There was a reason she’d avoided even a single discussion with her sister: the way she felt at that moment, dislocated and free-falling. She couldn’t bear it. This exact feeling was what she’d avoided for a full decade. “Don’t do this.” Colleen spoke in a whisper.

“Lena?” Shane said and placed his hand on her arm.

Colleen turned her head slowly to her brother. “Take me home to see Dad. I want to see him now.”

Hallie brushed her hand through her hair and began to gather her papers. “Of course you’re going to run. That’s all you’ve ever done.”

“Are you kidding me?” Colleen stood and stepped back, emotions swamping her. “You didn’t give me any choice. What, you wanted me to hang around to watch the never-ending betrayal?”

Hallie didn’t answer, but she didn’t back down either, staring at her sister.

“Hallie, you forced me to leave; you betrayed me; you broke my heart—and now you point the finger at me?” Colleen shook her head. “I’m here to help Dad, not fight with you.”

“I forced you to leave?” Hallie’s voice broke, a crack in the hard facade of anger. “I begged you to come back; to talk to me; to let me explain. I tried to . . . apologize. Do you realize this is the first time you’ve even said my name?”

Colleen leaned forward and placed her hands on the back of the chair. “Do you realize I had to leave behind everything and everyone I loved?” Colleen pushed at the chair, making a harsh scraping sound.

“You obviously have things you want to say to me.” Hallie glanced away. “No matter how sorry I am, it won’t matter to you so go ahead. Get it over with. I’ve waited a long, long time.”

“I do, but not now.”

“Yep, you’ll leave now, saying you love us but never coming back, never meeting your nieces or seeing your family.”

“I do love . . .” Colleen’s words were choked; she was losing grip on her tightly held control.

“If you’d loved us, you wouldn’t have run. You would have stayed, listened. Maybe you’d always wanted to leave.”

“Hallie.” Colleen felt dizzy. “That’s not true. You . . . you betrayed me. You were the only person in all the world I believed would never, but you did.” She held up her hand. For ten years she’d slammed her mouth shut against her emotions. “Not now.” She began to walk away, slowly, carefully, as if she might trip on the very words that had spilled from her mouth.

Shane piped up. “Whoa. You’re not going anywhere, sis. It’s time for me to tell you my idea,” he said as Colleen made for the back door, her heart hammering.