Chapter 54
Frankie choked on the sip of water she’d just taken, nearly spitting it out. “What?”
Harper was rolling the edge of her paper napkin into a tight line. She stopped and looked away, shaking her head. “That’s just perfect.”
“I was young,” Shar said. “I know that’s not an excuse, but I really didn’t know what was going on. They didn’t tell me what they were doing. All I knew was I was picking them up. When they jumped into the car, they just told me to drive.”
This wasn’t what Frankie had expected to hear. Not even a little bit. “So when you got arrested, they made you give us up?”
Harper grunted, giving her sister a cutting look. “She didn’t just get arrested. She went to prison. They don’t take your kids away just because you get arrested. Also, how did you not find this out during your research?”
Shar spoke before Frankie could answer. “My father knew people. He did everything he could to keep it quiet.” She exhaled, the soft, ragged breath making Frankie cringe. Shar sounded so…defeated. “And Harper’s right. I did go to prison.”
Frankie still didn’t fully understand how that had resulted in them being taken away. “What about your parents? Was there no family that could care for us while you were incarcerated? What about our dad and his relatives?”
Shar looked like she was on the verge of crying again but not happy tears this time. “My parents didn’t want anything to do with me at that point. Because of … certain circumstances, they hadn’t met either of you. Buck’s parents hadn’t been in his life for a while. It wasn’t a good situation for either of us.”
“You think,” Harper snapped.
Frankie set her hand over top of Harper’s. Things were about to go sideways. Frankie really didn’t want that to happen, but she could feel it coming. Harper practically vibrated with anger. “Harper is upset about what happened to us. And rightly so.”
Shar swallowed. “I’m sorry, Harri—Harper. I don’t blame you. You have every right. I’m angry, too, you know. I was put into a terrible position. I lost my children. My whole reason for being.” Tears appeared in her eyes again. “You two girls were everything to me.” Her voice cracked. “And I was powerless to stop any of it from happening. No one cared what happened to me. No one stood up for me. I had a public defender who was worthless.”
Frankie nodded, trying to understand. Harper didn’t say a word. Just sat there and smoldered.
Then Shar’s tone changed. “I guess you’ve both lived perfect lives. Never made any mistakes, never messed up, never got in with the wrong crowd. Well, good for you. That wasn’t my life. You must have been adopted by wonderful people full of forgiveness and understanding with plenty of money to see to your every need.”
She grabbed her purse.
“Shar,” Frankie said. “Please don’t go. We’re all allowed to feel what we feel. All of us. That includes you. We can’t know what you went through or how you felt. Just like you can’t know what it was like for us. That’s why talking is important. As hard as this discussion is, it’s an important one we need to have.”
The server approached. Frankie caught the woman’s attention and shook her head. The server nodded and made a U-turn.
Shar held her purse on her lap. “Why aren’t you as mad as Harper?”
Frankie hadn’t wanted to share this much so soon, but she saw no other way to answer that question truthfully. “I have children and I think it’s important for them to know where they come from. Having children has given me a different perspective.”
Shar nodded, seemingly mollified. She looked at Harper. “I am deeply sorry about what happened to both of you. If I could have changed it, I would have. I would have done anything for things to be different. I hope you believe that.”
Harper shrugged coolly. “I’m sure it was hard for you. But you were an adult. We had no idea what was happening or why you’d left us.”
Shar looked down at her purse. “I was told everything would be explained to you. Just like I was told I’d be able to apply for custody when I got out. But by that time, neither of you were in the system anymore. They told me it was too late.”
She sniffed. “I was lied to by a lot of people. But you two paid the biggest price. For all of it.” She started crying, softly. “I’m so, so sorry.”
Frankie felt for the woman. Not because she was any kind of relation, but because she was clearly hurting as much as they were. She reached across the table and touched Shar’s arm. “Hey, it took courage to come here today. You get points for that. And for being honest. I know that was hard.”
She nudged Harper. “Wouldn’t you agree, Harper? Being honest is a big deal.”
Harper sighed. “Yeah, I suppose so.” She sat back. “I’m sorry you got dealt such a bad hand.”
Shar nodded and used her napkin to wipe at her tears. “Thank you. I’m very sorry for everything that happened to both of you. At least you got to be adopted together.”
Frankie frowned. “I don’t know who told you that, but it’s not true. We weren’t adopted together.”
Harper leaned forward again, sparks in her eyes. “You think I’d be this angry if I’d gotten to grow up with my sister? I was the big sister. I was supposed to take care of her. And I couldn’t even do that.”
Frankie had never heard Harper say anything like that before. “I didn’t know you felt that way.”
“I do,” Harper said. “Always have. I should have been able to protect you and I couldn’t.”
“I know how you feel,” Shar said softly.
For a long, tense moment, none of them said another word.
Finally, Frankie spoke. “How about we get something to eat? I know there’s a lot more to talk about, but we can still have some lunch, can’t we?”
“Sure,” Shar said.
Harper nodded. She wasn’t frowning, but she wasn’t smiling, either. Frankie wished she could read her sister’s mind. Then again, maybe that wouldn’t be such a great idea.
They picked up their menus and had a look. After a minute, the server returned. “Have you ladies decided on what you’d like to eat?”
The server looked at Frankie, so Frankie went first. “I’ll have the club sandwich on wheat toast.”
Shar nodded. “That sounds good. I’ll have that, too.”
They both handed their menus over. The server looked at Harper. “And for you?”
Harper glanced toward the counter. “What kind of pie do you have?”
“We have apple, coconut custard, and Better Than pie.”
Harper’s brow wrinkled. “Better than?”
The server smiled. “Better than sex, better than any other pie I’ve had, better than anything I can make—you get the picture.”
“Right,” Harper said. “What is it exactly?”
“Chocolate cookie crust filled with chocolate ganache and topped with a layer of salted caramel. We can also warm it up and top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s kind of like an upside-down sundae.”
Harper gave the server her menu. “Sounds perfect. I’ll have that. With a Diet Coke.”
Frankie knew her expression was giving away her surprise, but she’d never known Harper to eat like that. “Pie à la mode for lunch, huh?”
Harper nodded. “If there was ever a day for comfort food, this is it.”
Frankie couldn’t argue that. “Now that you mention it, maybe I’ll get one, too.” She quickly shook her head at the server, who took the menus and left.
Harper interlaced her fingers and set her hands on the table. “So, Shar, when did you get out?”
Shar seemed less than pleased with the line of questioning, but she should have expected it. “I served almost six years.”
Frankie was horrified. “Just for driving the car?”
Shar nodded. “Buck and his friends had guns. One of the security guards got shot, nothing serious, but injured all the same. That complicated things. A lot.”
“Wow,” Harper said softly, like the reality of it was just hitting her. “How did you survive? I’m genuinely curious. I can’t imagine what prison must be like.”
“It was very hard.” Shar’s gaze took on a faraway look. “But I knew when I got out, I’d see you girls again. And then that didn’t happen. That was worse than being in prison.” She looked at them both. “I was deeply depressed. I almost didn’t survive that. But I kept telling myself that someday I would see you again.”
“And now, here you are.” Frankie smiled.
Harper spoke again. “And this guy, Buck, was our father?”
Shar nodded. “Buck McCandless.”
“Why wasn’t he on our birth certificates?” Frankie asked.
A little smirk crossed Shar’s face. “When Harriet, sorry, Harper, was born, we weren’t quite married yet. And when you came along, Frances, I was mad at him for some reason or another that I don’t remember now. Anyway, I left him off to be spiteful, I guess.” She shrugged. “Things you do at that age.”
“What happened to Buck?” Harper asked.
That surprised Frankie. She’d thought her sister wanted nothing to do with either of their parents.
“Well,” Shar said. “When I got out, Buck still had time left on his sentence. I was able to reconcile with my parents, so I went and lived with them. I filed for divorce right away. Years later, after I’d remarried and moved on with my life, my mother told me Buck had been killed in a car accident after he got out.”
“Just as well,” Harper said. “We don’t need any more complications.”
“I don’t know,” Frankie said wistfully. “I think it’s sad. Everyone deserves a second chance, don’t they? Would have been nice to at least meet him.”
“He loved you girls,” Shar assured them.
Harper made a face.
Frankie understood. Their father might have loved them, but not enough to make better decisions. This meeting had been one bombshell after another.
Harper’s decision to have pie made perfect sense.