“I agree,” she said, in an effort to keep the peace. “This time, though, Beth asked me to contact you.”

Her announcement was met with silence.

“What’s wrong?” The change in Ellie’s attitude was immediate.

“It’s a small complication.”

“What kind of complication? Never mind. I’ll cancel my luncheon and catch the next flight out.”

“Don’t, Ellie. Please. Keep your original flight. Beth is fine and she wants to do this on her own. I’m here as a backup should she need anything. I realize my being close to her upsets you and I’m asking, begging, you, really, to give Beth a chance to spread her wings without either of us standing guard over her. I can appreciate how difficult that is, especially now. Wait, please, give her some breathing room, and when you do arrive, I promise to stay out of your way.”

Ellie’s breathing evened out, and Sunshine could see that her sister was taking her words to heart. She hesitated, as if weighing her options.

“I’m in charge of a charity luncheon this week. Perhaps it would be best if I kept my original flight.”

Again she paused, and Sunshine could almost hear her sister chewing on her bottom lip as she considered her options.

“You’re sure Beth doesn’t need me to come right away?”

“Positive.”

“I don’t know …” Ellie whispered.

Time to draw her big gun. Phillip. Beth’s father had become his daughter’s greatest ally. “If you don’t trust me, then talk it over with Phillip before you change your flight,” Sunshine suggested.

“And if I don’t, you’ll call him yourself.”

“Yes.” Without hesitation.

“Have it your way, then,” Ellie said stiffly. “I love my daughter and I refuse to let you or my husband keep me away from her.”

“No one is keeping you away from your daughter. Beth specifically asked that you not come rushing to her side now. Listen to her, Ellie. It’s what she is asking of you. Don’t you care about what Beth wants?” Sunshine asked.

“My daughter needs me.”

“For what?” Sunshine asked. “To buy her clothes, to decorate her apartment, to introduce her to men you consider a good match for her? Just whose life is this? It doesn’t sound like Beth’s. It sounds like yours. For the love of heaven, Ellie, don’t you realize you’re smothering the poor girl?”

“You’re as bad as Phillip.”

Nicest compliment Sunshine had gotten all week.

“All right,” Ellie said grudgingly. “I’ll keep my original flight, but if I hear one more thing about Beth and this accident there is no way anyone is going to keep me away from my daughter.” The words and the way she spoke told Sunshine further arguments would be useless. Her sister’s mind was made up and there was no changing it.

“Beth will be out of the hospital soon and well on her way to recovery.” She didn’t mention that Beth would be transferred to a rehab facility. Sunshine would let her niece explain that.

“Thank you, Ellie. I know Beth will appreciate your restraint.”

Ellie didn’t say anything for a long moment, and when she spoke next her voice was less brusque. “Is my baby hurting?”

“She was in the beginning, but she’s getting better day by day.”

“Thank you,” her sister whispered, sadness fusing with her words. “I’d like to say it was a pleasure, but alas, it never is with the two of us, is it?”

“No. I wish it was different, though.” Once again Sunshine extended a hand to Ellie. It was up to her sister to reach for it.

Her words were met with silence and then “Good-bye, Louise,” Ellie said as she cut the connection.

One final dig.

It saddened her that they couldn’t let go of the past. This matter with Peter stood between them as wide as the Grand Canyon. And it didn’t look to be shrinking anytime soon.

Sunshine remained in the hospital hallway for several minutes, mulling over her conversation with her sister. It hadn’t always been like this between them. As teens they’d been close, trading each other’s clothes, telling each other secrets. Naturally they squabbled now and again. What two sisters didn’t? They decided early in their teen years to attend the same college. That was the start of all the problems, although they would never have guessed it at the time.

A year ahead of Ellie, Sunshine was a junior when she met Peter. The two of them dated exclusively. A few times they even doubled up with her sister. It was all so perfect, so wonderful. Peter loved her and she loved him. Loved him still.

Ellie liked Peter, too, and repeatedly told her how lucky Sunshine was to have him in her life. Young as she was, Sunshine hadn’t realized how fragile love could be.

Sunshine swallowed down the sense of hurt and betrayal just as she had so many times before. The two people she had loved most in the world had betrayed her; they might as well have ripped her heart out of her chest and stomped on it. The pain had lessened with the years. She refused to allow herself to wallow in it again. It served no useful purpose; nothing positive would come of dredging up the memories that had the power to torment her.

Once more Sunshine reminded herself all that was in the past. She had a good life, friends, a career she loved, and she made enough money from her artwork to live comfortably. What she didn’t need was the strife and angst of her emotionally needy sister.

Yet here they were again, and the prize this time was Beth.

The phone conversation with her sister had shaken her. It took several minutes to calm her nerves. Once her head and her heart were settled, Sunshine returned to Beth’s hospital room.

Her niece looked up, her eyes and face full of anxiety as she waited to hear. “How’d it go?”

“I should have talked to your father.”

“Mom answered the phone?” Beth tilted her head back and stared blankly up at the ceiling.

Sunshine didn’t need to explain further. It’d been an error in judgment to hope Ellie could put their differences aside when it came to Beth, seeing that they both loved the young woman.

“Is she rebooking a plane ticket as we speak?” Beth asked, nervously rubbing her palms together.

“She says she isn’t, but only time will tell.”

Beth looked miserable.

“I suggested she discuss it with Phillip. My guess is your father will talk her out of it. She did have something important on her plate this week, so that works in your favor.”

“Dad might think she should come, though.”

“Maybe, but I doubt it.” Sunshine felt bad. “She said she didn’t need me to act as a go-between and that you’ve been talking to her.”

Beth rubbed her palms together and looked away, but not before Sunshine saw the look of guilt.

“Beth?” Something was definitely up. “You have been talking to your mother, haven’t you?”

“Yes … sort of.”

“What does that mean?”

“I haven’t lied,” Beth rushed to add. “I couldn’t even if I tried. Mom would see through that in a heartbeat. I haven’t been telling her the full truth is all. She might … you know … assume things.”

The way her sister had kept Beth under her thumb was just plain wrong as far as Sunshine was concerned. Her niece was an adult and her sister insisted on treating her daughter as a child. Little had pleased Sunshine more than the day Beth announced she was moving to Portland. The fact that Beth had chosen to live in the same city as Sunshine had rubbed salt in Ellie’s wounded pride.

Beth was smart. Smarter than Ellie gave her credit for. Sunshine loved her niece and they were tight, but Beth chose to live in Portland because she knew her mother wouldn’t be inclined to visit often, for obvious reasons.

“What assumptions has your mother made?” Sunshine asked.

“You know … that the accident wasn’t nearly as bad as it was,” Beth reminded her, and bit down on her lower lip.

Sunshine nodded.

“I did tell her it would be a while before I returned to work and I might have let her assume all I needed was a few days to rest up.”