Shadow of Perception Read Online Free

mom. A bond, a special love Eden in no way shape or form could have competed against. Even as a child Eden had seen the way her mom’s gaze would touch on Celeste. The wonder, the awe, the unconditional love. And when Mom had been diagnosed with cancer, and their dad and brother had needed help taking care of her, who had come to the rescue?
    Eden toyed with the mug handle while guilt toyed with her conscience. God, she was becoming a true bitch. If it hadn’t been for Celeste their family would have fallen apart after Mom died. She’d sacrificed so much for them all, and had helped their dad keep the family diner afloat while he’d dealt with his grief.  
    Now her sister sacrificed her sleep by playing babysitter along with her fiancé. Damn Ian and his big mouth. Celeste had come running the moment she’d thought Eden had been in trouble.  
    And instead of gratitude, all Eden had offered was attitude. She couldn’t help herself. She wanted John and Celeste to leave and give her a chance to come to terms with the events of the day now that her head and fears had cleared.  
    Eden slid the mug back and forth between her hands and forced a smile. “Well, your boss is being overly dramatic,” she said to John, then looked to her sister. “I hate keeping you here this late. Aren’t you bakers supposed to be up by four in the morning?”  
    Celeste looked away for a second, but Eden noticed John squeeze her hand. “The Sugar Shack hasn’t had its grand opening yet. Remember?”
    “Oh, sorry.” Eden frowned. She should probably know this. “I’ve been so busy lately I guess I must have forgotten.”
    “Must have forgotten?” John shoved away from the table when his cell phone rang. “Celeste sat here and told you about the bakery less than thirty minutes ago. Right after you two discussed the weather and right before you talked about your dad’s new girlfriend.”
    Little snippets of their earlier conversation began to filter through her head as John left the room. “Damn.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry.” She offered Celeste an apologetic smile.
    “Seems like you’re always sorry for something lately,” Celeste said as she reached across the table and took her hand. “What’s going on, Eden? I swear we talked more when I was still living in Wisconsin. At first I thought it was just me. That maybe you were upset about Ian being my father and us ending up as half-sisters. But you don’t return Dad’s calls or Will’s, either. And Lloyd said you’d acted like you’d never seen him before.”
    With her free hand, Eden rubbed her temple where a headache had begun to build. She could care less that Celeste didn’t share a biological father with her and their brother Will. Their dad, Hugh Risinski, had adopted Celeste upon her birth, and to Eden, that made her a Risinski no matter what. Hell, considering she’d changed her name from Risinski to Risk the moment she’d left home, and that she hadn’t been the most family-oriented daughter, Eden had no room to judge. Rather than grapple with that issue—a discussion which they’d yet to share—she asked, “Lloyd who?”
    “Lloyd Nelson. He was the big blond guy who’d picked up the DVD five minutes before we showed. Don’t you remember him?”
    “No, should I?”
    “Yeah, considering he’s Will’s partner. Oh wait. Let me guess, you forgot our brother was gay, too.”
    Ouch. “No. I guess I just didn’t—”
    “Care enough to return his phone calls. Or take half an hour out of your busy schedule to stop by his new apartment, not to mention the art gallery.”
    “I was at the gallery when Will had his opening,” she said defensively and tore her hand away. She had been at the gallery and had never been more proud of her brother and his accomplishments. Just because she wasn’t all sugar and spice like Celeste, expressing her emotions with an added fluffy dollop of whipped cream and a cherry on top, didn’t mean she didn’t