“A poet I met at a party. He was dashing and interesting, and unlike Salazar, he had no money or prospects. But he made me feel like I was the most precious thing in the world. Which is probably why I fell for him that night.” Ceinlys shook her head. “And it was only the one time. I told him it was over and never to approach me again. He was upset, but he accepted my decision. That’s the convenient thing about those wounded artist types. They think nobody understands them and the whole world is against them.” She shook her head. “It was quite easy to persuade him I was a mercenary harlot who was too interested in money to be with him.”
Vanessa flinched, hating the way her mother talked about herself. That was the same horrible stuff that some jerks whispered behind her back—Ceinlys Pryce loved Salazar’s money too much to divorce him. But given how much her mother doted on her children, Vanessa suspected it was losing custody that had kept her with her husband in the early years. “What was his name?”
“He called himself Klein.”
“Is that his real name?”
“I have no idea. Never particularly bothered to find out. It wasn’t important.”
Vanessa bit her inner cheek. What little patience she had was seeping away, but it would be pointless to take it out on her mom. “Did you tell him about me?”
“No. I didn’t want to give him an excuse to cling. He couldn’t have been with me in any case. It simply wouldn’t have worked.”
“But the daughter he had with another woman seems to have found me somehow.”
“You don’t know if she’s telling the truth. She might be conning all of us. I’d ignore her if I were you. Or, if she proves persistent, obtain a restraining order. It wouldn’t be difficult.”
“I plan to check her out before I do anything,” Vanessa said. Then unable to help herself, she asked, “Did you love him?”
Ceinlys shook her head. “I enjoyed the way he made me feel, but I never loved him. By then I knew too much about how relationships worked to give in to a silly fantasy.”
Vanessa thought back to Justin, how he made her feel safe and cared for, and how that turned her insides gooey and warm. “How do you separate the two?”
“Quite easily. I remind myself of the one time when I didn’t, and how it hurt me.”
“If you regret marrying Dad, why didn’t you divorce him earlier? Even if you didn’t get anything in the settlement, you would’ve been able to start over with another man. One who might have loved you and given you children.”
Ceinlys’s eyes were sad even as she smiled. “Once was enough, dear. I couldn’t do it again.” She folded her slim hands together. “Are you going to tell your brothers?”
“Yes. They should know.”
“I see. Well, that probably is the right thing to do.” Ceinlys uncrossed her legs and placed both feet flat on the floor. “Is there anything else you want to know?”
“Yes. How is everything going for you?”
Ceinlys’s smile was genuine this time. “Oh, marvelously. I’ve never been better.”
Chapter Twenty
After a brief internal debate, Vanessa decided to have the meeting at her place. Mark offered one of his restaurants, but that was too public. She bought some pre-made finger foods and hors d’oeuvres from the local organic grocery store and laid everything out. Her brothers could eat like horses, although she wasn’t sure how much appetite they’d have once she dropped her bomb.
She rubbed clammy hands down her denim capris. Nerves fluttered in her belly, and jittery energy crackled along her skin.
Justin laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Hey, it’s going to fine.”
“Yeah,” she said tightly, and forced a smile. “Of course.”
They didn’t have to wait very long. All her brothers—except Shane—showed up within five minutes of each other, entering her living room one after another. Jane and Hilary had also come, since they were more or less family now as well.
Vanessa had always thought of her place as large and comfortable, but with so many people inside she felt claustrophobic.
Breathe. You can do this.
“Thanks for coming, everyone,” she said, rubbing her hands together.
“I don’t know what’s so important that we have to talk face-to-face,” Dane said, his voice cool. “You could’ve just emailed us.”
“This is…extremely personal,” Vanessa said. “Why don’t we sit down?”