Passion Play

Lily was seated at the head of the table, with Xavier to her left and Tyler on her right. Xavier seemed to be paying particular attention to Lily. Although Lily was friendly, she didn’t seem encouraging. Rose sat at the other end of the table on Donovan’s left. Iris sat across from him beside Tyler. They were all dressed in business clothes since they’d met right after work.

Donovan had persuaded Rose to extend a dinner invitation to him, Tyler and Xavier during their spontaneous lunch last Tuesday. He’d used the excuse that they needed to “better develop” their fake relationship. Rose had seemed dubious at first, almost as though she’d known Donovan just wanted to spend more time with her but apparently his fake girlfriend believed there was safety in numbers.

Lily caught Donovan’s gaze as she returned her glass of ice water to the table. “Have you received a response to your statement from the city?”

“We haven’t heard anything yet.” Donovan turned his attention to Rose. “I don’t know what’s taking so long.”

“It’s only been two weeks.” Rose’s voice was patient as she reminded him. “However, if I don’t hear anything from the council by Friday, I’ll contact them for an update on Mo

nday.”

“Fair enough. Thanks.” Donovan gazed around the table. He was encouraged by how well the evening was going. “Why did you start the Beharie family dinners?”

“Our parents started it once we all moved back to Columbus after college and graduate school.” Rose’s voice was warm with happy memories.

“When Lily moved back into the house after they died, it seemed natural for us to continue the tradition.” Iris cut into her pie and ice cream.

“It’s a nice tradition.” Donovan’s observation was an understatement. He admired their tradition and the familial closeness it fostered. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.” Rose gave him a gentle smile. “Losing them was difficult.”

“These dinners helped us deal with our grief.” Lily toyed with her pie and ice cream.

Rose swallowed a bite of dessert. “The only difference is that we get together on Wednesdays instead of Sundays. We couldn’t wait the whole week.”

“No, we couldn’t.” Iris chuckled. “These have become great venting sessions to talk about heavy caseloads.” She nodded toward Rose, then squeezed Tyler’s forearm over the sleeve of his brown jersey. “And unreasonable clients.”

“Hey, now.” Tyler pretended to glower at her but the laughter in his eyes gave him away.

Xavier turned to Lily. “What do you vent about?”

Lily shrugged a shoulder beneath her pale pink blouse. “I don’t have much to complain about.”

“Lil is our therapist.” Rose grinned. “She keeps Iris and me from going off the deep end.”

“That’s a full-time job.” Lily sent her older sister a mocking look.

Donovan smiled. He was seeing a different side of Rose, a warm and loving side. She and her sisters shared an unbreakable bond of love, trust and commitment that went beyond sibling obligations.

Rose turned to Donovan. “So how did the three of you become friends? You’re not from Columbus.”

Donovan was surprised she’d asked a personal question. He swallowed his pie before answering. “No, I’m from Chicago. We met at college, New York University. Xavier and I became friends first. Then Ty enrolled and the three of us have been close ever since.”

“Do you miss Chicago?” Rose’s chocolate eyes remained focused on him.

Be careful what you wish for, Donovan reminded himself too late. Now that he’d caught Rose’s interest, he was afraid of her learning too much about his past. “No, I don’t have any ties to Chicago. I lost my parents a long time ago.”

“I’m so sorry.” A flash of pain crossed Rose’s elegant features.

Xavier squeezed Donovan’s shoulder. “Nothing can make up for losing parents, but at least he has family in Columbus now.”

From across the table, Donovan saw the agreement on Tyler’s face. It still amazed him how easily the Anderson family had accepted him despite his past—Xavier and Tyler as well as Foster and Kayla. He felt more like a blood relative than a close family friend and business associate.

Iris’s chuckle eased the sudden emotion building in the room. “The first time I met the Anderson Adventures leadership team was during one of your meetings. It was more like a family gathering than an executive meeting.”

“I’m sorry Foster and Kayla weren’t able to join us tonight.” Lily still played with her food.

“Perhaps they can join us if we do this again.” Donovan tried to sound casual.