Book SynopsisOnce upon a time, when her dad married Sage’s mom, Daisy was thrilled
to get a bright and shiny new sister. But Sage was beautiful and
popular, everything Daisy was not, and she made sure Daisy knew it.
Sage didn’t have Daisy’s smarts—she had to go back a grade to enroll
in the fancy rich-kid school. So she used her popularity as a weapon,
putting Daisy down to elevate herself. After the divorce, the
stepsisters’ rivalry continued until the final, improbable straw: Daisy
married Sage’s first love, and Sage fled California.
Eighteen years, two kids and one troubled marriage later, Daisy never
expects—or wants—to see Sage again. But when the little sister they
have in common needs them both, they put aside their differences to care
for Cassidy. As long-buried truths are revealed, no one is more
surprised than they when friendship blossoms.
Their fragile truce is threatened by one careless act that could have
devastating consequences. They could turn their backs on each other
again…or they could learn to forgive once and for all and finally become
true sisters of the heart.
Purchase Links
Excerpt
After making arrangements to have her car picked up and taken to the
service department at the dealership, Daisy checked on Krissa one more
time before heading to the opposite end of the second floor. The master
suite was large, encompassing several rooms, including a study she
used as her home office, along with his-and-her bathrooms and closets.
She grabbed jeans, a T-shirt, fresh underwear and a bra before
heading into her bathroom. She pinned up her hair and then stepped into
the steamy shower.
Alone for the first time all day, she allowed herself to think about
Jordan. At some point she was going to have to let him know that now
Krissa was sick. He was, after all, their father.
Bitterness welled up inside of her. Yes, he was their father and he
was also the man who had walked out on his wife and kids two days ago,
with no warning. She’d finished her shift, gone to her locker and had
found a text from him saying that he was going to be moving out for a
few days. Just like that. No conversation, no explanation, just him
gone.
She’d been stunned, hurt, outraged and scared. Fortunately outrage
had won, allowing her to hold it all together. Because while he’d been
in a hotel somewhere, she was left with everything else, including
letting their kids know their father was gone.
She’d told him it was unfair to scare them with what was happening.
He’d agreed and they’d decided to tell Ben and Krissa that he was away
at a conference. But that excuse would only last for so long, she
thought as she stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. At some
point she and Jordan were going to have to talk about what was happening
in their marriage. Easier said than done considering she didn’t know
herself.
Oh, sure they fought from time to time and for the past few weeks,
he’d seemed quiet. And lately they’d both been busy and hadn’t had much
time for each other, but that was normal. Life got in the way, then they
worked on fixing the problem. Only Jordan didn’t seem interested in
fixing so much as going for the dramatic gesture.
As she dressed, she tried to figure out what he was thinking.
Resentment kept clouding her judgment, making her want to grab him by
his shirtfront and shake some sense into him. Given that she wasn’t
especially strong and that he was a good eight inches taller, the odds
of that happening seemed unlikely.
She slipped on flats, then grabbed her phone. She should let the school know she was keeping—
I’m moving into an extended-stay hotel later today so it’s
easier for me to have the kids over while we figure out what’s going on
with us.
She stared at the text. Fury overtook outrage. “No you didn’t.”
She hit the call button and waited, knowing there was a better than
even chance he wouldn’t pick up. The phone rang and rang. She wasn’t
sure if he was avoiding her or with a patient. She was about to hang up
when he answered.
“You got my text,” Jordan said by way of greeting.
“Yes, I did. Really? Is this how you wanted to tell me what was
happening? By text? You couldn’t face me in person or call? Let me
answer the damned question. What’s going on with us is you left. You
just walked out with no warning, leaving me to pick up the pieces. Has
it occurred to you that your inability to communicate might be part of
the reason we’re having problems in the first place?”
“Why do you always get like this?”
The unfair statement nearly left her speechless. “You moved into a
hotel. You didn’t talk to me, you texted me. When I tried calling, you
wouldn’t pick up. I still don’t know why you left. It was supposed to be
for a few days. Now you tell me, again by text, that you’re checking
into a long-term-stay hotel. Not that we’ve talked about anything.
You’re just gone. And you want to know why I get like this?”
“I can’t talk to you when you’re unreasonable.”
Anger built up inside of her, accompanied by a big dose of fear.
Because somehow that was always what happened—no matter how things
started, he found a way to shut her down. If she shrieked back at him,
which she wanted to do, she was proving his point. What was the right
response?
Author Bio
No.1 New York Times bestselling
author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming, humorous novels about the
relationships that define our lives – family, friendship, romance. She’s
known for putting nuanced characters in emotional situations that
surprise readers to laughter. Beloved by millions, her books have been
translated into 28 languages. Susan lives in Washington with her
husband, two cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur.
Connect with Susan
