Susan Mallery - Lip Service

She grabbed his hand and Fidela’s, and pulled them both into the house. They moved through a foyer the size of a grocery store. He had a brief impression of soaring ceilings, a circular staircase and a grand piano before Erin led them into a nearly normal-size space with a few couches, a Happy Birthday, Erin sign on one wall and balloons tied to nearly everything that didn’t move.

There were probably thirty people in the room, but Mitch had no trouble spotting Skye. It was as if everyone else was in black and white and she was the only one in color.

She stood talking to her sisters. The Titan girls, he thought, remembering how guys had talked about them in high school. They had been considered the ideal women, then-something to be achieved-yet they were all different. Lexi, the cool blond beauty. Izzy, the wild one with a smile that warned she didn’t take prisoners, and Skye. Skye who radiated sex with every move, every word. Even now, despite everything, he wanted to drag her into some dark room and have his way with her. He wanted it so hot and so fast that neither of them could catch their breath. He wanted to take her and make her beg. He wanted-

A tall, blond man walked up to the sisters. He was familiar enough for Mitch to realize he knew him.

It took a second for the memory to fall into place. T. J. Boone. They’d gone to high school together, played football on the same team. Until he saw T.J. put his hand on the small of Skye’s back, Mitch had always liked the guy.

Now Skye looked at T.J. and smiled. The smile burned in Mitch’s gut. Lexi said something then excused herself. Izzy watched the two of them before shaking her head and walking away. Before Mitch could decide what he was going to do, someone joined him.

“You’ve spent a lot of your life wanting what you can’t have.”

Mitch turned and saw Jed Titan.

“I’ll welcome the soldier but warn the man that Skye isn’t for him.” Jed shrugged. “It’s just the way it is around here. She’s a Titan. However much you want her, you couldn’t have her before and you sure as hell can’t now. Not with that.” He jerked his head toward Mitch’s missing leg.

The insults didn’t matter. Mitch had never been afraid of Jed Titan, had never felt his power the way others had.

“I see you’re still a pompous old man with delusions of influence and intimidation. But guess what? I know fifty ways to kill you and not leave a mark.”

Jed sipped his drink. “Probably, but that’s the difference between us, Mitch. You wouldn’t kill me because I haven’t done anything to deserve it. I prefer to take care of my opponents before they cross the line. It ensures I win.”

“Well-meaning advice? That’s not like you.”

Jed smiled. “Despite you trying to marry my daughter before, I’ve always liked you, Mitch. You have backbone and guts. You weren’t well-connected enough to be a contender but so few are. I heard you served our country well. Let me be clear though. You stand in the way of what I want and I’ll reduce you and everything you love to a pile of rocks.”

Mitch chuckled for the first time in days. “You don’t scare me.”

“I don’t have to. Look around. I have it all, Mitch. Money, power, three beautiful daughters. Skye married Ray for me nine years ago and she’s going to marry T.J. now. They’ll make beautiful babies, don’t you think?”

Mitch couldn’t help looking at Skye, who still stood talking to T.J. “She wouldn’t do that,” he said, but even he didn’t believe the words.

“Oh, I think she will and if you know her at all, you’ll think so, too. Skye’s a very dutiful daughter. She’ll do what I say. You know I’m right.” Jed patted him on the shoulder. “Welcome home, son. Welcome home.”

Mitch watched the old man walk away. He told himself that Jed was wrong about all of it. That Skye was stronger than that and could make decisions for herself. Then he returned his gaze to her and T.J. and knew he was fooling himself.

THE PARTY WENT well into the evening. Erin fell asleep on the sofa around eight-thirty and the last of the adults left shortly after ten.

Skye stood in the center of the kitchen and told herself she would tackle the mess in the morning. It wasn’t going anywhere and what she didn’t get cleared up would be handled by the daily staff who would return to work on Monday morning.

Izzy appeared with a bowl of tortilla chips in one hand and salsa in the other. “You have got to give me this recipe,” she said as she set the bowls on the coffee table and dipped a chip. “It’s my favorite.”

“You plan to make salsa?” Skye asked with a laugh. “Oh, please.”

“There’s no cooking involved. Just chopping and stirring. I can chop and stir.”

“With someone supervising.”

“It could happen.”

Skye shook her head. “Right. I’ll get the recipe and you can fix it for us.”

“Deal.”

Skye collected a few glasses. Now that Izzy had come into the room, she felt the need to keep busy. Things still weren’t totally right between them.

“T.J. had fun,” her sister said, dipping a second chip.

“Yes, he did. I was surprised that he came,” Skye admitted. She hadn’t invited him, so it must have been Jed’s doing. “Erin likes him.” Not as much as she liked Mitch, but then T.J. didn’t have hero status.

“T.J. can be charming,” Izzy said, following Skye into the kitchen. “How was your date?”

“Nice.”

“Nice bad or nice I’m-going-to-see-him-again.”

“We’re going to keep seeing each other.” She set the glasses on the counter, then turned to face her sister. “Let me guess. You want to warn me that he’s just in it for what he can get. That he’s asked you out as well and you’re the one he’s really interested in. You’re fun and I’m duty. The only way I can get a guy is if my father buys him.”

Izzy pressed her lips together. “I’m not saying a man wouldn’t want you,” she began.

Skye groaned. “Izzy, come on. Isn’t it possible T.J. likes me?”

“Do you like him?”

“I don’t know. He’s…fun. I enjoyed being with him more than I thought.” He wasn’t complicated. She could look at him without wanting to take her clothes off. She could look at him without feeling an emotional longing that left her weak.

“And it doesn’t bother you that he’s dating both of us?”

Skye squared her shoulders. “No,” she lied.

“You don’t think he’s in any way playing us?”

“I think you’re upset that he wants to go out with me. I think you can’t believe he could possibly be interested in me so you’re throwing yourself in the middle of this. You have to be the special one all the time. It’s all about you.”

Izzy folded her arms over her chest. “I was trying to be nice,” she said, obviously angry and hurt. “I was worried about you because I care about you. You don’t date a lot and I do. I have more experience at this. But fine. Think I’m so truly horrible that I can’t let my own sister be happy with a guy. Think that I need it to be all about me. But when I’m right about T.J., and I will be, you’ll be the one apologizing to me.”

Izzy stalked out of the kitchen.

Skye stood by the sink, feeling sick to her stomach. She didn’t want to fight with her sister. It wasn’t right. But Izzy had always been the one guys went for. Her appeal to men defined her. So to have Skye steal some of the spotlight, even on such a tiny scale, had to bother her.

She left the kitchen and started toward the stairs. Her father called her.

“The party went well,” Jed said, coming out of his study. “You and T.J. got along.”

“Not even subtle, Dad,” she said. “He’s a nice man and we’ve been on one date. We’re not engaged.” Nor were they likely to be, she thought, knowing she didn’t need any more heartache in her life. There had been enough already. And falling in love was only an invitation for more.

“No one’s talking about you getting engaged,” he said.

“Not in public, but we all know you have big plans to sell me again.”

“Harsh language, baby girl. I’m only looking out for you.”

If only that were true, she thought.

“Are you?” she asked. “Then you won’t mind telling me what T.J. has that you want so badly?”

Her father’s easy smile faded and his expression tightened. “Be careful, Skye. There are consequences for screwing with me.”

His cold voice combined with the threatening words drained all the strength and will from her. She could barely remain standing. Even after he returned to his study, she felt weak and afraid.

Without wanting to, she remembered being ten years old. It had been a good day, a happy day. The sun was bright. That’s what she recalled. The play of sunlight on the bathroom tiles.

Every day when she got home from school, she raced upstairs to her mother’s rooms. Only her. Izzy stayed in the kitchen with the housekeeper, but Skye flew into Pru’s room.

“I’m home, Mom,” she called. “Did you miss me?”

Pru would be on the bed or in the chair in the corner. She would always look up and smile and say she’d missed Skye more than anything. Even on the dark days when the smiles didn’t seem right, she said the words as if she meant them. As if she loved Skye more than anything.

But on that last day, Pru hadn’t been in her usual places. And deep inside, Skye had known something was scary wrong.

She’d walked into the bathroom. The first thing she saw was light on the tiles. Then she saw the letter…addressed to her. She’d picked it up and read.

He doesn’t love me, Skye. Jed doesn’t love me. No matter what I do or how I try, he doesn’t love me at all.

That was it. Those few words. Skye had read them again and again, not understanding but getting more scared by the minute.

It was only then she noticed the sweet sickly smell of blood in the room. Terrified but unable not to look, she approached the bathtub.

Pru lay inside, fully dressed and covered with blood. She’d slit both her wrists. Her face was so peaceful-that had been Skye’s last thought before she’d started to scream.

AFTER GETTING Erin on the bus for school, Skye walked back to the house for a last cup of coffee before leaving for work. When she returned to the kitchen, she found Izzy standing there, holding the paper. As the two of them weren’t exactly speaking, Skye wasn’t sure how to act.

Izzy solved the problem by putting the newspaper on the table and pointing to the headline-Titan Cattle Tainted With Mad Cow.

Skye felt her knees give way and grabbed the counter to keep from falling.

“Oh, no,” she breathed. “This is bad.”

“There’s an understatement,” Izzy said with a sigh. “You know what this means.”

Skye nodded. No Texas cattle ranch could survive even a whisper of the feared disease. Prices would plummet. Thousands of pounds of beef would be returned. Cattle would be tested and retested and in the end, even if there wasn’t a problem, people would remember the charge.

“Jed isn’t stupid,” Skye said, scanning the article. “His ranch manager knows high standards are required. Jed eats that beef, as do his guests. He would never risk himself or them. Just as important, he wouldn’t treat his cattle that badly.”

“They eat vegetarian diets.” Izzy walked over and poured herself a cup of coffee. “They have for years.”

“This is Garth,” Skye said, frustrated that he was still a problem. “How are we going to stop him?”

“I don’t know, but Lexi’s coming over. She called while you and Erin were waiting for the bus.”

Five minutes later Lexi arrived looking angry and frustrated.

“Our jerk of a half brother is taking this too far,” Lexi said as she tossed her purse on the counter and walked to the coffeepot. Halfway there, she paused, swore and detoured to the refrigerator where she pulled out a jug of juice.

Despite everything, Skye smiled. “Still missing the caffeine, huh?”

“Every day.” Lexi sat at the table with her juice.

“I called Jed on the way over,” she said. “Or at least I tried. He was busy and couldn’t be disturbed. He can’t be happy.”

“He’ll handle it,” Izzy said confidently. “That’s what Jed does.”

“What I want to know is how the story got out there,” Skye said, remembering the false leaks about her foundation. “Somehow Garth is able to convince the press he has the real story and they don’t bother to check with us. How can he do that?”

“Money,” Lexi said. “Influence. We’ll figure it out.”

They talked more about the “Garth problem” then Lexi picked up Skye’s mug of coffee and inhaled the aroma.

“Nice party for Erin,” she said.

Skye eyed her sister. “She had a good time.”

“Mitch was there.”

If Skye and Izzy had been getting along better she would have tried to get her sister to help distract Lexi. But under the circumstances, she was on her own.