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“Because you’re my friend.”
“I wasn’t completely honest with you.”
“You did what you thought was right. I might not have gone about it the way you did, but you had your reasons. We’ll sort it out.” She squeezed Sammy’s hand. “We all make mistakes and do what we have to do. You were in a tough position. Tyler will see that.”
“I don’t deserve the way you’re treating me.” Sammy didn’t want to get into anything until they had arranged for the DNA test, but she wanted Coda to know she never meant to hurt her. “I never expected to get close to you. I felt this connection. Maybe it’s because we’re both from the same place and we fell for brothers. I don’t know...”
“Maybe it’s more than that.” Coda smiled. “Spencer will freak if he knows I’m getting my hopes up about this, but I’ve always wanted a sister.”
“Me too,” Sammy whispered. “After we became friends and Tyler and I got serious, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want any of you to think I was after your money. I didn’t know what you knew about your dad’s past—how much your mom told you. I was trying to spare you any pain. I know how much your mom means to you, and I didn’t want to create problems where they didn’t exist before. I hope you can believe that.”
“I do.” Coda hugged her. “We’ll figure it all out. Right now, you should go home and try to relax. I’ll call you when Spencer sets up an appointment for us. Knowing my husband, it will be done in the morning.”
“Tyler’s never going to forgive me.”
“You need to give him some time. He’ll come around. Maybe not as fast as you’d like.” Coda glanced down the hall and watched as Spencer helped Tyler to the staircase. “Those Cannon brothers can be a bit stubborn. Tyler cares about you. That’s why he’s so drunk. Give him a day or two.”
“What choice do I have?”
Sammy’s gaze connected with Tyler’s as he slowly took the stairs. She’d give anything to be the one helping him into bed right now, but she was the last person he would accept help from. And it was her own fault.
Chapter 15
July was hotter thanusual, even for New York City. Sammy cranked up her tiny window unit, but the old thing wasn’t efficient, and the four-day heatwave proved to be too much for her air conditioner. It looked to be another long, hot night in her lonely apartment.
She poured herself a glass of lemonade and settled on the couch with a book. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t concentrate on the words. After reading the same paragraph four times, she decided reading wasn’t on her agenda tonight. Too many things were bouncing around in her head. She wanted to blame her lack of focus on the heat, but that wasn’t it.
That morning, Coda had stopped by with the DNA results. Neither woman was all that surprised when the results came back with a 99.9 percent certainty that they were sisters. They had some major catching up to do. Sammy also had some mending to do, and they both decided taking things slow was the best way to handle their new relationship.
Sammy had resigned from Cannon Advertising earlier in the week. It was the right thing for everyone. It wasn’t fair to Tyler or Coda that she show up there, not after everything that had happened.
Coda didn’t agree with her choice, especially since Sammy had made the decision before the results came back. But Sammy couldn’t face the Cannons. Not Jack, not Spencer, and especially not Tyler. Every time she thought about him, she saw the hurt in his eyes and she heard the pain in his voice when he told her not to come back to his house. She figured the same went for the office as well. Jack didn’t like her decision. He told her to take a few days to think about it, but as the week progressed, Sammy realized leaving the agency and Tyler was best. They needed a fresh start apart from each other.
She had to move forward. As exciting as the prospect of gaining a new sister and possibly a bigger family was, she still wasn’t completely happy. The most important part of her life was missing now. She wasn’t sure Tyler would forgive her, and she had no idea how to go about trying to ask for his understanding. Perhaps the best thing she could do for now was focus on a relationship with Coda, and maybe the rest would fall into place.
A quick tap at the door pulled her from her thoughts. It was after eight and she wasn’t expecting anyone. She definitely wasn’t prepared for a guest. Her hair was pulled into a sloppy ponytail. After her shower, she’d decided to throw on a pair of tiny cotton shorts and a tank top in an attempt to keep cool from the horrid temperature. She hadn’t even bothered with a bra.
Oh well.Whoever it was would have to deal with her ‘no plans’ Friday night appearance. When she opened the door, she wished she would have been better prepared. She never expected him to show up.
“You didn’t even check to see who was at the door, did you?” Tyler shook his head. “Do you know how dangerous that is?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Can I come in?” He glanced down at her, lingering on her legs for a few seconds before entering her apartment. “I’m sorry I didn’t call first. It was an impulsive decision.”
