The Missing Heir(30)

                “I’m sure,” Cole agreed.

                Amber knelt down and tested the water temperature with the inside of her wrist. She shut off the taps. Then she suction cupped Zachary’s bath safety ring to the bottom of the tub and dropped a couple of brightly colored plastic fish into the water.

                “Based on my single college psychology elective,” said Amber as Cole lowered the naked Zachary into the ring, “I would say Samuel was everything Coco’s father was not. Conversely, I suspect Samuel secretly feared he’d never have children and saw Coco as someone he could care for and protect.”

                “And sleep with,” said Cole.

                “He did marry her. I have to give him credit for that.”

                Zachary grabbed for the green fish, sending splashes of water over the edge of the tub, dampening Amber’s sweater and jeans.

                “To be fair,” she continued, “from what I saw, he genuinely loved Zachary. I think he’d have had more children if Coco was willing.”

                Cole had gone silent, his attention fixed on the baby.

                After a long moment, he spoke. “You liked Samuel?”

                “Not really. I mean, I barely knew him, but it’s hard to admire a fiftysomething man who marries a nineteen-year-old. Especially one who...” Amber tried to reframe her thought, but there was no way to put it that wasn’t insulting to Coco.

                She stretched to retrieve the facecloth, dampening it in the bathwater then squirting some rose-scented soap from a china dispenser.

                “So how is it that you and Coco became stepsisters?” Cole asked.

                Amber started to wash Zachary’s back, relieved that he’d let her blow past the nonanswer. “My mother died when I was a baby. When I was seven, my father remarried. But shortly after, he was killed by a drunk driver, and then it was just Tara and me.”

                “I’m sorry to hear that.”

                “Thank you.” At first, Amber had been inconsolable over the loss of her father, while Tara had seemed overwhelmed by the responsibility of Amber. So Amber had grown up fast, accepted the situation and learned to be strong.

                She continued with the story. “Shortly after he died, Tara remarried and got pregnant with Coco.”

                “Did you and Tara have a good relationship?”

                Zachary splashed happily, cooing in the tub while Amber washed him.

                “We didn’t fight or anything. She worked as a waitress. I was in after-school care. She made sure I was fed and had clothes. Meanwhile I was a pretty good kid, and stayed out of her way.”

                “That sounds lonely.”

                Amber shrugged. “It was okay. I didn’t really know any different until Coco came along.” She dampened Zachary’s soft hair and rubbed in a dollop of baby shampoo.

                “What happened?”

                “I saw a different approach to parenting.”

                “Let me guess, Coco was the golden child.”

                “She was the princess of the family. She was their biological baby. While I was ten and didn’t belong to either of them.”