by Missy Lyons
She paused, her fingers running over the thin lines of the bikini she was about to pack for her trip. There were certain things she wouldn’t need because the fish wouldn’t care what she looked like. She could go swimming in an old tee shirt and have just as much success, or naked for that matter.
Still, she might be able to enjoy lounging by the pool this weekend when her sisters came. It might even allow her to get a head start on her tan.
She closed the suitcase and zipped it shut. It took an enormous amount of energy to fight her parents on what they wanted, but she needed to stand up for herself. She had to have some sort of independence in her life. Susannah took a long breath and sat down on the closed suitcase. She wanted to be ready to leave as soon as she was done with this silly meeting, and no matter what her mom threatened to do to her to make her change her mind, she was still going to the Caribbean.
A long-haired, black-and-white kitty with whiskers as long as its front paws jumped on top of the closed luggage and meowed at her. She rubbed him under his chin, and he purred loudly. “No, you can’t come, Whiskers.”
He rubbed his chin on her hand forcing her to pet him.
“Who would take care of Jessica if I take you along?” Getting him onto the island for such a short trip would have been far too much trouble. The island chain had strict rules about allowing plants and animals onto it, because an uncontrolled foreign life-form could destroy their ecosystem. So Whiskers would have spent six months being kenneled at the airport just to see if he had a disease, and by that time she would probably be ready to leave and he would have to do it all over again stateside.
It was much better to get her neighbor, Jessica, to look out after him. He would get plenty of love and attention and all the kitty kibble he could eat.
But even knowing he would be well cared for, she knew she would miss him.
* * * *
The phone rang, and she instantly recognized the number of her sister Savannah. She hit talk, not wanting to miss the call. Vannah was so busy, it wasn’t often she could call without waking her up or interrupting her in the middle of a surgery.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Sis.”
“What’s up, Vannah?”
“You got the call from Mom and Dad, right?” Savannah paused for her response.
“Yeah. You’ll be there?” Susannah exhaled slowly. She didn’t want to say it was probably her fault they were all being called home.
“Of course. Do we have a choice in the matter?”
“No.” Susannah laughed deeply while her fingers traced lazy circles just below Whisker’s ears.
“So what’s your take on this?” Savannah was always one to get to the point and skip the small talk.
“You mean, what do I think the lecture is about this time?” Susannah did not want to talk about this now. If she could avoid it altogether she would, and she was only showing up this weekend because of the love and respect she felt for her parents.
“Yeah.”
“Same thing, different year I would imagine.” It was always the same thing. She could almost hear her mother’s voice grate in her ears, repeating the same thing over and over. When do you girls plan on settling down and having babies? She was getting tired of hearing that every single time she visited.
“I’m thinking that way, too. I just wish they would give up already.”
Mom? Give up? Never!
She would expect Napoleon to wave the white flag before Mom!
“Me, too.” She sighed.
“Any prospects on your end?”
“If you mean prospects by a husband and father to their grandchildren…” She thought for a moment to try and imagine a man in her life that could take up the role of father and husband, and none came to mind that weren’t already married or fatally flawed. When had things gotten so bad in her love life that there was not a single man she would consider for a long-term relationship? “Then I got nothing.”
“I know what you mean. Me either.”
“Have you heard from Sabrina or Serena?”
“I called them earlier today to make sure they were coming. I don’t want to be the only one getting chewed out because I don’t have a steady boyfriend.”
“They don’t have any prospects either, huh?”
“Nope.”
“Mom and Dad aren’t going to be happy about this.”
“Are they ever?”
Susannah’s deep laughter scared the cat away. He ran to the door then slowed to a walk, his tail wrapping around the doorjamb on his way out. “No. I know they want us to be happy, but dang it! This is ridiculous! We’ll find the right guy when the time comes.”
“And one that isn’t after the money.”
“That’s why it has to be someone who doesn’t know who our parents are. Don’t you have any cute doctor friends over there in Nashville?”
“A few, but nobody I’m interested in having children with. Besides, there are tons of cowboys here, and you know how much I love cowboys.” Sarcasm dripped from her voice, but Susannah didn’t have to hear the sarcasm to know it was a lie. When Savannah got her heart broken by a cowboy, she became a whole lot more cynical toward love and cowboys.
“Well, then, why the hell did you move to Nashville? The home of country music?” It was the last place she ever thought Savannah would end up. She could have done her last year of training anywhere, but she chose Nashville.
“Just because I like country doesn’t mean I necessarily want to hook up with a cowboy. I had enough of those at home. Being raised in Texas, you tend to be surrounded by them, you know?”
“I know.” Oh, boy, did she ever know. “Listen, Sis, I need to go. I’ve got an appointment this afternoon before I head for home this weekend.” She still had to drop the cat off at her friend Jessica’s house. Someone had to watch him and feed him while she was gone for the next six months.
“Yeah, me, too. I’m almost home myself, and I’m hoping for a quiet night, but I’m on call so you never know.”
“I guess I’ll see you on Saturday at the ranch.”
“Yep. Be careful, Susie, and I’ll see you in a few days.”
“Love you, Vannah.”
“Love you, too, Susie. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Click.
Chapter Two
“Don’t tell me you traded in your cute car for this?” Savannah blinked in disbelief at the minivan parked curbside.
Serena just gaped, and Sabrina actually dropped her luggage on the sidewalk. Speechless.
“You don’t like the minivan look?” Susannah did a Vanna White gesture toward the rented, golden Honda Odyssey. There was no way her little, two-door sports car could have fit them and all their luggage in one trip.
“Ha!” Savannah set her carry-on in the back before closing the hatchback.
It wasn’t cute or sporty, but it was practical and it drove nicely. She could imagine driving one regularly one day. After she was married, of course, with the typical two-point-five kids and a dog, she could be happy being a soccer mom and give up her Bugatti Veyron.
Maybe.
Oh, who was she trying to kid? She could never give up her sleek and sexy sports car her dad had custom made for her thirtieth birthday! The leather seats fit her body like a glove. The first time she drove the Veyron, she knew there was no going back to another luxury vehicle or any vehicle, for that matter.
It would just have to stay parked in the garage a little more often with kids.
“I know it takes some getting used to, but it’s just a rental. It goes back on Tuesday after you all head home.”
“Whew. You had me worried there for a minute. Made me think Mom and Dad may have gotten to you. Next thing you know they would be making me get rid of my car.”
“Just get in.” Susannah knew that wasn’t going to happen. Savannah loved her convertible more than Susannah loved her Veyron. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you.”
Every
one got in the car and closed the doors. They quickly put on their seat belts, and after the clicking stopped, the key was in and she was ready to go. She waited to merge into traffic and at the first opportunity slid in between a hotel bus and a silver Pontiac Grand Am, making her way toward the freeway.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to face Mom alone on one of her rampages either.” Sabrina looked out the window at the airport traffic.
“No it’s not that. Mom is way worse than normal. She’s invited every eligible bachelor she could find in Yellow Rose Valley and probably the next county over, too. You’ll see.” Susannah felt a wave of despair sweep over her. She didn’t believe any one of her sisters was prepared for the upcoming weekend.
“Well, at least we get to have some fun.” Serena giggled. Of all the Gibson sisters, she had a naturally cheerful and sunshine disposition that looked at the positive side of everything. If she had a half-drunk glass, it was always half full to her.
“Yeah, if you like playing with boys.” Susannah flashed Serena a look of disdain in the rearview mirror and squished up her nose in distaste.
“I don’t mind guys, it’s just awkward when she wants to play matchmaker and force us to do her bidding.” The tensing in Sabrina’s jaw betrayed her deep frustrations.
“Like having a man in our life is the only way we can be happy.” Susannah’s laugh was scornful.
“Yeah. There’s no pleasing her, but we’ll make it through the weekend. We always do.” Savannah kept her tone light, but Susannah knew there was some worry behind her words.
Somehow Susannah felt this weekend something was going to be very, very different. She was more skeptical than her sisters. “We’ll see.”
* * * *
The blue waters of the swimming pool glistened with the Texas sun beating down on it. Susannah wore a green bikini, allowing the sun to also warm her skin. She adjusted her wide-brim straw hat, pretending to sleep in the lounge chair by the side of the water. Yes, she was purposefully avoiding the twenty or so bachelors circling her like little piranhas that her mother invited.
She hated being the center of attention, and these men just didn’t take the hint that she didn’t care who their daddy was. She just wasn’t interested, and talking to her about the size of their stock portfolio was not turning her on. Right now, it felt like she was on the menu with all the guys checking her out.
Why oh why did her mom have to get all nosy and interfere in her love life? She knew Mom had the best of intentions, but her Latina roots showed when she dwelled on her daughters. Family had and always would be first in her opinion. Maria had never had to work a day in her life, but nothing else would have been quite as fulfilling to her as devoting her life to being a stay-at-home mom.
Just because her kids didn’t feel the same way wasn’t a reason to throw stones. Or invite twenty bachelors to the pool party to ruin their day.
Susannah was happy being single. This was just another good reason why she wasn’t in the pool exercising. She really could use a good swim right now, but she couldn’t walk one step on the patio without bumping into a hard chest attached to a smiling man feigning interest in her.
Susannah pretended to snore, peeking through sunglasses covering her slitted eyes at the dark-haired man coming straight for her. She felt his cool shadow cover her body.
If she dared to open her mouth, her moment of privacy was over.
“You’re going to burn if you plan on sleeping out here.”
Why didn’t he just go away? Some people couldn’t take the hint.
Angry only began to describe her mood. She was irritable as all get out.
“Who are you? My mother?” she snapped, not in the mood for playful banter, not in the mood for any of this.
“No, the name’s Ethan. I don’t think we’ve met yet.” He held out his hand to shake.
She sat up warily, regarding him with a new respect. He wasn’t one to back down from a fight or be easily intimidated, and she could respect that. “Sorry, but I feel a little defensive about all this. My name’s Susannah, but I am sure you already heard my whole life story by now.”
She offered her hand back and was surprised when he turned it over and kissed the back of it.
She snatched it back as fast as she could, shocked he would be so forward.
“Not quite, but you can fill me in on those baby years while I put some suntan lotion on you.” He gave Susannah a cocky smile and sat down next to her.
“Nice try, buddy.”
“No worries there. I wouldn’t try anything with your dad watching me like a hawk.”
Susannah glanced toward the patio to see he was right. Her dad had a rather nasty expression on his face, too. Well, he arranged this whole mess in the first place. You would think he would want her schmoozing with the men.
Served him right.
“Okay, but I get to help him kick your ass if you try anything, and you only do my back.” She rolled over on her tummy to bare her back. Immediately, his hands swept over her skin, smearing the cool lotion over the bare skin.
“Oh, he probably would be happy to just fire me.”
“You work for my dad?” she murmured, enjoying the way his large hands massaged the lotion into her skin.
“Yeah, I’m his personal assistant.”
Not the usual type of guest at these types of things. She was curious why her father would invite an employee. “How did he wrangle you here?”
“I volunteered.”
“You know this is a plot to marry us all off, right? You come to the party, and the next thing you know Daddy’s standing at the altar with a shotgun. I didn’t think there could be so many willing victims,” she grumbled.
“Well, actually, I worked on a special project this last month. I know all about his plans, and it doesn’t involve forcing you to do anything. You are going to make your own choices.”
She peeked her head up. “Why don’t you tell me what you mean?”
His face reddened, highlighting his freckles and his nervousness under her sudden scrutiny.
He looked flustered and his face had grown bright red. “No, I think I’ve said too much already. It’s not my place.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll talk to my dad and get you fired?”
“No.”
“Maybe you should be.”
“I don’t think you could be that mean.”
“You are pretty cocky, mister. Where do you get off thinking you know me? For all you know, I could enjoy having you kicked to the curb just for the fun of it.”
“You are too nice. Besides, I am not worried. Mr. Gibson won’t replace me that easily.”
Now, she was beginning to get pissed off. It wasn’t just that silly, know-it-all grin on his face, but the fact he knew what was going to happen this weekend and he was withholding information from her.
It infuriated her to be kept in the dark and to have that know-it-all laughing at her. Susannah stood up and removed her sunglasses.
The lotion fell to the ground when she pushed his chest and backed him toward the pool. “Do you know something, Ethan?”
“No, what?”
“I don’t like you.”
“Why not?” His eyebrows arched curiously. Apparently, he was not told off very often by a woman.
“Do you really want to know, because I don’t think you do.”
“Of course.”
“Well, let’s start with the fact that you’re a cocky know-it-all who thinks he can marry into money by courting his boss’s daughter.” She kept pushing his chest with her fingers over and over again until they were at the edge of the pool. “Its men like you that are the reason I can never get married.”
By this time everyone at the pool party was staring, and Susannah was beyond caring. She gave him one last hard push and watched him teeter over into the pool. Unfortunately one of his arms tangled with hers, pulling her with him into the crystal-blue water.
Furious, she pushed him away and s
hot to the surface gasping for breath and a little dignity. Her hat was floating on the surface nearby. Angrily, she grabbed it and stalked out of the pool. She picked up her towel and wrapped it around her body, holding her head high with all the decorum she could muster, and stalked away from all the onlookers and the wrath of her parents.
For now, things would be fine, but when they caught up with her, she knew there was going to be hell to pay.
Chapter Three
It felt like they were sitting in a war room. The span of the dark conference room table separated parents from children.
“Mom? Dad? What’s this all about?”
Maria took control and sat down at the head of the table while Dad retrieved two cups of black coffee for them both. “We hadn’t planned on discussing this during dinner.” William sat the cup down in front of her and took a seat. “What do you think, darling? Shall we?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “Doesn’t matter. They aren’t going to like it.”
Savannah’s face suddenly paled. Ick. “Is one of you ill? If so, you know we’ll do everything we can—get the best doctor’s involved…”
Maria raised her hand to stop the flow of words. “We aren’t ill, Savannah, so calm down. We just have a bit of an issue we need to discuss with you all.”
All four sisters released a collective sigh of relief until the next words reached their ears.
“Your trust funds have been suspended.”
All four of the women started talking at once.
“What do you mean?”
“You can’t do that!”
“How are my projects supposed to survive without the funding my trust account is giving them?” Susannah was shocked.
She stupidly quit her job last week, planning on using those funds to help pay the way for her little excursion to the Caribbean.
Now all those carefully laid plans would have to be cancelled. How could she pay for her trip now? She wouldn’t even be able to pay for her rent while she was gone.
