Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
As Willa entered her room, she thought about the advice she’d just given the three-year-old.
And realized she was doing the exact opposite.
I’m not using my voice at all.
Mom can call it maturity or professionalism. But really, I’m staying quiet so I don’t make the people who screwed me over uncomfortable.
And you know what? They did this. Not me.
I did nothing wrong. I have no reason to be embarrassed.
Cradling her phone in her hand, she wondered who to call. She had nothing to say to Kendall, and there was no point in confronting her mom.
No, there was only one person she needed to talk to. She sent the text.
Willa: We need to talk before Monday.
When her ex didn’t respond right away, she decided to shower and get dressed. Every few minutes, she’d peel back the shower curtain and check her phone. It was a Sunday morning. He’d get a run in and go to his favorite place for brunch.
Willa felt restless, uneasy. She was focused on the wrong thing. She finally got the lead associate role, and she needed to dive in.
In her mind, she ran through Monday’s kickoff. Data room. Diligence requests. Team assignments. First draft of the purchase agreement.
Her phone vibrated, interrupting her thoughts.
Nate: What’s up?
What’s up?
Are you serious? What do you think is “up,” you jerk? You slept with my sister.
She called him.
“Hey.” They might’ve only had one overnight together, but she recognized the deeper, sleep-rough edge in his voice.
Imagining Kendall in bed beside him made her stomach turn. “Are you alone?”
“I can be. Hang on.” His voice muffled as he pulled the phone away. A woman murmured something in the background. A moment later, he came back on the line. “Okay, I’m good. How was the wedding?”
“No.” A bitter laugh slipped out. “You don’t get to talk to me like everything’s normal. You were dating my sister and me at the same time. That’s disgusting. Why didn’t you tell me you were seeing her?”
“I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“Tell me why didn’t you end it with me first? Can you just give me the courtesy of a conversation? I think I deserve an explanation.”
“Yeah, okay. That’s fair.” He blew out a breath. “I should’ve handled it better.”
Handled it. Like she was a scheduling conflict. “I’m not a case file, Nate. I’m a person. At the very least, I was your friend. We were together for seven months.”
“We were never together. We hooked up.” His tone hardened. “It was never more than that, and you know it.”
“So? We were sleeping together. Does Kendall know?”
“I’ll admit there was overlap, but you weren’t looking for anything serious. She was.”
“I don’t understand. You were playing both of us to see which one would work out?”
When he didn’t answer, she knew she had it right. “Well, whatever love story you and Kendall plan on telling your future children, it still comes down to a guy who slept with two sisters. Shame on you.”
“Call it what you want, but I don’t feel shame. I’m building a future with someone.” He paused, his voice gentling. “It’s different with her.”
In the end, she was just a woman who’d been rejected, and it hurt. No amount of bravado could take away the sting. She hated the question even as it pushed past her lips. “Different how?”
“I’m thinking long term, Willa. About the firm. About my career. About the kind of life I want.”
“I’m literally the definition of that life. That’s why we worked. We wanted the same things.”
“With you, it was temporary.” He hurried to add, “Which is what you wanted.”
“I didn’t get there fast enough? Is that what you’re saying?”
He sighed. “I don’t think it was there for us. We didn’t have a connection outside of work.”
Her throat tightened. “But you and Kendall do?”
“Sure, yeah. We’re already talking about kids, about getting a place in Tribeca. We just… fit.”
“Do you…” She swallowed, hating herself for asking. “Is it better with her? Does she make you happier?”
“Willa…” He exhaled. “You’re smart. You’re fun. You’re a great attorney.”
“Answer the question.”
“Yes, okay? She makes me happier. It just works.”
Her hand pressed to her chest, but nothing softened the tight, aching knot.
She forced herself back to neutral ground.
“I get that we didn’t work out. I’m okay with that.
Neither of us developed feelings, but you should’ve ended things with me before you started dating my sister. Don’t you see that?”
“Sure, I do. But I’m looking at the next fifty years. It might be uncomfortable in the office for a while, but in the end, I get the life I want. Should I have talked to you? Yeah. But it wouldn’t have changed anything. I’d still be with Kendall.”
So, not some grand love story. That loosened the knot a little. But another thought slid in. “Did my mom… encourage you to date Kendall?”
That three-second beat of silence told her everything. “In a way. She thinks it’s a good match. For the firm. For all of us.”
The last fragile piece inside her chest cracked.
“So, the three of you talked it over,” Willa said. “And decided this made more sense.”
“It wasn’t some secret meeting. It just… evolved.” Then his voice shifted into office mode. “In any event, I hope we can put this behind us. We still have to work together, and we all have a common goal.”
She didn’t know there was a line until he crossed it.
And she was done being the calm, polished professional.
“You know what, Nate? Fuck you. I’m not here to make things easier for you.
Were we a love match? No, but that’s not the point.
You slept with two sisters. In the same office, run by the same mother.
So if I make things uncomfortable for you, I guess that’s the consequence of bad judgment. ”
She thumbed the End Call button before he could respond.
She was shaking. Filled with rage. She spun around, heading back to the kitchen to tell Decker what had just happened. He would not even believe these people. But on her way, her dad’s bedroom door opened…and a woman walked out.
Excuse me?
He’s got a girlfriend?
The dark-haired woman was younger than her dad—maybe late thirties. She smiled at Willa—not a hint of awkwardness.
Why didn’t Dad tell me he was seeing someone? Fired up by her call with Nate, she strode toward the woman with her hand out. “Hi.” Oof. That was way too aggressive. Still, she couldn’t control the hurt and anger roiling through her. “I’m Willa. Jack’s daughter.”
The petite woman smiled. “I’m so happy to meet you.” She shoved a pile of swatches under her arm to sandwich Willa’s hand between hers. “Your dad talks about you all the time. I’m Maria.”
Fabric samples meant… A bolt of awareness shot through her.
They’re moving in together?
Decorating a home?
No, come on. There are any number of options. “Are you reupholstering the dining room chairs?” Maybe he was getting after the things on her list—just on his own timeline.
“Oh, no. This is for your dad’s stuff.”
What stuff? She thought about his bedroom, the king-size bed, the antique dressers—one tall, one long—the matching nightstands. He had his beloved reading chair, the leather discolored from the back of his head. “I’m sorry. I’m at a disadvantage. I didn’t know my dad was dating anyone.”
“Dating? Me and Jack? Oh, no. That’s not…
No. I just work for him.” She shifted the heavy fabric.
“I used to work here in housekeeping, but I was a single mom with three kids, and I couldn’t keep up.
Between holidays and half days and sickness and parent meetings, I couldn’t keep all the balls in the air, so I got fired.
But when your dad found out, he offered me work upholstering his furniture.
It allowed me to work at home.” She smiled. “Jack’s the best.”
“What furniture?”
Maria’s head tipped. “You don’t know what your dad does?”
“I know he runs the inn. Is there something else going on?” If he had competing interests, that would absolutely impact his ability to run this place. It would explain a lot.
Maria set the swatches on a table and rummaged through her purse. Pulling out a pen and a folded receipt, she wrote down an address. “Go here, okay? You’ll get all your answers.”
Willa didn’t have a car, and she didn’t want to tie up Decker’s rental, so she called a cab. Her dad could bring her home.
On the drive out of town, she couldn’t help noticing the bright blue Wild West Days posters. The sadness dug deep. Because her dad wasn’t participating this year.
She couldn’t believe it. Every year, all the businesses on Main Street set up booths and sold their wares—it was a tradition going back a century. And for the first time, the Wild Rose Inn and Saloon wasn’t part of it.
Things weren’t adding up. The inn was considered the jewel of the town for the way it preserved history—fun, interactive, and rooted in tradition.
Everyone loved the molasses cookies, sarsaparilla, and homemade jam.
It was more than nostalgia. It was the feeling of visiting your grandparents, where everything was familiar, and you were welcomed with open arms.
What was her dad doing?
She’d told him missing out was a mistake, that the town expected it.
“I’m sorry, Willa-Bear. Nobody wants sarsaparilla and ginger cookies. They want fancy coffee drinks and pastries. And the jam? They can get the fancy stuff at Harley Lu Emporium.”
Why was he letting it all fade away? It wasn’t about money. She’d peeked at the books. The inn was clearly doing well.
But if her dad kept running it like this, why would anyone choose it over the other places in town? Other than the location, what would set it apart?
It would become just another rundown hotel with lousy reviews.
No.
The violent reaction in her body surprised her. But she couldn’t let her family legacy fade away.