Thrill Me

“You doing okay?” Phoebe asked, passing her a margarita.

“Sure.”

“Okay, silly question.” Her sister-in-law hugged her. “I’m just so mad at Del.”

“Men are stupid,” Destiny Gilmore called from across the room. “Difficult, emotional and annoying.”

“Including Kipling?” Shelby asked.

Destiny sighed as she touched her growing pregnant belly. “No. Not Kipling. He’s kind of sweet.”

“You’re not helping,” Phoebe told her.

Destiny wrinkled her nose. “Sorry. Men are idiots.”

Maya managed a smile. She appreciated the evening of being coddled. The past couple of days had been long and lonely. She’d had a lot of time to think about what had happened and where she was going from here. None of it had been easy.

She understood why Del felt betrayed. She wasn’t sure she could even blame him for how he’d reacted. If she’d been in his position, she would have been as angry.

Madeline walked over and sat next to her on the sofa. “I’m sorry,” she said. “How are you holding up? How is Elaine?”

Word of the other woman’s cancer diagnosis and treatment had spread quickly through town.

“She stopped by the office this morning,” Maya said, and put her arm around Sophie. The pretty girl snuggled close, then sniffed the carpet. “She feels awful about all of this. I keep telling her that she doesn’t have anything to apologize for. She had enough to deal with.”

Phoebe and Madeline exchanged a look.

“What?” Maya asked. “Don’t you get on Elaine.”

“We won’t,” Phoebe promised. “You’re sweet to defend her. It’s just if she hadn’t asked you to keep the information private in the first place, you and Del would still be together.”

“Maybe,” Maya said. “But something would have happened to piss him off or make him feel he couldn’t trust me. Del’s looking for a reason not to get involved.” Sadly, knowing that was great, but it didn’t take away the emptiness in her heart.

Shelby joined them. “I talked to Elaine this morning. She said that she and Ceallach are going away for a few days. Just the two of them.”

Her friend had stopped by to tell Maya the same thing and to ask if Sophie could stay for a couple of days. Maya was pleased for her. Elaine deserved a vacation. Elaine had also offered to talk to Del again, but Maya had refused. There was no need. Del would either figure out why she’d done what she’d done or he wouldn’t. Telling him over and over again wasn’t going to help either of them.

“It’s so interesting about Ronan and Mathias,” Madeline said. “That they’re half brothers. I knew them all through school and I never would have guessed.” She tilted her head. “Okay, maybe interesting is the wrong word.”

Maya smiled at her. “We know what you mean. They always seemed like twins.”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Destiny said. “Do we act the way we act because of how we are or because of what we’re told?”

“Feeling a song coming on?” Shelby asked, her voice teasing.

“Maybe. You never know. Life inspires me.”

“Would being half siblings change things?” Shelby asked. “Kipling and I are technically half brother and sister, but I can’t imagine feeling closer to him.”

Maya was an only child and didn’t have a frame of reference. Being Zane’s stepsister had always made her happy. Even though they hadn’t always gotten along, he’d been like an anchor. Something she could depend on.

“Starr and I are half sisters,” Destiny said slowly. “You and Kipling.”

“Chase and Zane,” Phoebe added. “They share a father.”

Maya wondered what differences would have occurred in her life if she’d had a sibling. Someone with whom to share the journey. The blame from her mother would have been split between them, she thought. At least she could hope it would have been. Maybe hearing how someone else ruined her mother’s life would have made her realize sooner that she wasn’t actually to blame. That would have changed her relationship with Del.

If only, she thought sadly. If only she’d been able to tell him the truth all those years ago. If only she’d been able to say she was scared instead of dumping him by telling him he was too boring. So many regrets.

As for what had happened with his mother, she still didn’t have an answer. If Del couldn’t understand why she’d kept her friend’s secret, then he was the wrong guy for her. But saying that didn’t much help her fall out of love with him. If only it could.

Madeline raised her own margarita. “As a sign of love and friendship, Maya, I offer you Jonny Blaze.”

Nearly everyone laughed and there were a few hoots.

“I didn’t know he was yours to give,” Jo said from the kitchen. “Does he know?”

“I suspect somewhere in his soul he senses we’re destined to be together,” Madeline said primly. “He’s resisting, but that only makes our love stronger.”

“You’re a weird and twisted person,” Destiny said cheerfully. “That makes me like you more.” She turned to Maya. “Any interest in our newest, most famous resident?”

“Not really,” Maya said. “No offense.”

“None taken. I know he’s amazing.”