Page 163 of Say Yes to the Death

“It must be hard to be the wife of an agent.” Claire was entirely too tired for this conversation.

“But you were hurt too.” Tanya eyed the lump of gauze under Claire’s too-large shirt. She dug through her purse until she found a small stone. She placed it in Claire’s hand, and she opened it to reveal a small, sparkling amethyst.

“For healing,” Tanya said, stroking Claire’s hair.

Another woman stood a few feet behind Tanya, hesitating in the shadowy doorway.

“Brianna, sweetheart. Will you come here? I want you to meet someone.”

Claire stood. Could it be?

When Brianna walked under the recessed light, Claire almost gasped. She had seen Brianna in a couple of movies, but until this moment she hadn’t noticed that their eyes were exactly the same. Her teeth were toothpaste-commercial white, and there wasn’t a single blemish anywhere on her tanned skin. She wore a tank top with ripped jeans and flip-flops. Beachy waves ran down to her mid-back. Hadn’t she seen that same purse in Target the week before?

Tanya took their hands as though they were about to play a rousing game of Red Rover.

“This is Claire. She’s your half sister from your dad’s previous marriage,” Tanya said, gently tugging them toward each other.

“Claire.” Brianna smiled as she studied her face. Suddenly, she dropped her mother’s hand and drew Claire into a tight hug. She clearly had inherited her mother’s friendliness.

“My sister,” she said, pulling back and holding both of Claire’s arms. “I have a sister.”

Realizing that she was supposed to say something, Claire opened her mouth, not sure what was about to come out.

“Two, actually. My—uh, our—sister Charlie lives in Los Angeles. It’s nice to meet you. I’ve seen you act. You’re wonderful.”

Brianna flippantly waved one of her long, graceful hands. “The movies are garbage. But I’ve seen you. I mean, aside from all the Widowmaker stuff. Sorry. You do those crazy proposals, right? So romantic. I caught Dad re-playing your interview from that morning show like a thousand times. You’re amazing.”

Claire blushed. “That’s really nice of you to say. Oh, Brianna, this is my boyfriend, Luke.”

He hadn’t moved since Brianna had walked in, so Claire nudged him with her foot. “Luke.”

“I’m a big fan,” he said, his voice cracking slightly as he stood up.

“You’re too kind,” Brianna said with a friendly smile and a firm handshake.

The door to the waiting room banged open, and they all jumped.

“Claire Aurora Hartley!” Alice Alejo whirled into the room in a pink peplum top and pencil skirt.

Oh, boy. This should be fun.

Alice had had a grade-four meltdown when Claire had delivered the news over the phone. She had hopped on the first outbound plane this morning. Would the two decades of etiquette lessons she had drilled into Claire from childhood still stand when she was confronted with her ex husband’s mistress and love child?

Alice marched into the room without looking at anyone else and threw her arms around her daughter. She pulled back and gripped her shoulders.

“Hi, Mom,” Claire said sheepishly.

“Did I not tell you that you were in danger? Why do you insist on putting yourself in these situations? Am I going to need to hire a private investigator again? I still have Brian on speed dial.”

Claire cringed. She had mostly kept her promise to be honest with Luke, but she had failed to do the same with her mother. She really needed to work on that. “Please don’t. Anyone but Brian. I promise I’ll do better.”

Alice huffed and flung her purse onto a waiting room chair. She pulled out a Ziplock bag full of small glass jars. How had she managed to sneak those onto the plane?

She pulled them out and started sniffing them. “Now I know I packed a turmeric and cat’s claw poultice—aha!” She tugged at the corner of Claire’s shirt. “This will prevent an infection.”

“Mom, not now, please. We have company.” She nodded in Tanya’s direction. “This is Jack’s wife, Tanya. And his daughter, Brianna.”

Alice turned around and froze. She straightened herself to her fullest height. Her nostrils flared, and her face was so pinched it looked like she was holding in a tremendous fart.

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