Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
“I’m so sorry for scaring you,” Cassie said. She and her half sister Lyra were seated at a small table at the back of the café.
Her stomach had finally crawled its way up from her feet. She had confronted a serious fear, and the world hadn’t ended. A year ago, she never would’ve dreamed this was possible.
“No, I’m sorry,” Lyra said with a hand on her chest. She kept staring at Cassie like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “You look so much like Mom that I thought I was seeing an actual ghost. Oh—” She went pale, and her enthusiasm slipped. “Do you know?” she asked hesitantly.
“That she passed? Yes. I’m so sorry. That must have been really hard for you.”
“It was terrible. I can’t believe it’s been two years. Did you ever meet her?”
Cassie shook her head. “I hired a private investigator a little over a year ago. It was too late.”
“So were you adopted?”
Cassie nodded.
“Where did you grow up?” Lyra asked.
“Baltimore. In Roland Park.”
Lyra let out a low whistle. “Swanky. What do your adopted parents do?”
Cassie hesitated. Thinking about her parents was really bringing the mood down. “Dad’s head of neurology at Johns Hopkins. And my mother heads up like a thousand committees and fundraisers.”
Lyra nodded knowingly. “I can’t believe I didn’t know I had another sister out there.” Lyra’s eyes were brown, but there was an undeniable similarity in their shape and placement.
She sat up, and the mood shifted again. Lyra was like an emotional barometer, able to control the mood of any space. “Wait, you know there’s another one of us, right? Andromeda? Don’t call her that, though—it’s Andi or nothing. Oh man, she’s going to flip her shit. I should text her.”
She picked up her phone, but froze. “This feels like more of an in person kind of conversation. And I don’t want to take that moment from you. Um, what are you doing for dinner tomorrow?”
“No plans,” Cassie said. “I don’t leave until Sunday afternoon.”
Lyra leaned forward. “Oh my god. You have to come for a crab feast. You eat seafood, right?”
“Definitely.”
While crab feasts were a staple celebration in Maryland, Cassie had never attended one. Her parents had a lot of opinions about people eating with their hands.
“Great. Five p.m. I’ll get the friends over too so you can meet everyone. We do potluck-style, so bring like a dozen ears of corn with you. Let me write down the address for you—”
“I already have it.” Cassie gestured to the stack of papers in her envelope.
“Oh, right. Well, Andi’s going to freak out. In a good way. I think. It can be a gamble with her.”
“Andi lives nearby too?” she asked to cover the sudden silence, even though she knew from obsessive research that Andi’s farm was four miles to the east.
It felt weirdly refreshing to say these names out loud. She had never dared tell Dave about hiring a private investigator—he didn’t like any reminder of her roots and scolded her for her curiosity.
Her sisters had been her secret. Sometimes she would pull out the packet while Dave was working nights, poring over the facts about her siblings. She had spent hours on the internet, stalking the café on Instagram and peering at Andi’s farm on Google Maps.
Lyra nodded. “She’s across town near the animal refuge. Wait,” she said with a pointed finger. “Are you the mysterious veterinarian everyone is talking about? Did you really strangle a tiger with your bare hands?”
Cassie, who had been mid-sip, sputtered and choked on her hot coffee. “No. No I didn’t. I safely sedated him since he was accidentally set loose by some idiot with a nonregulation transport crate.”
“Noah can definitely be an idiot,” Lyra muttered.
Of course she knew Noah. It was a small town, after all.
Lyra sat back in her stool and looked off into the distance. “Wow. I’ve had a half sister for as long as I’ve walked this earth. And she’s a tiger-sedating badass.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d want to meet me,” Cassie said after a series of obnoxious coughs. “It’s kind of a weird situation.”
“If I had known you existed, I would’ve chased you down.
Everything makes so much sense now, like how mom looked at us like we’d gifted her a pile of donkey shit for Christmas when we got her one of those DNA kits.
I’m sorry you never got the chance to know her.
She definitely had her moments, but she really was a wonderful person. ”
Cassie smiled sadly. She would never know the woman who gave birth to her. But maybe she could collect the bright memories that had been passed on in the daughters she raised.
“I’d love to show you some of her photo albums when you come over. Maybe we can share some stories too? I don’t want to overwhelm you.”
“I’d love to know more.”
Lyra reached over and squeezed her hand. “Okay, this is getting too serious. Are you sure you’re not secretly a stalker here to murder me?”
“Well, we’ll see how dinner goes.” Cassie smiled. She glanced at her watch. “Shit. I have to go.”
Lyra threw her hands up. “You’re just going to drop a bomb on me and leave?”
“I have a date with a tiger.” Cassie stood up and slung the bag of muffins on one arm. “I’m really glad to finally have the chance to meet you.”
“I don’t even think I’ve fully processed this whole situation yet, but I am so happy to know that you exist. Another sister,” she said, gazing at Cassie. “Would it be weird if we hugged?”
“Maybe. Let’s do it anyway.”
Lyra was a firm hugger, and her hair smelled like flour and espresso beans. It was so strange to stand in the same place as someone who shared her DNA. Invigorating, terrifying. Like she was doing something wrong yet extremely right at the same time.
“See you tomorrow?” Lyra asked when she pulled back.
“See you tomorrow. Here’s my phone number in case you need anything.” She handed over a card, then collected her belongings.
It felt like she had shed a thousand-pound weight as she dashed back into the sunshine and turned around for a final wave.
She’d been brave and had been rewarded with a sister who would live only an hour away when she returned to Baltimore.
Everything had changed. Should she tell her parents?
The thought unsettled her. She hadn’t let them know she was looking into her birth family.
Something told her the news wouldn’t sit right, especially with her mother.
For now, she would keep the status quo. That was enough bravery for one day. And besides, Huckleberry deserved her full attention.
She darted back down the street in the direction of the Inn, hoping against hope that Noah would be too busy to show up. Surely he had something more pressing to do.
Maybe they had just gotten off on the wrong foot. They’d both been tired and overwhelmed. Then there was the whole escaped tiger thing. She could have been nicer about it. Hopefully the muffins would be a fresh start.
“You’re taking up a thousand parking spots.” Noah’s tone was clipped as she opened the door of the U-Haul.
She froze and glanced around the lot. She had parked all the way at the back, and the lot was almost completely empty. “I’m sorry. I can move.”
It had taken her a full five minutes to park without her towed SUV sticking out, and she was here to provide free medical care for one of his animals. But sure. Why wouldn’t he criticize her?
So much for a fresh start.
Noah sighed. “It’s fine. Come on.”
She dragged her bag and the borrowed muck boots out of the passenger seat and carefully climbed to the ground.
Noah didn’t look any better rested. His hair was wet, and if anything, he looked equally as frazzled as he had when there was a wild animal prowling the downtown.
“Thanks again for letting me borrow these.” She handed the boots over, and he grunted. He had the personality of sandpaper covered in fire ants.
“Dr. Thompson,” someone called. Gloria. At last, a friendly face.
“I can’t thank you enough for coming back. Huckleberry’s really perked up.”
“That’s great. I can’t wait to see him. Lead the way.”
Cassie eyed the sanctuary as they wandered a gravel path. It wasn’t like any facility she’d ever been in. It was set on acres of land in the middle of a forest with a river not far behind. Massive trees provided natural shade. It was peaceful.
She had done some research after her nap, and although their website looked like it hadn’t been changed since the early 2000s, Willow Bend had a stellar reputation online.
No citations. Not even PETA had anything alarming to say.
She needed to inspect everything closely herself to make sure, but she felt a lot better about Huckleberry spending the rest of his days here.
The backs of some enclosures were visible as they strode down the gravel path. Noah, a miserable silent storm cloud, offered an arm to his mother. She seemed to have some difficulty moving around. Maybe Noah wasn’t a complete asshole. Just like 98% asshole.
“Here we are,” Gloria said a minute later. “I know it’s a little small. We’re hoping to expand the isolation enclosure one day, but money has been increasingly tight lately.”
Cassie walked up to the fence that stretched near the treetops. Huckleberry was about ten yards away, sunning his belly on the grass. His breaths were deep and even, and there was a tattered ball a few feet to his right.
She looked him over as best as she could at this distance, not seeing any signs of distress. She would have liked to get up close and personal, but that wasn’t wise while he was still acclimating to the new environment. For now, the danger had passed.
“You’ll still want to have a full examination done by your usual veterinarian, but I’m seeing a lot of positive signs. I’m surprised how relaxed he is.”
“We’ve always said Willow Bend is a little bit magic. Like a spa for the animals.”
“Has he eaten anything today?” Cassie asked.
Gloria let out a laugh. “You could say that. He’s going to eat us out of house and home.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Is there a place we could sit and chat a little about his nutrition plan?”
“Of course. Right this way. And then I’ll have Noah give you that tour. I think my hip needs a rest.”
Great.