and had plenty of her own friends to hang out with.
“Nah, never mind, mate.” Drew tipped his beer bottle to his lips. “I can’t do that to her.”
Jack drew back in mock affront. “What? What’s wrong with me? I’m a nice guy. I know the classiest places to party. Nice, clean fun with drinks, dinner, and dancing. Besides, it’s your entrée into the local Chinese-American society I’m talking about, man. These are connections you’ll need.”
“I know, I know. Just not tonight, Jack. I’m whipped. Usually I’d be the first guy to put on his dancing shoes to go meet lovely ladies, but I doubt I’d be good company.” That was the truth. He wanted to be sharp when meeting the high brow of society, if that truly was who Jack meant to introduce him to.
An hour later, with Birdie in the back of Jack’s spit-shined hybrid SUV, the three were headed into the City. San Francisco’s Chinatown to be exact. Or a place on the outskirts of it. They’d had a quick dinner of deli sandwiches while showering and dressing for a night on the town, much to Drew’s disgust. Further proof of how tired he was. Normally he didn’t let himself be persuaded against his gut feelings, but Jack had insisted and Bird had flown through the door in time to catch closing arguments and added her pressure as well. At least she and Jack kept up the conversation all the way up the peninsula while the energy shot he’d guzzled worked into his system. It was nearly enough to make a grown man cry.
While Jack piloted the vehicle and Birdie bombarded him with questions about their destination, Drew pulled out his cell phone and sent a text to both his father and shining new stepmother. Their plane was due to land in an hour, and he didn’t want them to make the stop by the apartment to find it empty. At the same time, he set the phone to vibrate. He probably wouldn’t be able to hear it wherever they ended up, but hopefully he’d feel it when a return text came through.
“So what’s this about another wedding?” Jack tossed the question back at Birdie. “Thought your parents were already married? Isn’t that why you two flew back to London over spring break?”
“This one is for the friends here who couldn’t be there,” Birdie explained. “Mom’s lawyer says he wants proof before he starts rewriting the will. I think he just wants a party and a chance to get to know Dad a little more.”
“This is all so confusing.” Although Drew had given Jack the brief overview, the man thrived on details. Something that had served him well in many a mock court. “So back in the late 80s, your father”—Jack glanced in his direction—“met her mother, had an affair that resulted in Birdie. But your mother—at the time your father’s ex—was already pregnant with you, unbeknownst to anyone. Right?”
“Right.” Drew gave the one word answer, knowing there was no avoiding the topic.
“And when she found out she was pregnant with Birdie—”
“My name is Courtney. It’s far more appropriate for the business world.”
“Right, forgive me—Courtney. Your mother didn’t stay to fight for her man?”
“No, she didn’t.” Courtney leaned forward more, her head now between the two front seats so she’d hear Drew better. “She’d overheard the announcement that my father was marrying my mother because of her pregnancy with me. She didn’t want to make our father choose between children. Randi didn’t know anything about my mother’s circumstances and figured she’d have a better chance of making a go of it as a single mother. Which, while entirely noble of her, may not have been in everyone’s best interest.”
“So you and Bird—excuse me, Courtney—are half brother and sister, separated in age by only a few months.”
“Three months.” The clarification came from the back seat. “Which doesn’t mean he’s any wiser or smarter than I am.” A sharp-nailed finger poked Drew’s shoulder in emphasis. An argument they’d had many times since learning of their blood-tie.
“You’re younger, smaller, and far more sheltered than I ever was, Bird. That makes me your big brother with all the rights and responsibilities therefore attached.”
“Oh brother. I’m so glad I missed all that misogyny while growing up. I’m an independent woman, Andrew.”
“Then explain why we’re sharing an apartment, sister dear.”
“Because Dad is paying for it—”
“So I can keep an eye on you.”
“So I can keep an eye on you.”
Drew snorted and Jack grinned. “Right.”
“Ah, sibling love.” Jack sighed dramatically, hand over his heart. “Nothing like it in the world. You two are such amateurs. I should take you both home for Sunday dinner at the Ling household sometime soon. There’s where you’ll get a real lesson in how siblings act.”
“Oh?” Birdie leaned forward. “How many do you have?”
Jack glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “I’m the eldest of eight. Three sisters, four brothers. All overachievers. You two don’t know a thing about sibling competition.”
“We’re learning,” Drew muttered. He loved his sister. Absolutely. No question. But she was far from the sweet, shy, biddable creature he’d first imagined her to be. Back before he knew he had a sister. Back when he’d been almost stalking her across campus trying to find out who she was, trying to find a way to meet her that didn’t seem creepy.
Like that had worked. After learning her name, her schedule, even a little about her from some of the guys he’d met while playing a pickup game or two of rugby, who were also attracted to her, he’d finally seen his chance one morning at a campus coffee shop. She’d tripped over his size twelve foot and nearly broken her arm. So smooth. But it had worked. They’d met the next several mornings for coffee in the same spot before she’d invited him to her home for Thanksgiving as a stray. A foreign student without family connections for one of the biggest American holidays of the year.
Only to find out she was his unknown half-sister not even his father had known about and never expected to find when looking for the elusive love of his life from twenty years earlier. Surprise, surprise. Although Drew never let on, it still choked him up. His new stepmother, Randi, was all he could have hoped for in a mother. Not only did she make his father ecstatically happy, she’d brought a light of love and warmth into his world unlike any he’d ever known. In some ways it made him feel twelve again. Not just the stereotypical California friendly sort of warmth, but genuine love radiated from her entire being. Something sorely missing from his life up to then.
Where Randi had been open, loving, and accepting from the get-go, Birdie had a tougher time accepting the secrets of her past. Sometimes it still took her aback, leading to snark instead of easy going cheer. The girl just didn’t fall in with the program of him being her protector. She didn’t appreciate him vetting her dates and trying to steer her away from some of the more obnoxious suitors clamoring for her attention. Didn’t she realize that he knew those guys? What they thought when they looked at her? What they wanted from her? It had been bad enough watching her those first weeks with those sharks disguised as law students, MBAs, and jocks circling her at the beginning of fall semester. But once they’d realized she was connected to him, connected to the Robinson international money, it had added a level of frenzy to the chumming around her. Not only did they see a beautiful, lithe blonde with a
