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Sunshine was determined not to let her sister pull the two apart If Beth and Sam eventually drifted away fro and not forced on the about Ellie made Sunshine’s teeth clench, and before she knew it the hand that held the paintbrush tightened At that point she knew she was finished for the day

Ever since Beth had questioned her about Peter, Sunshine’s head had been full of long-buried ht-have-beens, and the taste of Peter and Ellie’s betrayal She’d been hurt and angry with hiive him or her sister when she’d moved to California Her art had become her solace, her escape, her life Her as filled with the hunger and thirst of revenge, wanting to lash out and hurt theness to forgive that had driven Peter away The funny thing was, although there was little huer toward Peter It was harder with her sister, but over the years she’d co her farHer sister was left to deal with her guilt Ellie had never apologized or ap between them and so she hadn’t, either It was tio about it, and so the two reed Distant and often at odds over Beth Peter

Sunshine couldn’t think of hirets of her own He’d abandoned what he loved iven in to his father’s de hoould have hated standing in a courtrooruntled clients He waslight and beauty to the world

It took the inds of California, her own success as an artist, and tiive him, but by then it was too late Peter had ht about hirip on the pain he’d caused her had slipped, to be replaced with the me, ridiculously in love, confident nothing would ever shake the foundation of their commitment to each other … until Ellie

Sunshine cleaned up her studio and returned hoether a salad for her dinner later with Beth Her niece’s curiosity about her long-lost love had awakened memories she had tried to bury After all this ti theht as well have tried to dig a grave in swampland, where the body would repeatedly rise to the surface just as her race to pray that Peter had experienced a good life and that his e had been a success She didn’t want hirets and bitterness She hoped that over time he’d found contentment and satisfaction as an attorney and that he hadn’t completely abandoned his love of art He’d been so beautifully talented It pained her to think that all that ability had lain dormant and wasted

Several times over the years, she’d been te fae had failed her As ed to explain that she was ready to release the hurts of the past, as iven, she couldn’t do it She couldn’t barge into his life and his family ords that had the potential to start a firestorm for him and his family

Unable to face Peter, years earlier she’d written him a letter with no return address At the time it was iuilt She’d needed to tell him she’d found her own happiness and that she would always love hih she had kept that lengthy es of her journal

Shortly after Beth brought up his nah a chest where she kept her journals, and after sorting through several leather-bound volumes, she found the one with the letter carefully placed between the thick pages With tears in her eyes she’d reread it, surprised to find there was more to that letter than words Between the sentences, woven through each thoughtfully written line, what so clearly ju that even now she felt it tightening her chest and filling her eyes with tears

That letter as well as any other personal contact had the potential to upset the life Peter had ing discord or regret into his life, and so she’d never mailed it

Despite her desire to know about hiht hiood spirits Right away she mentioned a call from her parents

"Dad calledif there was so "Is there a probleht, too Dad put Mom on the line and you won’t believe this when I tell you"

"Then tell ht if she and Dad flew out for Thanksgiving"

"Really? And what did you say?"

She grinned sheepishly "I told them I’d be happy if they did, with one small stipulation Which involves you"

"Me?" Sunshine repeated surprised

"I said they could come, but only if you hosted the dinner"

After her initial shock, Sunshine burst out laughing "You little devil I iave yourShe said she’d like that"