“She was telling the truth. I had Kyle run a DNA test. It confirmed what she said. We just finished telling Sierra.”
Alicia slouched in her seat with a wince. “How’d that go?”
“As good as it could have. We talked through it. She’s hurting, but we’re doing what we do best: banding together as a family. Speaking of, I need to get back to them. I was just looking for Kyle.”
“I’m not going to be insulted by that.”
“Insulted by what?” Julia asked.
“That you weren’t looking for me. But I sort of feel like you don’t need me anymore.”
Julia pouted at her sister as she grabbed both of her hands. “That’s not true. I need you, too. I’m just still trying to put out a dozen fires here. But I promise I’ll carve some time out for us tomorrow.”
“I know you’re dealing with a lot,” Alicia said with a soft smile. “But I want to be here for you.”
“I feel like I’ve done a terrible job of being there for you. I haven’t even asked about how things have been since Ethan’s been here.”
“You don’t need to worry about that right now.”
“But I am. I’m worried about you, too,” Julia said. “Now…how are things with Ethan?”
Alicia shook her head. “We don’t–”
“Ally…I need a nice distraction from Lydia’s craziness. How are things with Ethan?”
Alicia’s shoulders slumped as she puffed out a sigh. “Confusing.”
“Because?” Julia prompted.
Alicia’s eyes turned glassy. “Umm, I just…don’t know what to do. I don’t know how you handled all of this between us and Luke and Grant and…you were just…so much better at knowing what you wanted or what was right or something.”
“That is not true,” Julia said. “I…struggled, but…my heart was with Grant. And even then, I left. He came after me, and I said no.”
“Seriously?” Alicia asked.
“Seriously. And then I told him we’d just try things out for a few months.” Julia chuckled as she squeezed her sister’s hands. “I didn’t make it easy because I’m a coward when it comes to love.”
“No,” Alicia answered, “you are definitely not a coward. You’re here. You made a decision, and you stuck with it. You didn’t…waver back and forth like I’m doing.”
“What’s holding you back from making a choice?”
Alicia chewed her lower lip as she stared into space. “Choosing Ethan means returning to the life I left behind in Harbor Cove. I’m not sure I’m ready to reopen that chapter of my life.”
“You love Harbor Cove.”
“I love my sister, too. And I like being this close to you.”
“Ally, I’m always just a phone call away. You know that, right?”
Alicia bobbed her head up and down. “I know. But…I like being able to reach out and touch you. And even with a private jet at your disposal, we’re never going to be able to see each other as much as we can if we live close.”
Julia pulled her sister into a hug. “Ally, I love having you this close, too. But you deserve happiness with Ethan if that’s what you choose.”
“The big question is can we be happy? It’s going to take some work. I mean…we’re committed, I think. We are…working on things. He’s promised to do that.”
“That’s good. Then, it’s worth trying, right?”
She sucked in a breath. “Do you think Grant’s offer still stands to go to the cabin?”
