Page 26 of Nothing Heals Me Like You Do
“I’m volunteering at the shelter next week, but she made it pretty clear that I shouldn’t get any romantic ideas in my head.”
“Oh. And is that what you’re doing?”
“No.” Sienna shook her head. “But I would like to see her again. I invited her to dinner last night and we really clicked. We had a real connection, you know?”
“You like her.” Taissa grinned. “You like a white lady in her fifties.” She pulled her lips into a judgmental pout and slowly nodded her head.
“Which white lady in her fifties?” Their mother had snuck up on them.
“We’re having a private conversation, Mom,” Taissa said.
“You should have gone somewhere more private than my backyard, then.” Maxine Brewster was not one to be brushed off by her own children. She pulled up a chair, refilled her glass of wine, and looked at Sienna. “Tell me.”
“No, Mom. We’ve talked about this. There are things a mother should not know about her children. You agreed. Remember?”
Her mom shook her head. “I don’t remember that at all.”
“Yeah right. You’re just curious.”
“Of course, I’m curious. You’re my daughter. I will never not be curious about you.” Her mother rested her gaze on Sienna. It made her think of the kids the Rainbow Shelter took in—kids whose parents lost so much more than their curiosity about them. “Either way, you can’t back out now. I heard about the white lady in her fifties. Who is she and what are you doing with her?”
Their mother had always had a bossy streak and she’d been overseeing hundreds of employees at her production company for decades, which had only made her bossier. Maxine Brewster had always refused to take no for an answer—even rock-hard ‘nos’ that caused friction, awkwardness and disappointment. It was one of the things Sienna admired about her mother the most—although perhaps not so much in this moment.
“Before I tell you anything, you need to promise you won’t freak out,” Sienna said, even though she could perfectly predict how that would go down with her mother.
“I will do no such thing.” She locked her gaze on Sienna’s. “You’ve made me even more curious, though.”
“I slept with Justine Blackburn,” Sienna blurted out. So much for it being her and Justine’s secret. But this was her family and they didn’t have many secrets between them—not on this side of her family, anyway.
“You did not.” Her mother burst out laughing. “You’re just riling up your too-nosy-for-her-own-good mother now.” She held up her hands. “Fine. I deserve it. Well-played, girls.” She gave them a thumbs-up.
“I warned you, Mom.” Sienna was a lot like her mother when it came to certain things, being tenacious was one of them. “There are things a mother shouldn’t know. Maybe that will teach you to no longer eavesdrop on us.”
“Are you saying that you’re telling the truth?” She gulped down some wine. “That you actually slept with Justine Blackburn?”
“And that she likes her,” Taissa butted in.
“God knows I have a lot of respect for that woman and what she does, but… I’m not seeing it. You’re Sienna Bright, for heaven’s sake. I know you have a thing for difficult, unattainable women.” Her mother rolled her eyes. “But Justine Blackburn?” She knitted her sculpted eyebrows together. “I can’t see it. As your sister said, what are you doing with a white lady in her fifties?”
“First of all, can we leave the fact that she’s white out of it? Dad’s white, for crying out loud.”
Her mother acquiesced with a terse nod of the head. “What is it about her then? Is it this movie? You haven’t even started shooting yet. I know a movie set can be like a pressure cooker of emotions—false and real alike—but…” Her eyes went wide. “Was she inappropriate with you?”
Sienna huffed out a desperate breath. “Mom. Stop. Just stop.”
“She’s right, Mom,” Taissa finally backed Sienna up. “You’re freaking out.”
“I didn’t promise that I wouldn’t.” Her daughters ganging up on her had never once intimidated their mom—nothing much did. Except, perhaps, her youngest daughter hooking up with a woman in her fifties.
“So.” Her mom regrouped. “You actually like her?”
“Kind of, but… I’m not sure it’s mutual.”
“Of course it’s mutual.” Her mom couldn’t help herself. “What’s not to like about you?”
“This is not helpful, Mom,” Taissa said.
“Look, it doesn’t matter,” Sienna said on a sigh. “It’s not going to be a thing, so don’t worry about it. In fact, let’s forget about it. Let’s pretend I never said anything and it never happened.”Yeah right.
