Chapter 28
“Well? Are you going to go up there? That’s the house, ain’t it?”
Athena remained glued to her seat despite Christopher urging her to get out. All her belongings were in the truck just in case she was welcomed back. Never before had she thought she’d feel like she could be compared to the prodigal son. And yet here she was, fighting her reckless ways to come back to the only place that had felt like home since before she could remember.
“You won’t figure out if you’re welcome if you don’t knock on that door.”
“I know,” she said quietly.
“Then you might as well get out of the truck. I can’t sit here all day. I have a hair appointment.”
Athena let out a sharp laugh and looked at the man who had managed to weasel into her heart in such a short amount of time. “I cut your hair last week.”
“That’s why I need it done again. You did a shoddy job.”
She gasped. “I told you I didn’t know how to cut hair.”
He chuckled before turning his gaze to the house. “It’s not quite what I expected. You said twelve of them live here?”
“Some of them have moved out. It’s hard to keep track,” she said softly, following his gaze. “It’s bigger than it looks.”
Christopher pressed his lips together, the creases in his face deepening as he seemed to consider her words. “Well, if this is home for you, the only way you’re going to get it back is by taking those first steps.”
“I’m gonna do it, sheesh!” Her eyes darted to meet his. “But if they don’t want me—”
“I’ll be just down the street. You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll wait for thirty minutes, and if you don’t come, then I’ll know to go.”
Thirty minutes didn’t seem nearly long enough for her to make amends and ask for her room back. These people might feel like family to her, but she was nothing more than a stranger to them—except for Henry. She’d shared so much of her life with him that she couldn’t think of a single thing she hadn’t told him. The only things he didn’t know, she also had no clue about.
There was only one bit of her past that he had access to that she’d refused. Her family.
Her real family.
Athena took in a shuddering breath, but it didn’t do any good. She couldn’t get a handle on her nerves. While she thought she knew Henry well enough, she couldn’t say for certain if he would take her back. The others would take cues from him—maybe not Hudson. He didn’t seem to care if she left or if she stayed. He just didn’t want her to string his brother along.
She could barely breathe as she reached for the door handle. Pausing before she pushed the door open, she glanced over to Christopher. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything.”
His warm smile was the only thing that made this moment feel less intimidating. “You’re going to do great.” Then he jerked his chin toward the back seat. “I gave you a little extra with your wages this week. I hope it helps you get off on the right foot.”
She blinked back tears. “You didn’t have to—”
“It’s not much, but I hope if you ever find yourself needing some help, you’ll know where it came from and that you’re always welcome to come back.”
Her emotions continued to overflow. Twice in the last several months she’d come across people who would willingly give her the shirt off their own backs. All her life she’d been so jaded and so angry with the people around her. Was it possible that by shutting out those she didn’t trust, she’d been shutting out the possibility of finding people she could trust?
Athena reached over and wrapped her arms around Christopher. “Thank you so much.” She pulled back and hurried from the vehicle before she lost the strength to do what she’d come here for.
She retrieved her bag in the back and watched Christopher drive away. Her pulse roared, her palms were clammy, and she couldn’t feel her feet. Slowly, she turned to face the house, only then noticing that a car she didn’t recognize was parked right up by the garage.
Her eyes lingered on it as she moved toward the house. But then the sound of the door opening tore her focus from the car, and she stopped dead in her tracks.
The woman at the top of the stairs standing beside Henry looked a lot like her. The similarities to herself were uncanny. No, they weren’t identical, but she could see herself in this woman.
The stranger glanced toward Henry. His mouth moved but Athena couldn’t make out what he was saying. The woman turned toward Athena and put down the bag she had in her hand. She took a step forward, then paused.
Neither one of them seemed capable of making the first move. Not even Henry had stepped forward to introduce them, though Athena knew instinctively that this woman was family.
Heart pounding, Athena moved forward. She’d been alone for so long. She hadn’t allowed herself to believe that there was someone else out there related to her. That wasn’t true. She’d thought maybe one or both of her parents were still around somewhere, but this woman was too young to be her mother.
There was only one option. This woman was her sister.
Her sister’s expression broke into a relieved sob. She darted down the stairs and threw her arms around Athena. “I can’t believe I found you.”
Athena found Henry’s eyes. He stared at her, his gaze unreadable. She couldn’t tell if he was happy to see her or upset that she’d come back. It could go either way. At least one person was happy to see her. And her grip was like a vise.
Slowly, Athena wrapped her arms around the woman clinging to her. “Me too.” She wasn’t sure what made her say those words. She didn’t know this woman at all, and yet there was something inside that told her they had a connection that couldn’t be broken.
Her sister pulled back, placing both hands on either side of Athena’s face. “You don’t know how long I’ve been looking for you.”
Athena stared at her, wondering just how this woman even knew she existed. Her eyes drifted toward Henry, surprised to find him missing. He must have slipped back inside to leave her and her sister to get to know one another better.
“Henry told me you go by Athena now.” She smiled. “I think it suits you. I’m Rachel.”
Athena’s head continued to spin with each statement Rachel made. Even as they wandered off toward the trails that would lead them through various pastures, Athena couldn’t bring herself to ask a single question—not that she would have been able to get a word in edgewise with how much Rachel talked.
“We were in a car accident. Our parents and us. You were three, and I was only one.”
Athena’s eyes widened. “You were one?”
Rachel nodded. “I was strapped in tight. They thought you were dead—the people who found the car. There was no sign of you. They sent out a search party but never found you. I only learned about you from our great-aunt.”
This was all too much.
Rachel stopped and faced Athena. “After the accident that killed our parents, I was put into foster care and then adopted. Since they thought you hadn’t survived, no one looked for you…”
“Except you,” Athena said in amazement.
Her sister nodded. “I just knew you were out there somewhere. I—it’s like I could sense you. I can’t explain it. But when I turned sixteen, there was just this feeling that you were out there somewhere, and I needed to look for you. The problem was that if you were alive, then there was a chance you didn’t know who you were. You could have had amnesia. You might not have known your last name. If they put you into the system, then I couldn’t look for my sister, Diana McKune.” Rachel placed a hand to her head. “It’s a miracle that Henry found me. I don’t know how he did it. Pure luck.”
Athena’s stomach churned. She had told Henry to leave it alone—that there was no point in finding someone who didn’t want to be part of her family. But Athena had been wrong. They had loving parents who were ripped from their lives too soon. Athena had a baby sister who had refused to give up looking for her. “Diana…” Athena said.
“Hmm?”
“My name. It was Diana?”
Rachel smiled. “That’s what Great-Aunt Tina said.”
“And she didn’t want to raise you?” Athena couldn’t help but feel a little miffed by whoever this aunt was.
“Honestly? I think it was for the best. She was too old to be chasing after a kid. I got adopted by a lovely couple. They didn’t have any other children, which is probably one of the reasons I wanted to find you so badly.” Rachel grinned. “And I finally did.”
“They were okay with you looking for me?”
Rachel reached for Athena’s hand. “My folks wanted me to be happy. They understood how important it was for me to find you. I’m just glad that you seem to have found your own family.” Rachel motioned to the pastures around them. “This place is absolutely beautiful.” Her face scrunched up into a frown. “Henry thought you left because you were upset with him, though.”
Athena looked away. She took a step backward, but her sister wouldn’t let her get too far. “I have… a lot of baggage I’m working through. I think I needed some space to realize what it was I would be losing if I didn’t come back.” She stared at her feet, hating how bad that sounded. Rachel probably thought she wasn’t a good person now.
“I get that,” Rachel said quietly. “He didn’t tell me much, but he did tell me that you had a rough upbringing. That sort of thing can do some damage.”
Lifting her gaze, Athena was surprised to find only empathy in her sister’s gaze. “You… are you always this… nice?”
Rachel laughed. “I hope so. But between you and me, I’m not much of a sharer—well, except with you. I prefer to keep my life private. Henry seemed to think we had that in common. I didn’t tell him much—just that we were separated when we were children and I got adopted by a nice couple. There was no need to tell him much more than that.”
“Does that sort of thing matter?” Athena asked.
Her sister shrugged. “My parents are very wealthy. I think it’s one of the reasons I was able to find you. I had more resources at my fingertips.”
“And you didn’t tell Henry that…”
She shook her head. “Like I said, there’s no need. Money changes people. Everyone I’ve met who knew about my family’s wealth has tried to get something from me. It’s just easier if I don’t tell people about it, you know?”
They had two very different lives. Rachel had everything given to her, while Athena had nothing. And yet they’d both felt isolated and alone in this world. They continued walking to nowhere in particular. Athena glanced toward her sister. “Well, I hope you know I won’t be one of those people.”
Rachel smiled more to herself than anything else. “It wouldn’t matter if you were.” She stopped and faced Athena. “You’re my sister. I’d give you anything. You just have to ask.”
Athena couldn’t believe her ears.
Her sister glanced around them once more. “I’ve been here for two weeks, and there’s one thing I think I’ve realized.”
“What’s that?”
“I think I understand why you decided to stay.”
“I haven’t—”
Rachel gave her a pointed look. “You came back. I think that speaks more than you realize.” Her head tilted and she grinned. “It’s Henry, isn’t it? He’s the one who knew the most about you. He clearly has a thing for you. Did you know that?”
Athena flushed. She knew that Henry cared for her. Even with all the comments he’d made about her. The problem was whether or not he’d forgive her.
“Yep. I figured as much.” Rachel sighed, placing both hands on Athena’s shoulders. “You know what I think? This place feels like home.”
Athena’s brows shot up. “You think this place feels like home?”
“I’ve waited my whole life to meet you, Athena. I don’t want to lose you. And I’m not willing to take you away from the place you feel safe. Maybe I’ll stick around a little longer. I’m sure I can find a place to rent.”
“You’d… do that?”
Rachel pulled her in for another hug. “That’s what sisters are for.”