A Perfect Fit (2 page)

All of the air escaped Cami’s lungs. Her head spun and she
thought she might be sick. Would she have time to get to a bathroom if the
nausea filling her decided to pour back out again?

“Who needs his money or his job? I can find a job on my own.”
The last arrival stood and headed for the door.

“Delphi, come back and listen to the rest. There will be
time for dramatic gestures later,” Alex said, his voice firm without being
harsh.

She turned and glared at him. “I like my life the way it is.
If it wasn’t good enough for him, it was his problem.” She stalked out,
slamming the door behind her.

Alex’s jaw tightened, but he addressed the remaining women. “I’ll
catch up with her later. If the rest of you can wait until I finish reading the
will, I’ll leave you each with a copy of your contract and give you time to
consider the terms.”

He bowed his head and returned to reading, “‘Cami, you’ll be
in charge of customer services, including front desk, concierge, valet,
etc
.
The heads of engineering and housekeeping will run their own departments, but
report to you. Your ideas for enhancing the guest experiences and attention to
detail are sorely needed in this venture.

“‘Sage, it’s time you put those skills to use setting up and
running the spa. You’re wasting your talent working where you are when you have
so much more to give back to an organization. Rosemary, studying abroad with
various master chefs has prepared you well. You will head up the restaurant and
catering services, and have a supervisory role over the bar.”

Sage didn’t appear surprised or upset by the decision while
Rosemary growled something unintelligible and scowled.

“Lana, you’ll take over as hotel manager, working under the
regional rep’s guidance. I think you’ve been on track for this position since
you were six. Considering the less-than-ideal situation I’m thrusting you all
into, your level head and outside-the-box thinking will be necessary.” Cami
couldn’t help but agree, and was glad to see the smile of pleasure on her
sister’s pale face. Though Lana had known about the decision for a while now, it
was the realization of her dream. 

“Delphi, you’ve been hiding your light under a bushel for
too long. As hotel events planner, you’ll bring a creative push and wide array
of expertise to bear. Jonquil, your tutelage under my hand and throughout your
adult life has put you in good stead to open the flower shop in the hotel. You’ll
be responsible for providing blooms for the suites, restaurant, public areas,
events, and a selection for purchase in the gift shop.

“Combined, you six ladies, my daughters all, will make this
venture the most incredible, innovative, successful resort anywhere.” Alex
paused and took time to make eye contact with all of them. “I know this is a
lot for you all to take in, you’ve had a big shock, and I’m sure none of you
are any happier about this than Delphi was. I’m sorry.” Sincerity shone from
him.

Jonquil’s brows drew together in confusion as she studied her
sisters’ faces. Annoyance filled Rosemary’s face, but she didn’t stand to leave
the room like Delphi. Cami couldn’t help but wonder what was going through
their heads. She felt as though she couldn’t breathe properly—the betrayal to
her mother, and the secrets he’d been keeping from her, from them all, nearly
bowled her over.

Alex lifted the page and returned to reading. “Until your
trial at the hotel is over, you’ll live together in a home I have purchased for
you unless you live with your husbands.” Gasps and curses filled the air,
causing Alex to pause in his reading. Lana squeezed Cami’s hand, crushing her
fingers, even as the thought of having to live with her father’s other
offspring made Cami’s anger roil. Alex continued, “You must appear at the house
and hotel for initial meetings on the specified day and get the ball rolling.
Once things have been put into place, you may return to your homes to settle
things and arrange for your absences from your current lives. One year after
the hotel opens, your inheritances will revert to you to do with as you please.
I love you all.”

Cami wrapped her arms around herself, shivering despite the
fact that the room had been plenty warm when she’d entered it a few minutes
earlier. His daughters. He said they were all his daughters, and a glance
around the room, the recognition of pieces of her father in each of the faces,
told her it wasn’t a figure of speech.

She glanced at Lana, seeing her pale face, the shock in her
eyes. Cami squeezed her hand, but wasn’t much relieved by the wan smile and
half-hearted returning squeeze.

Alex set down the papers and met Cami’s gaze again. “I
suppose I ought to introduce you all to each other, though I’ve only recently
met several of you. I’ll start over here and work my way down the row.” He
gestured to Cami. “Camellia, who prefers to go by Cami is the oldest daughter,
born to George’s wife. Beside her is Lantana, or Lana, who will be the hotel’s
general manager, though if I hadn’t seen her in action at work, I’d never
believe she could be so bossy because she comes across so sweet in public. Don’t
let it fool you.” He winked at her. “She was also born to George’s wife and is fourth
in line according to age.”

This was an additional blow for Cami. Fourth? He’d had two
other daughters between her and Lana? Somehow she’d thought he and her mother
had gone through a rocky spot after Lana and that’s when the women were
conceived, but no, it had gone on for longer than that. Their whole marriage?
Had her mother known? These thoughts rushed through her head in only a couple
of seconds and she made herself focus back on Alex’s words.

“Jonquil is next,” he pointed to a woman with blonde spirals
cascading down her back and blue eyes the size of moon pies. “She’s sixth in
age and the one who picked up George’s love for plants.

“Delphinium, who prefers Delphi, and rushed out of here so
abruptly, is fifth in age. She’s a brilliant events planner and will be a great
help in coordinating weddings or conferences, a few of which have already been
booked.”

The name brought realization to Cami. Delphi had lived on
another floor in Cami’s dorm during her last year of college. She and Delphi
had spoken a few times, though they were no more than passing acquaintances.
Had she known they were half-sisters?

 “After her is Rosemary.” She had wide-set, blue eyes, a
long fall of straight blonde hair, and a voluptuous figure which no doubt kept
the men’s attention riveted.

“I’m not sure I want anything to do with this.” Rosemary
crossed her arms over her chest.

Cami realized Rosemary had gone to summer camp with her for
a couple of years when they were kids. They hadn’t gotten along at all.

“I can’t blame you,” Alex said to Rosemary. “But I’d
appreciate it if you gave it serious consideration,” He continued the
introduction, “Rosemary attended culinary school and studied under masters in
France and Italy. She’s tops in the restaurant business, though she’s been
happy to let someone else run the show.” He held up a hand to stave off
Rosemary’s rebuttal. “She’s third in age.”

He smiled at the last woman, who had curly brown hair brushing
her shoulder blades, and wore little makeup. “Sage is the second eldest. She’s
been working in salons and spas since her teens and has traveled extensively
throughout Europe learning their techniques in addition to more formal
training.” Their father had sent Cami to work in the San Diego office one
summer to ‘broaden her horizons.’ Sage had been working there at the same time,
though they’d only shared greetings as they passed each other.

He slid the legal papers into the manila folder. “Now, I’m
going to be in my office to work for the afternoon. I’ll be available to any of
you if you have questions or are in want of clarification. I’ll be stepping out
to speak with Delphi later, but feel free to discuss things together or to come
and go. I’d like your answers by morning, if possible.”

Alex began passing out individual folders to them. “Here are
contracts for each of your positions. I’ve spoken to the regional manager and
he agrees you don’t need to move to Colorado permanently yet, but you do need
to make the trip in two weeks. Your father expected to live at least another
month, so if you are not needed in Juniper Ridge yet, you’re welcome to return
home for some time after the meeting. The estate will cover plane fare, rental
cars and any other expenses you incur as a result of this move.”

Cami’s stomach churned, her head ached and her heart felt as
though it was going to break as she took the file folder from Alex. How could
her father have done this—any of it? He’d cheated on her sweet, devoted mother
not once, but many times, and after dropping this bombshell on his daughters,
he thought he could dictate their lives?

“One last thing. He left a letter for each of you. It’s in
your folder with the contract.” He threaded his fingers together in front of
him. “You have every right to be upset about several issues, but please read
his final words to you and take them into account while you make your
decisions. I may not have agreed with, well, almost any of this when he brought
it to me, but I know he loved you all a great deal and thought he was doing
what was best for you.” He exited the room with an apologetic expression.

Cami held the folder and ran her fingers along the edges,
trying to make her mind think.

The women stood, some turned to speak with their neighbors,
though none of the words were overly friendly. Cami released Lana’s hand. “I
need a moment and I may speak with Alex after. You go on, I’ll take a cab.”
They had ridden in together, but Cami couldn’t discuss this until she’d had a
few minutes to center herself. “I’ll swing by your place later.”

“No, I’ll wait. I need a few minutes to take it all in, too.”
Lana looked almost sick.

Cami found a powder room and, deciding she wasn’t going to
vomit, sat on a bench in front of the counter and pulled out her cosmetics. She
added color to her pale cheeks, freshened her lipstick, then stared at herself,
trying to bring order to the chaos of emotions zinging through her. When she
felt steady again, she stood and headed for Alex’s office.

She marveled that her father had managed to keep it all so
secret, these other families of his, or had he never seen his other daughters?
Is that why Delphi had run out so angry? It would have been difficult to keep
up with them all, between running his empire and jumping into every available
bed at the drop of a hat. She’d thought him a wonderful father, a devoted
husband, but what kind of father had he been to these other women? She wasn’t
going to think of them as her sisters. Shared genetics meant nothing compared
to the bond she shared with Lana. And how dare he order them to run the new
resort, disrupting their lives even further than this news would do when it got
out. And it would get out.

On the other hand, he had manipulated every one of them into
her path at some point in their lives, so he couldn’t have ignored them
completely. Would they resent the fact she had him around more just as much as
she now resented their existences?

Alex’s assistant showed Cami into his office.

He sat at his desk, watching her approach. He stood, circling
the desk to her.

She held his gaze, stopping a foot away. Questions crowded
her mind, but “How long have you known?” was the first to pop out.

“About your sisters?”

She wasn’t going to use the word
sisters
. “About the
other women—both the ones he fathered and their mothers? How long have you
known my father—” Her voice cracked and tears pricked her eyes. It was like
losing him all over again, only worse this time because she realized now that
he wasn’t the man she
thought
she’d known. When she spoke again, her
voice was rough. “That my father had children he kept secret, and he’d gone out
of his way to make sure we all met.”

The last part was what killed her. It was almost as though
he’d wanted to be caught. She doubted the encounters had only been between her
and the others, which meant he had probably maneuvered them all into each other’s
lives at some point. Despite her mother’s death five years earlier, he hadn’t
mentioned the existence of other offspring. Why hadn’t he told them, knowing he
would force them all into this position anyway?

“I found out about them when his previous attorney retired
and passed the account to me,” Alex admitted. “The will has undergone several
revisions in the past six months, but since he got cancer, they were all
basically the same idea. He wanted you ladies to meet officially as sisters,
not as mere strangers. And he wanted you to get to know each other, certain you’d
become good friends. Though in my opinion, if he wanted you to be friends, he
should have handled it differently.”

“You think?” 

Alex pulled her into a brotherly hug. “I was so angry with
him, furious he had done that to your mother—that he planned to spring this on
all of you. And yet, he loved all of you so much; it was obvious any time he
talked about his daughters.”

She buried her face in her cousin’s chest and formed a fist,
then pushed away and hit him in the shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me? How
could you keep his secret when you had to know what it would do to me? To all
of us.”

He rubbed his shoulder, looking sorry. “Lawyer-client
privilege.”

Feeling almost regretful about hurting him—almost—she poked
him in the chest this time. “To hell with lawyer-client privilege—this goes way
beyond that. I trusted you. I never thought you would keep something so huge
from me.” Her voice broke as she spoke, the pain and loss building every
minute.

“I couldn’t tell you. You know I couldn’t.” He pulled her in
again as she started to cry. “I’m sorry, Cami. I’m so sorry.”