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CHAPTER 1
After checking in at the nurses’ station on the third floor, Jenna Jenkins hurried to the room number she’d been given. She knocked lightly on the door.
“Jenna?” a soft, familiar voice called out.
Jenna pushed through the swinging door and entered the room. The lights were muted, but there was no mistaking the face of the woman lying against the stark white sheets, her ginger hair fanned out on the pillow behind her.
“Brittany, sweetie.” Jenna rushed to her bedside and wrapped her arms around her younger half-sister as best she could without disturbing the IV attached to her arm.
“Oh, Jenna,” Brittany clung to her, her arms thinner than the last time she’d seen her almost a year ago.
A lump rose in Jenna’s throat. She swallowed hard. “Oh, baby, what happened? Why are you here?” She leaned back. “Are you hurt? Sick? Tell me. What’s going on? When did you get in town?”
Her sister gave her a weak smile. “A couple of weeks ago.”
Jenna frowned. “You’ve been in Bozeman for a couple of weeks?” She shook her head. “Why didn’t you let me know?”
Her sister shrugged. “You have your own life.” She glanced down at the IV in her arm. “I didn’t want to bother you with mine.”
Jenna’s heart squeezed hard in her chest. “You’re never a bother, Brittany. Never. I love you.”
A tear rolled down her cheek. Brittany brushed it away. “Yeah, well, I love you, too. And that’s why I didn’t want to bother you with the mess I’ve made of my life. I’m twenty-six years old. I should’ve figured things out by now.” She waved a hand around the room. “Instead, I dropped out of college and have bounced around from one dead-end job to another.” Her voice faded. “And one worthless boyfriend to another.”
Jenna touched a finger to Brittany’s chin and raised her head until she was forced to look at her. “You’re still my sister. No matter what. You can always come to me. You always have a place to go. I told you that a long time ago.”
Another tear rolled down her cheek. “I know. But you’re so…so…together. You have your degree, a great job with the FBI and a guy who makes you happy.”
Jenna snorted. “I’m not as together as you think. Ryan and I broke up almost a year ago.”
Brittany’s brow creased. “Oh, Jenna, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. We dated for five years, and he never made a move to make it permanent. I finally told him to shit or get off the pot.”
Brittany’s eyes widened. “You didn’t.”
Jenna nodded. “I did. And he got off the pot. He’s since met his soulmate, married and is already expecting a baby. He’s happily married. I’m happily single. It’s all good.” Though she made light of it, Ryan’s quick rebound after breaking up with her had hurt more than she’d admit.
She still wondered what was wrong with her that he hadn’t been able to commit to her after five years but could commit to the new girlfriend after only a few months…?
“But look at you,” Brittany said. “You’ve still got it together.”
“What other choice do I have?” Jenna sighed. “Life goes on.”
Brittany nodded. “Yes, it does.”
Jenna tipped her head toward the IV. “So, what brings you to the hospital? Kidney stones? Ruptured appendix?” She prayed it wasn’t anything more serious like the leukemia that had claimed their mother. She held her breath, waiting for Brittany’s answer.
Her sister glanced away. “I made a mistake moving in with Larry.”
Based on her sister’s judgment in men, Jenna wasn’t surprised. Now wasn’t the time to say that. “How so?”
“He wasn’t who I thought he was.”
“I thought you said he was a pharmaceutical salesman.”
Brittany met Jenna’s gaze. “Oh, he is that, but I thought I was his one and only.” She snorted and looked down at her hands. “I found out those long stretches where he was away weren’t just to make sales. He was going home to Salt Lake City to his wife and kids.”
Jenna’s jaw hardened. “That bastard.” As more tears flowed down Brittany’s cheeks, Jenna took her hand. “At least you found out before it went too far.”
