Golden Lies - Barbara Freethy [109]
"Is there something between you two?" Alyssa asked, her question mirroring Paige's own thoughts.
"Well, uh, Riley's grandmother is the owner of the dragon."
"That's not what I asked. He's very attractive." "
Yes, he is."
"And you like him?"
"Yes, I do," Paige admitted. "Although I'm not sure I want to."
For the first time Alyssa smiled, and they exchanged a female look of commiseration.
"What about you and Ben?" Paige asked.
"He's been a friend to me my whole life, but we've seen little of each other since high school. I'm not sure it's wise to get involved again, but here I am."
"That damn dragon is causing all kinds of trouble."
Alyssa nodded her head in agreement. "I'm not sure we'll be able to find it. But I want to make certain no one thinks my mother had anything to do with its disappearance."
"I don't think that." And Paige realized it was true. Jasmine might be her father's lover, but she didn't seem like someone who would steal an ancient artifact. She was an artist herself. Still, she couldn't help wondering .. "I don't quite understand why my father took the dragon to your mother. Why was it so important that she see it?"
"She has dreams."
"She told me that. But it's not clear to me what the dreams mean."
"Or to me. She has always had them. They're nightmares really. They leave her shaking and trembling, as if she is terrified of something. We have both wondered if there was some experience in her early life that was tied to seeing such a dragon. She told me today that her mother now says she saw the dragon on a trip to Taiwan when she was a small girl. That it was in a museum, and she tried to touch it, setting off many alarms."
"Really? That's interesting."
"I don't think it's true. Which makes me wonder why my grandmother would make up such a story."
"If it isn't true, where did your mother see the dragon?"
"I don't know. Maybe it truly is in her dreams. She's very spiritual. Not at all like me."
"Or me. My father—our father—he's a dreamer, too. Maybe that's what they had in common," Paige added. "I used to be so jealous of his fascination with China. I loved hearing his stories when he came home from his trips, but in a way I hated them, too, because he was so much happier when he was there than when he was home, when he was with me."
"He loved all things Chinese, and yet he couldn't love me," Alyssa said, bitter irony in her voice. "But then, I'm only half Chinese. He made me that way."
Paige didn't know what to say. The hurt in Alyssa's eyes was so deep, so dark, she wondered if it could ever be mended. "I'm sorry," she said with heartfelt sincerity. Even though her father hadn't always been there, at least he'd been around some of the time.
"It doesn't have anything to do with you."
"I know that. What you should know is that I wasn't the favorite daughter, either. I had a sister. Elizabeth died when she was seven and I was six. She was his favorite. He loved her more than anyone or anything. He still goes to her grave every year on her birthday to give her a present. It's on Wednesday, by the way— her birthday. I think he might have woken up just so he could make that trip. God, I sound like a jealous sister, don't I?"
"I don't know. I was an only child."
"Not any more." Paige didn't know when she had decided she wanted Alyssa to be part of her life. An hour ago, she'd been waffling, but it suddenly seemed clear that she had a chance to make this relationship whatever they both wanted it to be. "We've got the power now," she said. "My father didn't tell me about you. Your mother didn't tell you about him. But now it's just about us, what we want to be to each other. That's a good thing."
Alyssa seemed a bit taken aback by her words. "I suppose," she said slowly. "I understand our father is awake now. Has he told you anything more about his visit to Chinatown?"
"No. He can't remember the last week. Hopefully it