyes were unfocused and her mouth trembled slightly.

He sat next to her and handed her the cup. “What’s wrong?”

“Is it that obvious?” She poured a healthy serving of vodka, then swirled the ice in the cup. “Don’t ask. I know the answer. It’s just... I don’t know. Everything was fine, you know? Sure, my life isn’t that interesting, but I like it. I have a good job and good friends and then bam, something smacks you upside the head.”

For a second he wondered if she was talking about what he’d suggested. No, that had been several days ago and when he’d seen her at the farm, she’d been friendly enough. It was something else.

“Olivia’s back,” she said flatly.

It took him a second to figure out who Olivia was. “Your sister?”

“That’s her. She’s home for the summer.” She took another drink. “I’m being punished. I get that. It’s fair, but damn. I don’t know how I’m going to get through it. She’s so perfect. Her clothes, her hair. Plus the way she talks about everything in Phoenix. Only if it’s all so great, what is she doing here?”

He had no idea what she was talking about, so he kept his mouth shut. Kelly needed someone to listen—him knowing or not knowing the subject seemed unimportant.

“It’s been so long. She was fifteen when Dad sent her to boarding school and I was eighteen. Getting ready to start college. I was so excited and—”

She looked at him. Tears filled her eyes. “I’m lying. Dad didn’t send her away. Okay, he did, but it was my idea. I’m the one who said she was acting out in school. She and Ryan were dating and it was getting serious and I was so scared she was going to be like our mom. I was worried for her, but mostly for myself. I knew if she screwed up and got pregnant, I would be stuck dealing with it all and I just didn’t want to. I know that makes me a horrible person.”

He shifted his chair closer and put his arm around her. “No, it doesn’t.”

She blinked away the tears. “It does. I was selfish.”

“Because you didn’t want your sister to get pregnant at fifteen? Yeah, you were a real bitch.”

“But we sent her away.”

He thought about his brother and the women in his life. Griffith had been away at college when his brother was in high school, but he’d heard plenty of stories.

“You did the right thing for both of them.”

“You’re being nice. Thank you.” She leaned against him and took another drink. “Now she’s back and she’s already mentioned seeing him.”

“Ryan has a girlfriend.”

“That’s what I thought. I’m not sure Olivia knows, but that’s not my rock. I just don’t know how I’m going to deal with her for the summer. Biologically we’re sisters, but in reality, we’re strangers.”

“Want to move in with me?”

She looked at him. “Wow, there’s an invitation.”

He grinned. “I meant into your own room. The house is big enough.”

“I’m not sure jumping from the frying pan to the fire is a good idea, but thank you for the offer.” She sighed. “Dad is happy. She’s his baby girl and now he has both of us together under one roof. Maybe this is a sign that I should get my own place.”

“Maybe you should see how things are going to go first.”

“Logic. How like a man.”

She poured more vodka into her cup. Griffith rubbed her arm and wondered how this was all going to turn out. It did seem strange that Olivia would simply leave everything for the summer. As for Ryan, God knew what trouble he was in now, what with his current girlfriend and his former girlfriend all in the same town. Maybe he would try to escape the trouble by showing up to work on time. Unlikely, but a guy could dream.

* * *

The band played for nearly an hour, although it seemed much longer what with their lack of understanding about music and staying in tune. When they were done, Griffith’s ears were ringing. He hoped the condition wasn’t permanent. He congratulated Leo and his son, then went back to the table and collected Kelly.

“That was great,” she said brightly as she tucked what was left of her vodka into her bag. “I think by the end, they were getting the hang of it.”

“I think you’re drunk.”

“Maybe. But that’s okay. I’m an adult.”

“You’re an adult who’s not driving home.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Probably not. I’ll get a ride with my dad.” She looked around, took a step, stumbled, then started to laugh.

“Okay, then.” He drew her close and started for the stage. “Let’s go find him together.”

“That’s nice.” She smiled. “Are you going to kiss me?”

There was a non sequitur. “Nope.”

“Why not? You want me as your girlfriend. That means kissing, Griffith.”

“Yes, it does and while I look forward to kissing you, I’m a firm believer in the woman being sober. Or at least not as drunk as you. Call me old-fashioned.”

“I didn’t know there would be rules.”

“There are always rules, Kelly. The trick is knowing which ones it’s okay to break.”

“I don’t break rules. I should. Maybe I’d be more like Olivia. She’s so pretty. I want to be pretty, too.”

“You are.”

“You’re just saying that for the sex, but it’s still nice. Have you seen her clothes?”

“Not yet.”

“And her hair. It’s so shiny. She was wearing makeup and everything. Plus, she has boobs. I never got mine.”

His lips twitched. “You are so going to regret this conversation in the morning. When you get home, drink a lot of water.”

“I’m perfectly fine.”

“You say that now. Come on. Let’s go find your dad.”

7

Olivia’s bravado had lasted through the three-day drive up from Phoenix and walking into the house where she’d grown up. But as the evening progressed, it had slowly faded until now she was left with nothing but a gnawing sense of not belonging anywhere.

She walked through the empty house, trying to find some connection to her past. Funny how she’d assumed the old place would feel like home. It was where she’d grown up, but whatever part of her had been left behind must have gotten swept up with the dust.

The living room was different. New furniture and a bigger TV. The layout was all wrong, but that wasn’t her problem. The kitchen had been remodeled, as well. Whoever had done the design had used the space well and in the day there would be plenty of light.

Her bedroom was exactly as it had been. The same pale lavender walls, the books and yearbooks in the bookcase. She recognized the stuffed animals, but felt no need to hold them close. They were cute and all, but no longer a part of her.

Tucked into the big mirror over her dresser were several photos of her with friends. She looked impossibly young, with horrible makeup and hair. Thank goodness she’d learned how to make the most of what she had. Unlike her sister, who was determined to be as low-maintenance as possible, as if that were a point of pride. Olivia had already spotted her bargain shampoo-and-conditioner 2-in-1 bottle in the shower, along with a bar of generic unscented soap.