Instead of answering, she turned her head away and watched the scenery pass.

chapter

six

Alec strode into Jake and Lacey’s house and called out for Lacey. Jake was working, but Lacey’s car was in the drive. Their housekeeper came into the living room, wiping her hands on a towel.

“She’s upstairs in her studio, sir.”

He nodded his thanks and climbed the stairs to the third floor. Classical music droned from the speakers in the corner and Lacey, her back to him, was standing in front of a canvas.

“Knock, knock.”

She turned but her usual smile was slow in coming. She walked to the iPod station and turned the music down. “Hey. Everything okay?”

No, but it wasn’t her problem he couldn’t shake the shit Faith had said from his mind. “I’m good. I was wondering if you’d be up for getting everyone together for a night out. Dinner, a club, something. Tonight’s probably too late, but next Friday?”

“Do you mean with Cole and Mia?”

“And Faith.”

Now she smiled like she meant it. “Sure. I’ll talk to everyone. It’ll be fun.”

He nodded and turned to go, but her canvas caught his attention. Or rather, what she was painting on the canvas. “What’s that?”

“Oh, come look.” She wiped her hands on a cloth and handed him a printout. “I went over to Faith’s earlier to invite her to join me and Mia at the spa tomorrow. She had this picture on the mantel of her and her sister. I snapped a picture with my phone.”

“I thought it was just her and her folks.” Wasn’t that what she’d said at lunch this week? The photo was obviously taken years ago. Both girls wore big grins and hospital gowns. The other one, Faith’s sister, had no hair.

“Her sister died from cancer. It must’ve been a while ago because that’s the only photo she had out.”

Cancer. That . . . sucked.

They looked like sisters. The facial shape and pouty mouth bore similarities. But where Faith’s eyes were golden brown, her sister’s were hazel. She also seemed to have a good four or five years on Faith.

Faith who ate only insanely healthy food, went to bed at a decent hour, and only had one kidney.

Someone else needed it.

Her sister? Alec didn’t know a lot of the medical aspects of cancer treatment, but would a new kidney be a requirement? Maybe the sister had renal cancer? He shook his head.

“I thought I’d paint the two of them, but I don’t know what her sister’s hair looked like before she lost it all. Do you think she’ll be upset I’m doing this?”

Hell if he knew, but it was a nice thing Lacey was doing. In the painting she’d started, she’d replaced the hospital gowns with regular T-shirts. Also gone was the hospital bed and the tubes and wires protruding from them both. Lacey had painted the ocean behind them instead.

Alec examined the picture more closely, wondering why Faith was connected to the equipment if she was healthy. Maybe this photo was taken when she donated the kidney. It was obviously a hard topic for Faith to discuss, as she’d changed the subject when he’d asked about her habits.

No wonder. He felt like an ass for teasing her.

He handed the printout back to Lacey. “I’m sure she’ll love it. You can always ask her about the hair when you see her.” If Lacey was attempting to replace the negative images by removing the hospital setting, then leaving her sister’s head bald wouldn’t be wise.

“I hope you’re right. I don’t want to upset her. I painted Cole, Dean, and I like this for Cole’s living room. He loved it.”

Dean being their brother who had died ten-plus years ago. It had hit Cole and Lacey very hard. Had hit everyone hard.

Lacey’s painting captured Faith’s smile and eyes in vivid detail. Guess her skills went beyond landscapes. “You’re very good.”

“You think?” She beamed a smile with all the innocence of youth, clearly not seeking compliments. Guess everyone had their insecurities. Even rich princesses.

“I do.” He walked to the door. “Back to the writing cave for me.”

Except when he returned to the guesthouse, intent on pounding out some words if it killed him, images of Faith with IVs and hospital gowns swam before his eyes, blending with images of Laura from years ago. The look on Faith’s face when she’d explained her diet was just as haunting. He forced himself to think of the sweet smile Faith had when he drove with the top down, but that only caused more chaos in his head.

Fuck it. He scrubbed his hands over his face and retrieved a beer from the fridge to sit out on the back deck. But he couldn’t sit either. So he paced.

Eventually, the restlessness eased and he leaned against the railing. Dusk was starting its descent, taking with it some of the heavy humidity from the air. A few sailboats were still in the water off in the distance. Gulls circled overhead. Waves lapped the shore. He took it all in, hoping for a glimpse of inspiration to get words down. Anything he could hold on to with both hands.

Damn, but he couldn’t shake the emptiness inside. Even as a child, he’d had fictional characters and story ideas for company. Losing that was like solitary confinement. Isolation. He was powerless. Useless.

Lost.

Glancing to his left, he caught Faith on the other side of the beach, walking toward the water. Her arms were crossed in front of her and, just as she’d done before, she watched the ocean with still composure. Everything about her resonated serenity. If not for the loneliness and longing in her eyes, he’d swear she had no emotions. He wondered how long it took her to train herself not to desire. To want. Because Faith, for some ungodly reason, appeared satisfied with being invisible. Where others pushed and fought for more—more money, more friends, more status—Faith was content, just as she was, in her little corner of the world.

Or so it seemed to him. He knew he was right, though. He’d watched people his entire life, could read them.

She pulled a phone from her pocket and stared at the screen. After several long moments, her arms fell to her sides and she plopped her butt on the sand. Still holding the phone, she brought the heels of her palms to her eyes and rocked.

He was halfway down the beach before he realized what he was doing and stopped. She hadn’t come out here for comfort or company. She’d come out to be alone. Obviously something had her in tears. Tears in general he could handle. Faith in tears? Probably not.

And he was the last person who could make someone feel better. He’d proven that over and over again.

Backtracking, although he really wanted to move forward, he made his way to the guesthouse to leave her to it.

*   *   *

“What can I get you to drink?”

Faith looked at the glasses of champagne Mia and Lacey held, and then up at the spa attendant. Should she ask for water? Would it be rude to refuse a drink? She never indulged in alcohol, not even wine. But as long as she didn’t do it in excess, one glass wouldn’t hurt.

“Whatever they have is fine. Thank you.”

“So.” Lacey leaned back in her pedicure chair. “Alec wants to get everyone together for a night out.”

Mia wiggled her toes in the footbath. “What’s he have in mind?”

“Clubbing or dinner was mentioned. What do you think?”

Faith didn’t realize Lacey was talking to her until no one answered. “Oh. Sure. I can watch Ginny for you while you guys go out.”

Lacey laughed. “We meant for you to join us.”

Her chest swelled a little at the offer, but . . . “Oh, well . . . I’m not sure.”

Alec was a bigwig author from New York, used to brushing elbows with the rich and famous. Clubbing was probably a nightly thing for him. Lacey and Cole were upper-crust elite. Martinis and caviar kind of people. Mia, though from an impoverished childhood, had settled into her new, comfortable life here. But Faith would never fit in.