Secrets of the Tulip Sisters

She hugged him, then hurried down the hallway and cut through the back of the craft mall. She grabbed her dress, heels and a tote bag, then went into the restroom and pulled out the curlers. Fifteen minutes later she was dressed, fluffed, hairsprayed and as ready as she was going to be. She tucked everything she didn’t need back into the closet, then headed for the event.

It was five minutes to five. For one horrifying, heart-stopping second she wondered what she would do if nobody showed up. If the items went unsold and food went uneaten and the—

“Breathe,” she told herself. “Just breathe. You’ll be fine.”

A lie, but one she could live with. Faking it until she knew what she was doing was a skill she’d learned the hard way. It had started that first day at boarding school when she’d known no one and had been faced with not only being the new girl but the reality of having lived in a small, insignificant town her entire life. She’d gone from queen bee to target in less than twenty-four hours.

She’d done her best to put on a brave face and over time that brave face had become real. She’d had to learn the lesson all over again when Ryan had walked away from her when he’d been recruited for a Triple A farm team and she’d transferred colleges in her sophomore year. Now she was going to do it again—back where she’d started. Maybe this was the cycle of life, maybe it was fate with a sense of humor. Regardless, she was going into the event with her head held high. Worst-case scenario, she could eat a hundred and fifty desserts tonight.

She walked toward the back of the craft mall only to stop in surprise as she saw the line of people waiting to get in. There were dozens. Tens of dozens. She saw her sister and Griffith, Eliza and a couple of girlfriends along with other people she’d met while canvasing for donations.

Her stomach righted itself and she gave a brief whisper of thanks. Everything was going to be okay.

*

Kelly stared at a delicate necklace for sale at the silent auction. She liked the small silver chain and the way the polished stones were strung like beads. The piece was handmade and not anything she would have bought a year ago, but she was different now. The colors would go with several of the shirts Olivia had bought her. Accessories had always been a mystery, and while they still were, she was thinking it was time to take the plunge.

Griffith returned with a glass of white wine for each of them and glanced at the necklace. “Do you like it?”

“I do. I’m not a jewelry person, but this piece is pretty. I think I might bid on it.”

She reached for her cell phone. They’d both downloaded the bidding app when they’d checked in. While the live auction at dinner would have an auctioneer, the silent auction was managed through technology.

Griffith covered her hand with his. “Allow me,” he said and put down his wine, then typed on his phone.

“You can’t buy that for me.”

He tucked it back in his suit pocket and picked up his wine. “Too late.”

“How do you know you won? The auction isn’t over for another forty minutes.”

“I paid the ‘buy it now’ price.” He sounded smug. “Did I mention my auction competitive streak?”

“You didn’t. Should I be worried?”

He smiled at her. “You should say thank you for the necklace.”

She moved closer and pressed her lips to his cheek. “I’ll say thank you later,” she whispered.

His body tensed. “That works, too.”

She chuckled, then drew back a little and glanced around. “Olivia must be thrilled. The room is packed. I heard all the tickets sold.”

“I heard the same thing. She’s going to have money for the roof plus extra.”

“The mayor wanted to talk to her about starting a First Friday program in town.” Kelly knew her sense of pride was silly—she’d had nothing to do with her sister’s success—yet she felt herself beaming with pleasure. “She’s done so great.”

Not just with the event, Kelly thought, smoothing the front of her dress. Olivia had helped her pick out the perfect outfit for the evening. The tight, plunging, dark red sheath had terrified her on the hanger but once she put it on, she knew it was magical. The fabric had a slight weave to it and a glow without being shiny. The fit took advantage of her lack of breasts, and gave her the illusion of curves elsewhere. The red-and-black pumps she’d bought actually cost more than the dress but they were so sexy, she couldn’t help herself. Her feet already hurt and she would probably walk with a limp for a week, yet she didn’t care.

She sipped her wine and scanned the crowd. The room had filled up and from what she could tell, they were buying.

“I’m going to claim us a couple of seats,” Griffith told her. “Want to come with me or stay and shop?”

“I see Helen,” she said, spotting her friend. “Save a seat for her and Dad, too, please.”

“Will do.” He kissed her. “Don’t go flirting with anyone else while I’m gone.”

“As if.”

Griffith was so amazing, she thought as she made her way toward her friend. Kind and funny and caring. To think she’d actually resisted getting involved with him. They were so right for each other. So—

Something nibbled at the back of her mind. Not a worry exactly, but the beginning of a revelation. She enjoyed being around Griffith. A lot. More than a lot. She liked everything about their relationship and she never wanted it to end. In fact—

“Is your dad here?”

Helen’s question jerked Kelly out of her musings. She grinned. “You would know that better than me.” She saw her friend’s pale face and strained expression. “What’s wrong? Don’t you feel well?”

“No. I mean I’m not sick, it’s just...” She sucked in a breath, then exhaled. “I shouldn’t have come. This is insane. It’s just I promised Olivia and I’m supposed to walk in the fashion show at the end.” Her mouth twisted. “With an armoire. That’s sexy.”

“I have a kitten,” Kelly said. “We’ll trade. You’ll feel better with a kitten. Helen, what’s going on? I saw you over the weekend and everything was fine. We’ve been texting and you haven’t hinted at anything.” She opened her mouth, then closed it as the obvious occurred to her. “Are you and my dad fighting?”

Her friend stared at her. “You really don’t know? I thought you weren’t saying anything because you felt caught in the middle of the situation.” Helen shook her head, then looked away. “No, we’re not fighting. That would require us to be together.”

Tears filled Helen’s eyes. She blinked them back. “I don’t know what to do. I have to be here and I don’t think I can stand it. I just want to go home.”

Kelly pulled her friend to the side of the room, away from the other guests. “Tell me what happened.”

“Griffith didn’t mention anything?”

“Why would he? How is he involved?” She’d assumed the reason she didn’t know was her dad. “I’m confused. What’s going on and how can I help?”