First Impressions

“She wouldn’t have cut me off without a penny!” Anne exploded, glaring down at her.
    The blue eyes were hard and glittery now, the lovely face white with fury. Once or twice before, Shane had seen her mother in this sort of rage—when her grandmother hadn’t given her precisely what she had wanted. Slowly, Shane rose to face her. Anne’s tantrums, she knew, had to be handled carefully before they turned violent.
    “Gran would never have thought of it as cutting you off, Anne,” Shane said with a calm she was far from feeling. “She knew you’d have no interest in the house or land, and there weren’t that many extra pennies after taxes.”
    “What kind of fool do you think I am?” Anne demanded in a harsh, bitter voice. It was her temper more than a lack of talent that had snagged her career. Too often, she had let it rake over directors and other actors. Even now, when patience and the right words would have ensured success, she lashed out. “I know damn well she had money socked away, molding in some bank. I had to pry every penny I got out of her when she was alive. I’m going to have my share.”
    “She gave you what she could,” Shane began.
    “What the hell do you know? Do you think I’m so stupid I don’t know this property is worth a tidy sum on the market?” She glanced around once in disgust. “You want the place, keep it. Just give me the cash.”
    “There isn’t any to give. She didn’t—”
    “Don’t hand me that.” Anne shoved her aside and strode toward the stairs.
    For a moment, Shane stood still, caught in a turmoil of disbelief. How was it possible anyone could be so unfeeling? And how, she asked herself, was it possible for her to be taken in again and again? Well, she would end it this time, once and for all. On her own wave of fury, she raced after her mother.
    She found Anne in her bedroom, pulling papers out of her desk. Without hesitation, Shane dashed across the room and slammed the desk lid shut. “Don’t you touch my things,” she said in a dangerous voice. “Don’t you ever touch what belongs to me.”
    “I want to see the bankbooks, and this so-called will.” Anne turned to leave the room, but Shane grabbed her arm in a surprisingly strong grip.
    “You’ll see nothing in this house. This is mine.”
    “There
is
money,” Anne said furiously, then jerked away. “You’re trying to hide it.”
    “I don’t have to hide anything from you.” Rage raced through Shane, fed by years of cast-aside love. “If you want to see the will and the status of the estate, get yourself a lawyer. But I own this house, and everything in it. I won’t have you going through my papers.”
    “Well . . .” Anne’s blue eyes became slits. “Not such a sweet simpleton after all, are you?”
    “You’ve never known what I am,” Shane said evenly. “You’ve never cared enough to find out. It didn’t matter, because I had Gran. I don’t need you.” Though saying the words was a relief, they didn’t bank her fury. “There were times I thought I did, when you came sweeping in, so beautiful I hardly believed you were real. That was closer to the truth than I knew, because there’s nothing real about you. You never cared about her. She knew that, and she loved you anyway. But I don’t.” Her breathing was coming quickly, but she was unaware of how close it was to sobbing. “I can’t even work up a hate. I just want to be rid of you.”
    Turning, she pulled open the desk and drew out her checkbook. Quickly, she wrote out a check for half of the capital she had left. “Here.” She held it out to Anne. “Take it; consider it from Gran. You’ll never get anything from me.”
    After snatching the check, Anne scanned the amount with a smirk. “If you think I’ll be satisfied with this, you’re wrong.” Still, she folded the check neatly, then slipped it into her pocket. She knew better than to press her luck, and her own financial status was far from solid. “I’ll get that lawyer,” she promised, though she had no intention of wasting her money on the slim chance of getting more. “And I’ll contest the will. We’ll just see how much I get from you, Shane.”
    “Do what you like,” Shane said wearily. “Just stay away from me.”
    Anne tossed back her hair with a harsh laugh. “Don’t think I’ll spend any more time in this ridiculous house than I have to. I’ve always wondered how the hell you could possibly be my daughter.”
    Shane