Nick opened the door of what had once been the late Malcolm Van Hollins’s study, a room that probably hadn’t changed since his death. The room had all the personality of an old-school man-cave with the usual dark wood paneling, shelves of bound books against the wall, a massive fireplace, and a billiards table in the corner.

His mother followed him in and shut the door, moving slowly around the room, as if memorizing the pictures on the mantel and the books stacked next to an old recliner.

“That was an interesting arrival.” She picked up a book and scanned the back. “You and that girl, hand-in-hand, almost like you’re together. Would you care to tell me what’s been going on over the past couple of days that would lead you to believe that taking up with that…that tabloid reporter is a good idea? Do you know how much damage she can do to this family?”

Her voice was soft but there was a definite edge there.

“Anna is hardly a girl, and definitely not just some tabloid reporter,” Nick said, careful to keep his own tone even and not let her know her words angered him. “I can understand where your concerns are coming from, but I assure you that Anna isn’t here to destroy me, my career, or our family, but merely to offer support to a sister she is just getting to know.”

Okay, so there had been a different motive when she first arrived—to dig up a story that would help save her job and get her editor off her back, but he’d offered her a solution to that dilemma and, in the process, gotten so much more. Not that his mother needed to know the dirty details.

“Fine. For whatever reason, she’s here. But I still can’t imagine why you were holding her hand, Nicholas.”

“You really can’t imagine? How about because I have genuine feelings for Anna, who, I believe, happens to return those feelings.”

“You believe? That’s a large leap to make when the stakes are so high.”

“Isn’t that what finding love is about? Taking those leaps?”

He smiled, because he was realizing how true it was. Trusting Anna was a leap of faith, but also a leap into the unknown where her feelings for him were concerned, considering his track record.

Kathryn’s face paled whiter than usual, her mouth frozen open, making speech impossible for a luxurious ten seconds. “Are you out of your mind? Did you just say…love? You’re not honestly telling me that you love this girl? You’ve spent maybe one day with her.”

“I don’t know exactly what my feelings are for Anna,” he emphasized, “but I look forward to finding out. For whatever reason, fate brought her back in my life and I’m not going to let the opportunity to get to know her better go by. You might want to get used to the idea of her being a regular part of my life because I have every intention of continuing this relationship when we’re back in the city.”

Kathryn St. Claire turned around and, finding a cognac-colored leather chair, sank down into it, crossing one elegant leg over the other. “And what do you think having this woman in your life is going to do for your career? She’s a nobody. Whether or not Malcolm Van Hollins was her father, he never claimed her during his life and never let anyone know she was his. Who is her mother? I seem to remember the woman as some bohemian free spirit who spent more time traipsing the Amazonian jungle than raising her daughter. This woman you’re so infatuated with has no connections, no social mores—not to mention no desire to learn them—and no career, at least not one worth mentioning. Writing for a silly gossip rag is hardly a career one would want for a wife—especially someone with your ambitions. And whether you like it or not, these things matter to people.”

Nick ground his teeth at his mother’s snobbery and her continued hatred for a woman she barely knew. “I couldn’t care less whether she has the necessary connections or the pedigree you’re so desperate for. Anna is the most genuine person I know—which is all that matters to me.”

“You might not be saying that a few years from now when you’re widening your net of voters for something more notable than a small state senate seat, such as a run for US Senate, or—should we be so lucky—something even bigger. You’re going to need the votes and support from those conservative ranchers up north—ranchers like Sara DeWinters’s family who’ve been a part of that landscape of politics for generations. Think of the power that you could harness by building an alliance with them. Think about the future generations you and Sara could build together, a legacy that would make the Kennedy clan look like the Clampetts.”

He smiled at her desperate reference. “Well, I’m sorry to have to disappoint you, but there won’t be an alliance with our family and the DeWinterses, not where I’m concerned. Unless you’ve forgotten, I tried things with Sara once only to discover we weren’t meant to be.”

“That’s a load of crap. If there are any two people meant to be, it’s you and Sara. You both have similar backgrounds, interests, ambitions—what more could you want in a partner?” She looked at him for a long moment before snorting. “As for love, I’ve been around a lot longer than you, dear boy, and I can safely say that there’s no such thing, at least not in the romanticized way you’re meaning. Not for people like you, like me.”

“So the happy, loving couple outside these doors—Dax and Janie—they’re not really in love? What, is that some kind of delusion they’re both under?”

“You misunderstand me. I said for people like you. For Dax? He’s always been a sweet and easygoing boy with no expectations and a desire to please everyone. Of course he’ll be happy with Janie and they’ll probably have a happy, easy life together. But you aren’t your brother. You want more for yourself. What you need is a strong partner who can help you reach your goals.”

“Like you and Dad, you mean.”

His mother leaned back, not blinking as she met his gaze. “Yes, like your father and me. We both came into the marriage from a place of mutual respect. I saw an enigmatic man who could make people listen. He could inspire people and lead them. He saw in me not just someone who would take care of him and help push him for bigger things but also someone with the right connections and know-how to make things happen.”

“Not to mention someone to look the other way when the indiscretions mounted up and the lies became harder to cover up.”

She exhaled in exasperation. “Don’t be naive, Nicholas. Those women never meant anything to your father. Not like I did. I understood that as much as him.”

But Nick hadn’t understood that. Not then and not now.

He turned away to look out the window. He shouldn’t be surprised by his mother’s candidness. He’d summarized their relationship himself in a similar fashion. His mother might have been perfectly fine knowing her husband was finding late-night solace in the arms of whatever young intern struck his fancy, but Nick didn’t want the same thing for himself, and he sure as hell didn’t want his wife—whoever that might be—being content with that picture either.

“All that is fine and good for you and Dad, but it’s not enough for me, which is why the Sara DeWinterses of the world will never appeal to me,” he said, turning to meet his mother’s eyes. “I’m looking for something more. Someone who not only complements me as a partner but who”—he paused, remembering Anna’s words—“who makes me laugh. Who is fun and exciting and challenges me every day and makes me look forward to the next one, when I get to wake up and do it all over again.”

“You’re being shortsighted. And stupid.”

Nick didn’t take offense at her words, however. Although they were harsh, he knew that his mother only resorted to such tactics when she ran out of arguments. As annoying and frustrating and pushy as his mother was, she said all this because she cared. Even though she disapproved of his choice, in the end she would support him, albeit reluctantly, just as she always did.

“I’ve done a decent job of following my own path these many years based on instinct, and that’s what I’m going on now. Instinct,” he said cheerfully. “If there isn’t anything more, I really do need to change. I’ll see you this evening.” He stopped at the door. “And I expect you to be civil to Anna.”

Kathryn didn’t say anything more, but he felt her disapproval as he left the room. Something she’d have to get over because he meant what he said. Anna was going to be a part of his life and the sooner his mother came to terms with it the better for everyone.

Taking the stairs two at a time, Nick whistled, feeling hopeful and excited with his prospects where one Anna Blake was concerned.

* * *

Spaghetti.

That’s what Anna felt like as she hobbled into the dimly lit meditation room with the soothing new-age music and hushed ambiance. She hadn’t realized how tightly wound up she was until her entire body was placed under the thorough and unyielding hands of Brenda, her masseuse.

Anna stopped at the refreshment bar set up inside the entrance, topping off her peppermint tea that she wished were a triple vanilla latte as she looked around for a quiet, hidden space to decompress. Preferably one where her chatty sister wouldn’t find her. The secret she’d learned this morning was weighing on her more than she liked and she didn’t like the fact she knew something that, by all rights, Janie should know, too.

When had she become so protective of the spoiled princess who, at this time last week, had only inspired vague resentment and jealousy? Instead, Anna felt a swelling of affection and concern for the girl who she once thought had everything and now knew hadn’t had such a charmed life after all.

Sinking into one of the gray chairs in the corner, she pulled her cell phone from the pocket of the soft ivory robe. There were a few emails from work and texts from both Quinn and Tessa checking in on her. She was in the middle of a chat with Tessa when the loud whispers and giggles from a couple of new arrivals stopped her.

She peered around a large vase of flowers to see Janie and Sara topping off their own beverages.

Had the woman no shame? Going on pretending that she was friends with Janie, that she had her interest at heart, when any time now Janie was going to discover the truth and feel like the rug was ripped out from under her feet.

Anna couldn’t imagine doing to her two best friends what Sara had done to Janie. How could she watch Janie and Dax play the happy couple, walking hand-in-hand on the sunny beaches of Mexico, and then slip into his room later that night with no concern for how it would make Janie feel? Did she feel the slightest bit of guilt? If not then, maybe now as the moment of reckoning drew nearer?

“There you are,” Janie said, her laser-like eyes homing in on Anna immediately. “They should be coming to get us any time now for our detoxifying seaweed body wrap. Nothing guarantees a girl relief from post-drinking body bloat like a detoxifying wrap, or so Mother always says.”

“Janie? Anna?” Two women were standing at the entrance looking expectantly at them.

“And look at that timing. What’d I tell you?” Janie said. Turning to Sara, she added, “I’ll catch up with you and the other girls for our mani-pedis. If we’re running late, make sure everyone knows that we’re going with the pearly petal pink polish.”

“I’ll do my best,” Sara said and dropped into another chair, already pulling her phone out.

Anna and Janie followed their attendants down a couple of hallways until they reached the designated room, Janie keeping up a steady stream of conversation the entire time. Her high-spirited and angst-free mood was confirmation that, once again, Dax still hadn’t found the time to make his big confession.

Was he even trying? And if he didn’t…could Anna let Janie marry the guy without having all the facts? Lord, please let Dax come clean and save her from having to make that kind of decision.

It wasn’t until after they were left alone, their seaweed-plastered bodies bundled tightly in hot towels, the lights turned down low as the magical wraps did their shrinkage, that Anna had the chance to prod Janie for any details. “Did you and Dax have a nice morning?”

“It was lovely. Coffee in bed, snuggled up together… I can’t tell you how stressed I’ve been this week, and this morning was the first time in a long time we had a chance to slow down and take a deep breath and just be. Well, until our mothers decided to crash the party early.”

Ah. Yes. The mothers. Their arrival would certainly have thrown a wrench in Dax’s plan for a meaningful heart-to-heart. Especially Kathryn St. Claire.

Anna peeked over at Janie, who was lying, like her, on her back in a mummified pose, her eyes closed. “How do you and Dax’s mom get along?”

Janie laughed nervously. “Well, you know how it is. I’m taking her baby boy away. I try to give her the benefit of the doubt, but to be honest, I don’t think she likes me very much.”

Now it was Anna’s turn to laugh. “You and I seem to have that in common. I wouldn’t let it bother you. I think Kathryn enjoys making those around her uncomfortable, even those she likes. It makes her feel powerful.”

“She definitely likes to makes an impression. Although I have to admit that I got a tiny bit of satisfaction in knowing that she never impressed Daddy. He trusted politicians as far as he could throw them, so he was less than excited to hear that I was getting married into a well-known political family like the St. Claires. Fortunately, Dax is so sweet and unassuming that Daddy couldn’t help but love him. Well…at least think fondly of him.”

Anna got a bit of her own satisfaction at knowing that, even though she didn’t know Malcolm and doubted they would have gotten along, he hadn’t let Kathryn get the better of him.

“Oh! I’m sorry, Anna, for going on about Daddy like that when I know how terribly he treated you, of all people.” She paused. “If it makes you feel any better, I know he felt awful about not being part of your life.”

“I doubt that, Janie.”

“No, really. When the attorney told us the terms of the will and about you, he gave me a letter that Daddy wrote.”

That got Anna’s attention, but she tried to sound casual as she asked, “Oh, really?”

“It wasn’t anything greeting-card-worthy or anything. Daddy wasn’t like that; he always got right to the point, never mind niceties. He basically asked me to reach out to you, something that, in his life, he never could do. It was as close to saying he regretted that choice as he could get.”

Anna processed this new information. He had wanted Janie to attempt to be a part of her life, even if he couldn’t be. She didn’t know how to feel about that, or if it was enough to feel anything. She hadn’t been a poodle or a distant cousin. She’d been his daughter.

“Isn’t that like me?” Janie said. “To get off the whole point of this conversation, which was that if either of us have an ounce of Daddy’s bullishness, we wouldn’t let Kathryn St. Claire push us around like she did to you today.”

“You don’t have to worry about me. That woman can’t intimidate me. Not anymore.”

“It’s something of a miracle that Dax turned out as warm and loving and devoted as he did with her as his mother. From what I gathered from him and Nick, their dad was the more involved parent in their lives, taking them on camping trips and to basketball games and going to their swim meets, which made it so much harder on poor Dax when he died. Dax was only fifteen.”

“That would be rough,” she said.

But it was Nick who had Anna’s mind churning. Knowing what she did about his dad’s strong influence in their lives, his active participation with his sons, it had to have made it more devastating for Nick to discover his dad’s infidelity. He was betrayed by the one parental figure in his life that he’d looked up to and wanted to emulate.

Not that she could share that with Janie. Nick had told her that in confidence, and as much as she was enjoying this moment of sharing, that was one confidence she was going to keep. What a mess family could be, with all their faults and human frailties.

“Anna?”

She opened an eye and looked over at Janie. “Yeah?”

“I’m so happy that you’re in my life,” Janie said sleepily. “Thank you for being here with me.”

There was a lump in Anna’s throat as she tried to swallow, her emotions too raw. “Me, too.”