Seething, she stepped forward, her hand raised.
Drake shot out in front of me. “Irene, I would suggest you take a couple of steps back. You lay a hand on Lex, you’ll have me to deal with.”
Drake would never hit a woman, but the threat was enough to make Mom retreat. However, I had my answers. I turned toward Raquel, who didn’t seem the least bit fazed. “So you knew, too.”
She said nothing
“That’s why you sold the land. Cash out while you could.”
Still, she said nothing.
“Don’t you have anything you want to say? How long have you known, Raquel?”
And still, nothing.
Chazz stood. “Would you mind clarifying what you’re talking about? I’m a bit lost.”
For a second, I studied him to see if he was lying. His brows were drawn, and he appeared to have been kept in the dark. But who knows? “Raquel isn’t my father’s daughter.”
“You’re sure?” He stared at me in disbelief.
I tossed the copy of the paternity test results on the table. “Yes, I am. Raquel and I would be identified as only half sisters. Here’s a copy for some light reading.”
Chazz studied the paper. Raquel cleared her throat. “I believe it’s time for you to leave.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.” I shook my head. “I don’t know you, Chazz. But if I were you, I would get out while the getting is good. I’ve seen that you’re close with your brother. This is how my family treats people when they aren’t useful. I hope you never become obsolete, or you’ll be standing where I am right now.”
And with that, I turned and left.
As Drake started his truck, I felt the door to any relationship with my mother and sister slam shut. Mom hadn’t stopped me when I walked out. She didn’t care if I was in her life.
And that hurt most of all. Now I was parentless.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Alexa
Wednesday afternoon, Hollis was finishing up with a patient while I tried to catch up on the filing. It wasn’t an easy task; my mind was going in all sorts of directions. A small part of me had hoped my mom or my sister would reach out and want to talk about everything. I couldn’t imagine how lonely Dad must have felt when he found out the truth about his wife and daughter.
The front door opened, and Devney walked in wearing her glasses, her light hair up in a loose bun. She looked every bit the high school music teacher. “Hey, Alexa. I hope now is a good time.”
“Yes. Yes, of course it is.” I shook my head to try and clear the cobwebs. In all the chaos, I’d forgotten Devney was coming in today. Oops. Hollis would be surprised. “Here’s the paperwork. You can start filling that out in the back office, if that’s okay.”
That would give me a chance to break the news to Hollis. With everything that had happened last night, Hollis had been so good to me to
day. He’d greeted me on the front step with coffee, brought in my favorite lunch from the Red Onion, and listened to my more girly music rather than the classical, boring stuff he liked to play during breaks.
Devney took the papers. “Perfect. Thank you again for this opportunity.”
“Thank you.” I indicated the stacks of papers that needed to be filed. “We need the help, as you can see.”
The papers weren’t as organized as we liked to keep them. The clinic had felt like a madhouse today. “That will be no problem.”
I showed Devney to the back office and explained the different forms. For legal reasons, she had to sign confidentiality agreements.
The exam room door opened, and I said, “I’ll be right back.”
“No problem. I’ll keep filling everything out.”