thinks it was a real shame those two ever broke up. Janice and Tony were the perfect example of a communication breakdown. They never really did talk in all the months leading up to their divorce,” Mari said as she placed a tray on the counter and arranged the glasses on it. She gave Colleen a significant glance. “Besides, I think we both know it’s best to be open about this stuff. Pushing things down never helped in the long run. Secrets are toxic.”
“That’s the truth,” Colleen admitted, thinking about past Kavanaugh family secrets. Silence hadn’t done much to alleviate the pain of those secrets once they were revealed. In fact, the years of silence had made the truth even more painful when it was finally brought to the surface.
“Which reminds me…have you heard from Deidre?” Mari asked as Colleen poured cranberry juice into one of the glasses. She glanced up, noticing the tension in Mari’s tone. Her sister-in-law’s thoughts had obviously taken the same path as her own.
Deidre Kavanaugh was Colleen’s sister. During the summer, they’d all learned that Derry Kavanaugh wasn’t Deidre’s biological father. Deidre had been conceived during an extramarital affair Brigit had had with billionaire business mogul, Lincoln DuBois. Liam had gone to Germany, where Deidre had been working as a nurse in order to break the devastating news. He’d brought her back to the States, and now Deidre was at Lincoln DuBois’s Lake Tahoe mansion.
“Just yesterday,” Colleen replied in a hushed voice. “Her…” She paused, unable to say the word father . She still hadn’t gotten used to the fact that Deidre’s biological father wasn’t Derry Kavanaugh, but Lincoln DuBois. “DuBois isn’t doing very well at all. They had thought that he’d lost so much of his functioning because of several strokes, but recently Deidre insisted he be taken to the hospital for extensive brain imaging. Sure enough, they found a tumor in an area where they can’t operate. Deidre sounds fairly certain that he doesn’t have very long to live.”
Mari made a sound of distress. “I can’t imagine what she must be going through, out in Lake Tahoe, all alone…tending to a dying man…a man she just learned was her father months ago.”
“I know,” Colleen said grimly. “I’m glad that Liam and Marc have both visited her. I keep offering as well, but she insists she’d rather wait for me to come when…you know…” She trailed off, knowing Mari would understand she referred to the inevitable approaching death of Lincoln DuBois.
“She’ll need you at her side the most then,” Mari said, taking an empty club-soda bottle from Colleen and throwing it in the recycle bin. She glanced at Colleen sadly. “And Deidre still refuses to speak to Brigit?”
She nodded. “She’s adamant about not seeing Mom. You know Deidre. She’s a force of nature when she makes up her mind about something. She blames Mom for everything. I try to talk to her about starting slowly with reconciliation—testing the waters—but Deidre is so hurt, you know? She’s even refusing to attend the wedding, because she doesn’t want to see Mom.”
Mari opened her mouth to reply, compassion in her eyes, but was interrupted by the kitchen door swinging open and the sound of energetic Latin music filtering into the kitchen.
“The natives are getting restless for those drinks after some impromptu rumbaing,” Marc Kavanaugh told his wife, an amused look on his handsome face. Mari snorted and grabbed the drink tray.
“I’m sorry I missed you doing the rumba,” she told her husband as she walked toward the door. “I hope you didn’t throw a hip out or anything.”
“My hips are in perfect working order,” Marc murmured, stroking his wife’s lower back. “I keep them well-tuned, in deference to you.”
“They’re well-tuned because of me,” Mari replied very softly, laughter in her voice. They kissed briefly and walked out of the
“That’s the truth,” Colleen admitted, thinking about past Kavanaugh family secrets. Silence hadn’t done much to alleviate the pain of those secrets once they were revealed. In fact, the years of silence had made the truth even more painful when it was finally brought to the surface.
“Which reminds me…have you heard from Deidre?” Mari asked as Colleen poured cranberry juice into one of the glasses. She glanced up, noticing the tension in Mari’s tone. Her sister-in-law’s thoughts had obviously taken the same path as her own.
Deidre Kavanaugh was Colleen’s sister. During the summer, they’d all learned that Derry Kavanaugh wasn’t Deidre’s biological father. Deidre had been conceived during an extramarital affair Brigit had had with billionaire business mogul, Lincoln DuBois. Liam had gone to Germany, where Deidre had been working as a nurse in order to break the devastating news. He’d brought her back to the States, and now Deidre was at Lincoln DuBois’s Lake Tahoe mansion.
“Just yesterday,” Colleen replied in a hushed voice. “Her…” She paused, unable to say the word father . She still hadn’t gotten used to the fact that Deidre’s biological father wasn’t Derry Kavanaugh, but Lincoln DuBois. “DuBois isn’t doing very well at all. They had thought that he’d lost so much of his functioning because of several strokes, but recently Deidre insisted he be taken to the hospital for extensive brain imaging. Sure enough, they found a tumor in an area where they can’t operate. Deidre sounds fairly certain that he doesn’t have very long to live.”
Mari made a sound of distress. “I can’t imagine what she must be going through, out in Lake Tahoe, all alone…tending to a dying man…a man she just learned was her father months ago.”
“I know,” Colleen said grimly. “I’m glad that Liam and Marc have both visited her. I keep offering as well, but she insists she’d rather wait for me to come when…you know…” She trailed off, knowing Mari would understand she referred to the inevitable approaching death of Lincoln DuBois.
“She’ll need you at her side the most then,” Mari said, taking an empty club-soda bottle from Colleen and throwing it in the recycle bin. She glanced at Colleen sadly. “And Deidre still refuses to speak to Brigit?”
She nodded. “She’s adamant about not seeing Mom. You know Deidre. She’s a force of nature when she makes up her mind about something. She blames Mom for everything. I try to talk to her about starting slowly with reconciliation—testing the waters—but Deidre is so hurt, you know? She’s even refusing to attend the wedding, because she doesn’t want to see Mom.”
Mari opened her mouth to reply, compassion in her eyes, but was interrupted by the kitchen door swinging open and the sound of energetic Latin music filtering into the kitchen.
“The natives are getting restless for those drinks after some impromptu rumbaing,” Marc Kavanaugh told his wife, an amused look on his handsome face. Mari snorted and grabbed the drink tray.
“I’m sorry I missed you doing the rumba,” she told her husband as she walked toward the door. “I hope you didn’t throw a hip out or anything.”
“My hips are in perfect working order,” Marc murmured, stroking his wife’s lower back. “I keep them well-tuned, in deference to you.”
“They’re well-tuned because of me,” Mari replied very softly, laughter in her voice. They kissed briefly and walked out of the
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