And Mia didn’t want that anyway. After the way she’d reacted at the attorney’s office, Kate had learned her sister had a fiery temper for someone in such a small body. She didn’t need more drama in her life. Evie was enough.

Plus, how on Earth would she run a party planning business in a remote place like this?

Still, she needed money. God willing, Evie would go to college in a few years, and she had no college fund for her. Times had always been tough, and sometimes the ends just didn’t meet. Being able to cash out her half of the business in six months would give her what she needed for Mia’s schooling one day.

Six months. That was a long time. And living in podunk USA, it would surely feel like dog years.

“Best seat in the house.”

Startled, she turned to see Mia standing behind her, a glass of sweet tea in her hand. Of course.

Without asking, she walked around the bench and sat on the other end, her plush bathrobe pulled around her.

“Are you actually wearing fuzzy slippers?” Kate asked dryly.

Mia laughed and wiggled one of her feet. “Momma gave them to me a couple of Christmases ago. She had matching ones.”

“Of course, she did.”

They sat for a few moments in silence. “Look, I want to apologize for how I reacted at Carl’s office. I’m not proud of that little outburst, and I know Momma wouldn’t be either.”

“I don’t blame you, honestly. If some strange woman came and tried to take away my inheritance, I’d get irritated too. Which is all the more reason why you’ll be happy and back to normal when we leave later today. I have no plans to stay here.”

“I won’t go back to normal.”

“And why is that?”

Mia looked over at her, only the moonlight illuminating her tiny face. “Because now I know I have a sister. And a beautiful niece.”

Kate stood up and walked to the edge of the dock, her arms crossed. “I know you might have this romanticized notion of two sisters finding each other and living happily ever after, but I’m a realist.”

“What does that mean?”

She turned around to face Mia. “It means that anyone could plainly see that we’re two very different people. This sister relationship would never work out. We’d end up mud wrestling in the backyard.”

Mia giggled. “Up here, we call it Georgia red clay, although it’s actually orange. And it’ll stain your clothes like nothing else.”

“A little off topic, but thanks for the piece of trivia,” Kate said, rolling her eyes.

“I’d really like a chance to get to know you both, Kate. And to share more about Momma with you. I mean, don’t you want to know about her?”