The High Price of Secrets

Tamsyn groaned in frustration. The questions were simple, the answers probably equally so. But when would she have the chance to hear them, to judge for herself or, alternatively, to heal and forgive her mother for what had happened?

She turned away from the work on the wall, determined not to let it mess with her head a second longer.

Directly ahead of her was a door, and she opened it without thinking, surprised to find a very-well-set-up home gym inside. So, that explained Finn’s impressive physique. A lick of heat started, but she quelled the sensation before it could take hold. He might be physical perfection, he might be the best lover she’d ever enjoyed sex with, but he was just another liar, she resolutely warned herself.

She left the room, closing the door behind her with a snap and turned down the hallway toward what she hoped was Finn’s office. A door was open just ahead of her and she could hear Finn’s voice. Her steps slowed as she made out what he was saying. She paused where she was, unashamedly eavesdropping and thankful that the soft soles of her ballet flats hadn’t announced her coming. He sounded very worked up. Was he…could he be talking to her mother?

Eighteen

“Yes, of course she’s staying with me. I couldn’t very well let her sleep in a roadside layby, now, could I?”

He sounded frustrated. Tamsyn wished she could hear the words on the other end of the line.

“What were you thinking kicking her out of the cottage like that?” Another pause. “Yes, yes, I know she went into the room, but she was merely checking the damage, not outright snooping. Look, I really think you should talk to her yourself.”

Tamsyn’s stomach coiled into a knot and the bite of apple she’d taken as she walked down the hall stuck in her throat.

“Lorenzo, calm down. I know how you feel about the whole Masters family, but Tamsyn was just a little girl when it happened. She and her brother were told Ellen was dead. She only found out the truth this year, after her father died.”

Her whole body tensed, poised for what she hoped would come next. Clearly, Lorenzo Fabrini was her mother’s gatekeeper. If she could only get past him.

Finn’s sigh echoed down the hall.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You only want what’s best for Ellen, and I agree it could be upsetting for her to see Tamsyn.” Tamsyn’s stomach sank. She should have expected it…but it still hurt to hear that no one, not even the man who’d been her lover just a few nights ago, was willing to put her feelings first.

“While you think about it,” Finn continued, “hopefully Tamsyn will stay here. I’ve left it open to her to stay as long as she needs, but she’s not my prisoner. It would have been easier for her to remain at the cottage and keep herself busy there… Okay, okay, enough already. Call me tonight.”

A sharp expletive rent the air as Finn ended the call. Tamsyn rocked back on her heels and thought about what she’d just heard. She still didn’t understand why everyone seemed to think it would be bad for her mother to see her. And she certainly didn’t understand why it had been necessary to lie to her all along. But she had to admit, Finn had seemed truly interested in helping her, as much as Lorenzo would let him. She wasn’t ready to trust him or even forgive him yet, but it did take the edge off her anger.

She waited a minute before continuing the short distance to his office. He wheeled around to face her as she gently knocked on the door and entered the room.

“Hi,” she said awkwardly. “Any chance we can pick up my car this morning?”

“After lunchtime will be best, the café will be busy with a crowd after the morning church services in town.”

She nodded, accepting that she could do nothing without his assistance. She ached to ask him about the phone call, but that would mean admitting she’d overheard part of his side of the conversation. Tamsyn very much doubted he’d be happy about that. She finished her apple, tossed the core into a small trash bin and then wandered over to the window. In front of it was a large table with a three-dimensional plan of a set of buildings next to a painted lake.

“You’re into development?” she asked, studying the layout of the buildings carefully. They looked similar in design to Finn’s house, making the most of the natural contours and features of the molded land.

“For this, yes.”

He came and stood beside her. Even though he was a good few inches away, she was acutely aware of the heat of his body, of the answering heat of her own. On the pretext of examining the board from a different angle, she moved away.

“What will it be?”