Chapter 22

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

The days were getting longerand warmer as spring sped into summer. Denise moved Lou to a beach house across the Intercoastal Waterway in Magnolia Bay. It had a private beach and view of the lighthouse beside the Coast Guard station. Paige and Whitney visited once a week bringing with them food prepared by Patricia and tales from the bookstore.

Tanner crisscrossed the country playing in a tournament nearly every week in order to maintain his number one ranking. The P.I. continued her search for Donella, but she hadn’t turned up yet. In the meantime, Tanner’s lawyers got a judge to grant him full custody of Whitney. Donella paid a huge price for abandoning her child. Whitney seemed happy enough with Paige and Tanner, but the child still had not spoken a single word.

Summer wasn’t nearly as disappointed as expected when Paige didn’t return for her concert. “Chances Inlet looks good on you. You seem more and more like the old Paige every time we talk. I’m happy you’re doing something you love and reconnecting with your dad.”

Paige wanted to argue that the old Paige—the one who was used and abused routinely—no longer existed. New Paige was here to stay. And she was enjoying a new career she never imagined, a man who made her feel valued and life in a place far from her past mistakes.

As for her relationship with her father, it remained pretty much status quo. Neither of them wanted to ruin things by actually talking, so they didn’t. Still, he stopped by the store nearly every day, either to take Whitney to tea at the inn or to rehearsals for the big Founder’s Day show. Most mornings he popped in with coffee for Paige and a donut for Whitney.

The streets in town were bustling as tourists flocked in for the long holiday weekend and the Founder’s Day celebrations. Bernice somehow talked Tanner into being the Grand Marshal of the parade, which meant he was in town for the weekend. It was his first weekend home this month, and he wanted to spend as much of it with Paige and Whitney as he could. Cassidy was minding the bookstore while Tanner and Paige took in Whitney’s dress rehearsal at the ballet studio.

“Whit, you are going to be the prettiest butterfly ever to grace the skies of Chances Inlet.” Tanner gave her a fist bump.

“I think this calls for tea and cookies.” Paige helped Whitney put her backpack on. Tanner gently settled Gladys inside. They each took one of the little girl’s hands as they strolled the crowded sidewalks. Every five steps, they’d raise their hands, lifting a giggling Whitney up into the air. Passersby smiled at her adorable laughter.

“Baby girl!” a woman shrieked from across the town square.

“Momma!”

Paige nearly tripped, she was so startled by the sound of Whitney’s voice. The little girl tugged her hands free of Paige and Tanner’s grip before racing across the lawn of the square straight into the arms of a slight woman with impeccable posture. Beside Paige, Tanner stood so still, it was as if he was in a trance. Slipping her arm through his, she gave him an encouraging squeeze. The move propelled him into motion until he was practically dragging Paige across the green.

“Go easy on her, Tanner,” Paige pleaded. “Especially in front of Whitney.”

Donella was sloppily kissing Whitney’s cheeks by the time Tanner and Paige stopped in front of them. Whitney giggled when her mother pulled Gladys from the backpack and kissed her, too. There was no mistaking their relationship. Whitney had her mother’s unique eyes. And if her mom’s beauty was any indication, the little girl was destined to be a knockout in a few short years.

The love between the two was abundantly apparent, as well. Not that Tanner noticed. He was too busy shooting stony glares at the woman before shoving his hands in his pockets.

Whitney reached an arm toward them. “This is Paige,” she told her mother.

Paige was still a little shellshocked hearing the child speak in complete sentences.

“She’s my friend,” Whitney continued.

The smile Donella gave Paige was equal parts wary and embarrassed. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you for taking care of my baby girl. I hope she didn’t give you any trouble.”

“No trouble at all,” Paige replied with a reassuring smile. “She’s a sweetheart.”

Paige nudged Tanner, hoping he would keep things pleasant.

“She missed her mother, though,” he added. “How do I even know you’re her?”

Whitney’s eyes went wide. The unfamiliar anger in Tanner’s tone startled the poor child, causing her to cling tightly to her mother’s neck. For her part, Donella lifted her shoulders and straightened her spine, a momma bear prepared to do battle.

“I deserve that,” she told Tanner. “But I did what I had to do. I don’t expect you to understand right now, because frankly, there are parts of this story I don’t even understand. I’d like an opportunity to tell my side of things before we go home.”

“Home? Whitney is home,” Tanner practically growled. “Her home is in Chances Inlet. With her father.”

Donella blanched. “You’re not—”

“You should have thought of that before you put my name on the birth certificate and abandoned her on my doorstep. The court granted me full custody weeks ago.”

Tears pooled in Whitney’s eyes and her chin began to wobble. Paige was furious at Tanner’s tactless assault. She put her hand beneath Donella’s elbow when the woman began to wobble. Tanner stood resolute with his arms crossed over his chest, the asshat.

Paige rolled her eyes at him.

“Why don’t we take this discussion somewhere private.” She gestured to the tourists strolling through town, several of whom were gawking at Tanner. “We were on our way to have tea at the inn,” Paige said to Donella. She gave Whitney’s arm a comforting pat. “Please join us. Whitney loves Miss Patricia’s cookies.”

She steered mother and daughter in the direction of the inn, not really caring if Tanner followed or not. He was letting his ego and his emotions about Tristan get the better of him. As much as he thought he was protecting Whitney, he wasn’t. He couldn’t simply cut Donella out of her daughter’s life. Like she said, there were two sides to this story. And Paige, for one, really wanted to hear Donella’s version of events. She suspected the other woman might be as much a victim as she was with Jon.

“Whitney is an incredible little dancer.” When she peeked back, Paige couldn’t decide if she was relieved or not to see Tanner following along behind them. She tried to distract Whitney from the tension surrounding them by filling the air with chatter. “She has a part in the performance this weekend at Founder’s Day.”

Donella’s face lit up. “Do you, baby girl? What part are you dancing?”

Paige was surprised when Whitney looked to her for encouragement before answering.

“A butterfly,” Whitney replied softly.

“Ooo,” Donella cooed. “I’ll bet you’re the prettiest butterfly in the corps.”

Wanting to hear more of Whitney’s voice, Paige encouraged her to keep talking. “Tell your mom how you’re a working girl now.”

She was rewarded with a giggle from Whitney who went on to tell her mother about the bookstore and how she and Gladys “worked” there. By the time they reached the inn ten minutes later, both mother and daughter appeared to be more relaxed.

Tanner clearly was not, however. He stomped up the steps of the veranda behind them. Patricia’s eyebrows curved up slightly when she caught sight of Whitney in Donella’s arms. To her credit, she sized up the situation immediately.

“The music room is open if you’d like to enjoy your tea in there,” she offered.

Paige donned a grateful smile before mouthing “thank you.”

“Whitney, how about you come to the kitchen with me and pick out some cookies for everyone?” Patricia held her hand out.

The little girl hesitated until Donella pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Go on now. Momma is not going anywhere. I’ll never leave you again, baby girl.”

Her tone was a clear warning to Tanner. Paige followed him and Donella into the music room and firmly closed the door. Donella circled to the other side of the grand piano, effectively putting it between her and a brooding Tanner.

Paige sighed wearily. “Look, this is a conversation the two of you need to have in private. Before I slip out, though, both of you need to remember you were taken advantage of by the same man.”

Tanner pinned her with a flinty stare.

“A man you both loved,” she continued with a softer tone. “And lost. But who left you with a precious gift in that little girl. You need to work together to do the right thing by Whitney. She’s depending on you. On both of you.”

She moved to leave the room when Tanner reached out and locked his fingers around her arm. Despite his firm grip, he was trembling. He slowly slid his fingers down her arm until he’d laced them through hers. When she glanced up into his eyes, she saw something she didn’t expect.

Fear.

Her heart ached so badly for him, it felt like someone was reaching in and wringing it out. He’d lost his twin. Now, he was determined to do everything in his power not to lose Whitney, too. She got that. He simply needed to approach this meeting with the same finesse he employed on the green. Not as if he were driving the ball off the tee.

She leaned in to brush a kiss along his cheek. “Hear her out. You’re not giving up Whitney by allowing her mother to have a role in her life.”

He swallowed harshly before jerking his head up and down once. Paige pulled her hand free and quietly left the room.

* * *

Tanner immediately recognizedwhat attracted his twin to Donella Barber. It wasn’t just her exotic eyes or her fascinating beauty. It was Donella’s backbone.

The muscle his twin exercised the most was always his brain. No one loved a good debate more than Tristan. He didn’t have time for the vapid socialites who didn’t dare offer up a differing opinion. Tristan was always seeking a verbal sparring partner. Someone who could dish it out and take it just as easily. It certainly didn’t hurt if she was sexy as sin. The woman standing in front of Tanner with her spine ramrod straight and challenge in her provocative eyes fit the bill perfectly.

Tanner was still trying to wrap his head around why Tristan never mentioned this woman. He and Tristan told each other everything. Or so he thought. Her humble life or the color of her skin wouldn’t have mattered to Tanner or his parents. Blythe and Marcus had not raised their boys to be elitists. The only thing that would have mattered was Tristan’s love for her.

IfTristan had in fact loved Donella.

His temples began to throb with the beginnings of a migraine. He slumped down in the nearest chair. “Where have you been?”

“Wow. You want to start at the end?” Donella shrugged. “Okay. I’ll do it your way. I was at the Everwell Substance Abuse Center on Black Mountain.”

For fucks sake.

“All this time you were barely two hours away?”

She pursed her lips. “I wasn’t going any farther away from my baby.”

He shook his head. “Was there no one else you could have left Whitney with? No other family?”

“My family is not the sort that you unexpectedly drop off another mouth to feed.”

Lovely.

“I’ve been on my own since I was seventeen,” she explained, her tone implying it was none of his business, but she was humoring him anyway. “I won a scholarship to a college dance program in Las Vegas where I made my own way.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-four.”

Jesus. She was young.

“Can we circle back to the rehab? What were you doing there?”

“Well, I wasn’t dancing the tango,” she quipped. “I was getting sober.”

“And are you?” Even to his own ears, he sounded like a dick.

“Seventy-two days.” She came out from behind the piano she’d been using as a shield and took a seat on the bench. “This might be easier if we started at the beginning.”

Tanner lurched forward. “Did he know? Did my brother know about Whitney?”

Her eyes were suddenly glassy. “I never told him.”

He slammed his eyes shut against the painful light, resting the back of his head against the wall. It hurt him deeply to know that all these weeks he’d been accusing his brother of abandoning Whitney.

“We met at one of the elite poker games the casino held for high rollers,” she began.

Tanner jerked his lids up. “Tristan didn’t gamble.” At least, not the Tristan he knew.

She smiled fondly. “I know. He was there with friends and bored to tears. I was dancing in the Broadway review, but I would sometimes pick up shifts as a cocktail waitress for extra money. My tuition was covered, but things like food, books, gas, and car insurance were not.”

He nodded.

“He wasn’t exactly flirting with me, yet somehow, we got to talking and the next thing we knew were discussing the big libel trial that was all over the crime podcasts. I was surprised a successful businessman like him paid any attention to those sorts of things.”

Tanner leaned forward again. “Is that when he introduced himself as me? As Tanner Gillette?”

Her forehead pleated. “No. We didn’t exchange names. I knew him as Mister Gillette only from the name on the bar tab. Honestly, I never expected to see him again after that evening.”

“But you did.”

“He came back the next night. And again, the night after that. He took me to a late dinner.” She smiled softly.

“And that’s when he told you his name was Tanner.”

“I guess so,” she replied testily. “Does it really matter what name he used? He was lying to me the entire time we were together!”

“I’m just trying to figure out why he did it!” he fired back.

“That makes two of us.”

A tense silence followed. Tanner felt like the biggest ass for upsetting her. What Tristan did to this woman was much more egregious than impersonating his twin brother. Why couldn’t he let it go?

“We were together for five months,” she eventually continued. “Each one better than the last.”

“He set you up in an apartment.”

She arched a delicate eyebrow at him. “He signed the lease. I paid the rent. I was living in a group house with no privacy before then.”

Tanner recalled the P.I. reporting the apartment she shared with Tristan was nothing lavish.

“Why did you two split?”

“I didn’t realize we had ‘split.’” She used her fingers to make air quotes. “He said he had business back in Australia. That he’d be gone for a month. Except he didn’t come back. He’d been ghosting me for three weeks when I discovered I was pregnant. A month later, I discreetly asked one of the poker players where your brother was hiding. I got my answer when the guy showed me his engagement photo.” She made a tsking sound. “So much for believing in fairy tales.”

Disgusted by his brother’s behavior, Tanner went to stand in front of the French doors leading out to the veranda. In fairness, if she was telling the truth, Tristan never knew about the baby, so he couldn’t be faulted for not doing the right thing. Except—

He spun around to face her. “Where did you get the hundred grand in Gillette stock?”

Donella sighed. “Would you believe me if I said it simply showed up in the mail?”

“No.”

Her laugh lacked any humor. “A year and a half ago, about four months after the accident—”

“Accident? What accident?”

She sighed. “A slip and fall at the studio. I herniated a disk in my back. For months, I could barely walk without discomfort much less dance.”

“The owners of the dance studio should have compensated you.”

“Yeah, they compensated me by showing me the door.”

“Bastards!”

This time her laugh was genuine. “My thoughts exactly. Anyway, the doctors told me surgery would help alleviate the pain. Except government insurance only covers the bare minimum. My out-of-pocket expenses would be ten times what I had in my bank account.”

The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. “So, you went back to Las Vegas to ask Tristan for help?”

“I thought at the very least we were friends,” she said quietly. “I would have paid him back. And I wasn’t planning on using Whitney as leverage, either. I never intended to tell him about her. He’d moved on. At that point I was too scared he might take her away from me.”

She shot him an ugly look. Tanner refused to cringe. He would do what was best for his brother’s daughter.

“Imagine my surprise when I found out Tanner Gillette was some hotshot golfer while the developer of Silver Canyon was his twin, Tristan. And oh, by the way, I had the pleasure of meeting his gorgeous and very pregnant wife.”

Tanner dropped back down into the chair he vacated minutes before and dragged his hands through his hair. “And then you ran.”

“Yep. All the way back to L.A. where I filled the prescription for opioids that the doctor insisted were the next best thing to surgery.”

“You became addicted to them.”

“Believe it or not, it’s relatively easy to do.”

He swore violently. “You shouldn’t have been forced into that situation.”

“Not all of us get to live the charmed life you do.”

Her acerbic response made him angry again. “You still haven’t explained the stock.”

“Yeah, the stock.” She puffed out a breath. “It came in the mail about a month after I returned from Las Vegas. There wasn’t a note accompanying it. The only thing on the envelope was the return address for Silver Canyon. I honestly didn’t think it was real. When I called there and asked for your brother, they told me he had died.” She swallowed roughly. “I kept thinking of his wife and her unborn baby.”

“Babies,” Tanner said. “Melinda had twins.”

Donella gasped. “God bless her.” She wiped her brow. “I never intended to use the stock until Whitney went to college. But then I realized she’d likely never get to college living in a car with a mom who was fast becoming a junkie. I told myself that getting clean was the most important use of Whitney’s money.”

Tanner snapped his gaze up to stare dumbfounded at Donella. “Whitney’s money?”

She nodded. “The stock was in her name.”

He slumped back against the wall. “How can that be?”

Donella shrugged.

Could Tristan have somehow found out about Whitney? If he hadn’t been killed, would his brother have done more for his daughter? Or was it hush money as he suspected? A one-time payment for his sins? He clenched his fists. Tanner wanted to believe with all his heart his brother would have acknowledged Whitney. Provided for her. And he would expect Tanner to do the same.

“Why bring her to me?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“As you so eloquently pointed out when we first met, your name is on her birth certificate. It made the most sense. If something happened to me, she’d be with her other legal guardian.”

“That was a huge risk,” he said. “How did you know I’d keep her?”

That soft smile was back on her lips. “Because despite how things turned out between us, your brother was a good man. A decent man. You share his DNA. It wasn’t a risk to believe you would be a good and decent man, too.”