who’d had to deliver the news and hurt her sister? They’d had all day to do it and yet, apparently, they’d kept up their “second honeymoon” act, and even gone out to dinner again the night before. It seemed that they were determined to continue their deception. Not only that, but they now expected Katie to join in and play her part. And that wasn’t going to happen. No way. It was wrong. Why couldn’t they be open and honest?
She ignored the tiny voice in her head that reminded her she hadn’t been open and honest with her family, either. That was different. Totally different.
Avoiding that thought, she stomped up the steps to the tree house, holding tight to the wooden rail so she didn’t slip. That rail made her think of Jordan, and the night they’d shared.
He’d been quiet on the drive over to the lodge. She’d been equally quiet. She’d had no idea what to say after a night like the one they’d shared. They were intimate strangers.
Ignoring her own inner turmoil, she opened the door of her parents’ tree house.
It was ten in the morning, but there were no signs of life.
Had they already gone out somewhere? Another bonding activity?
She stepped inside and tugged off her boots. Moments later, Rosie appeared, breathless and pink-cheeked. Dan and Jordan were with her.
Katie hadn’t expected them to come, too, but maybe it was better that everyone found out the truth at the same time. It would save repeated explanations.
The living room looked faintly abandoned. A stray cushion lay on the floor forgotten. There were no blankets on the sofa. No sign that this had provided a bed for her father.
The lights on the Christmas tree twinkled, and she wondered how it could still look so festive and cheerful. Surely some of the gloom and sadness should have dimmed those lights?
On the table stood an empty bottle of wine and two glasses.
She turned away and something on the floor caught her eye. A wisp of fabric. A bra. A lacy, silky confection that looked as if it had been torn off and abandoned in the heat of the moment. Katie stared at it, and then at the trail of clothes that marked a path to the bedroom. The door was open a crack, as if the last person to walk through it had been too distracted to close it.
And then she heard sounds. A low moan.
Her brain froze and all the words she’d gathered up ready to speak froze right along with it.
Rosie put a hand on her arm. “We need to get out of here.” She whispered the words and glanced toward the bedroom door.
Katie shook her off. Had their parents heard them arrive? Was this another of their fake togetherness scenes?
“We’re talking to them now.”
“What? No!” Rosie’s face flamed. “I absolutely do not want to walk in on our parents having sex!”
“They’re not having sex. They’re pretending to have sex.” Katie walked across the room, pushed open the door and heard her mother’s horrified gasp.
“Nick! Oh God—” She grabbed at the covers, pulling them high.
Katie heard her father swear for possibly the first time in her life.
“We’re so sorry,” Rosie blurted out, yanking at Katie’s sleeve. “We’ll come back later.”
“No.” Katie had never been more confused in her life. “I don’t understand. You’re getting a divorce.”
“Katie—” Still clutching the sheets with one hand, her mother held out her other hand. “I know how upset you were yesterday. We tried calling you.”
“There was no signal.” And she’d been with Jordan, and—
She wasn’t going to think about that now.
Her father sat up, keeping the sheets carefully across his chest. “We were worried.”
“We’re so sorry.” Rosie tugged at Katie again. “Please—”
Katie didn’t budge. She was so frustrated by the situation she felt as if she might explode. “You can’t do this! You have to be honest. We’re adults.”
“Katie—” Her mother frantically smoothed her hair. “Your father and I need to talk to you. Perhaps that’s best done alone.”
“Of course.” Rosie turned away, relieved, but Katie grabbed her.
“No.” She focused on her parents. “You have to be honest. Rosie keeps using the two of you as reassurance that her own relationship will work.”
Rosie gave a horrified squeak, but Katie plowed on.
“She’s been having doubts and she’s handling those doubts by telling herself that because you met and married in a whirlwind, as she plans to do, and are still happily married after thirty-five years, that means her relationship is going to be okay,