Chapter 35

35

Heather was there again. At the park and everything.

Right there, with the Barratts. Like she was so special. Brianna hated that woman. More than she hated any of the Colesons ever. Heather thought she was so perfect and everything.

Maybe Heather was really beautiful, but so what? So was Brianna. And Brianna was rich. Heather definitely wasn't. Not now.

Maybe Heather was screwing around with one of Powell's brothers? The Barratt brothers had always liked beautiful women. Players, both of them. And the Colesons were all right there in Hughes Heights. They were probably all trying to snag really rich husbands or something, even that older one, Bonnie. They were in Hughes Heights, where all the rich single guys lived, after all.

Brianna had never been with one of Powell's brothers. Or any of the Barratts. But she wouldn't have minded. Alex and Mac were seriously hot. And Brandt…Brandt was one of the most beautiful men Brianna had ever met. And he'd always been nice to her.

Even if his brothers hadn't.

Sometimes, Mac could be really rude, though. Like he thought he was better than everyone else or something.

But Powell didn't try to compete with Brianna or anything. Probably because she wasn't anywhere near as pretty as Brianna and had always known that. Brianna had told her that lots of times through the years too. She was just trying to help push Powell a little to be more feminine so Powell could get boyfriends too. So that Powell wouldn't be missing out when all of their friends were going on dates and stuff. She'd just wanted Powell to get to have some fun too.

Powell would always shrug and say so what? She was good at what she did and enjoyed it, and that was what mattered more than being beautiful. Powell would tell Brianna beauty would fade, but success would matter for a lifetime.

Brianna stayed where she was in her car and just watched while Leena ran back over to get the doll she'd left. Everyone was standing there talking. Like Powell's mom and dad and her brothers. And those two men. Brianna recognized Gunnar Erickson. The other guy was a cop she'd seen around some too, she thought. Jack's boss, that was who he was.

Gunnar was hotter than his friend, but not by much. Both were seriously sexy. Talk about panty-dropping men.

She had no clue why he bothered with someone like Powell.

Well, maybe she could understand it, actually. Powell was really loyal and could be really funny. She was smart too and knew how to solve problems really fast. Even if she didn't try to be pretty and feminine very much. Maybe some guys were really into that?

Powell wasn't ugly or anything, either—she was just kind of plain, mostly. Powell could be really pretty when she tried, but she was so focused on business stuff that she barely even bothered with putting on makeup or fixing her hair in different ways or anything. Unless they were at a party anyway. Or Powell was working, selling people houses or stuff.

That was not something Brianna understood at all. Why would anyone spend their time on business, especially if they already had millions of dollars like Powell did?

Even Bethany, Brianna's older sister, was more focused on running their dead brother's leftover businesses than she was on finding a husband or anything now. She said she was making up for what their brother had done, erasing the stain on the Claireson name or something.

She said that was really important right now. For the long term.

Bethany was doing well at it. Of course, Nelson Harvey, Banks's former business manager, was helping Bethany now. Brianna thought he had a bit of a crush on her sister—he always kind of had—but everyone knew he wasn't good enough for a Claireson or anything. Bethany did get all red-cheeked when Nelson looked at her a certain way.

Her sister should have better taste than that.

Brianna wanted to get married soon. She was thirty-one now. She should probably have a baby or two too. To leave everything to, and everything. Otherwise, the only one she had to leave anything to now was Leena.

Timothy said that was important. That was why he was in Brianna's life now and everything too. Because he was her father and wanted to make sure she was taken care of as she grew older.

Her father said that was important. But Brianna didn't know why he cared so much—not like Timothy needed more kids. He had like six or seven. Trey, Brianna, Leena, and a bunch of other girls. There may have even been a boy out there somewhere too. He'd said something once, but Brianna hadn't really known what he meant at the time. She'd always known Timothy was her biological father and everything.

Timothy was her father. And was there when Brianna needed him. She even had another brother, though she hadn't known Trey well until after that evil man Warner had killed Banks that way. Right in front of the governor's wife. Heather's niece.

It was always Heather.

Heather was wearing old jeans right now and everything. They weren't even name brand. They probably came from Walmart or something. Or a secondhand store. And Heather drove like a ten-year-old car.

Now Heather strutted around like she was so special. Even after what the news reporters were saying about her and Steve Wilson. Brianna had known who the news reporters meant, even if Heather hadn't been outed yet.

Heather would be. It was just a matter of time. Brianna didn't really believe the reporters at all.

Poor Steve. What had happened to him sucked.

Brianna had known him for years. He had been good friends with both of her brothers forever. Longer than she could remember. Yes, he could be a jerk sometimes—a real jerk, actually. Who could be really mean when he wanted. But he wasn't a bad person, she didn't think.

Steve came from the right kind of family.

He had been really mean to Bethany a few times, though. But Bethany hadn't told her exactly how he had hurt her or anything. Her sister had told Brianna to stay far away from Steve. No matter what. That he was dangerous and evil. Brianna hadn't always listened.

Sometimes, Bethany acted like she knew everything.

But why would someone like Steve be with someone like Heather ?

Heather had to have done something to Steve, and then that guy Kimball had just shot him like that. Brianna believed Jack when he said the TSP made up lies occasionally. Everyone knew how dirty the TSP was—she half suspected they'd set her brother up before he'd been murdered.

The TSP were most likely lying now too. To protect Heather, and everything. Since her niece was married to the governor, and her nephew was Davis Lucas, that billionaire that was always with Powell's cousin Houghton.

It didn't make sense.

There was Heather, talking to two of the Barratts right now. And laughing. Right in Mac's face. And he wasn't snarling at her like he had Brianna that time she'd made one little joke about Powell being androgynous or something. Brianna hadn't meant it to be mean or anything, but Powell had just said something that sounded like something a guy would say.

Mac had totally overreacted.

But now Mac was looking at Heather like he was hot for her or something. Of course, he probably was. Heather was a Coleson. They got everything they wanted. Heather would probably get Mac someday. And be a Barratt, and rich and everything.

Well, Mac was the one Barratt Brianna didn't like that much. He'd get exactly what he deserved with Heather. They were welcome to each other.

But Powell was actually kissing Gunnar Erickson right now. Like really kissing him. Brianna almost squealed when she saw that.

Go, Powell . Gunnar was just a cop and everything, but he was seriously hot. Powell could have an affair with him and marry someone from the right family later. Powell should have some fun while she still could, right?

"What?" Leena asked.

"My friend is kissing her new boyfriend. That's all." Brianna liked Gunnar Erickson. He was nice and everything. And, well, Powell was her best friend. She was supposed to want Powell to be happy, right? And not alone.

But Brianna really wished she was seeing Jack tonight. She was feeling a little lonely. An eight-year-old little sister just wasn't the same.