Read Online The Second Sister by Marie Bostwick - Free Book Online Page B

he had no familiars.
    This was what I had wanted, what we had wanted. Knowing it had come to pass made me proud. But also a little sad. We’d never be just Tom and Lucy again.
    â€œDoing well, doing well. You sound a little rugged, though. Did I wake you?”
    â€œNo, sir.” I blinked a few times, trying to bring the room into focus. “I was just getting up. Where are you, sir?”
    â€œIn the car, heading over to the Pentagon for a security briefing. I know it’s early, but this is the only open spot in my day. I’m sorry I didn’t get in touch sooner.”
    â€œNo need to apologize, sir. I know you’ve been booked every second since the election. Thank you for sending the flowers. They’re just beautiful.”
    I switched on the bedside lamp so I could see the arrangement of orange lilies with yellow roses with the card that read, “In our thoughts and prayers, Tom and Leah Ryland.”
    â€œLeah picked them out especially. I’ll tell her you liked them. The funeral is today, isn’t it? How’re you holding up?”
    â€œI’m fine,” I assured him, sitting up a bit straighter and clutching the afghan tighter around my body. “I still have a few loose ends to tie up, but I’ll be in DC sometime next week, hopefully by Thursday.”
    â€œThere’s no rush,” he said. “In fact, that is part of the reason for my call. I think you should stay out there for a while, Lucy. Take some time off.”
    â€œYou’re very kind, sir, but that really won’t be necessary—”
    â€œLucy,” he said, cutting me off. “Hear me out for a second. This is a big deal. Your parents are gone, now your sister. You’re all alone in the world, an orphan. It might not have hit you yet, but it will. And when it does . . .” He took in a breath and let it out. “You remember what it was like when Mike passed.”
    I did.
    His brother, Mike, his last surviving relative, who had suffered a traumatic brain injury during his service in the First Gulf War, died of heart failure four months before the Iowa caucuses. The governor went home to Colorado for the funeral and was back on the campaign trail the next day. At first he appeared to be handling the loss well, but after a few days he started snapping at the staff, very uncharacteristically. He seemed unfocused, too, lethargic. He definitely wasn’t himself.
    At that stage in the race, every minute away from the campaign was a lost opportunity, but I cleared the schedule and sent him home to the ranch for a few days, over his strenuous objections, but I insisted.
    â€œEverybody needs time to grieve,” I told him at the time. Now he quoted my own words back to me.
    â€œI appreciate your concern, sir, but the best thing for me will be to get back to work.”
    â€œWhen was the last time you took a vacation?” He answered for me. “Never.”
    â€œNot true. I take my sister on vacation every Christmas. I did.”
    â€œThree days,” he scoffed. “Four at the most, and you spend the whole time on your phone or answering e-mail.”
    â€œI went to Europe in 2013.”
    â€œYeah, I remember because I was there; five countries in eight days, six major speeches, a dozen interviews, and thirty-three photo ops. That wasn’t a vacation, Lucy. It was a ‘fact-finding’ tour designed to boost my international bona fides. I’m talking about you taking a real vacation.”
    â€œSir, I appreciate your concern, but I’m doing just fine. I can’t afford to take any time off now. There’s so much to do before the inauguration. Somebody has to sort through all the—”
    â€œI’ve already got the transition team in place. Miles is taking that job at CNN, but that’s just as well. Drew, Natalie, and Steve are staying on through January, and we’ve already got short lists for all the cabinet posts