Danielle Steel - Sisters

One tumultuous year. One Manhattan brownstone. And four very different young women …

Sisters

PRAISE FOR THE RECENT NOVELS OF

DANIELLE STEEL SISTERS “Female bonding with a cozy slumber-party vibe.”— Kirkus Reviews “Steel's plots are first-rate—and this one is no exception.”— Newark Star-Ledger BUNGALOW 2 “Steel's many loyal readers will be entertained by this story of a dedicated mother and wife who embarks on a series of life-altering adventures in Hollywood.” —Publishers Weekly H.R.H. “A journey of discovery, change and awakening … a story of love found, love lost and ultimately an ending that proves surprising.” —Asbury Park Press “Steel's fans will be waiting for this one.” —Booklist COMING OUT “Acknowledges the unique challenges of today's mixed families.” —Kirkus Reviews “[A] tender, loving novel.” —Fort Wayne Journal Gazette THE HOUSE “Many happy endings.” —Chicago Tribune “A … Steel fairy tale.” —Booklist TOXIC BACHELORS “A breezy read … that will keep fans reading and waiting for more.” —Publishers Weekly “Steel delivers … happy endings in the usual nontoxic, satisfying manner.” —Booklist MIRACLE “Steel is almost as much a part of the beach as sunscreen.” —New York Post “Another Steel page-turner. Three strangers' lives become linked after a terrible storm ravages northern California.” —Lowell Sun IMPOSSIBLE “Dramatic, suspenseful … Steel knows what her fans want and this solid, meaty tale will not disappoint them.” —Booklist ECHOES “Courage of conviction, strength of character and love of family that transcends loss are the traits that echo through three generations of women…. A moving story that is Steel at her finest.” —Chattanooga Times Free Press “Get your hankies … Steel put her all into this one.” —Kirkus Reviews “A compelling tale of love and loss.” —Booklist A MAIN SELECTION OF THE LITERARY GUILD

AND DOUBLEDAY BOOK CLUB

Also by Danielle Steel

HONOR THYSELF FIVE DAYS IN PARIS AMAZING GRACE LIGHTNING BUNGALOW 2 WINGS H.R.H. THE GIFT COMING OUT ACCIDENT THE HOUSE VANISHED TOXIC BACHELORS MIXED BLESSINGS MIRACLE JEWELS IMPOSSIBLE NO GREATER LOVE ECHOES HEARTBEAT SECOND CHANCE MESSAGE FROM NAM RANSOM DADDY SAFE HARBOUR STAR JOHNNY ANGEL ZOYA DATING GAME KALEIDOSCOPE ANSWERED PRAYERS FINE THINGS SUNSET IN ST. TROPEZ WANDERLUST THE COTTAGE SECRETS THE KISS FAMILY ALBUM LEAP OF FAITH FULL CIRCLE LONE EAGLE CHANGES JOURNEY THURSTON HOUSE THE HOUSE ON HOPE STREET CROSSINGS THE WEDDING ONCE IN A LIFETIME IRRESISTIBLE FORCES A PERFECT STRANGER GRANNY DAN REMEMBRANCE BITTERSWEET PALOMINO MIRROR IMAGE LOVE:POEMS HIS BRIGHT LIGHT: THE RING The Story of Nick Traina LOVING THE KLONE AND I TO LOVE AGAIN THE LONG ROAD HOME SUMMER'S END THE GHOST SEASON OF PASSION SPECIAL DELIVERY THE PROMISE THE RANCH NOW AND FOREVER SILENT HONOR PASSION'S PROMISE MALICE GOING HOME

To my mother Norma,and to my incredibly wonderful fantastic most

fabulous in the entire world loving daughters:

Beatrix, Sam, Victoria, Vanessa, and Zara.May you always, always, always be there for each

other, with tenderness, compassion, patience, loyalty,

and love. You are each the best gift that I have given

to the others.And to Simon, Mia, Chiquita, Talulah, Gidget, and

Gracie, the absolutely best, most adorable, and most

beautiful dogs on the planet.

with all my love,

Mom/d.s.

Chapter 1

The photo shoot in the Place de la Concorde, in Paris, had been going since eight o'clock that morning. They had an area around one of the fountains cordoned off, and a bored-looking Parisian gendarme stood watching the proceedings. The model stood in the fountain for hours on end, jumping, splashing, laughing, her head thrown back in practiced glee, and each time she did it, she was convincing. She was wearing an evening gown hiked up to her knees, and a mink wrap. A powerful battery-operated fan blew her long blond hair out in a mane behind her.

Passersby stopped and stared, fascinated by the scene as a makeup artist in a tank top and shorts climbed in and out of the fountain to keep the model's makeup perfect. By noon, the model still looked like she was having a fabulous time, as she laughed with the photographer and his two assistants between shots as well as on camera. Cars slowed as they drove by, and two American teenagers stopped and stared in amazement as they strolled by and recognized her.

“Oh my God, Mom! It's Candy !” the older of the two girls intoned with awe. They were on vacation in Paris from Chicago, but even Parisians recognized Candy easily. She was the most successful supermodel in America, and on the international scene, and had been since she was seventeen. Candy was twenty-one now, and had made a fortune modeling in New York, Paris, London, Milan, Tokyo, and a dozen other cities. The agency could barely handle the volume of her bookings. She was on the cover of Vogue at least twice a year, and was in constant demand. Candy was, without a doubt, the hottest model in the business, and a household name even to those who knew little about fashion.

Her full name was Candy Adams, but she never used her last name, just Candy. She didn't need more than that. Everybody knew her, her face, her name, her reputation as one of the world's leading models. She managed to make everything look like fun, whether she was running through snow barefoot in a bikini in the freezing cold in Switzerland, walking through the surf in an evening gown in the winter on Long Island, or wearing a full-length sable coat under a blazing sun in the Tuscan hills. Whatever she did, she looked as though she was having a ball doing it. Standing in the fountain in the Place de la Concorde in July was easy, despite the heat and the morning sun, in one of Paris's standard summer heat waves. The shoot was for another Vogue cover, for the October issue, and the photographer, Matt Harding, was one of the biggest in the business. They had worked together hundreds of times over the last four years, and he loved shooting with her.

Unlike other models as important as she was, Candy was always easy—good-natured, funny, irreverent, sweet, and surprisingly naïve after the success she'd enjoyed since the beginning of her career. She was just a nice person, and an incredible beauty. She didn't have a single bad angle. Her face was virtually perfect for the camera, with no flaws, no defects. She had the delicacy of a cameo, with finely carved features, miles of naturally blond hair that she wore long most of the time, and blue eyes the color of sky and the size of saucers. Matt knew she liked to party hard and stay out late, and amazingly it never showed in her face the next day. She was one of the lucky few who could get away with playing and never have it show afterward. She wouldn't be able to get away with it forever, but for now she still could. If anything, she only got prettier with age, although at twenty-one, one could hardly expect her to be touched by the ravages of time, but some models started to show it even at her age. Candy didn't. And her natural sweetness still showed through just as it had the first day he'd met her, when she was seventeen and doing her first shoot for Vogue with him. He loved her. Everyone did. There wasn't a man or woman in the business who didn't love Candy.