Brushing Off the Boss: A Half Moon Bay Novel (Entangled Bliss) (11 page)

“Nothing, thank you.” Marietta waited until the waitress had walked to the next table.

“Over the holidays Renzo and I worked in the night harvest in the vineyards in Napa. I met Georgie’s father there.” Her voice was quiet, and she lifted her head and held Sienna’s gaze steadily. “I was friends with one of the other girls and she and Renzo had a fling before he came back home.” She took a deep breath.

“And…” Sienna prompted her. “What are you trying to tell me?”

“Catherine discovered she was pregnant when she went back home to Milwaukee, and she contacted me. When I told her that Renzo was about to get married to Lucia, she decided not to tell him she was having his child.”

“I’m not following you. What are you telling me?” Sienna’s world was crumbling, and she fought for control, gripping her hands together on her lap. “This sounds like something from a soap opera.”

“My friend Catherine was your mother.”

“Was? Where is she?” Her voice felt as though it was coming from someone else.

“She got sick when you were only a few weeks old.”

Sienna watched as Marietta dropped her gaze. An unwanted shaft of sympathy lodged in Sienna’s throat.

What a secret for Marietta to carry all of her life.

“Catherine came to see me when we were living in San Francisco. It was the same week that Georgie’s father was leaving to work in Alaska. Catherine had put Renzo’s name on the birth certificate and when she found out how sick she was, she wanted him to know he had a daughter.” She lifted her head. “You.”

“But what about Georgie? If this is the truth why did…Uncle Renzo…take us both in? Are you telling me we’re not twins?”

Marietta reached out again, but Sienna kept her hands gripped together. “You
are
cousins, and you share a birthday. You were born on the same day. When Catherine knew she was dying, she asked me to take you, but I was leaving for Alaska. Renzo and Lucia took you both. She gave them her blessing.”

Sienna put her elbows on the table and dropped her head into her hands. It all made sense…sort of. All her life, she’d thought she and Georgie were so different because they were fraternal twins. A small bus pulled up outside and a group of tourists wandered into the courtyard, and their chatter washed over Sienna. She lifted her head and watched them choose a table.

“I followed Georgie’s father to Alaska. I was never very maternal. I knew if he went without me I’d never see him again. He was the love of my life.” Marietta looked up when the waitress put Sienna’s coffee on the table and filled her glass up. “Thank you.”

“How do I know I can believe you?” A slow burn was beginning in her stomach, and she took a deep breath as the tears ached at the back of her eyes. She never cried and she wasn’t about to start now. It was a sign of weakness, and she was always the strong one. She would stay strong.

Marietta opened her purse and pulled out a folded piece of paper and slid it across the table. “Your birth certificate.” She smiled sadly. “I’ve watched both you and Georgie grow up and I knew you’d need proof. You are a very strong woman, just like Catherine was. She would have been proud of you.”

Sienna looked at the paper sitting in front of her as though it would strike and bite her fingers if she touched it. Slowly she reached out, picked it up, and unfolded it. The lines began to waver as Marietta’s words were confirmed by the text in front of her. “What about Georgie? I don’t understand. How could you have left her?”

“That’s between Georgie and me.”

“No.” The sympathy fled and Sienna’s self control came rushing back. “You’re not to tell her. I know my
sister
. She’ll be devastated.” Marietta held her gaze and Sienna reached out and took her arm. “Please? Please let me be the one to tell her.”

Chapter Thirteen

The cool sand squeaked beneath Sienna’s bare feet. She walked toward the gray tree stump at the top of the beach at the end of Ocean Avenue; it was surrounded by a few short trees and was private. She dropped her bag and her shoes to the sand and sat on the smooth timber, staring out over the crashing waves. Despite the cool wind, she could barely feel the chill on her arms; her skin was hot and burning. She sat there for a long time staring out to sea as the wind flicked her short hair into spikes around her face. Her whole life had just shifted, and she was numb inside and out.

She kicked at the sand with her toes.

Aunt Marietta
. She had finally promised that she wouldn’t tell Georgie, and she hoped she could trust her. The time had sped by as Sienna had listened to her whole story, and now she glanced at her watch. She’d left the coffee shop and headed straight to the beach, the one place that always managed to soothe her. The way she felt at the moment, she didn’t even care if she ever saw the gallery again. It was surreal, and she had to overcome this confusion filling her. She had to come to terms with the thought that Renzo was her father…and her own mother was dead.

The two unexpected visitors today had brought her to her senses. She’d been getting sucked in by her feelings for Jack. Okay, sleeping with him had been fine, but it wasn’t going anywhere. Seeing Marietta had firmed her resolve. Irrespective of the gallery—and the girlfriend—Marietta reminded her why she didn’t do relationships She needed no one in her life. The hollow feeling in her chest and the tears pricking at the backs of her eyelids had nothing to do with regret. Ana and Georgie were the only two constants in her life. She had forgotten how she had been let down by everyone else and she’d let Jack in. Working with him in the gallery, having him in her apartment and—Sienna finally admitted it—falling in love with him. All it would lead to would be him leaving her when he’d tired of her, and she would be hurt even more. She would cut ties now. She’d quit the gallery, cancel her exhibition—and that was going to be the hardest thing—but she needed to move away from Jack before he sucked her in even more.

And I have to decide what to tell Georgie.

But first she had to go back to work and start by telling Jack her exhibition was canned. And to make it even worse, she had to face him after last night and probably be in the company of his girlfriend. Sienna stared out at the ocean and lifted her face to the salty breeze. She needed time and space to get her thoughts in order. And face Jack. The devastation that tugged at her as her dreams crumbled around her was put away in a deep place where she wouldn’t think about it until she had to.

…

Jack turned the closed sign over on the gallery door. He couldn’t wait for Sienna to come back. She’d said an hour and she’d already been gone for more than two. He’d managed to convince Arielle that she’d wasted a trip—he ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. He couldn’t believe she’d come all the way from New York. He’d booked her on a flight from San Francisco tonight, despite her protests that he’d change his mind about their little misunderstanding.

The look on Sienna’s face when he’d walked into the gallery this afternoon had been as cold as ice. Once he told Sienna that Arielle wasn’t his girlfriend, maybe they could take up where they’d left off last night. But first he had to get Arielle back to San Francisco. He’d arranged for a taxi, but he had to get her to Monterey first, and they had to go on his bike.

“Are you ready?” He glanced at her sitting primly on the love seat by the door. “Your luggage will be sent from your hotel to the airport.” All he wanted to do was get her on a plane…today.

The spoiled-girl pout was back. “Helen said you’d be pleased to see me.” Arielle had always lived in a dream world. He knew his mother would not have encouraged her.

“Helen was wrong. Come on, we’ve just got time to meet the taxi.”

An hour later, Arielle was safely deposited in the taxi on the way to San Francisco International Airport, and Jack was sure he’d managed to convince her that she’d wasted her time. A pleasant tingle ran over his skin as he rode along the short street to the gallery. He’d expected to see the lights on in the gallery, but the building was locked and almost in darkness. Only the soft display lighting in the front was on. He gunned the motor and turned the bike toward home. It seemed like hours since Sienna had been in his arms this morning, and he needed to talk to her and convince her that they…that they could what?

Jack frowned to himself as he turned the bike toward Forest Lake. They could have a relationship? Or they could just work and play together? He had a feeling Sienna was going to be hard to convince of anything. And the hardest part was he didn’t really know what he was trying to convince her they had between them. Look how Arielle had tried to complicate his life. Maybe he needed to think a bit more and pull back a little?

The house was in darkness too, and he let himself in quietly, heading to the apartment wondering where Sienna was. She’d probably been peeved with him when she’d come back from her lunch with that woman and found the gallery closed up. But, damn it, it was his business and he could do what he liked with it. His stomach grumbled, adding to his feeling of being out of sorts with the world. He’d go for a run around the lake and then grab some dinner and hit the sack. Maybe she’d come home before then and they could talk.

He pulled on his running shorts and shoes, and locked the door behind him as he took off at a slow pace toward the water. There was a distinct chill in the air and winter was not far away. His thoughts ran around his mind and Jack wished he’d thought to grab his iPod so he could listen to music and clear his head.

When did things get so complicated?

Jack narrowed his eyes and peered through the dim light as he headed back toward the house after doing a circuit of the small lake. The light reflected on the small garage at the side of the house and he caught the flash of chrome. Sienna’s car was there, but the house was dark. Maybe she’d been picked up? After all, he knew little about her life. But as he ran closer to the house, he saw the flicker of a candle on the back porch. He let out his breath in a sigh of relief, and anticipation filled him.

He grabbed both sides of the stair rail and pulled himself up the four steps leading to the porch as he leveled his breathing. Sienna was curled up in one of the rockers beneath the covered side of the porch, the flickering candle flame the only movement. For a moment he thought she was asleep, but as soon as his shoes hit the wooden decking, she unfolded herself from the chair, stood, and stretched, reaching for a pair of running shoes.

A tight black T-shirt almost reached the top of a pair of black leggings, and he caught a glimpse of bare skin as she raised her arms above her head.

“Great timing,” she said. “I was just going to go for a run myself. Cool out there?”

Jack caught his breath, not so much from the exertion but from the cute picture filling his vision.

“Yeah, cool. But it’s great by the water once you warm up.”

Sienna tied her laces and stood. Jack’s breath caught in his throat and he chose his words carefully. “Are we…are you okay?”

”Yes, why do you ask? I’m good. Are you?” Sienna’s voice was soft and muffled.

“Whoa.” Jack hurried across the porch to catch her, and gently took her arm before she could step down the stairs. “You sound like you’re catching a cold. Maybe a run’s not such a good idea?” Her skin was icy beneath his fingers. “How about I make you a hot drink? I make a mean lemon hot toddy if you’ve got a sore throat.”

Sienna pulled away from him and bent, stretching her legs. “Thanks, I’m fine. I’m looking forward to a run. I need some fresh air.”

“Want some company?” He didn’t want to go inside alone. If it meant going for another run, so be it. He could pull the stamina from somewhere.

A slight smile crossed Sienna’s face. “Are you up to it?”

The challenge gave Jack a burst of energy. “Of course I am. Are you?”

“Race you to the other side of the lake?” Before he could take another breath, Sienna shot past him, down the steps, and across the small patch of lawn. By the time Jack reached the bottom of the steps, she was opening the gate that led to the narrow path beside the lake. She shot a glance at him and her low chuckle pleased him.

By the time he was through the gate, she was ahead of him and had passed the next two houses along the lake. No way was he going to let her beat him, so Jack took a deep breath and stepped up his pace.

To his surprise, Sienna lengthened the distance between them and he had to push himself to close the distance. The muscles in his calves burned and he smiled as he almost closed the gap between them.

“How far are we going?” he huffed as he drew closer to her.

As soon as he spoke, Sienna took off and the distance between them grew again.

“Eat my dust.” Her laugh broke the silence of the night. Jack swallowed and gave it all he had.

By the time she’d reached the last house on the other side of the lake, he was right behind her. Her ragged breath as she pushed to the end showed him how determined she was to beat him.

Sienna grabbed the rail of the jetty of the last house before the path ended in thick trees. She turned with a grin. Jack reached her, rested his arms on the rail, bent over, and tried to catch his breath. Finally when he could talk, he straightened. Sienna was leaning nonchalantly against the fence, her breathing even and slow, her face slightly pink.

He shook his head with a wry grin. “You didn’t even break a sweat.”

“Out of shape, Jack?” She smiled back at him and then turned away. “Race you back?”

“Whoa, right there.” He reached out and grabbed her arm. “You’ve made your point. You’re fitter than me and you can run like the wind.”

“And I feel so much better for it, too.”

It was great to see the smile on her face as she held his gaze. He pulled her closer and looked down into her eyes. “I’m sorry about today. It wasn’t what it looked like.”

“What wasn’t?” Her eyes narrowed and he realized that even though he had been so worried about her take on Arielle, she seemed to not know that he was talking about it. She stood straight in the loose circle of his arms and looked up at him, her eyes shining in the soft moonlight.

“I want to explain to you…about Arielle.”

She lifted her head, and he narrowed his eyes as his gaze settled on her face. At a closer look, her face was pale despite her exertion, and her eyes were slightly puffy. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she’d been crying.

Jack wanted to see her smile again. Frustration warred with wanting to pull her close and kiss her senseless. “Last night was wonderful, and Arielle’s arrival was totally unexpected.” He waited for her reaction.

A yawn escaped her lips and Jack let his shoulders relax.

“So, I’m boring you now?” he said.

“We didn’t get much sleep last night,” she said with a slight turning up of her lips.

He grinned, pleased the tension that was swirling between them seemed to be easing, and let his gaze settle on her. Dressed all in black, she looked even tinier than normal. She usually gave off an impression of strength, but despite the exertion of the race between them, an air of fragility hung around her tiny shoulders.

He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the feel of her fine bones beneath his fingers last night. When he opened them, she was looking at him and he was sure she could read his mind.

“I didn’t know Arielle was coming to see me, and I want to make one thing quite clear. She isn’t my girlfriend.”

“It’s all right, Jack.” She stepped away, reached down and stretched one leg. “You don’t owe me any explanations. Last night was fun and we got that out of our systems. Now we go back to the way we were. I don’t care about Arielle, whatever she is…or was…to you.”

“But you look—” He didn’t want to say that she looked upset because it sounded as though he was an arrogant jerk, as though she cared enough to be upset by Arielle arriving. She’d made it quite clear from the outset that there was going to be nothing between them. Maybe something else was wrong? He’d give her some time and if she wanted to talk, he’d be there to listen.

“You look tired. And so am I.” He pushed himself from the rail and held out his hand. “Okay, race you back.”

Sienna grinned at him and stepped onto the path.

“Sienna?”

She stopped and looked back at him “Yes?”

“Your shoelace is undone.”

She crouched down in the darkness and by the time she realized both her laces were intact, Jack had taken off and was twenty yards ahead of her.

With a grin, he called back over his shoulder. “Gotcha.”

The sound of her laughter behind him sent a warm feeling rushing through Jack’s chest.