Every Little Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 2)

Vanessa merely quirked an eyebrow at the dry comment, and that itself put me on alert because since arriving here my sister hadn’t let a moment go by when she didn’t admonish our employees for something. Mona’s attitude would have made her blow a gasket a few weeks ago.

Now she just smirked at me. “We need to talk.”

“Hello to you, too. How are you doing? How am I doing? I’m very well, thank you. As is the inn, in case you were wondering.”

She ignored my sarcasm. “I don’t have time for this idiocy. I leave for New York in a few days and I’ve got to get my things in order.”

I felt a mixture of disappointment and relief. The relief I understood. The disappointment was a surprise. But I guess, underneath all my irritation with my little sister, I’d kind of hoped that being home would miraculously change her. “Found someone new to play with?”

“No. But I will.” She shrugged.

“What happened to Jack? Did you finally see the light?”

“What? That Jack was using me?” She grinned and I tensed at the wickedness of it. “You always thought you were smarter than me, but, sweetie, I knew exactly what Jack Devlin and his band of merry brothers were up to. But I’ve had a crush on Jack Devlin since I was fourteen. I saw the chance to sleep with him and I took it.”

“So you didn’t get hurt?”

“No.” She smiled. “I played him. He thought he had to wine and dine me and give me multiple orgasms to get what he wanted. When the truth is I would have taken less than what he and his father offered for my share in the inn.”

“What?” Dahlia snapped.

Dread consumed me and my blood buzzed in my ears. “What?” I echoed Dahlia, praying we’d both heard wrong.

Vanessa explained. Happily. Gleeful in fact. “When Mom and Dad left us the inn and we agreed on signing that contract where you got a higher stake in the place, no one put anything in the contract about limitations on selling our share.”

Fury overtook the dread. “Because it’s our family business!”

“Now, now, rule number one, Bailey, no disturbing the customers with a family spat.”

I lunged at her and Dahlia grabbed my arms, pulling me back. “What did you do?” I bit out, my nose and eyes burning with tears.

“Not what I’ve done but what I’m about to do in . . .” She checked the gold cocktail watch she was wearing. “Five hours. I have a business dinner with Ian, Jack, and Stu at the Grand. Our lovely lawyers will be joining us for drinks afterward. And upon signing a contract I’ll have sold them my thirty percent share in the inn.”

“If you do that, Devlin will find a way to take this place from me. Do you get that?”

“Do I care? They offered me way more than this place is worth. And frankly they’ve been far more accommodating than my own sister. They let me stay at the Grand free of charge, in an actual bed.”

“Mom and Dad won’t let you do this.” I grasped at straws.

“There’s nothing they can do to stop me. Unlike you, I don’t need their approval.”

“If you do this, none of us will forgive you.”

That m

ade her pause for a moment, her gaze lowering to the floor. “Well, maybe not for a while.” She looked up at me. “They’ll get over it.”

“I won’t.”

Vanessa sneered. “Like I care if you love me. Let’s not pretend anymore, Bails. You and I can’t stand each other.”

“I don’t like you,” I agreed. “I think you’re a selfish brat and this moment only highlights that fact. But I do love you. And the fact that you could do this to me—”

“Oh, please. Enough with your righteous martyr act. You walk around like you’re the only one who works hard. Contrary to what you think, what I’ve had to do to survive has been hard work.”

“Yes, well, working on your back all those long hours can’t be comfortable.”

Mona barked with surprised laughter at my insult and Vanessa sliced her a killing look before turning it on me.