The Stepsisters

Paperback: 416 Pages

Publisher: MIRA; Original edition (May 25, 2021)

Once upon a time, when her dad married Sage’s mom, Daisy was thrilled to get a bright and shiny new sister. But Sage was beautiful and popular, everything Daisy was not, and she made sure Daisy knew it.

Sage didn’t have Daisy’s smarts—she had to go back a grade to enroll in the fancy rich-kid school. So she used her popularity as a weapon, putting Daisy down to elevate herself. After the divorce, the stepsisters’ rivalry continued until the final, improbable straw: Daisy married Sage’s first love, and Sage fled California.

Eighteen years, two kids, and one troubled marriage later, Daisy never expects—or wants—to see Sage again. But when the little sister they have in common needs them both, they put aside their differences to care for Cassidy. As long-buried truths are revealed, no one is more surprised than they when friendship blossoms.

Their fragile truce is threatened by one careless act that could have devastating consequences. They could turn their backs on each other again…or they could learn to forgive once and for all and finally become true sisters of the heart.

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Excerpt

“Is Sage still in LA?” Daisy asked. “I thought she lived in Rome.” That was what she’d told Krissa.

“Not anymore. She’s back in Los Angeles and living with Joanne.”

Oh, joy, Daisy thought.

“I’ll let Esmerelda know,” she said, keeping her voice light. “I think the upstairs guest room would be best. There are big windows and lots of space.”

“I agree that’s a good choice. They’re emailing me a copy of her records. I’ll forward them to you as soon as I get them. Once you look them over, you’ll have a better idea of what she’ll need. Esmerelda can get it all in place.”

“No problem, Dad. We’ll figure it out.”

They spoke for a few more minutes before hanging up. Daisy stared at the blank screen, wishing there had been a way to say no. But she’d been unable to—

“Dammit, Dad!”

She stood and shoved her phone into her handbag as she dealt with the fact that she’d just been played. There had been no reason for her father to ask her to tell Sage about Cassidy’s accident. According to him, Sage was living with her mother and he had said he was calling Joanne. No doubt Joanne would tell her daughter about the accident. But he’d made Daisy promise to get in touch with Sage.

She heard the beep that alerted her to a text message. Probably her father forwarding Sage’s contact information. And because she’d said she would, now she would have to call, because not keeping her word wasn’t an option.

She was thirty-six years old and her father was still messing with her life. One day she was going to have to deal with that, although in truth, the more pressing issue was the fact that her half sister was about to move in. Daisy would be forced to deal with her injuries, nurses in and out of the house, while living with someone who disliked her. And trying to hide the fact that her husband had moved out. The same husband who had once been engaged to her former stepsister—and that same stepsister had loudly promised to love Jordan forever right in the middle of his wedding to Daisy.

“Later, there will be wine,” Daisy promised herself. “And possibly chocolate.”

Because some days, that was all that stood between her and madness.

Sage arrived home to an empty house. Grateful she wasn’t going to have to deal with her mother, she went to her room and quickly changed into jeans and a T-shirt. While she was willing to admit to a little anticipation about her evening with Adam, she didn’t want him to know that. And she’d learned the best way to tell a man an evening with him was no big deal was to dress as if it didn’t matter at all.

She went into the bathroom to brush her hair before pulling it back into a simple ponytail and tried not to notice the hint of wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She knew she still looked good, but for how long? Five years? She really needed to start saving up to get some preventative work done. Something she would add to her money to-do list, along with an apartment and possibly putting aside a few dollars for a savings account.

“Not going to think about that right now,” she whispered, before returning to her room and collecting the bottle of tequila and the limes.

She walked over to Adam’s house and knocked. He opened the door and smiled at her.

“I have the blender ready to go,” he said, stepping back to allow her inside.

She held up the tequila and the limes. “Good, because we wouldn’t want these to go to waste.”

He led the way into the kitchen. She had a brief impression of newish appliances and a lot of leather furniture in the open-concept family room.

About Susan Mallery

No.1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming, humorous novels about the relationships that define our lives – family, friendship, romance. She’s known for putting nuanced characters in emotional situations that surprise readers to laughter. Beloved by millions, her books have been translated into 28 languages. Susan lives in Washington with her husband, two cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur.