Falling for his Step-Sister by Alie Garnett
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Outside then.”She didn’t even know how she would be able to talk with him in the house. He filled her house as nobody had ever done before.
Without a word, she walked past him, grabbing a coat on her way outside into the afternoon sunshine. The bitter cold instantly made her shiver in her T-shirt. Her plan hadn’t been to go outside at all that day, just like so many days before. Since coming home, she and Louisa had stayed put. How could Buzz make the kid do anything that she herself didn’t want to do?
After hearing the door click behind them, she turned and said, “What do you want, Jonas?”
“I want you to write an article for me.”
“As I said, I quit. Actually, I got fired, so I can’t do that.” She finally pulled on the coat.
“You can freelance,” he argued.
“No, I’m done. Out of the game.”
“Last week, you would do anything for a story, and now when it is handed to you, you don’t even want it?”
“I wasn’t working on a story last week.” She rolled her eyes, not that he was ever going to believe her anyway.
“You weren’t working on a story when you were hiding in my closet?”
“That wasn’t last week; that was the week before. And anyway, once we slept together, I knew I couldn’t write a story about you. I have integrity, and sleeping with my subjects is beyond even me.” She folded her arms against the cold air.
“Then why were you following me around?” he asked.
“I wasn’t following you. You just kept showing up.” She argued.
“At the meeting?”
“The one that Lucy and Harper were catering? I help them out all the time.”
“How did you know I was at the hotel?” His eyes were scrutinizing her as he asked.
“Okay, maybe I got that information from Sera, who accidentally said something about it to Harrison. I overheard it. That was the only time I did that. But in my defense, that was before I slept with you, so I was still trying to get a story then,” she explained. It was true, and maybe she would do it again if the opportunity were presented to her. She probably just wouldn’t sleep with the man this time. That’s when things went sour.
“You worked at the house for a week.”
“I wasn’t there for you, and I had already been fired from the paper when I started that job. When you walked into the kitchen during my first day, I was in shock. I had no idea you lived there or was staying there or whatever you were doing there.”
“You were working for George Raiden,” he reminded her.
Cringing, she replied, “I was hired by Judith Rowley. I didn’t know what her husband’s name was. In no way did I ever think that she was your stepmom. I didn’t do enough research about you to know who your parents are. It wasn’t your past I was writing about; my story was about your uncle. I just wanted to get an interview to get my career out of the toilet, but instead, I only managed to get it flushed. So, I will not be doing an interview with you. I’m done with that.”
“Why would you want to work for Judith if you’re not even a chef or working on a story? Why would you do that to yourself?” he demanded.
Buzz was starting to get tired of his questions. “Just forget it. It’s nothing that concerns you. After all, I’m nothing to you.” She pushed him and went back into the house.
Except he grabbed her arm and stopped her. “Why were you there?”
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she admitted, “I … I wanted to find out something about Judith Rowley. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“What could you possibly want to know about that woman? Did she steal your boyfriend? Brother? Was she sleeping with someone you knew? That seems to be what she liked to do.”
“No, nothing like that. I didn’t know she was sleeping around. Okay, I had some suspicions about her since I knew her past, but I thought she and George were kind of happy. How is George?” Her eyes met his. She had forgotten their father in all of this, that he had his heart torn by the woman.
“Dad’s fine. He’s finally getting a divorce like he’s wanted for years. At least now he has the nerve to actually do it.” He loosened his grip on her arm a little but didn’t completely let her go.
A car door slammed in the distance, dragging her eyes from his, hating that he stopped liking her and she had just fallen more for him. Why couldn’t she fall for someone who even liked her? Instead, she fell for someone she could never have.
“Jonas,” a soft voice stated as a curvy young woman with shoulder-length purple hair walked right up to them.
The voice caused Jonas to turn to the woman, who looked them up and down and folded her arms. Jonas stiffened and frowned at her.
“Frances? What are you doing here?” he asked the woman.
The woman rolled her eyes at him. “You mean, picking up my sister after mother decided she wasn’t good enough either? She called me a few days ago about Mom and some guys. Anyway, I finally got time enough to come and get her, so I’m going to take her back to Chicago.”
Jonas frowned at her. “I’m taking her home; she doesn’t need you. She belongs with Dad right now.”
“Cute redhead.” The woman nodded at Buzz as she said it. “Louisa needs to get away from everything right now. She needs a fresh start.”
Instantly, Jonas dropped Buzz’s arm and moved to block the door from the woman. Buzz couldn’t decide what they were to each other, except that they didn’t get along. That much was very obvious.
“Bea Lovely.” She put her hand out to the woman in hopes of distracting her.
“Cute, you are lovely. Frankie Rowley.” The woman took her hand and smiled. It was completely fake, and Buzz knew. She had seen that smile a million times over the years.
“My stepsister,” Jonas provided but didn’t seem very happy about it.
“Stepsister?” Buzz looked from one to the other.
“Soon-to-be ex-stepsister. I really like the sound of that, though I’ll still be related to Judith in the end. You and George weren’t the worst part of the family,” the woman stated with a smile.
Buzz’s mind was reeling. There was no doubt who this woman’s mother was. “Holy fuck, how many kids did Judith have? How many more are there?”
“Just the two,” Jonas answered the question. “Frances has been at reform school for the last few years.”
“Frankie has not been at reform school; she’s been at the U in Chicago, but do not tell my mother. I have no need for her in my life. Have you seen how well that turned out?” she argued.
Behind them, the door swung open, and a blast of warm air washed over Buzz. Harper stuck her head out and looked at the group, mostly at Frances, before saying, “I’m setting the table. How many are staying?”
“Nobody,” Buzz said.
Frances shrugged at the invitation. “Just here for Louisa.”
Harper yelled back into the house that three were staying and came out and shut the door to the house behind her. “What is she to you?”
It seemed that Harper was taken with her new little sister and was going to be as protective as she was with the rest of her sisters. It was cute to see, and she wished the girl herself was out here to see it, to know she was instantly part of the group.
“Her sister,” Frances informed Harper.
Harper barely suppressed a laugh at the answer. “I don’t believe you.”
“Doesn’t matter what you believe or not.”
“Yes, yes it does. I’m Harper.”
“Frankie.”
“Full name, please,” Harper demanded, as if there was a specific list of people who could enter the house.
“Frances Rowley.”
“How old are you?” Harper barked out, as if the kid was trying to pull something over on her.
“Twenty-one, and you?” Frankie was not happy with the sudden inquisition.
“Thirty.” Harper stared at her and then looked at Buzz and Jonas, then back to the young woman. “Well, come inside. Might as well get to know everyone.”
“Why?” The woman asked her but followed. Probably because it was the easiest way into the house and to get her sister out of it.
“It’s cold outside; only an idiot would stay in the cold. Don’t be too overwhelmed.” Harper smiled at Buzz and put her arm around Frankie, shutting the door behind them, leaving Buzz and Jonas alone again.
“What was that all about?” Jonas just looked at the closed door.
“Family stuff,” Buzz said, loving how welcoming Harper was to their new sisters. Any number of them.
