Night and Day (Stevens Book 11)

Chapter 11

Since the reading of the will with Bryce and her family, Katherine had met with Bryce twice about the details and tried contacting her father several times without much success.

She had texted her sisters and informed them that there would be no change to their allowances, and everything would remain the same. She had also decided to keep the house and told her sisters that they were free to come and go from it as they always had. She had not issued the same invitation to her father, and it had felt rebellious not to.

It was her monthly meeting with her agent, Laura Stevens, and since they were both in New York, they had decided to have lunch at a trendy and expensive New York restaurant. As usual, Katherine had taken her time with her appearance and was wearing an expensive blue wrap dress and killer heels with her hair in loose waves around her shoulders. One couldn't meet Laura Wren under-dressed.

When Katherine arrived at the restaurant, she was surprised to encounter her father and sisters in the foyer, waiting to be escorted to their seats. Her surprise wasn't that they were there as much as it was who they were with.

Trisha Livingston was standing next to her father with her arm linked through his.

Katherine smiled and nodded at her sisters before she turned to her father to offer the same smile which died on her lips at his cold reception.

"What are you doing here?" her father asked, looking at his other three daughters suspiciously, most likely thinking they had invited her.

"Hello, Dad," Katherine softly greeted as she did her best to hide her confusion at the fact that Trisha was standing next to her father. Trisha was an one of the wealthiest women in New York and her her husband had died many years before.

"I told you to call me George!" he murmured in her ear as she passed him. It still hurt.

"Sorry, George," she said, forcing a smile.

Trisha was closely watching them interact with each other, and there was an awkward pause where her father should have introduced her but didn't. It wasn't necessary, however, as Trisha stepped forward and placed a social kiss on Katherine's cheek.

"Katherine, it's nice to see you again. I was sorry to hear about your mother. Of course, I didn't know she was married to George."

"Thank you, Trisha," Katherine responded, playing the game and kissing Trisha on the cheek in return.

"Are you joining us? That would be lovely," Trisha smiled a sincere smile at the thought, and Katherine couldn't help but return it.

"No, I have a meeting with Laura." Both women turned to look at George to see his reaction to the news when he made an odd noise, only to find him watching them suspiciously.

"Why are you looking at us like that, George?" Trisha asked with a tilt of her head. She was more intrigued than she was upset at his distrust.

"You two know each other?" he questioned through gritted teeth.

"Yes, but it seems to upset you. Why?" Trisha was watching him, and it was clear that she didn't like what she was seeing as she watched a few different expressions cross his face.

George must have caught on to her sudden displeasure because he gave a big grin as if all was right with the world, and for the first time, Katherine could see how charming he could be when he wanted. It was a side of him that she had never witnessed before.

"I'm sorry," he laughed. "I was caught off guard seeing Katherine here and then finding out that you two know each other," he shook his head, his grin in place. "It's just a wonderful coincidence."