Her eyes were open now. Her father’s confession had opened them. She had never been in love with Aiden; it had been just a foolish crush. That was all. Fortunately for her, the man was clueless. As brilliant as he was in business matters, he was a neophyte where women were concerned. She knew for a fact that he didn’t have any idea how she felt—how she had felt—about him. If she weren’t his sister’s friend, she doubted he would have even given her a second glance. She certainly wasn’t his type. From all the women who had hung on his arm in the past, she knew he preferred tall, slightly anorexic blondes. Cordie was the complete opposite. Her hair wasn’t blond; it was as black as ink and looked even darker against her fair complexion. At five feet six inches she considered herself average height, though she was a smidge taller than Regan and Sophie. She supposed she was in good shape, but no matter how much she dieted, she couldn’t attain the flat-chested skinny-mannequin look. She was what men called curvaceous.
She realized she was staring at Aiden and quickly turned away. God, she had been such an idiot for such a long time.
Sophie nudged her. “Have you eaten anything today?”
The question jarred her. “What? I don’t know. Why?”
“Let me fix you something,” Regan suggested.
Cordie shook her head. “I’m not hungry, but thanks for offering.”
“You’re exhausted, aren’t you?” Sophie asked. She reached for her coat and put it on. “Come on, Regan. We should all go home and let her get some rest. It’s been a long, stressful day. Do you think you’ll be able to sleep tonight, Cordie?”
“Maybe one of us should stay over,” Regan suggested.
Cordie laughed. “No one is staying with me. I’m fine, really. I’m begging you, please go home. And take those men with you,” she added, waving her hand toward Jack, Alec, Spencer, and Aiden.
Hearing her, Aiden turned around. “Those men?” He grinned as he repeated her comment.
“I could be wrong, but I’m getting the feeling that Cordie might want us to leave,” Jack said.
Aiden reached for his suit jacket and slipped it on. He looked as though he were about to walk into a boardroom. His suit was a perfect fit, of course. Everything about the man was impeccable. After asking her if there was anything she needed, he and Spencer, insisting that she not walk them to the door, came over to give her a hug. Aiden smelled divine when he wrapped his arms around her, and she tried not to react. She pulled away as quickly as possible.
After they were gone, Sophie and Jack, along with Regan and Alec, prepared to follow, but just as Sophie reached the door, she suddenly stopped, causing Regan to bump into her. Sophie turned to Cordie. “I can’t believe I forgot to ask you . . . what was the surprise?”
“There’s a surprise?” Jack asked.
“Yes, her father told her something surprising,” Regan remembered.
“She promised to tell us tonight,” Sophie explained. “So what was it?”
“Maybe she doesn’t want to share it just yet,” Jack suggested, being diplomatic, but Sophie was already back in the living room waiting for an answer.
Cordie stretched her legs out, then swung her feet down to the floor and sat up. Looking around at the curious faces of her four closest friends, she decided there was no easy way to say it other than to just simply state the facts. “My mother . . . Natalie Kane . . . didn’t die in a car crash. She—”
“What?” Sophie exclaimed. “If not in an accident, then how?”
“According to my father, she’s not dead,” Cordie said.
Sophie pulled her coat off and handed it to Jack as she rushed back to Cordie. Regan dropped her purse on her way across the room.
“Where is she? What happened to her?” Sophie demanded.
“I don’t know,” Cordie replied.
“Do you think she just up and left you and your father?” Regan asked.
Cordie shrugged. “From what my father said just before he died, I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what she did.”
“How could any mother . . .” Regan couldn’t go on. She was so angry her face turned red.
Her friends had a hundred questions, and Cordie couldn’t answer any of them. No, her father didn’t give her any other details, and no, she didn’t know why he had gone to such lengths to keep the truth from her, especially after she became an adult.
“Are you going to try to find her?” Sophie asked.
“Would you?” Cordie replied.
Sophie started to nod, then stopped. “I don’t know. I’d be curious.”
“Alec and Jack could locate her for you,” Regan offered.
“Of course,” Sophie agreed. “They could use their resources at the FBI.”
“No, thanks,” Cordie said, shaking her head. “I’m not interested in finding her.”
“Don’t you want to know why she left?” Regan asked.
“No.”
Alec walked over to the ottoman and sat facing Cordie. “What do you know about her?” he asked.
“Her name was Natalie Ann Smith, and she was born in Sydney, Australia.”
“What else did your father tell you about her?”
“Oh, he didn’t tell me anything. I found out her full name and where she was born when I got a copy of my birth certificate so I could get my driver’s license.”
“He didn’t tell you anything about her?” Alec asked.
“He told me she died when I was a baby, and I now know that was a lie, but I’m assuming that’s when she left. My father didn’t like to talk about her. Every time I mentioned her, he would become upset. After a while I knew not to ask questions.”
“Are you absolutely sure you don’t want to find her?” Sophie asked again.
“I’m certain.”
“But there could be extenuating circumstances—” Sophie began.
Cordie cut her off. “I don’t care. She broke my father’s heart. I want nothing to do with her.”
Cordie left no doubt that the subject was closed and that she was resolute in her decision to let it go, but after she read the letter her mother had left for her father and all the letters he had written that were returned, her attitude drastically changed. She not only wanted to locate the woman who broke her father’s heart, she wanted an answer to the question that was gnawing at her: Did Natalie get the life she wanted or—if there was any justice—the life she deserved?
FIVE
Andrew,
This is a difficult letter for me to write. What I have to say is going to upset and perhaps shock you, and I’m sorry about that. You’ve been working such long hours you haven’t had time to notice how unhappy I am. I’m not going to sugarcoat how I feel, though, no matter how much it hurts you.
This marriage was a mistake. I never should have let you talk me into keeping the baby. We both know I wouldn’t have married you if I weren’t pregnant. Marrying a mechanic was an act of rebellion and terribly foolish. If my family ever found out, they would disown me.
I can’t do this anymore. I hate being poor, and as selfish as this seems, I believe I deserve more out of life. You and I are so different. I want adventure, and I want to see the world. I know you love me, Andrew, but it isn’t enough.
I want to go home. I’m going to pretend this marriage never happened and start over. I’m going to put all of this behind me, and I don’t want any reminders. My home is a continent away, so there should never be any chance encounters.