Sisters Like Us

by Susan Mallery

“Thanks, Mom, I’m good.”

  Stacey sipped her tea. Harper always made everything domestic look so easy. Her house was perfectly decorated for whatever season and always tidy and clean.

  Bunny took a mug of tea and sat at one of the counter stools. She looked at Stacey. “So what’s new?”

  The room went totally silent. Stacey could feel her husband and her sister both watching her, waiting to see what she would do.

  She had to come clean—she understood that. If only her mother would understand. But Bunny wouldn’t. She hadn’t approved of Stacey keeping her own last name when she married Kit, that she still worked full-time, that her job had always been the most important part of her life, at least until she’d met Kit.

  Stacey sucked in a breath and opened her mouth. “Mom, I—”

  “Knock, knock!”

  The call came from the front of the house. Harper walked by and murmured, “Saved by the bell, so to speak. I can’t figure out if you have the best or worst luck.”

  “Me, either.”

  Harper’s client Lucas walked into the kitchen with a tall, thin redhead at his side. The young woman looked to be maybe twenty or twenty-one. She held a large, fabric-covered box, which she handed to Harper.

  “Lucas said this is for you.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Harper said as she set it on the counter. “Where did you find it?”

  “Etsy,” Lucas said, handing Bunny a bouquet of flowers. “Hello, Bunny.”

  Her mother batted her lashes and smiled at Lucas. “Hello, Lucas.” She turned to his date. “And you are?”

  “Persimmon,” Harper said with a grin.

  “Oh, dear.” Bunny’s mouth grew pinched. “That’s an unusual name.”

  “I know, right? I have a sister named Kumquat.”

  “I can’t imagine what your parents were thinking.” Bunny gave her an insincere smile. “Let me get these in water.”

  With Lucas and Persimmon around, Stacey was able to relax. There was no way she could tell her mother the truth now. Maybe after dinner, when Lucas and his date had left.

  Stacey settled on one of the bar stools at the kitchen counter and prepared to watch the dynamics of the interactions between Lucas, Harper and Bunny.

  Harper got her guests drinks. Lucas took a beer and Persimmon wanted to try the herbal tea. Stacey wondered if she was old enough to legally drink alcohol. Bunny fussed with the flowers, all the while eyeing Lucas’s date.

  In a way, Bunny’s dilemma was interesting to observe. She didn’t approve of his young girlfriends, yet he was a man and therefore right by default. Stacey wondered about his preference for dating women so much younger than himself. He was attractive, intelligent and had a very responsible job. By all accounts he should be more comfortable with women closer to his own demographic. Yet he clearly favored young, beautiful but vapid women.

  Kit’s theory was that Lucas had had some trauma in his life. Stacey had asked Harper, but she didn’t have any insights.

  Lucas settled next to Stacey, then leaned close. “Still not coming clean?” he asked quietly.

  “How did you know?”

  “There’s no screaming and Bunny isn’t hyperventilating. Want me to tell her? She doesn’t scare me.”

  “She doesn’t scare me, either.”

  Lucas raised his eyebrows.

  “Okay, she doesn’t scare me much.”

  He winked at her and she laughed.

  Harper pulled her cell phone from her jeans pocket and glanced at the screen. “That’s Becca,” she said, sounding relieved. “They’re pulling up now.”

  Everyone walked toward the front of the house. Kit grabbed Stacey’s hand and squeezed her fingers. She looked at him and sighed.

  “I know,” she told him.

  “You’ll get there.”

  Stacey hoped he was right.

  They all went out front, careful to avoid the rabbit footprints. A large black BMW pulled into the driveway. Stacey noted that Terence’s girlfriend was driving rather than him, which was unusual, but not as unexpected as the three incredibly large dogs in the back seat with Becca.

  The car came to a stop and Terence nearly fell out of the passenger’s side. His face was red, his eyes practically swollen shut and he was coughing and choking. Alicia, his girlfriend, got out and shook her head.

  “I guess he is really allergic to dogs, huh?”

  Becca was the last to leave the vehicle, followed by three huge Dobermans. The dogs were sleek and muscled, black-and-tan, with alert but wary expressions. Stacey watched her sister stare at her daughter, then at the dogs.

  “No,” Harper breathed. “She didn’t.”

  “Mom, it’s not what you think!”

  All the Bloom women had dark hair and blue eyes, with heart-shaped faces. Stacey was the tallest at five-seven. Bunny and Harper were both a few inches shorter, and Becca was in the middle. Seeing them together, no one could miss the family resemblance.

  Alicia sighed. “Don’t get your panties in a twist, Harper. Great-Grandmother Cheryl or whatever she was to you didn’t leave you the dogs.” The blonde woman’s expression turned smug. “She left them to Becca. All three of them. Good luck.”

  Harper took a step toward her daughter. “She left you the dogs and you never thought to give me a heads-up?”

  Her daughter’s chin rose. “I knew you’d overreact and tell me I couldn’t bring them home.”

  Terence continued to choke and cough. Becca looked at him.

  “Dad is allergic to dogs, like you said. He took all kinds of meds but he still had a hard time. I guess it was being in the car and everything.”

  Harper barely glanced at her ex, instead keeping her attention on Becca. “We cannot have three dogs.”

  “They’re huge and dangerous,” Bunny piped in. “And that one’s pregnant.”

  “Her name is Bay,” Becca said, still sounding defiant. “And they’re mine. Great-Aunt Cheryl wanted me to have them and you can’t take them away from me.”

  Kit put his arm around Stacey. “To think we almost named our daughter Bay,” he murmured. “Awkward.”

  She appreciated his attempt at humor but was more concerned about Becca and Harper fighting. If her sister couldn’t get along with her daughter, what chance did Stacey have with her child? Harper was the perfect mother. She knew how to do everything.

  “Becca, be reasonable,” Harper said. “They’re huge dogs. We don’t have enough room for them. Plus, they’re specially trained. Shouldn’t the government take them?”

  Becca’s eyes filled with tears. “I knew you’d be like this. You never want me to have what I want.”

  Alicia had opened the trunk. She started pulling out bags and boxes. “No one needs to help me,” she said sarcastically. “I’m fine.”

  Both Kit and Lucas walked over and finished emptying the trunk. Terence stumbled into the car while Alicia got behind the wheel. They drove off without saying a word.

  Lucas glanced at the dogs. “What’s the boy’s name?” he asked.

  “Thor and the other one is Jazz.”

  “Thor, come.”

  Lucas’s voice was firm. The male Doberman trotted over and sat in front of him. Lucas held out his hand. Thor sniffed, then looked at him.

  “Good boy.” Lucas patted him on the head. “I’ll take him.”

  Harper spun to face him. “You’ll what?”

  “I’ll take him. I have a yard and I’ve always wanted a dog. It’ll be great.”

  Becca sniffed. “That would be okay, if you promise to be a good puppy dad.”

  “I do promise.”

  Stacey met the gaze of the pregnant dog. The animal looked calm and kind of sweet, in a very large, I could eat you in a hot minute kind of way.

  “We’ll take, um, Bay,” she sa
id without thinking. Maybe she could learn something when the dog had her puppies. If nothing else, it would be nice to have another pregnant female around.

  “Stacey,” Bunny said disapprovingly. “You can’t just blurt out things like that. You have to talk to your husband first. What if Kit doesn’t want a dog?”

  Kit met Stacey’s gaze. She saw the understanding in his eyes and knew he got what she’d been thinking. Still, she should have asked him—a dog was a big responsibility and she spent her days at the lab.

  Kit smiled at her, then he called Bay. The Doberman hurried to sit in front of him.

  “Want to come home with us?” he asked.

  She tilted her head as if considering the offer.

  Persimmon clapped her hands together. “This is so wonderful. Like a Hallmark movie. The whole family pulled together.” She smiled at Harper. “Now you have to let your daughter keep the dog because it’s just one. I could so cry right now.”

  “Me, too,” Harper muttered. “Becca, the only way we’re keeping a dog is if you take responsibility for it. I mean that. You have to do everything. If you don’t, it goes. Am I clear?”

  “I’ll do it, Mom. You’ll see. I’ll handle it all.”

  “I want to believe you,” Harper began, then stopped herself. “All right. Let’s sort through all this stuff and figure out what goes where. Did Great-Aunt Cheryl leave an instruction sheet or something?”

  “There’s a whole book,” Becca said eagerly as she wiped away tears. “They know some really cool stuff, Mom. You’ll see.”

  “I’ll do research on pregnant dogs,” Kit said. “We’re going to have puppies.”

  And a baby, Stacey thought, knowing there was no way she could tell her mother the truth today. As Harper said, Stacey either had the best or worst luck in the world. She just couldn’t decide which.

  Chapter Four

  BECCA SZYMANSKI CARRIED her suitcase and backpack into the living room and let both fall to the carpeted floor. She was happy, sad, mad, annoyed and relieved all at once, and her chest wasn’t big enough for that much emotion.

  She’d known her mom was totally going to overreact to the dogs and she hadn’t been wrong. Just once, just one single time, she would really appreciate it if her mother would listen and respond like a thoughtful person instead of always jumping to the conclusion that not only would it go badly but it would all be Becca’s fault because she wasn’t responsible enough.

  Becca was responsible. She’d gotten through her parents’ divorce without letting either of them know how devastated she was. She’d gotten through her best friend’s moving away without anyone seeing how shattered she was inside. She lived a thousand emotions her mother knew nothing about...and never would.

  Becca collapsed to the floor and started to cover her face with her hands only to hear a faint whimper. She looked up and saw Jazz standing just inside the front door, her expression worried, her brown eyes questioning.

  “Oh, Jazz, I’m sorry. I forgot you were there.” Becca bit her bottom lip. Did saying that make her mother right?

  No, she told herself quickly. Of course not. She’d been home five seconds—it would take a while for them all to adjust to a pet.

  She shifted onto her knees, then held out her arms and said softly, “Jazz, come here.”

  The black-and-tan Doberman approached, then sat obediently. Becca threw her arms around the dog and hung on. “It’s okay,” she whispered against the dog’s warm body. “You’re going to be safe now, I promise. I’m going to be here for you.”

  She drew back and looked into Jazz’s face. “Thor is going to stay with our friend Lucas, and Bay will be with Aunt Stacey. Lucas is a good guy. He’s a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. He’s been my mom’s client for about a year now.” She smiled. “He’s a grown-up, so you know what that means, although he’s pretty cool with me.” She wrinkled her nose. “He always has really young girlfriends. It was creepy at first, but finally I asked him if I had to worry that he would want to date one of my friends in a couple of years.”

  Jazz’s ears perked up, as if she were interested in the answer.

  “He said the younger woman thing was because of trauma and that he promised he would never embarrass me that way. He said he wanted me to know that he totally respected me and my mom and that he would be there if we needed something.” She stroked the dog’s head. “To be honest, he has been really supportive and stuff with us. I’m telling you this so you won’t worry about Thor.”

  She thought about her aunt Stacey. “I’m sure Bay will be good with Kit and Stacey. They have a nice house and a yard. Uncle Kit’s really fun and Aunt Stacey is super smart. She’s going to cure MS or maybe help people with MS have less symptoms. I’m never sure when she talks about her work.” She hugged Jazz. “I get it. Even though you know everyone is okay, you’re going to miss your friends, though, aren’t you? I so get that. I miss Kaylee, but she’s off having fun with her new friends. You should see what she posts on Instagram all the time.” Becca waved her hands in the air. “Look at me! Look at me!”

  Jazz’s steady gaze never wavered. Becca dropped her arms to her side.

  “You have no idea who I’m talking about, do you,” she said with a sigh. “Sorry.” She thought briefly of pulling out her phone and showing Jazz the videos, then told herself the dog still wouldn’t care. Because this was all new to Jazz and no matter how well trained she was, she had to be scared.

  “I remember the first night my dad left,” Becca admitted in a low voice as she sat on the floor and continued to pet the dog. “I was crying, my mom was crying, my grandmother kept asking my mom what she’d done wrong. It was horrible. Uncle Kit and Aunt Stacey had just gotten married and were on their honeymoon, so she wasn’t here.”

  Becca sighed. “I don’t know if anyone’s told you this, but Great-Aunt Cheryl is gone. She was really old and she died.” She shifted so she sat directly in front of Jazz. “I promise I will always take care of you, Jazz. I’ll be here. I have to go to school and stuff, but then I’ll come home. You belong here now. With me.”

  She smiled. “I always wanted a dog, but Mom said we couldn’t because Dad was allergic. After the drive home, I guess he really is. Anyway, I want you to know I’m going to take care of you. I have the book of instructions Great-Aunt Cheryl left me. I’ll get copies to Stacey and Lucas. You have to believe in me, okay? I’m going to be here. I’m not going to die like Great-Aunt Cheryl, and I’m not going to leave you like my dad.”

  Tears unexpectedly formed. Becca brushed them away. It was one thing to be upset about the dogs, but she refused to cry over the divorce. It had been two years and she should be over it. At least that was what everyone else seemed to think.

  She knew, compared to some of her friends, she had it easy. She wasn’t shuffled from house to house and she didn’t have to deal with a bunch of new stepbrothers and sisters. In fact, she rarely saw her father. He was too busy with his new life and Alicia.

  “How’s it going?”

  She looked up as Lucas walked into the living room, then leaned her head against Jazz. “We’re still getting to know each other. It’s only been a couple of days, so Jazz is a little scared.”

  “Sure.” He sat in a club chair across the room. “There’s been a lot of change. How are you holding up?”

  She glanced at him and rolled her eyes. “Why are you asking? You know I’m mad at my mom.”

  “Yes, I do. Want to tell me why?”

  She didn’t know what it was about Lucas, but she could always talk to him. Maybe it was because he didn’t speak to her like she was a kid—he treated her as if she were a regular person with thoughts and opinions and feelings.

  When she’d first met him, she’d wondered if he was one of those creepy old guys she and her friends were always being warned about. One of her friends had a stepd
ad who’d tried to touch her, which was horrible and disgusting.

  But Lucas wasn’t like that. He was nice. He listened and when he was around, her mom was a lot calmer. Becca had even gotten used to the really young girlfriends. Some of them were complete airheads, but a few had given her some fashion advice. Still, what was with naming your kid Persimmon?

  “She always says no,” Becca grumbled, remembering the question. “I’ve begged for a dog forever and she said it was because of my dad. Then he moved out and she still said no. Great-Aunt Cheryl left the dogs to me in her will. They’re mine. Mom should respect that.”

  Lucas didn’t say anything, but then he didn’t have to. She squirmed slightly. Jazz gave her a quick lick on her cheek before flopping to the floor. Becca sprawled out next to her and held her paw in her hand.

  “Fine,” Becca said with a sigh. “Three dogs would be a lot, and I’ve never taken care of a dog before.” She glared at him. “There are instructions in the book and I’ve been reading them. I know how much they eat and when they have to be walked. I’m going to take care of Jazz. I’ll feed her and play with her and pick up after her.”

  She shuddered as she thought of the volume of poop the three dogs had generated over the past couple of days. Gross didn’t come close, but everything had a price.

  “I’ll even clean up the yard. I’m going to be a good dog mom. You’ll see.”

  “Sounds like you have a plan.”

  “I do.” She sat up. “Are you really taking Thor?”

  “I am. He’ll be spending his days here while I’m at work, so Jazz won’t be alone.”

  “Does Mom know?”

  “I’ll tell her after dinner.”

  Becca chuckled. “Thanks. She can’t tell you no and there’s no way she can watch Thor and make me get rid of Jazz, so thank you.”

  “That wasn’t my master plan but it does seem to solve a lot of problems.”

  He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a DVD case, then handed it to her. Becca look at the cover and laughed.

  “You didn’t! Sixteen Candles. Thanks, Lucas. You know it’s my favorite.”