My Sister's Wish

By Pat Phillips

Candace's life changes forever with a phone call. In that one moment, she received the news of her sister's accident and instantly became the mother of two. How could she refuse her sister's dying wish to inform the father of her twins of their existence? To the very fiber of her being, Candance already despised the man that impregnated her sister and didn't give a damn to be present. Why fly to London to make the father aware of his kids just to have him deny them? Yet there Candance was wasting her time and money. No matter, once Nicole's final request is done, her plans of returning home to raise the children will be in full effect.

 

However, when Jonathan lays his eyes on the twins, he doesn't deny them. In fact, he immediately stakes his claim, changes his life overnight, and begins to step into the role as their father. Navigating the uncharted waters of parenthood, a strange relationship grows between Candace and Jon that puts the fear into the heart of Jonathan's father, Benjamin.

 

Determined to rid his naïve son of the bastard children and the gold digger liar of a woman, Benjamin won't stop at nothing kill it before it can become something more.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: After Hours Publications
• Release date: May 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224861545

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Candace Sheldon sat on a Concord jet, staring out the window thinking about what she was about to do.

Candace, Candace.

She turned towards the person who was calling her name.

Are you all, right? Mrs. Castle, the twins’ nanny, asked.

I’m fine, Candace assured her. I just got lost in my thoughts for a moment. Do you think the babies are dressed warm enough?

They are dressed just fine, Mrs. Castle assured her, looking down at the babies sitting between her and Candace. I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t have to remove some of their clothing when we arrive in London.

So, you think I overdressed them? Candace asked, her uncertainty coming through in her voice.

Candace, you’ve dressed them just fine, Mrs. Castle said, placing her hand on top of Candace’s to calm her.

Candace looked into the chestnut-colored eyes of the woman who had become a mother figure to her and her best friend in the last four months. Mrs. Helen Castle came into her life when she was looking for a private nurse/nanny to help her take care of her niece and nephew.

Thinking about her sister's death had her fighting to hold back tears. Mrs. Castle, noticing Candace’s eyes tearing up pulled out a couple of tissues from her purse and passed them to her.

It had been six months since the twins were born, and her sister had died, and three months since she became their legal guardian.

Within that short stretch of time, Candace’s life has become a prime example of how choices made by others could come in and turn your world sideways or completely destroy it.

The memory of the chain of events that caused this to happen to her flashed into her mind.

She was at work, meeting with a very important client when she got the phone call that her sister had been hit by a drunk driver and was at a local hospital.

Candace jumped up from her desk, leaving the client sitting in her office, and rushed to the hospital. When she got there, she was met by one of the doctors treating Nicole. He told her that her sister’s injuries were extensive and that she probably wouldn’t recover.

Nicole didn’t die right after she gave birth. She survived a few hours long enough to ask Candace to take care of her children and to take them to meet their father.

That request stunned Candace because her sister had always said she would raise her children on her own because of the way she became pregnant.

There was no relationship between her and the twins’ father. What they shared was a one-night stand when she was on vacation in England.

Nicole told Candace that she and the children’s father agreed they would be two people satisfying a need that there would be no strings attached, afterwards they would go their separate ways.

Nicole assured Candace that she had the man use a condom since she wasn’t on the pill.

When Candace asked her how she could be sure this man was the father of her children. Nicole told her this person was her first one-night stand and the experience left her feeling so bad about herself that the thought of sleeping with anyone else just didn’t appeal to her. So, there was no doubt in her mind that Jonathan Markham III was the father of her children.

Why do you want to get him involved now? Candace asked.

I’m dying, Candace, Nicole replied, her breathing slow and labored. "I won’t be here for my children. I don’t want them to think that they’re alone in this world. I want you to take them as soon as they’re able to travel to meet their father.

You’re not dying, Nicole, Candace said refusing to believe what her sister was saying to her. You’re going to recover from this and come home to raise your children.

I want you to take them while they’re young in case he rejects them; they won’t know he’s rejecting them, Nicole said, ignoring what Candace was saying. I hope he doesn’t reject them; they need to know they have at least one parent available to help them and I’m not an option. Promise me you’ll do as I ask?

Candace promised that she would do as Nicole requested.

Tell him I had no choice, Nicole said. Tell him I fought to stay here but it wasn’t meant to be and that I loved them with all my heart even though I only saw them once I loved them.

Candace’s heart pounded inside her chest as tears ran down her cheek. Her sister took her last breath, slowly closed her eyes, and left her and the children she loved so much.

The alarms of monitors attached to Nicole started going off. Doctors and nurses rushed into the room. Candace was ordered to leave the room so the doctors could tend to Nicole.

Candace was in shock and unable to do as she was told, one of the doctors instructed a nurse to take her out of the room.

The nurse took Candace out into the hallway, left her there, then she went back into Nicole’s room to assist the doctors. It seemed like hours before one of the doctors came out of the room and told Candace that her sister had died.

Candace knew before the doctor told her that Nicole was dead but hearing him say it made it impossible for her to accept.

She screamed at the doctor and accused him of lying to her, insisting that her sister wasn’t dead. She ran into Nicole’s room and looked down at her. She called her name, reached out and grabbed her by her hospital gown, and began shaking her, demanding that she wake up, but Nicole didn’t open her eyes. Candace turned to the doctor and demanded that he wake her sister up.

She’s gone Ms. Sheldon, the doctor told her sadly.

Candace walked over to the doctor and slapped him across his face.

My sister isn’t dead, she told the doctor, her tone defiant. She just had two beautiful babies. A woman doesn’t do something that wonderful, that spectacular, and then dies. You will wake her up and you will do it now.

The doctor didn’t get angry when Candace slapped him because people react in different ways when a loved one dies. He put his hands out to hold her arms down so she wouldn’t do it again and slowly repeated to her that Nicole was dead.

Candace felt her heart speed up, her head began to pound, and her legs grew weak as her world seemed to spiral out of control. She almost collapsed onto the floor, but the doctor was still holding her, keeping her from falling to the floor.

He led her out of Nicole’s room into the hallway.

He instructed a nurse to bring a chair out of Nicole’s room into the hallway so that Candace could sit down.

Candace sat in the chair, tears flowing from her eyes, down her face unabated. She cried for herself because she was now truly alone in the world.

She cried for her sister because she died after giving birth to two beautiful babies that she would never know, enjoy, or see grow up.

She cried for her niece and nephew who would never know the love of the beautiful woman who gave them life. She sat outside the room where her dead sister lay, and she cried for all she’d lost.

Candace had no problem becoming the twins' legal guardian but for her to do that she had to give them names. Deciding she wanted to honor her sister, she named her niece Nicole and her nephew Nicholas. It took weeks to prepare the twins to travel to London, England.

Candace found some of the information she needed concerning her baby’s father in the safe deposit box at the bank where Nicole told her it would be.

Through the internet and a private detective, she found out the rest of what she needed to know about Jonathan Markham III and his family.

She intended to keep the promise she made to her sister but not at the risk of endangering her niece, nephew, nor herself.

She wanted to know all she could about the Markham family and so far, none of the information she found out about them alarmed her.

The only thing she worried about was how Jonathan and his family would react to finding out he was the father of two children who were half African American.

The fact that Jonathan was Caucasian surprised Candace because Nicole kept that bit of information to herself. She almost decided against making the trip, not sure she wanted to face his possible reaction. But she’d made a promise to Nicole, so she had no choice.

So, she packed everything that she thought her niece and nephew would need then she and Mrs. Castle made their way to London to let Jonathan Markham III know that he was a father and introduce him to his son and daughter.

Candace reached into her pocket and pulled out the picture of Jonathan and Nicole she’d found of them the first and last time they saw each other.

A smile appeared on her face wondering how Jonathan got Nicole to take the picture knowing how her sister hated having her picture taken.

She wondered if they slept together before or after the picture was taken. That thought caused her to wonder once again how Jonathan would react upon learning that he was a father.

How would he react when he found out he was the father of not one baby but of twins?

Candace was brought out of her thoughts when a lady seated behind her tapped her on the shoulder.

Excuse me, the woman said.

Yes? Candace replied.

Are the babies twins? the woman asked.

This wasn’t the first time that question was asked but Candace was tired of answering it.

Yes, Candace replied.

They’re so cute, the lady replied.

Thank you, Candace said.

It was a peaceful almost twelve-hour flight from Atlanta, Georgia to London England. Candace was grateful the twins slept most of the flight and when they were awake, she had Mrs. Castle there to help her keep them calm so they wouldn’t disturb the other passengers.

They made it through customs with no problems and when they exited the airport, a car Candace had arranged was waiting for them.

Once inside the limo, she called the hotel where they would be staying to let them know they had arrived in London but would be late signing in. The manager promised to hold their reservations.

Candace told the driver where she wanted to be taken.

As they left the airport, Candace rested her back against the soft leather of the backseat, closed her eyes, and asked God to provide her with the words she needed to say to Jonathan Markham III.

Sensing Candace’s stress Mrs. Castle put a calming hand on her shoulder.

It’s going to be alright, she said as she gently stroked the shoulder. It is going to be alright.

Candace smiled at the grey-haired woman who had become more than an employee since they met. She had also become a friend.

You’re right Mrs. Castle, she said her voice trying to project confidence she didn’t feel, everything is going to be just fine.

CHAPTER 2

Thirty-two-year-old Jonathan Markham III checked himself out in his full-length bedroom mirror. He checked the fit of his tailor-made black tuxedo. It fit him like a glove hugging his body like a woman’s embrace.

The expensive, white, dress shirt he wore with it and his expensive Italian black leather shoes finished off his classic, sexy look bringing a smile to his face.

He brushed his dark ebony hair until it shined the way he liked and rested on his neck just right. His smile grew bigger the more he studied his reflection.

As he smiled, he wondered if he should put his hair in a low-hanging ponytail. It would hang just a little past his neck.

‘No,’ he thought to himself, ‘I’ll let it be free and loose.’

At six feet two inches tall, with a one hundred-eighty-five pound, physically fit, muscled tone body, a handsome, chiseled face that featured gray eyes, a straight nose, a strong chin, and sun bronzed skin Jonathan Markham III was the epidemy of tall, dark, and handsome.

You won’t be sleeping alone tonight, old boy, Jonathan said smiling at his reflection. You’ll have your choice of the ladies.

Feeling self-assured, smug, and glad that his head hadn’t grown the size of his ego, Jonathan headed downstairs to join the rest of his family who were dressed and waiting for him.

The Markham clan were preparing to greet their guests who were coming to celebrate the thirty-fifth wedding anniversary of Benjamin and Estelle Markham.

You look wonderful darling, his mother said as he reached the bottom of the stairs. You’re going to dazzle some of our female guests and possibly end a few marriages.

Thank you, mother, Jonathan said laughing. You’re not looking too shabby yourself.

Thank you, son, I think, Estelle said arching her eyebrows and chuckling.

Your mother is right son, you look very handsome in that tux, his father said.

Well, you don’t look half bad in yours either father, Jonathan said patting his father on the back.

Is anyone going to compliment me and my wife? Robert asked jokingly, putting an arm around his wife Elaine.

Elaine looks beautiful as always, Jonathan said walking over to sister-in-law and giving her a kiss on the cheek. But you dear brother, it’s a pity that a tuxedo can only do so much for the man wearing it, Jonathan said giving him a playful look of pity.

That’s mean brother dear, Robert said holding his hand up to his chest feigning hurt.

What about me?

Jonathan closed his eyes and said a silent, useless prayer that the voice he’d heard didn’t belong to the last person he wanted to see tonight.

He turned to face Suzette Tyler a five feet eight inches tall, one hundred twenty-five pounds, shapely, paled skin, beautiful woman who was madly in love with him and who had been trying to get his attention since the first day their families met.

But Jonathan and Suzette weren't dating, and he wasn’t in love with her. He’d told her in countless ways using hints and stating directly that there could never be anything between them, but she wouldn’t listen to him. She thought her looks and feminine wiles would eventually get him to change his mind.

Suzette was wearing a form-fitting, low-cut, black evening gown that made her breasts look as if the dress was serving them up on a platter for Jonathan to admire.

Jonathan knew the dress was meant to get his attention, and it might’ve worked if he felt anything other than friendship towards her, but just like every other enticement she’d tried this one too would be a waste of her time.

You look very cute tonight, Jonathan said keeping his compliment to Suzette as neutral as possible because he didn’t want to give her any ideas.

Thank you, Suzette said, the look on her face letting Jonathan know she wasn’t happy with his compliment. Especially since cute wasn’t the look she was going for when she chose the dress.

You look very handsome, Suzette said as she walked up to Jonathan, her intention to kiss him on the cheek showing clearly in her eyes, but he took hold of her shoulders, pushing her away, preventing her from getting her lips anywhere near his face.

Thank you, Jonathan replied sidestepping away from Suzette.

Well, I think we all should go down to the ballroom, his mother said, our guest will be arriving soon.

Jonathan, Robert, and his father held their elbows out so the ladies could loop their arms through, and they could escort them downstairs.

WHEN CANDACE ARRIVED at the Markham estate, she could tell from all the limos and the other luxury cars parked in front of the mansion that something big was happening inside.

She knew that her arrival with the twins could throw a damper on the festivities but that couldn’t be helped, she had a timeline she couldn’t and wouldn’t change.

Jonathan and his family would have to do just as she’d been doing for the last few months and just deal with the situation. As the driver came around to open the door for her, she took a couple of deep breaths to calm her nerves and strengthen her resolve.

The driver opened the door and held his hand out to help her out of the car. Candace took his hand and exited the car. Mrs. Castle agreed to wait in the car with the twins until she came out to get them if things got that far.

Candace didn’t want the twins to go in with her because she didn’t know what kind of reception she would receive.

People were still arriving at the house as Candace made her way towards the front door. From the elegant way they were dressed Candace assumed whatever the reason for the celebration was it was a formal affair.

The casual clothing, she was wearing caused Candace to stand out, at least that was the reason she told herself that some of the Markham’s guests were staring at her.

She got in line behind the last of the partygoers.