Resorting To The Truth. Lisa Dyson

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СКАЧАТЬ The humor in his voice came through clearly.

      “Sure. I’ve gotten quite attached to him.”

      “Glad to hear it.” He chuckled. “Hey, what about Charlotte?”

      “What about her?”

      “You were looking for something to get her out of this funk. What about giving her the trip? She wouldn’t have to attend the conference, but it’s a week’s vacation on an island.”

      “What about the plane ticket? I can’t put it in her name.”

      He was quiet for a few seconds. “See if you can get a credit. I’ll pay for a new flight once Charlotte agrees to go.”

      The idea was a good one. They’d both been troubled about Charlotte’s well-being since her mother’s letter. Charlotte was consumed with grief and anger; her therapist had been unable to help her cope. Charlotte was determined to keep searching for their biological relatives and had emailed and left messages over social media for anyone who might know or be related to their mother, Barbara Sherwood. Allie thought her motivation was because Charlotte was still angry her adoptive mother had known about Allie and never told Charlotte.

      “I’ll also chip in for the hotel room,” he added. “Tell Charlotte she can relax and Allie Miller will just not show up for the conference.”

      “That’s perfect!” She couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it herself. Her sister had been so good to her since they’d met, and this trip would be a nice way to repay her. “This is really a great idea, Jack. She’s been spending a lot of time searching for our other biological relatives, and I’m pretty sure she hasn’t been working much. I’m worried. Her next art show is in a few weeks and I don’t see how she’ll be ready.”

      “Then make sure she accepts the trip.”

      “Trust me, I’ll make sure she does.”

      “You are pretty persuasive,” he teased and then changed the subject. “Why don’t we plan a road trip to Vermont this weekend? The leaves are probably almost gone, but we could find a bed-and-breakfast and do some wine tasting and eat apple everything.”

      She groaned. “That sounds wonderful. You’re pretty persuasive yourself. So much better than a conference by myself. I’ll call Charlotte now.”

      * * *

      CHARLOTTE SWITCHED THE phone to her other ear as she walked barefoot across her living room, through the dining room and into the kitchen. “A vacation? Now? I don’t know, Allie. I’m not really in the mood for traveling.”

      “Come on,” Allie persisted. “You’ll have a great time. When was the last time you took a vacation?”

      “It’s been a while,” she admitted reluctantly. Probably some time before Charlotte’s mother had been diagnosed with cancer a year and a half ago. Charlotte didn’t count the emotional weekend at the beach she’d spent with her mother after the doctors had confirmed her mom had only a few months left to live. Plenty of time for her mother to have shared what she knew about Charlotte’s twin sister.

      “All the more reason you should go.”

      Charlotte had never vacationed alone. What would she do? She didn’t even go to movies by herself or dine in a restaurant at a table for one. That’s what Netflix and drive-throughs were for. “Thanks anyway. I appreciate the thought.”

      “Come on, Charlotte, you know you want to go. You need this. Take the time to relax and get a fresh perspective.”

      Could she resist such a fabulous opportunity? “I have so much to do,” Charlotte lamented. “I’m showing again next month, and I still have three more pieces I want to add to my inventory. I haven’t even started them.”

      “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you had beautiful sunset vistas, as well as birds and trees and a bunch of other stuff for inspiration?”

      Charlotte realized she was smiling at the thought, and her adrenaline kicked in. She was known for her pastels, but she’d been in a creative downswing from the moment of her mother’s diagnosis, stuck on charcoal as her preferred medium. The stark black with shades of gray on a white background echoed her current view of the world. Things had gotten worse after reading her mother’s letter.

      “Is your computer nearby?” Allie asked. “I just sent you some pics of the private island, Sapodilla Cay, off the Florida coast.”

      Charlotte reluctantly pulled up the pictures on her laptop. Unexpectedly, the myriad of colors in the tropical island sunset called to her. “I have been hoping to get back into pastels and—”

      “You can have a working vacation.” Allie took Charlotte’s comment as agreement. “Pack your art supplies and your bathing suit. I’ll email you the ticket so you can check in. The flight leaves at noon tomorrow.”

      Charlotte laughed. The situation was absurd. “I don’t know what to say.”

      “You deserve it. You’ve been there for me. I couldn’t have gotten that Fairleigh account without your help, not to mention meeting Jack. Please let me do this for you. Let us—Jack and me—do this for you.”

      Charlotte hesitated, but the pull of the ocean views nagged her. “This is really sweet of you, Allie. You’re such a thoughtful sister. I guess—”

      “I told Jack I could convince you.” Allie’s voice came through loud and clear before Charlotte could actually agree. “Go do whatever you need to do to get ready.”

      “Thank you, Allie.”

      “You’re very welcome. That’s what sisters are for.”

      The thought saddened her again—exactly the opposite of Allie’s intent. But Charlotte couldn’t help thinking how many years they’d missed as sisters, thanks to her mother.

      * * *

      THE NEXT MORNING, Charlotte wanted to crawl back into bed. She’d barely slept after going over all the details of this crazy, unexpected vacation. Partly because she was determined to enjoy the experience and leave her grief and anger behind, but mainly because she was sure she should skip the trip and stay home.

      She had stayed up way too late figuring out what to pack and what to wear on the plane. October in Rhode Island made a coat a necessity, but the temps in Fort Lauderdale and on the island would be too warm for more than a light jacket. Would the evenings on the island be cool this time of year because of the ocean breeze? She’d checked the weather app on her phone, but knew temperature wouldn’t tell the complete story that close to the ocean. She settled for layers since she always froze on airplanes when they reached cruising altitude.

      Not that she’d done a whole lot of flying. Occasionally, she’d needed to fly to get to galleries where her art was being shown. Beyond that, she’d traveled by car and twice by train.

      Once she had sorted out her wardrobe and realized how late it was, she had been terrified she’d sleep through her alarm clock. Not that she usually did, but because of that, she had woken every hour and then had finally gotten up twenty minutes before her alarm had gone off.

      Charlotte was ready early, СКАЧАТЬ