Mariah Stewart is the award-winning New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of numerous novels and several novellas and short stories. A native of Hightstown, New Jersey, she lives with her husband and two rambunctious rescue dogs amid the rolling hills of Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she savors country life and tends her gardens while she works on her next novel. Visit her website at MariahStewart.com, like her on Facebook at Facebook.com/AuthorMariahStewart, and follow her on Instagram @Mariah_Stewart_Books.

Texte du rabat

From New York Times bestselling author Mariah Stewart comes the first novel in her all-new series, The Hudson Sisters, following a trio of reluctant sisters as they set out to fulfill their father’s dying wish. In the process, they find not only themselves, but the father they only thought they knew.

When celebrated and respected agent Fritz Hudson passes away, he leaves a trail of Hollywood glory in his wake—and two separate families who never knew the other existed. Allie and Des Hudson are products of Fritz’s first marriage to Honora, a beautiful but troubled starlet whose life ended in a tragic overdose. Meanwhile, Fritz was falling in love on the Delaware Bay with New Age hippie Susa Pratt—they had a daughter together, Cara, and while Fritz loved Susa with everything he had, he never quite managed to tell her or Cara about his West Coast family.

Now Fritz is gone, and the three sisters are brought together under strange circumstances: there’s a large inheritance to be had that could save Allie from her ever-deepening debt following a disastrous divorce, allow Des to open a rescue shelter for abused and wounded animals, and give Cara a fresh start after her husband left her for her best friend—but only if the sisters upend their lives and work together to restore an old, decrepit theater that was Fritz’s obsession growing up in his small hometown in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Guided by Fritz’s closest friend and longtime attorney, Pete Wheeler, the sisters come together—whether they like it or not—to turn their father’s dream into a reality, and might just come away with far more than they bargained for.

Échantillon de lecture
The Last Chance Matinee

CHAPTER ONE

Images

Peter J. Wheeler sat at the shiny Honduran mahogany desk in his high-rise paneled law office in Center City Philadelphia rehearsing what he would say to the beneficiaries of his best friend’s will once they arrived. There’d be no easy or pleasant way to get through the next few hours, and if he hadn’t loved the deceased like a brother, he would’ve killed Fritz Hudson with his own two hands for putting him in this position. Over the years, Pete had been called upon to clean up a good number of messes on Fritz’s behalf, but this . . . this was . . .

Cowardly. There was no way around it. Fritz was an out-and-out coward. He’d gone ahead and died and left his old buddy Pete to do his dirty work. Not that Pete didn’t owe Fritz—he’d be the last person to deny that—but still. Weren’t there limits to repaying a debt?

“Mr. Wheeler, Ms. Monroe and Miss Hudson have arrived,” Marjorie, the firm’s receptionist, announced through the intercom.

Send them away. Far, far away . . .

“Send them in.”

Pete stood and adjusted his cuffs for something to do with his hands, mentally preparing for the reading of the will—and the breaking of the news.

The door opened and Fritz’s daughters, Allie and Des, walked in, smiling and offering hugs and kisses on the cheek. It wasn’t a secret that their father’s estate was quite substantial, and Pete had no doubt the two women were already mentally spending their shares.

“Allie, Des. Great to see you girls,” he said, before reminding himself of the somber reason for their presence. He cleared his throat and assumed a solemn expression. “Again, my condolences to you both.”

“And to you as well.” Des gave his hand a squeeze. “Since you were closer to Dad than either of us, I suppose you’ll miss him more than anyone else.”

“I’d give anything to have him here with us today.” So I could wring his neck the way I should have when he was alive. Or at the very least, if he were here today, he could do his own dirty work.

“I’m sure.” Allie looked around the office. “New décor? I like it.”

“Thanks. All that leather and those prints of English hunting dogs were starting to get to me.” He smiled to himself.

Six months ago, Fritz had stood in the middle of Pete’s office with his hands on his hips. “Don’t you think it’s time for all that tired old ‘tally ho!’ stuff to go, Pete? I’m pretty sure that style went out in the nineties.”

I should’ve tied him to a chair right then and there, dialed the phone, handed it to him, and not let him up until he’d come clean with his kids. All his kids.

“Allie, how’s Nikki doing? The new school working out for her?” Pete offered a chair to the tall, slender blonde, who seemed a bit on edge.

“She’s doing just fine, thank you.”

“And you?”

“Oh, I’m great.” The sarcasm in Allie’s voice was unmistakable. “Except that the TV show I was working on was canceled and I’m going to have to sell my house because I can’t afford the upkeep and my half of Nikki’s private school tuition. Other than that, I’m just swell.”

“I’m sorry things aren’t better for you right now. But you have a lot of directing credits, right?”

“Assistant directing,” she corrected.

“Still, you have a recognizable name. I’m sure someone will call.” He tried to be encouraging, but could see by her expression that she wasn’t buying it.

“Well, once Dad’s estate is settled, you’ll be able to turn things around.” Des, who was three years younger and four inches shorter than her sister, hadn’t waited for a chair to be offered before she sat. “That’s what this is all about, right, Uncle Pete?”

“Ahhh . . . well . . . yes, but . . .” he stammered. No rehearsal would have been adequate to prepare him for what was ahead this morning.

It was then that Allie pointed to the third chair in front of the desk.

She frowned. “Is someone joining us?”

Before Pete could respond, Marjorie tapped on the door, then opened it. “Mr. Wheeler . . .”

“Ah . . . yes.” He walked around the desk as a petite woman with curly light auburn hair entered the office. “Cara. Come in, please.” He embraced her as he had the others. “Have a seat.”

With puzzled expressions, Allie and Des turned to face the newcomer.

“Allie. Des. This is Cara McCann.” He took a deep breath and prepared for the shit storm that was about to occur. “Your half sister.” He turned to Cara. “Cara, meet Allegra Monroe and Desdemona Hudson. Your half sisters.”

The silence that followed could not have been more intense. The three women stared first at Pete, then at each other for what seemed to be an eternity.

Fina…