to be on the cruise with you.”
“Let me guess, your happiness overpowered your disappointment, right?” Jillian felt a pounding pressure in her head and knew why. She had been looking forward to the Mediterranean cruise—for many reasons—and now it appeared she wouldn’t be going.
“I’m sorry, Jill. You’ve never gone on a cruise and I know it’s one of the things on your bucket list.”
Paige’s apology only made Jillian feel worse. She’d made her sister feel awful for making a choice Jillian would have made herself if given the chance. Reaching across the table, she grabbed Paige’s hand.
“I’m the one who should be apologizing, Paige. I was only thinking of myself. You’re right. Getting that part in the movie is a dream come true and you’d be crazy not to take it. I’m truly happy for you. Congratulations.”
A bright smile spread across Paige’s lips. “Thanks. I wanted so much for us to spend time together on the cruise. It’s been ages since me, you, Pam and Nadia have had sister time.”
Nadia, a senior in college, was their youngest sister. At twenty-one she was two years younger than Paige and four years younger than Jillian. Pamela, their oldest sister—who Jillian, Nadia and Paige were convinced was the best older sister anyone could ever have—was ten years older than Jillian. A former actress, Pam had given up the glitter of Hollywood to return home to Gamble, Wyoming, and raise them when their father died. Now Pam lived in Denver. She was married, the mother of two and the CEO of two acting schools, one in Denver and the other in Gamble. Paige had followed in Pam’s footsteps and pursued an acting career. She lived in Los Angeles.
With Pam’s busy schedule, she’d said accompanying them on the cruise would have been close to impossible. Nadia had wanted to go but finals kept her from doing so. Jillian had wanted sister time with at least one of her siblings. And now that she had completed medical school, she needed those two weeks on the cruise as a getaway before starting her residency. But there was another reason she wanted to take that two-week cruise.
Aidan Westmoreland.
It was hard to believe it had been a little over a year since she’d broken things off with him. And every time she remembered the reason she’d done so her heart ached. She needed a distraction from her memories.
“You okay, Jill?”
Jillian glanced up at Paige and forced a smile. “Yes, why do you ask?”
“You zoned out on me just now. I was talking and you appeared to be a million miles away. I noticed you haven’t been yourself since I arrived in New Orleans. More than once you’ve seemed preoccupied about something. Is everything okay?”
Jillian waved off Paige’s words. The last thing she wanted was for her sister to start worrying and begin digging. “Yes, everything is okay, Paige.”
Paige didn’t look convinced. “Um, I don’t know. Maybe I should forget about being in that movie and go on that cruise with you after all.”
Jillian picked up her wineglass to take a sip. “Don’t be silly. You’re doing the right thing. Besides, I’m not going on the cruise.”
“Why not?”
Jillian was surprised at her sister’s question. “Surely you don’t expect me to go without you.”
“You need a break before starting your residency.”
Jillian rolled her eyes. “Get real, Paige. What would I do on a two-week cruise by myself?”
“Rest, relax, enjoy the sights, the ocean, the peace and quiet. And you might luck up and meet some nice single guy.”
Jillian shook her head. “Nice single guys don’t go on cruises alone. Besides, the last thing I need right now is a man in my life.”
Paige laughed. “Jill, you haven’t had a guy in your life since you dated Cobb Grindstone in your senior year at Gamble High. I think what’s missing in your life is a man.”
Jillian bristled at her sister’s words. “Not hardly, especially with my busy schedule. And I don’t see you with anyone special.”
“At least I’ve been dating over the years. You haven’t. Or, if you have, you haven’t told me about it.”
Jillian schooled her expression into an impassive facade. She’d never told Paige about her affair with Aidan, and considering how it had ended she was glad she hadn’t.
“Jill?”
She glanced up at her sister. “Yes?”
A teasing smile spread across Paige’s lips. “You aren’t keeping secrets, are you?”
Jill knew Paige had given her the perfect opportunity to come clean about her affair with Aidan, but she wasn’t ready. Even after a year, the pain was still raw. And the last thing Jillian needed was for Paige to start probing for more information.
“You know the reason I don’t have a man in my life is because of time. My focus has been on becoming a doctor and nothing else.” Paige didn’t have to know that a few years ago Aidan had wiggled his way past that focus without much effort. That had been a mistake that cost her.
“That’s why I think you should go on that cruise without me,” Paige said. “You’ve worked hard and need to rest and enjoy yourself for a change. Once you begin your residency you’ll have even less time for yourself—or anything else.”
“That’s true,” Jillian said. “But—”
“No buts, Jillian.”
Jillian knew that tone. She also knew that whenever Paige called her by her full name she meant business. “If I were to go on that cruise alone I’d be bored stiff. You’re talking about two weeks.”
Paige gave her a pointed look. “I’m talking about two weeks that I believe you need. And just think of all the fabulous places you’ll get to see—Barcelona, France, Rome, Greece and Turkey.” Now it was Paige who reached out to take hold of Jillian’s hand. “Look, Jill, there is something going on with you, I can feel it. Whatever it is, it’s tearing you apart. I picked up on it months ago, the last time I came to visit you.”
A wry smile touched Paige’s lips when she added, “Perhaps you are keeping secrets. Maybe there’s some doctor in medical school that caught your eye and you’re not ready to tell me about him. One who has blown your mind and you don’t know how to handle the intensity of such a relationship. If that’s the case, I understand. All of us at some time or another have issues we prefer to deal with alone. That’s why I believe two weeks on the open seas will be good for you.”
Jillian drew in a deep breath. Paige didn’t know how close she was to the truth. Her problem did center on some doctor, but not one attending medical school with her.
At that moment the waitress returned with their meal, and Jillian appreciated the interruption. She knew Paige would not be happy until Jillian agreed to go on the cruise. She’d heard what Paige had said—Paige knew something was bothering Jillian. It would only be a matter of time before Pam and Nadia knew as well, if they didn’t already. Besides, Jillian had already
