Sten frowned at her. “You okay?”
Karin waved a hand and said she was fine, after which Ben launched into a detailed description of his latest science project.
Coco waited impatiently for her brother to finish, and then told Madison all about the birthday party she was attending that Saturday. “There will be face-painting and maybe even pony rides...”
As Coco chattered away, Karin got up and carried her barely touched oatmeal and full mug of coffee to the sink. When she returned to the table, Madison managed to catch her eye. Karin smiled at her.I’m fine, that smile said.Don’t worry about me.
Madisonwouldworry. But she would keep the other woman’s confidence as she’d promised to do.
Fifteen minutes later, Karin was herding the kids toward her SUV to drive them up to the bus stop for school. Otto left right after her. Sten had stuff to do at the flip house and then he would go on to the Boatworks, too.
Back at the cottage on her own, Madison actually tried to read a couple of the scripts she’d brought with her from LA. Maybe one of them would thrill her and she’d suddenly realize she couldn’t give up acting, after all. And maybe she was feeling just a little guilty about Myra’s last call. The agent was only doing her job. Until recently Madison had been grateful to have someone like Myra making sure the best roles always came her way.
Tried. That was the operative word when it came to reading those scripts. She just couldn’t get herself to focus. Her mind refused to cooperate. She yawned a lot as she read, though objectively she knew that the material was excellent.
Around eleven she gave it up and went for a walk on the beach. After that, she called a cab, chose a wig and a hat and went to Safeway on her own. It was great. Nobody bothered her.
Back at the cottage, she put her groceries away and considered calling Myra—and then wondered if maybe she was losing her mind. What good would calling Myra do? The woman was a shark and calling her now would just be leaving a trail of bloody chum on the water. Myra would be after her all over again to fly back to LA ASAP and sign on for the project Madison didn’t even want.
It was just...
Well, getting the DNA results somehow seemed to make everything so clear and final. She was a Bravo. Whatever lingering doubts she might have had were gone now. She really did have a whole family right here in Valentine Bay. Shelikedthem. Over time, she wanted to get to know them better.
But the real goal in coming here had been accomplished. She’d found her family. Sunday, at Daniel’s, they would celebrate that.
And then...
Well, then there was her life that she still wanted to change up completely.
Her life—and Sten. He mattered to her. A lot. She wanted to talk with him about what they might have together going forward.
Was it too soon to talk about that?
Not to her.
Sten, though? She had an uneasy feeling that he was a long way from ready to discuss the future with her.
* * *
Sten was in his office trying to come up with a workaround for an issue with the refit of theLady Defiantwhen Karin stuck her head in the door.
“You’ve got company,” his sister said. She seemed really pissed off. “It’s Ella Robson,” she added, and Sten understood the reason for that sneer on her face. “Happy to tell her to go pee up a rope.”
Was he tempted to let Karin get rid of her? Absolutely. But it wasn’t her problem. “Thanks. Send her in.”
A minute later, Ella strutted in dressed to kill in itty-bitty short-shorts and a silky top, her long sable hair loose on her shoulders. The look was a far cry from the low-key button-downs and dressy jeans she used to wear.
She shut the door and kind of lounged back against it. “You blocked me.”
“Because we’re through.”
“I had to see you. Oh, Sten. I was afraid you would refuse to talk to me.”
“I asked you never to contact me again before I blocked you. So yeah, I don’t want to talk to you.”
She tipped her head to the side and gave him a flirty little smile. “But youaretalking to me.”
“It seemed unfair to leave my sister to deal with you. Please. Just stop with the head games and leave.”
