Susan Mallery - Lip Service

“Uh-huh.” Joss massaged the stump. “You doing the exercises I e-mailed you?”

“Twice a day.”

“Ready to come back to therapy as often as I tell you?”

Mitch knew he didn’t have a choice. “Yes.”

Joss straightened. “What about group therapy? Want to get all touchy-feely with a bunch of strangers, then go hug a tree?”

Mitch managed a weak smile. “Do I have to hug a tree?”

“Is that a yes?”

He nodded. “It’s a yes.”

“Smart answer.”

Joss left the examining room and returned a few minutes later carrying the prosthesis. The new socket looked different.

“I made some modifications,” Joss told him, handing over the leg. “It should be more comfortable. I want you to go easy, too. No more than a half hour at a time the first couple of days, with at least an hour off. Ease into it. You screw this up, Mitch, and I swear I’ll beat the shit out of you myself.”

The anger was still there, Mitch thought, as the feeling surged over him. The difference was he no longer felt the need to react to it. Yeah, he was pissed. So what? Being pissed hadn’t gotten him anything but in the hospital and back on crutches. The past few weeks had taught him he wanted to walk more than he wanted to be mad.

If nothing else, it was a start.

SKYE DRESSED carefully for the cocktail party. She’d hosted a hundred more just like it, but this one was different. At least it was from her perspective…mostly because Mitch was coming.

Craziness, she told herself. She’d asked for help and he’d agreed. So he wasn’t being a jackass anymore. He was adjusting, that was it. Nothing significant had happened between them.

Her mind immediately flashed to them making love. While she wanted to get all girly about the event, she knew she shouldn’t read too much into it. If she did, she might be the only one. Mitch likely wasn’t getting all gooey inside when he thought about them doing it.

She slipped on her shoes and made her way downstairs to her party office. The catering staff had already set up in the kitchen. She reviewed the menus before checking the food they’d brought.

Next she went over the selection of music. Tonight she’d be using CDs rather than anything live. It was a more informal gathering. Only about a hundred people. Including Garth.

Her father walked into her office. He might be well into his sixties, but he was still a handsome man. His hand-tailored suit hid any weight he’d put on over the past few years. He wore power as easily as his custom shirts.

“The food looks good,” he said as he checked out the lists on the boards. “What’s the theme tonight?”

“A good old-fashioned barbecue. Appetizers based on barbecue favorites. It’s nearly summer. I thought this would be a fun kickoff.”

Jed looked at her. He was tall, with dark hair that had only begun to go gray.

“You’re good at this sort of thing, Skye. You need to get married again.”

“To T. J. Boone. You’ve mentioned that before.”

“Well, how’s that coming? Any progress? T.J. didn’t strike me as the kind of guy to drag his feet. Was I wrong about him?”

“We’ve only been out once.”

“Then call him yourself and set something up.”

She picked up the wine list. “I don’t think so. I’m a Titan, Daddy. I don’t call men, they call me.” Which was a total lie. Men didn’t call her. Not counting the single dinner with T.J., she hadn’t been on a date since before she’d gotten married. But the comment had the intended effect-Jed laughed.

“That’s my girl,” he said.

“Why’d you invite Garth to the party?” she asked. “I didn’t put his name on the guest list.”

“I thought it would be interesting to have him around.”

“See how your boy turned out?”

His expression hardened. “What’s your point, Skye?”

“He’s dangerous. I know Lexi already tried to talk to you about this and you refused to listen. I don’t know if you’re secretly proud of him or if this is all some twisted game that only the boys can play. But I will tell you this isn’t going to end well for any of us. Garth wants revenge and he wants it bad.”

Jed didn’t look impressed. “What has your panties all in a bunch?”

“He’s coming after my foundation again. He’s hacked into the computer system and is making a lot of trouble.”

“Then you should do a better job of taking care of what’s yours.”

“We’re yours, Daddy. We’re your daughters and you’re not doing a very good job of taking care of us.”

“You’re always telling me you three can do it on your own. You can’t have it both ways, Skye. Either you can handle things on your own or you can’t. If the foundation is too much, then get rid of it. I always thought it was a ridiculous waste of your time and money.”

She stiffened. “We feed hungry children right here in this country. Most of the time we’re the only steady source of food they have.”

“If their parents can’t provide for them, they shouldn’t be breeding,” Jed said, with a typical callousness. “Besides, I know all this. I’ve read your brochures, Skye. You’re playing at making a difference. If you want to be like everyone else, go out and get a job.” He glanced at the boards on the wall and poked at the wine list she held. “A real one. Say what you want about Garth, he’s made something of himself. I can respect that.”

As opposed to his daughters, she thought bitterly. By his definition, they’d done nothing.

Jed left her office. She stood in the center of the room fighting the sense of defeat that had haunted her for days. Doubts crowded in. What if she couldn’t do it? What if she couldn’t protect the foundation? What if Garth won?

“I won’t let him,” she said aloud. She couldn’t. There was too much at stake.

Nothing Jed had said was news. He’d never understood why she’d wanted to start a foundation with her mother’s money. He thought it was all a waste of time. He made his own rules, then he expected everyone to live by them. If people didn’t agree, he dismissed them.

That’s what had happened to her mother, she thought sadly. He’d married her and given her everything she wanted…except his heart. And that had pushed Pru over the edge.

Skye thought about something Izzy had said a while ago. That Jed could no longer father children. Was that what had gone wrong with his marriage to Pru? That she hadn’t been able to give him more children? Jed wouldn’t have cared it was his fault-he would have found a way to blame her. Or was it that she hadn’t given him a son?

Thinking about all this was a lot easier than dealing with the truth of what Jed thought about her. Maybe she was stupid to stay here, at Glory’s Gate. While she’d always loved the house and considered it her real home, what price did she pay to be its mistress? How much pride and self-respect could she lose before she started to lose herself?

The sound of running footsteps brought a smile to her face. She put down the wine list and braced herself.

Sure enough Erin rounded the corner at top speed and threw herself into her arms.

“Hi, Mommy,” she said as she hugged Skye tight. “I wanted to see you again before the party started.” Erin looked up at her and grinned. “The food smells really, really good.”

Skye kissed the top of her daughter’s head. “In about fifteen minutes a tray will be delivered to the media room,” she promised.

“With enough for Amber, too?”

“When have I ever let Amber starve?”

“Never. Not even one time!”

Amber had been Erin’s kindergarten teacher. She had a fiancé in the military and was desperate to wear Vera Wang at her wedding, so she was open to all the babysitting Skye needed.

“Okay, then.”

Erin hugged her again. “I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you, too, Bunny Face.”

Erin giggled. “You’ll come see me after the party?”

“I will.”

“Okay.” Erin smiled at her, then skipped out of the office.

Her daughter had lost her father two years ago. Would she now lose her home because of Skye’s pride? Erin loved everything about Glory’s Gate.

On the other hand, maybe it was time for them to be on their own.

“Not the moment to make a decision,” Skye told herself. But one would have to be made eventually. She was beginning to realize she couldn’t stay here forever.

But first she had a party to deal with.

Skye heard the music start and checked her watch. The first of the guests would be arriving any minute. She went through the kitchen but as always, the catering staff had everything under control. She headed for the front door, only to meet up with Izzy at the foot of the stairs.

“You look great,” she said, taking in her baby sister’s halter-style dress in a shimmering silver fabric. Izzy’s dark hair was a curly cloud that tumbled down her bare back. She wore impossibly high sandals and a dozen or so thin bangles on one arm.

“I’m here to dazzle,” Izzy said as she turned in a slow circle so Skye could take it all in.

“T.J. isn’t going to be here,” Skye snapped, wondering how far Izzy was going to play the game. Yes, she was beautiful, yes, she could get any man she wanted. Yes, Skye was the most unfortunate looking of the sisters. Let’s all move on.

“Not him,” Izzy said, dismissing T.J. with a wave of her fingers. “Garth. I thought I’d do my best to make him uncomfortable.”

“You think the fact that you look amazing will make him uncomfortable?”

“There he is. Let’s go find out.”

Izzy grabbed her hand and led her across the foyer. There were already forty or so guests circulating. Skye knew she would have to greet every one of them but first there was Garth to deal with.

She had no idea what Izzy had planned, but was curious to see how their half brother would stand up to the force of nature that was Izzy. As they approached, Skye tried to figure out if she could see his true evil from across the room. Were there clues?