motherâs attempt to bring an end to her strained relationship with Marti had failed, Lydia had called in the big guns. Namely Byron Goshay. Kara had always been a daddyâs girl and proud of it. Her father adored both of his daughters, but there had always been a special bond between the two of them.
âPut him through, please.â
Leaning back in her chair, she waited for the connection while recalling her conversation with her mother when she returned her call yesterday. It was a discussion that hadnât gone over well. Lydia tried shifting the blame to Kara, saying she was allowing a man to come between her and her sister. She felt Kara should make up with Marti now that her sister was under a doctorâs care for stress and anxiety attacks.
Kara had gotten royally pissed. She sympathized with whatever Marti was going through, but what about those four years Kara had suffered, thinking the man she loved had betrayed her? What about the stress sheâd gone through? The heartbreak? The pain? How could one sister do that to another?
âKara? Howâs my girl?â
The sound of her fatherâs voice chased away the anger. She smiled. âIâm fine, Dad. What about you?â
âIâm doing okay. Looking forward to retirement in a few years. Just waiting for my daughters to pay off their student loans so they can take care of their old man.â
Kara shook her head. âOur student loans are paid off. Besides, you wouldnât accept a handout from me or Marti even if your life depended on it.â
She heard her fatherâs chuckle. âTrue.â
He then paused, and she knew what was coming when she detected him shifting to a more serious mode. âYour mom talked to me last night about the ongoing situation between you and Marti.â
âAnd?â
âAnd I think we need to have a family powwow. A sort of bonding session. Iâd like to fly both you and Marti home for the weekend.â
As if flying out to San Francisco would magically make things better. âIt wonât do any good, Dad.â
âSweetheart, Martiâs your sister.â
So now her father was taking that approach? She couldnât stop the flare of anger. âYes, and my sister deliberately sabotaged my relationship with the man I loved.â
There was another pause. âI just want my daughters back together. I feel our family is breaking apart.â
âDonât blame me, Dad.â
âOf course I donât blame you.â
Kara was glad to hear that. âMom did.â
âLydia should not have said that. I told her we needed to stay out of it and let you and Marti handle things. But I guess she saw that wasnât happening and figured she needed to step in. But thatâs no reason to blame you. You didnât ask for what Marti did. Have you seen Virgil and told him the truth?â
âYes, for what good that did. I apologized but he didnât accept my apology. I canât blame him to be honest with you. I said some mean things to him back then. I think now he hates me more than ever.â
âSorry to hear that. I tried calling him to apologize, as well. Heâs changed his number from the one I had.â
Kara lifted a brow. âWhy would you need to apologize?â
âBecause after the two of you broke up and Marti told me what he did, I called him and said a lot of not-so-nice things to him.â
Karaâs eyes closed for a minute. Her sisterâs lie had caused more damage than Kara had realized. âI didnât know,â she said softly. Her father had liked Virgil a lot, and vice versa. Getting such a call from her father had probably only added to Virgilâs anger. âWhy didnât you tell me?â
âAt the time I felt there was no reason to tell you. I thought he had hurt you and that was all I needed to know. Now I feel bad about what I said.â
Welcome to the club.