THE BENNETTS' CHRISTMAS (The Bennett Family and the Masters Family #6) - Brenda Jackson Page 0,62
on it.
“Have you heard from your sister since she left?”
Sebrina appreciated him bringing an end to the awkward silence. “I’ve spoken with her a couple of times.”
“Is she enjoying the cruise?”
“Yes, even though, for her, it isn’t a pleasure cruise. She’s working, putting together a review on the ship, and the trip in general, for the newspaper she works for. But I’m sure Monica is finding time to have some fun as well.”
“Australia is a great place.”
“You’ve been there?”
“My parents and I lived in Sydney for a year while I was in elementary school. Then we moved to Spain for a few years before finally landing in Paris.”
“Sounds like you and your family moved around a lot.”
“We did. Dad’s family owns a technology corporation and he was in charge of international sales. Now he’s the CEO of that same company.”
The waitress came over to take their order, and because Sebrina was a regular, the woman engaged in conversation with her for a moment or two. Then she walked over to the kitchen and dropped off their order.
“You’re good at that,” Parker said.
Sebrina glanced over at him. “Good at what?”
“Knowing how to talk to people.”
“It’s just about giving a person respect, Parker. Everyone deserves it. My first job at sixteen was as a waitress at a restaurant not far from where I lived. My father didn’t want me to work while I was in school, but my mother felt I should.”
“Your stepfather thought that you should not work?”
“My stepfather was fine with it. It was my biological father in New Jersey who wasn’t. He didn’t see any reason for me to work. He’s always been a part of my life and has always taken care of my needs. The Stevens family is pretty well off, so I never wanted for anything. And he felt that if I needed something, he should be the one to get it for me.”
She paused a moment. “Mom thought a job would teach me how to balance my time and would build character by putting me around different people. Although I love my dad, I’m glad Mom had the final say.”
“Are you your father’s only child?”
“Yes. Dad got married several years ago, but it didn’t last more than a couple of years. I liked Donna and I’m not sure what happened to end their marriage. Dad won’t say, but he claims he won’t try marriage again.”
Parker nodded. “Are you close to your parents? Both sets.”
She smiled. “Yes. I’m not sure if Rae’jean told you the story of my mother and stepfather. They were cousins who married.”
“Yes, she told me. I found it remarkable.”
Sebrina grinned. “I find it remarkable, too. Mom deserved to be happy, and Michael has definitely delivered.”
They paused in their conversation when the waitress brought over their drinks—coffee for him, tea for her. “I noticed you don’t have your father’s last name,” Parker said.
She took a sip of her tea and met his inquiring gaze. “That’s right. Mom got pregnant with me while in college. Dad didn’t deny I was his, but he wasn’t ready to get married and his parents didn’t think Mom was a suitable wife for him. He wanted to give me his last name, but Mom refused. She figured if her last name was going to remain Bennett, so was mine. For years, it was a sore spot with Dad, but eventually he got over it.”
“How did you feel about it?”
“When I got older, Dad brought the subject up again. Mom told me it was my decision. I think I might have considered it, if Monica’s father hadn’t been such an asshole. It was bad enough that I had a good father who sent for me every summer, and who gave me anything I wanted. Monica had one who wouldn’t even acknowledge her existence.”
Sebrina took a sip of her tea, then finished connecting the dots for him. “Had I changed my last name to Stevens, I would have been the only one in the household with a different last name. I didn’t want to do that to Monica. It would have made it too obvious that my father proudly claimed me as his daughter, when hers did not.”
She didn’t say anything for a minute, then added, “You know what I think is remarkable?”
He lifted a brow. “No, what?”
“Your relationship to Rae’jean and Ryan, and Rae’jean’s relationship to your uncle Grady and his wife, Lynn. Especially considering Grady and Rae’jean were once engaged to be married.”