Just One Scandal (The Kingston Family 2)

Which told Chloe one thing: She’d been set up.

Her anger bubbled up along with a deep understanding of their concern. After all, if the situation were reversed and any one of them had been left at the altar and taken refuge with a stranger, she’d be out of her mind with worry, as well. But that didn’t mean they could manipulate her.

The front door was unlocked, and she let herself inside, following the sound of voices to the large family room her mother had redone shortly before Chloe’s father had passed away of a heart attack.

She stood in the wide entry, taking in the busy-looking chintz furniture covered with floral fabric and accented with dark wood. All her mother’s taste. Not Chloe’s.

In silence, she waited until, one by one, they noticed her.

“Honey, I’m so glad you’re home.” Her mother walked up to her and pulled her into a hug, and Chloe doubted anyone had told her mom that this was an ambush.

“Hi, Mom.” She hugged her back, taking in her familiar scent.

Breaking apart, she met Xander’s gaze. “You,” she said, pointing at her bearded brother, “used our relationship against me.”

“Whoa.” He held up both hands. “All I did was ask to see my sister. With a little prodding from him.” Xander tilted his head toward Linc and Jordan groaned.

“Can’t you keep your mouth shut?” Linc muttered.

“What? Because it isn’t obvious that this gathering means it’s time to have a chat with Chloe?” she asked with finger quotes around the word chat.

“I thought you all decided to come for a visit,” her mother said, her chiding gaze falling from one male child to the next.

Linc stepped toward Chloe. “Well, now that you’re here, can you at least understand that we’re worried about you? Holed up in Beckett Daniels’s place? You don’t even know him.” He reached out a hand to touch her arm and she jerked away.

Chloe dropped her shoulders and much of her anger. “Of course I understand you’re concerned. I would be, too, if the situation was reversed. But the whole point of me staying with Beck is that he’s not pressuring me. I have time to think and assess my life. When things get upended, that’s what you do.”

Dash, who’d been leaning against a far wall, stood straighter. “She deserves time to weigh her options and her life choices,” he said, and she shot him a grateful look.

“By moping around? Not going out or leaving the apartment?” Linc asked. “I don’t call that healthy behavior.”

Chloe narrowed her gaze. “Just how did you know that?”

“I didn’t say a word to anyone about anything! I swear. Except relaying your message to Linc,” Aurora said, obviously afraid Chloe would think she’d mentioned something to cause this intervention after her visit.

“I know.” Chloe softened her expression as she met her sister’s gaze. “This isn’t about anything you did.” Unfortunately she had a feeling she knew who’d actually been behind this meeting.

And if Beck wanted her to leave, all he’d had to do was ask. He hadn’t had to go behind her back to her brother, a man he didn’t even like, to push her away.

Hurt rose up inside her. “What did Beck say?” she asked Linc, talking over the painful lump in her throat.

Jordan stepped forward and nudged Linc out of the way. “Go. You’ve done enough damage,” she told him. “Chloe, look. All Beck said was that he was concerned that you’re feeling down, and he thought maybe you could use a talk with your family.”

Swallowing her sense of betrayal to deal with later, she nodded. “I appreciate that but nobody needs to worry about me. I have plans.” She sought to reassure them.

“Like coming back to work?” Linc asked, sounding hopeful.

“Linc, stop being so pushy. She knows you care but you’re going overboard.” Her mom glanced at Chloe and gave her a warm smile. “And what did you decide, honey?”

Chloe rubbed her hands up and down her arms. She sighed, knowing there wasn’t much she could do but confess, and turned to her oldest brother. “I haven’t been happy with my job for a while.”

“What? Since when?” Linc asked.

Chloe blinked, realizing how dense men could be. They didn’t pick up obvious signals. “You know I’ve asked to branch out into more eclectic design in our more modern buildings. To be able to use my talents more. And you always shoot me down.”

He frowned and didn’t reply right away, which meant at least he was thinking about her feelings because Linc loved her. They all did, and since Beck had instigated this get together, Chloe could understand their renewed concern.

“I just believe in sticking to what works,” he finally said.

Chloe sighed. “And I respect your business sense, but I need more to satisfy me.” Drawing a deep breath, she said, “I entered the Elevate Online Interior Design Professional’s Contest.” Putting herself out there wasn’t easy. Telling her family her intentions meant they would know if she failed and lost the contest. If so, she’d have to go crawling back to Linc with her tail between her legs, and that wasn’t an easy thing to face.