“Dammit, I thought you were getting close to her—I thought this would work.”
“I did get damn close to her, but the instant she learned the truth … You can’t imagine her fury. She doesn’t want anything to do with me or any Delaney. Will, I did my damnedest with her.”
“I’m sure you did. I’m disappointed, but not with you. You always give a job your best.”
“We were getting along great and I thought I could safely tell her. I was wrong, but I don’t think she would have been any different if I had waited a year. She won’t listen to reason. She’s stubborn, determined and filled with hate for Argus. Because of that, Sophia will pass up the inheritance and hurt herself along with all of you. I’ve been shocked by the depth of her anger toward your dad. It’s monumental.”
“Garrett, I gotta ask,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about you giving up your pay for this. Do you care about her?”
Silence stretched between them. Garrett didn’t want to answer Will, but he knew his silence was telling.
“Dammit,” Will said. “We didn’t want you getting hurt in the cross fire.”
“Forget it, Will. None of us—not any of you, Sophia or even I—expected us to get involved. That’s beside the point here.”
“Sorry. That’s bad news. When the time is up on the inheritances, and we still want to meet her, do you think she’ll at least meet us and let us try to be a family?”
“I can’t answer that.”
“We all want to know her. You liked her, so in the right circumstances, I suppose we would, too.”
“Yes, you would. She’s like you in some ways, like Zach in others. She’s stubborn as hell—definitely a Delaney.”
Another heavy silence ensued. “What do you suggest as a next step?” Will finally asked.
“I’ve been thinking about it and the only thing I can come up with is to go back to your lawyer. Or get a different lawyer and see if he can reason with her.”
“Like I said, she won’t even talk to our attorney. She has her attorney talk to our attorney.”
“All right, but get him to tell her attorney everything you want her to know. Try to get him to convince her attorney this is in her best interests, which it is. Also, try to get across that you want to know her and include her in the family.”
“We’ll do that.”
“How can her attorney not want to argue in your favor when the size of the inheritance is so huge?” Garrett asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe a female attorney might get farther.”
“I don’t think it’ll matter. Man or woman, just get someone who is very clever and competent.”
“We’ll try. Don’t come home yet. Stay a few days longer and see if Sophia relents and has a change of heart.”
“Will, I’m coming home. Sophia doesn’t want to talk to me or see me again.”
“How could she be this bitter when he provided for them and her mother was in love with him?”
“She hated seeing her mother hurt by him, especially when he wouldn’t marry her. As a child she felt shut out and ignored by him.”
“That wasn’t so different from how he dealt with us. We had nannies, boarding schools. It wasn’t until we were adults that he began to show real interest in us.”
“She doesn’t know that and won’t care. Since she’s never met any of you, you’re not real to her and she is lashing out at him. She’s financially independent and she’s content with what she has.”
“The one person on earth who doesn’t want more money and she has to turn out to be our sister.”
“Sorry, Will. I failed all of you, but I tried,” Garrett said. “Will, other than this facet to her personality, she’s great. She truly is. You would like her.”
“Too bad she’s not one of those people who wants to be reunited with her long-lost relatives.”
“Work with your lawyer. Beyond that, I can’t think of any way to reach her.”
“Thanks, Garrett. I know you tried. I still say you might hang around in case she has a change of heart. Miracles happen and you had a chance to say some good things about us.”
“Will, I couldn’t say anything about you, much less sing your praises.”
“You surely did a little tonight.”
“I didn’t have much of an opportunity. I’ll wait a few days but it’s hopeless as far as I can tell.”
“Okay, I’ll let the others know,” he said, and paused. “Damn, thanks seems inadequate if the two of you had something going and then this killed the relationship.”
“Don’t worry about me.”
“Hang in there, Garrett. And keep in touch.”
“Sure. Sorry, Will. I’m damned sorry,” Garrett repeated.
He told Will goodbye, then raking his fingers through his hair, he swore. As bitter as Sophia had been and as stubborn, he couldn’t imagine her changing.
He looked at his phone and pulled up the picture he had taken of her. His anger transformed to pain as he stood mesmerized by the picture of the moment that remained magical in his memory. She looked breathtaking, happy, sexy. He remembered reaching out to pull her into his arms and kiss her, and he longed to feel her against him now. Even though he was angry with her stubborn refusal to open her mind a little, he was torn with guilt about making love to her when he had been deceiving her. There were reasons he deserved her anger. He wanted to hold her right now.
He hurt for the loss. While he hadn’t known her long, it had seemed as if she had become a permanent part of his life.
He shook his head and swore again. The familiarity and closeness had been pure delusion. For her to become so furious with him, he must have meant nothing to her.
He couldn’t stop glancing at the picture even though he knew the futility of longing to see her. Wasn’t going to happen. He ran his thumb over her smiling image. Tonight would she think over what he had said? Or was she almost as angry with him as she was with Argus? Garrett missed her far more than he would have dreamed possible.
There was no going back, no setting aside the Delaneys and having something with Sophia. He might as well start trying to move on with his life.
Sophia painted until six, knowing she was merely going through the motions until she had to get dressed for some appointments. Her anger was overshadowed by pain over the break with Garrett and the deceit he had practiced. She couldn’t believe it— Argus Delaney was still causing her pain even after his death. Garrett’s arguments nagged at her, but she didn’t want to think about them or consider them in the least. He had completely betrayed her trust—in more ways than one.
She didn’t believe for a second that the Delaneys wanted to meet her and would still want to after the deadline had passed. They had to be just like their father and after more money. She was certain greed ruled their lives.
When she went to her closet, she barely glanced at her red suit that she had worn with Garrett. Pulling out a black suit that matched her mood, she stepped out of her robe and began to dress. She tried to put last night out of her mind as she got ready to go to the gallery.
She called Edgar and they agreed to meet for lunch. Friday was the anniversary of the opening of his first gallery and he was celebrating with an open house. He had planned to send invitations to clients with a listing of the artists who would be present, including her. Now she wished she could cancel so she could go to Santa Fe and try to forget