“So, ladies, thank you for inviting me to join you.” I grabbed the bread basket that was next to me. Nothing I recognized, but I took one anyway. “Could you pass the butter, please?” I said to Lacey.

She handed me the tray. “It was Riley’s idea for you to join us.”

That’s what Lacey’s text had said, which was strange, since my sister and I were virtually strangers.

My sister’s cheeks turned pink. “Lacey mentioned that you texted her, and I thought it might be…nice. We could do some more catching up.”

“Sure, that’d be great.” I took a bite of my roll that appeared to have sunflower seeds and some kind of olive in it. Hmm. It was pretty good.

A few moments passed in silence.

“I figured since you invited me,” I said to Riley, “that you’d start.”

“Oh. Yeah. Sure.” She cleared her throat. “How was your first day at the company?”

Something I didn’t want to talk about. But as long as I stayed at the helm, the company was a quarter hers, and she had a right to know.

“Not bad.” Not good, either.

“Reid showed you the ropes?”

“A few of them. It’ll take a lot longer than one day for me to get the hang of this.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

Silence again.

Why had my sister invited me here again? I was truly flummoxed. She didn’t care how my day had gone. I could see it in her eyes. Again.

The server finally interrupted our silence, bringing our meals. Creamed spinach. The one vegetable I couldn’t stand. My own fault. I’d told him to bring me whatever vegetable they had. Silly me. I thought vegetables meant vegetables, not vegetables drowning in white glop.

For what this dinner was costing my sister—I assumed she was paying—I ought to eat every bite. But no creamed spinach was crossing my lips.

I had my standards.

I cut a piece of my meat. Looked perfectly cooked. Nice and red. “How’s yours?” I asked Lacey.

She swallowed, nodding. “Delicious.”

“Rare?”

She reddened. “Yes. It’s perfect.”

I couldn’t help smirking. I’d taught her how to enjoy a steak cooked to perfection. I’d like to teach her a lot more.

But that would wait.

I turned to my sister. This woman had once been the sweet little girl I’d tried with everything in me to protect from our deplorable father. I wanted more than anything for her to be happy. But she wasn’t. I could tell.

“How was your day?”

She swallowed her bite of fish. “Good. I didn’t have any bookings today, so I just did some reading.”