Page 23 of Unexpected Entanglement

Chris nodded. “Good call. I’ll be very comfortable here.”

“Good.” Rowan turned to open a door, wanting to get this over with. “The bathroom is here. You should have what you need in there, but let me know if you need something else.”

“Miss Kelly, I appreciate the hospitality, but I’m not a guest. You don’t have to give me the service spiel.”

“You are a guest, Mr. Sullens. You came here to learn more about the Bright Head Farm & Inn, correct? I don’t need you reporting to your friend that you weren’t treated nicely.”

Now Chris’ smile turned ironic because Rowan knew she’d shown him the bare minimum of hospitality. But he didn’t pointthat out. Instead, he sat on the sofa and said, “While we’re in private, perhaps you and I can discuss how you want to handle this.”

With a gesture, Chris invited Rowan to sit as well. Reluctantly, she complied.

“I understand my arrival was unexpected. I didn’t plan to stay, but I am sincere in my offer to help with the wedding and anywhere else I can offer my expertise,” Chris began. “And then there’s the real reason I’m here. Your friend, Alex, seems to be the type who will continue asking a question until she gets the answer. I assumed she doesn’t know about Rae.”

Rowan blew a breath of annoyance. “No, she doesn’t. And I’d appreciate it if you don’t announce it, either.”

A disapproving frown formed on Chris’ face. “I see. Rae was the secret daughter your father wouldn’t acknowledge for years, and now that he fessed up, you’re trying to keep the lid on it, aren’t you?”

Rowan barked a bitter laugh. “That can of worms is wide open, but it’s a family matter. I don’t need everybody and their brother to know about it.”

Though she should really tell Alex. She was her oldest friend in the world. If anybody should be her sister, it was Alex, not some stranger she hadn’t known about until eight months ago.

“To think about it, you’re not family, either,” Rowan pointed out. “Why should I talk to you about this?”

“I’m Rae’s family—more than you or your family have ever been,” Chris replied. “Genetics don’t necessarily make a family.”

When Rowan had found Rae’s full name in the will, it’d been easy to find out who her half-sister was. A web search of her name had given Rowan a picture-perfect life full of world travel, friends, and a glimpse of a happy marriage. And to have the heir to The Sullens Hotels claiming her as family, it looked to her that Rae Allen had done well for herself despite not having their father in her life. This guy would not make her feel guilty for a mistake her father had made many years ago.

“No, they don’t,” Rowan shot back. “And the children do not inherit the father’s sins, either. We extended an invitation to Rae. But instead of her, you showed up. Without notice during the most inconvenient time, I must add. And you expect me to just be cordial?

“Be straight with me, Mr. Sullens. You came to this island—to this estate—with a preconceived idea of who we are. Let me guess, you think we’re a bunch of hicks trying to score money from your billionaire friend, who happens to be married to our half-sister? Well, you can tellmy sisterto screw herself if she can’t be bothered to meet and get to know us,” she charged.

“You mean the way Neal Kelly couldn’t be bothered to be a father to one of his children?” he asked in a flat voice. Gone was his earlier amiable tone and smile. “And yes, you nailed it. I had to consider my friends’ wealth might be a factor in why suddenly your family is acknowledging Rae. Do you really expect her to just jump for joy?”

“I don’t expect anything from her. We don’t want her money. But I made a promise to my father as he lay dying…” Rowan’s voice hitched as she saw that moment as clearly as it was yesterday. “…that I’d find her. So don’t you dare make it sound as if I was the one who abandoned her. Until that night, I never knew I had a sister!”

She had to scrunch all the muscles on her face, willing herself not to cry. The thought of her dad still overwhelmed her from time to time. Not wanting this stranger to see her lose control of her emotions, she quickly stood and was about to walk out. But his voice stopped her.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Miss Kelly.” His tone had softened, and his offer of condolence seemed sincere. “And I know you and your brother can’t be held accountable for what your father did, but you need to understand something.

“Though it must’ve been quite a shock for you to find out about Rae, she, on the other hand, had wondered why her father had left since she was a mere child. Then she had to live with the knowledge that her father had chosen to be with his other family—to raise his other children, but not her—for more than a decade. So pardon me for being protective of my friend. I don’t want her to get hurt all over again.”

That piece of knowledge struck Rowan. She turned back to him. “She knew about us?”

“Yes,” he confirmed.

“But…why didn’t she…she could’ve come—”

“She could’ve come and confronted your father?” Chris finished her stammering questions. “She did when she wasnineteen, I think. Your father turned her away. I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, but your father was—”

“Don’t!” Rowan stuck her finger at him. “I know who my father was. He was a great father to Kieran and me. Nothing you say will change that.”

Chris’ mouth formed a sardonic smile. “I believe you. I’m sure he was a good father to you and your brother, just at what cost? Or, more precisely, at whose cost?”

eight

Under the cloak of darkness, an unmoving figure watched the large house. Rowan usually already turned in by this hour, but something was different tonight. There were lights coming from one room upstairs.

Rowan’s quarters were off at the back of the house. So who was in that room?

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