Dede put her hand on Sierra’s arm. “You’re here now. You don’t have to do it all alone anymore. You’ve always been so independent.”
“Is that a nice way of saying stubborn?”
Dede squeezed Sierra’s arm. “Yes.” Dede shared a smile with Sierra and a moment of remembrance for all the memories they shared where they clashed or disagreed. Not in anger, but in that natural way young girls want to prove themselves to their mothers. “It’s that inner strength and determination that will see you through this, too.” She gave her daughter a reassuring smile.
Heather pressed her lips together. “What about your house? Your life in Napa?”
Sierra scoffed. “There’s nothing left. Rebuilding could take years. The insurance might not even cover it. And my boys can’t be displaced and their lives left up in the air that long. I don’t have the luxury of waiting to see what happens up in Napa. I need to have a plan to get things back to as normal as possible for Danny and Oliver. That means finding a job, a new place to live, and getting them back in school and on a routine.”
“I guess it makes sense, I just didn’t think you wanted to move back here, that you liked your life up there away from us.” Heather shrugged one shoulder, a hint of pain in her eyes.
Dede brushed her hand down Heather’s back. Maybe she had missed her sister and wished she’d moved back sooner.
“I’ve wanted to move back for a long time. David didn’t want to leave his job and connections he had up there. It was a good job with great benefits, so I couldn’t really complain. I understood why he didn’t want to give that up.”
Heather’s eyes went wide. “Really? I didn’t know all that.”
Sierra tilted her head. “It doesn’t matter now.”
Heather frowned. “I guess it doesn’t. Not anymore.” Sadness clouded Heather’s usually bright eyes.
David’s death had had a huge impact on all of them. Dede missed him. And more than that, she, along with Amy and Heather, wished David, Sierra, and the boys had lived out the promise of a happy life together everyone wants when they get married and start a family.
“Anyway, we’re here now, and we’re going to stay.” Sierra went to pick up the basket she’d left in the entry. “I’ll take this upstairs, then come back for the clothes Amy bought us.” She settled the basket against her hip. “I’ve got more things in the car.”
Amy headed for the door. “On it. We’ll get you settled in no time.”
Dede hoped everyone would settle into this change in their lives.
The girls had always been close but competitive with one another. Amy and Heather had both seen Sierra’s life up in Napa from the outside looking in, only seeing what they wanted to see and thinking she had an ideal life. They admired her for it and were jealous because of it.
Heather had the child, but not the loving husband.
Amy had the loving husband—at least for now—and children, but still thought the grass was greener in Sierra’s world.
From a distance, things may seem greener, but look closer and you’ll find the weeds.
Dede hoped the girls would set aside comparisons and past hurts and insecurities and come together now to help Sierra and the boys start this new chapter in their lives.
Chapter Five
Sierra stood with her sisters on the porch, hands braced on the railing. She stared out across the yard to the wide pasture beyond that belonged to the Moore family and her thoughts turned to Mason. She remembered the last time she’d seen him. Husband number four’s funeral. Poor Charles. Dead of a heart attack far too young. Mason came to pay his respects to her mother at the house. He’d done the whole cordial neighbor thing, saying hello, asking about the family, making sure everyone was well.
He and David had once been close friends. And that day, as they reminisced about the past, David jovial and teasing, most people watching them might’ve thought that closeness remained. Not her. While Mason joined in, he didn’t have the same enthusiasm or level of engagement David displayed. Mason held back and didn’t rise to David’s teasing about the new lady in Mason’s life.
Carrie. Christie. Something like that. Sierra didn’t really pay attention because she didn’t want to know.
She hadn’t been able to keep her gaze from straying to Mason when he was in the same room. She watched him as he