Imperfectly Beautiful (Jordan Knight Fanfic, Liadan #3)

Sisters and Skating Rinks

-LIA-

The tick-tock of the decorative clock hanging on the wall next to me began to wear on my nerves as I swirled my spoon around in my cup of now-cold Raspberry Zinger tea. With every passing second, the cafe that I usually considered to be an adorable place to meet with friends was beginning to suffocate me. Although I was trying my best to stay calm, it was nearly fifty minutes past the time Mallory and I had agreed to meet and I was growing more and more impatient and irritated. This was honestly the last conversation that I wanted to be having and I was about five minutes from asking the waiter for a check and to-go cup.

Just when I was about to reach my wits' end, the sound of clicking high-heels caught my attention and I turned to see Mallory approaching the table with a smile on her face.

She swiped her long bangs aside, "Sorry, my damn car was acting up on me again. It took forever to get it to start," she offered me a smile before plopping down into the seat across from me. "I almost thought I was going to have to call Antonio for help."

"Antonio?" I repeated as I tried hard to keep my tone even-keeled, but inside I could feel the fire in me building enough to make my tea boil all over again.

"Yeah, uh," That smile on her face got a little wider as she grabbed sugar packets and poured them into her tea that I knew had to be just as cold as mine was. "We've kinda been seeing each other over the past couple weeks. And before you say anything, he's honestly not a bad guy, sis. When he first offered me that ride at your daughter's, I expected him to be a complete asshole, but underneath the surface, he's actually a sweet man. I mean, he's a bit self-absorbed and cocky and he can be quite forward, but who wouldn't be with looks like that and that much money? It kind of comes with the territory, right? I think if you and your family just took the chance to get to know him, you'd really like him."

"And is that what you've told him?" I cocked an eyebrow. "That if we got to know him, we'd like him?"

"What do you mean?" Mallory lifted her tea cup to her mouth and took a sip.

"I mean Antonio showed up at Maria's house this afternoon with some elaborate scheme to try to force his way into my granddaughter's life by donating a million dollars to the theater in her name," I slowed from stirring and gazed back at her. "It seems he got that idea from you?"

"Well—"

"So it's true?" I interrupted. "Why would you suggest such a thing, Mallory? I made it very clear to you where my family stood on Antonio's involvement in the play and in Grace's life. We don't need to get to know him—his son already knows him and he's made his feelings about it explicit to all of us."

Mallory huffed, "Lia, he's Grace's grandfather for crying out loud. I see the way you and Jordan interact with her at the theater and I think he has every right to want those same experiences."

"Sure he can want those same experiences all night and day, but he doesn't have the right to get anything when it comes to her, Mal."

"So he doesn't have any rights, but you and Jordan do?" she asked in a patronizing tone.

"Yes, we do," I spoke tersely. "The fact of the matter is we've been a central part of Grace's life since the day Maria told us she was expecting and that in and of itself sets us far apart from anything that Antonio Holloway has ever done. It's a long history that you don't know about, but that's why it wasn't your place to interfere in this. When I said no to him getting monetarily involved in the play, I meant no and I expected you to leave it alone."

"You said no to him overseeing a sponsorship from his company, not to him making a donation to the theater."

"It's effectively the same thing and you know it," I could feel my patience wearing thin.