when she arrived at Reagan National.
Kait tried to tell herself that the note wouldn’t mean anything to anyone—she herself had often written down where she’d parked a car in a huge lot, after one day totally forgetting the spot in a discount outlet mall. But her attempt to smooth over the situation failed. Nobody wrote down their own license plate number as if they did not know their own car.
Numbly, she reached for her wallet, thinking that maybe the person who had taken and then returned her purse hadn’t even seen the note. All of her credit cards—that is, all of Lana’s credit cards—were there. So was Lana’s driver’s license. But the hundred dollars in cash that she had traveled with was gone.
She sat down on the bed, hard, eyes closing, flooded with relief.
It had been a simple robbery, nothing more.
It hadn’t had anything to do with the switch.
She opened her eyes and felt like laughing out loud—so she did. God, her nerves were on end and she was simply paranoid and over-reacting to every little thing. Then she sobered. That did not change the fact that she had been expecting an entirely different kind of welcome at Fox Hollow.
Very grim now, Kait hated facing a comprehension that seemed inescapable. Lana had clearly alienated her husband, not to mention the housekeeper and that odd fellow, Max Zara. Nor did she seem to have a close or warm relationship with her own daughter. Kait was no fool. Marni had been anxious and worried when she had first been with her, and she had expected to be yelled at for her accident with the milk.
If only Lana had clued her in. But Lana had led her to believe that she had a wonderful and perfect family life.
Instantly, Kait realized that wasn’t fair. Lana really hadn’t said anything about her life at Fox Hollow. Kait had
assumed
that she lived a Disney kind of existence. She had
assumed
that her sister had everything a woman could possibly want—a perfect love, a perfect life.
Kait loved her sister. She had envied and admired her forever. Secretly, she had always wished that she were the popular one, the brave and fearless one, the sexy and flamboyant one. But she wasn’t twelve anymore, or fifteen, or seventeen. She’d had her own share of life experiences, some good, some pretty bad. Life was never black-and-white and Kait had learned that as she matured. She found herself really thinking about her sister’s nature then. Lana had always been an extrovert, but it was more than that. She was very passionate, and she had always been drawn to excitement and thrills. Which was why she was not comfortable staying at home. She had to be on a motorcycle racing around a dirt course, or a horse facing four- and five-foot fences that only the professionals attempted. She’d skydived, and Kait would bet her life that she’d bungee-jumped, too. Given her very nature, how could she not live life to its fullest? But in pursuit of her wild dreams, in pursuit of thrills and chills, she could also be insensitive and thoughtless at times.
She wasn’t a bad person. In fact, Kait still admired her immensely. No one had her courage. But, like everyone, she had her flaws. She simply wasn’t perfect. And clearly, she hadn’t done the best job as a wife or mother.
Kait would never wish a situation like the current one on her sister, but as it did exist, she hoped that Corelli’s threats might make Lana appreciate all that she had a bit more.
And hadn’t Lana done the most selfless thing in borrowing money from a man who had to be a loan shark in order to save Fox Hollow? Didn’t that mean that she truly cared about Trev?
Marni came out of the bathroom, smiling proudly. “I put everything away,” she said. “Come see, Mommy!”
Kait swallowed.
But there was no excuse for failing to watch Marni ride, for rarely picking her up at school, for having an anxious and emotionally needy child.
“Thank you.” Kait smiled back, a rush of warmth overcoming her. She
Kait tried to tell herself that the note wouldn’t mean anything to anyone—she herself had often written down where she’d parked a car in a huge lot, after one day totally forgetting the spot in a discount outlet mall. But her attempt to smooth over the situation failed. Nobody wrote down their own license plate number as if they did not know their own car.
Numbly, she reached for her wallet, thinking that maybe the person who had taken and then returned her purse hadn’t even seen the note. All of her credit cards—that is, all of Lana’s credit cards—were there. So was Lana’s driver’s license. But the hundred dollars in cash that she had traveled with was gone.
She sat down on the bed, hard, eyes closing, flooded with relief.
It had been a simple robbery, nothing more.
It hadn’t had anything to do with the switch.
She opened her eyes and felt like laughing out loud—so she did. God, her nerves were on end and she was simply paranoid and over-reacting to every little thing. Then she sobered. That did not change the fact that she had been expecting an entirely different kind of welcome at Fox Hollow.
Very grim now, Kait hated facing a comprehension that seemed inescapable. Lana had clearly alienated her husband, not to mention the housekeeper and that odd fellow, Max Zara. Nor did she seem to have a close or warm relationship with her own daughter. Kait was no fool. Marni had been anxious and worried when she had first been with her, and she had expected to be yelled at for her accident with the milk.
If only Lana had clued her in. But Lana had led her to believe that she had a wonderful and perfect family life.
Instantly, Kait realized that wasn’t fair. Lana really hadn’t said anything about her life at Fox Hollow. Kait had
assumed
that she lived a Disney kind of existence. She had
assumed
that her sister had everything a woman could possibly want—a perfect love, a perfect life.
Kait loved her sister. She had envied and admired her forever. Secretly, she had always wished that she were the popular one, the brave and fearless one, the sexy and flamboyant one. But she wasn’t twelve anymore, or fifteen, or seventeen. She’d had her own share of life experiences, some good, some pretty bad. Life was never black-and-white and Kait had learned that as she matured. She found herself really thinking about her sister’s nature then. Lana had always been an extrovert, but it was more than that. She was very passionate, and she had always been drawn to excitement and thrills. Which was why she was not comfortable staying at home. She had to be on a motorcycle racing around a dirt course, or a horse facing four- and five-foot fences that only the professionals attempted. She’d skydived, and Kait would bet her life that she’d bungee-jumped, too. Given her very nature, how could she not live life to its fullest? But in pursuit of her wild dreams, in pursuit of thrills and chills, she could also be insensitive and thoughtless at times.
She wasn’t a bad person. In fact, Kait still admired her immensely. No one had her courage. But, like everyone, she had her flaws. She simply wasn’t perfect. And clearly, she hadn’t done the best job as a wife or mother.
Kait would never wish a situation like the current one on her sister, but as it did exist, she hoped that Corelli’s threats might make Lana appreciate all that she had a bit more.
And hadn’t Lana done the most selfless thing in borrowing money from a man who had to be a loan shark in order to save Fox Hollow? Didn’t that mean that she truly cared about Trev?
Marni came out of the bathroom, smiling proudly. “I put everything away,” she said. “Come see, Mommy!”
Kait swallowed.
But there was no excuse for failing to watch Marni ride, for rarely picking her up at school, for having an anxious and emotionally needy child.
“Thank you.” Kait smiled back, a rush of warmth overcoming her. She
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