Her New Year's Fortune by Allison Leigh

Author:Allison Leigh [Leigh, Allison]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: ROMANCE
Publisher: HARLEQUIN
Published: 2012-05-08T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Felicity was rolling on the couch, peals of laughter rolling out of her mouth. “Classic,” she managed breathlessly. “I wish I could have seen your mother’s expression!”

Sarah-Jane grimaced a little and moved her overnight bag from the chair where she’d dumped it to the floor so she could sit down in its place. She still had a headache, but it had lessened considerably once she’d spoken her piece and left Houston to come back home to Red Rock where she belonged. She hadn’t even spent the night there, but had driven straight back.

She and Felicity had arrived at practically the same time, since her friend had put in a mammoth work session at True Confections.

“I shouldn’t have told her he was my boyfriend, though. It wasn’t true.”

“Too bad. He’s a man. He’s a friend. And it stumped your mother, which is entirely worth a little exaggeration. If it even is an exaggeration.”

“Of course it is!”

Felicity sighed noisily, but didn’t argue. She sat up and rubbed her hands together. “Tell me exactly what you said to her.”

Sarah-Jane lifted her eyebrows. “It’s a little alarming how much delight you’re taking in this.”

Felicity waved her hand, dismissively. “I’m taking delight in the fact that you stood up to your mother for the first time in your life!”

And how shocked Yvette had been, too, Sarah-Jane thought. “I didn’t exactly stand up to her. While she was still shocked that I was seeing a Fortune, I just told her that I wished she was happier with my life.”

“And...?” Felicity’s eyes were wide.

“And...that I wished she was happier with hers.”

“And what’d she say?”

Sarah-Jane shook her head. “Not a single thing. She just stared at me as if she’d never seen me before.”

Felicity clapped her hands together once. “And that’s exactly what she needed to do. See you with fresh eyes!”

Sarah-Jane pinched the bridge of her nose. “Still, I probably should have stayed the night there.”

“Why? Did you want to? Do you think it would have mattered to your dad?”

“No. And no, again.” Her father had a regular golf date every weekend. Nothing, not even the fact that his daughter was visiting, would get in the way of it.

“So, I repeat, why?”

“Because...” She thought for a minute, and couldn’t come up with a single, good reason. “I still feel guilty.”

Felicity’s expression sobered. She leaned over and grabbed Sarah-Jane’s hands. “Sarah-Jane, you are one of the kindest, most loyal people I’ve ever known. For years I’ve listened to the way your mother has cut you down and your dad has either not noticed, or not cared enough to stop her. You’ve continued being a better daughter than they deserve. You’re a grown woman and you spoke your mind for once. Don’t go backtracking on that by feeling some misguided sense of guilt.”

“But—”

“Don’t,” she cut her off. Then she pointed toward the doorway leading to the kitchen. “Something was waiting for you on the doorstep when I got home from the shop tonight.”

Sarah-Jane looked over and saw a small cardboard box sitting on the kitchen table.

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