Page 8 of To Steal a Heart

“That is what this is about, isn’t it? Sylvia’s reputation was soiled by her cuckoo mom and criminal father. The only hope that Sylvia or Wesley will have of rebounding from that debacle is to cling to your coattails. They’re playing on your sympathies.”

Outrage crackled in Madeline’s voice. “Since when did you get to be so caustic and unfeeling?”

“I’m unfeeling? You know what this is about? I’ll tell you,” she shouted before Madeline could interrupt. “Sylvia, my so-called friend, has zero loyalty.” That was the heart of the matter. She’d long since gotten over Hector. Good riddance to him. It was Sylvia’s betrayal that cut.

Her outburst caught the attention of a well-dressed woman strolling past on the sidewalk. The woman raised an eyebrow in a superior gesture that suggested Arden was out of line for causing a scene in a public place. This rocketed Arden’s anger clear up to the sky. She leveled a death glare that prompted the nosy woman to avert her eyes and quicken her pace as if she couldn’t get away fast enough.

“I know you were hurt by Sylvia,” Madeline soothed. “Trust me. I get it. It took me a while to wrap my head around everything that Lizette did.” Her voice quivered with emotion. “Despite everything, I won’t turn my back on Lizette, Sylvia, or Wesley.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Wesley’s a dipwad. A decent dancer, but a dipwad all the same.”

“Stop being so insufferable,” Madeline exploded. “You’re going to the party.”

A hard laugh rattled Arden’s throat as she threw open the door and got out. She reached for her purse and slung the strap over her shoulder. “Contrary to what you think, I’m not a child anymore. You can’t order me around.” It gave her a ping of satisfaction to say that out loud.

“If you want to be treated like an adult, then you need to act like one.” There was a long pause. For a split second, Arden thought Mom might’ve hung up, but finally, she spoke. “Do this one thing for me,” Mom pleaded.

So now she was playing nice? Arden barked out a short laugh as she rubbed her forehead. She didn’t know if she should be appalled or impressed by Mom’s moxie. No wonder the woman usually got her way. Arden was stubborn, but Mom was ten times more stubborn. She’d keep hounding Arden until she gave in. “Fine,” she spat. “I’ll go to the stupid party.” The prospect of seeing Sylvia and Hector all cozied up together churned Arden’s gut. Eventually, she’d have to face Sylvia. Maybe it was better to get it over with sooner rather than later. It would be nice to give Sylvia a piece of her mind. She grinned humorlessly at the thought.

“Good,” Madeline chirped. “You should bring a plus-one.”

“Not gonna happen,” she said in a light tone that mimicked Mom’s. “I’ve got to knuckle down and focus on my writing. Also, the last thing I wanna do is to drag some poor schmo to a lame party in the Hamptons.”

“I’ll find you a date,” Madeline said decisively.

“Oh, no, you won’t,” Arden blurted.

Madeline chuckled. “You are so stubborn … just like your father.”

Arden’s eyebrows shot clear up to her forehead. “Don’t go blame this on Dad.”

She let out a long sigh. “You’re right. It’s Josette’s fault.”

“Josette,” Arden sniggered. “Seriously?”

“Your grandmother has zero compassion for anyone. I hate to say it, Arden, but when you were carrying on about the Laramies, you sounded eerily like Josette.”

“Ew. Stop.” The comment stung. Arden prided herself on speaking her mind. That didn’t mean she was cruel and unfeeling, did it? Gah! She wasn’t going to let Mom undermine her confidence. She was nothing like Grandmother! Okay, maybe she was outspoken like Grandmother, but that’s as far as the similarity went. She still couldn’t believe that Grandmother said the two of them were exactly alike. That was wishful thinking on Grandmother’s part.

She turned her thoughts in another direction. “I’m surprised Sylvia is holding a party at her Hampton home. Isn’t that where Carter kept his most treasured art collections? The Laramies keep that place locked down like Fort Knox.” She rolled her eyes. “Or at least according to Sylvia and Wesley. Have the goods all been confiscated since it was discovered that Carter was a thief?” It had been a huge blow to everyone in the Chasing family to learn that Carter Laramie was a cat burglar. The sad part was that Carter had committed the crimes out of some sick need for an adrenaline rush or power trip rather than the actual need for material possessions. He was already so wealthy that it was doubtful he could’ve ever spent his money in one lifetime.Well, now he’s dead, so his wealth is inconsequential.

“Carter acquired the majority of his collections legitimately. I’m assuming those are still in Sylvia’s home.”

“Like I said, I’m surprised that Sylvia’s hosting a party. She’s so paranoid about someone trying to steal from her. Maybe that’s because she judges everyone else by her intentions,” Arden snipped, thinking of Hector.

“Let it go,” Madeline admonished.

“Sure I will,” she growled.When Death Valley freezes over.

“You’re spending way too much energy dwelling on Sylvia and Hector. The sooner you let that go, the better off you’ll be. You’ve got to learn to forgive, Arden. You hold people to impossibly high standards, and when they don’t measure up, you X them out of your life. It’s not healthy.”

Arden’s eyes popped. “I hold people to impossibly high standards? Are you the pot or the kettle?”

“I’ve done a pretty good job of forgiving and forgetting over the years,” Madeline harrumphed. “Just ask your grandmother.” She paused. When she spoke, her voice was coated with intensity. “There’s a heavenly power that can come into your life when you learn to forgive.”

“I’ll forgive alright. After I unleash a school of piranhas in Hector’s boxer shorts.”

Madeline giggled. “That’s quite the description. You should use that in one of your books.”

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