The Tycoon's Baby Revelation - Elizabeth Lennox Page 0,17

passed on that. Who would be there? Rayne had graduated at the top of her class and already had a job offer. She’d be heading out to California in a few days where she’d lined up a small apartment for herself. Pepper would go in the opposite direction. Having graduated with honors in her design school, she’d snagged a job with one of the top designers in the busy city. The little brat was heading to New York City next week and was so excited, she was practically vibrating with it.

For the past eight years, Sloane had watched her two sisters grow and discover themselves, figure out what they wanted to do with their lives. Gone were the days when she wondered how they would find enough food or where they would sleep. Sloane had a hefty bank account balance now and, because of Josh’s continuous nagging, she’d allowed him to invest her money as well. Because of his brilliance, Sloane had a healthy nest egg, although she kept a significant sum of money in cash as well. The brutally painful lessons from her past were hard to shake.

“Are you ready, Sloane?” Pepper called up the stairs.

Sloane jerked out of her reverie with a start. “Almost!” she yelled back, then pulled open her dresser drawer and froze. The envelope, which had been sitting in her drawer for eight years, called to her. She didn’t need to open it to look at it. She’d read that letter so many times, she had the words memorized. In fact, the paper was starting to fall apart due to the number of times she’d read and re-read the letter.

With a shake of her head, she grabbed the box beside the envelope and pulled it out of the drawer, ignoring the letter. Nostalgia could wait for another day, she told herself as she slipped the pearl necklace and matching earrings on. Josh had given them to her years ago when she’d turned twenty-one and Sloane had worn them to every significant event in her life since. She loved feeling those pearls against her skin and couldn’t help the small smile every time she remembered the irritated look on his face that night after he’d handed her the gift and wished her a curt “Happy Birthday”.

“Sloane! We need to go!” Pepper called.

Sloane smiled as she carefully closed the wooden box. Grabbing her purse, she moved down the stairs.

“Oh my! You look gorgeous!” Pepper exclaimed. “I knew that rose color would look good on you!”

Sloane laughed, hugging Pepper. “It’s a beautiful dress. Thank you for making it for me.”

The rose dress truly was lovely, with fluttery sleeves that danced around her shoulders. The V of the neckline was a bit deeper than Sloane preferred, but she vowed not to tug at it. The skirt was more rose colored silk but in a high-low style that made her legs look amazing! She felt good, knowing that her sisters had made it. They’d become important people and were going out into the world to do amazing things! Their miserable past in the homeless shelter was gone, buried, and now, she could look to the future.

At that same moment, a long, elegant limousine pulled up outside of the small cottage.

“What’s this?” Sloane groaned, but she already knew.

“Did Josh do this?” Rayne asked, whispering to Pepper and Sloane.

Sure enough, Josh stepped out of the limousine, greeting them with a teasing sparkle to those amazing green eyes of his.

“Ladies, you need to arrive at this shindig in style,” he announced.

Rayne laughed, an oddity for her since she was normally so serious and intense. “Josh Starke, you are the sweetest!”

Pepper wasn’t nearly so restrained and rushed over to him, throwing her arms around Josh. “You’re so awesome!” she gushed, then dove into the back of the limousine.

Rayne turned her head towards the line of trees. “Jefferson and Wilma said they’d be here,” she announced, her blue eyes showing her worry. Wilma and Jefferson had aged right along with them and all three sisters took turns checking in on them, doing small things for them, and generally making sure they were okay.

“We’re here!” a male voice called as Jefferson came down the stone pathway, leaning a bit more heavily on his cane, but he was smiling and Wilma had her hand looped through his free arm.

All the ladies were wearing dresses designed and created by Pepper and they all looked very romantic. New York City was soon to be awash in romance, Sloane thought