Vanessa's Match

by Judy Christenberry

  LINDY WAS SO EXCITED, she didn’t eat much lunch. She’d seldom been shopping, other than an occasional foray into Wal-Mart with an extremely limited budget. Today, Vanessa took her to the best store in Highland Park.

  Because of Lindy’s fair coloring, Vanessa steered her toward a bright blue dress, modest but fashionable. “Try this one, Lindy. I think it’ll look good with your blond hair.”

  The dress had cap sleeves and a heart-shaped neckline. The snug waist showed off Lindy’s slight figure and made her look a little older than her fifteen years.

  “Oh, I think that’s perfect,” Vanessa said. “What do you think?”

  “It’s beautiful.” Lindy spoke softly, staring at herself in the mirror.

  “Okay, try on this pink dress, and the black one, too, though I think you’re too young for black.”

  “Should I wear black because my mother—”

  “We don’t want to be disrespectful to your mother, but frankly, she wasn’t much of a mother.”

  “She wanted to look young so she could find a new husband,” Lindy blurted out, suddenly sounding wise beyond her years. “That’s why she didn’t spend any money on me.”

  “Whatever her reasons, you should never have been treated that way.” Vanessa smiled at her. “And I promise that will never happen again.” They resumed their shopping, ultimately purchasing the blue and the pink dresses, not the black.

  Then Vanessa took Lindy to her favorite salon for a trim and style.

  “I—I’ve never been to a beauty shop,” Lindy said nervously.

  Vanessa’s heart broke, but she hid her sadness. “I’ll stay with you, honey. Don’t worry, they’ll make your hair look great. You’ll see.”

  Vanessa also arranged for Lindy to have her nails done. The child was overwhelmed.

  “Are you sure Rick will pay for this?”

  “Yes, he will. You’re still spending less than a quarter of the money your mother was spending every month. It’ll be fine.”

  While the stylist was working on Lindy’s hair, she told Vanessa about a sale at another store.

  “We’ll go there before we head home. I think you need some basics for your new wardrobe.”

  “We’d better wait and ask Rick, Vanessa. He might refuse to pay.”

  “He wouldn’t dare,” Vanessa said firmly.

  “But he might think I was taking advantage—”

  “Well, what do you think of your hair?” the stylist asked, interrupting their discussion.

  Lindy looked in the mirror. Her blond hair was cut in layers, framing her face. “I think it looks great! I’ve never gotten it to look like that.”

  “It should be easy now. And your nails look lovely.”

  “Yes. I feel so—so elegant!”

  “Good. That’s the whole point,” Vanessa said.

  Once they were in the car, heading to the store the stylist had mentioned, Lindy balked. “But, Vanessa, I thought we would wait.”

  “No, sweetie, we’re not going to wait. You’ve done without for too long.”

  By the time they finally arrived home, they were laden with packages.

  “I think you’d better take a shower and rest for a few minutes,” Vanessa told her. “I’ll be up later to help you get ready.”

  “Oh, thank you, Vanessa. I’m so nervous about tonight!”

  “You’re going to look great.”

  Once Vanessa was alone, she removed the tags on Lindy’s purchases and took all but the dress the girl was wearing that evening down to Betty to be quickly laundered. She also wrote a note and took it downstairs.

  After leaving the laundry with Betty, she asked Betty’s husband Peter, “Are you going to open the door for our guests tonight?” Usually Peter tended to the gardens and the cars.

  “Sure will. Betty’s fixing a grand meal, so she’ll be busy.”

  “Then will you please give this note to Mr. Austin and ask that he read it before he joins us?”

  “Which one is Mr. Austin?”

  “He’s the only one you won’t know,” she assured him.

  Then she sprinted back up the stairs to get dressed herself. She’d bought a little makeup when Lindy wasn’t watching. Later, Vanessa intended to instruct her on how to apply it. But first she showered and put on a black dress that was a little more sophisticated than Lindy’s.

  Her dark hair flowed around her shoulders, a perfect coiffure that she’d been wearing for a long time. Then she lightly did her makeup.

  As soon as she was satisfied with her appearance, she went down to collect the laundry, now clean and folded, and brought it up to Lindy’s room.

  Lindy jumped up when Vanessa entered. “You look beautiful!”

  “Thanks. You’re going to look beautiful, too!”

  “I don’t think—”

  “Come on. I’ll show you.”

  Once Lindy was completely dressed, Vanessa applied some makeup to the girl’s face. Then she turned Lindy to the mirror.

  The girl stared at herself, reaching to touch the mirror. “Is this really me?” she asked softly.

  In the flattering blue dress and slim heels, her hair and makeup lighting up her face, Lindy looked every bit the angel she was. Vanessa choked back her emotions. “Of course it is, honey. You got your mother’s beauty…and your father’s heart!”

  “I hope so,” Lindy said softly, almost as if saying a prayer.

  RICK WASN’T SURE he should’ve agreed to dinner with Vanessa Shaw’s family tonight. But he’d spent the afternoon checking on Jeff Jacobs and his partner, Bill Wallace. They’d received high marks from everyone Rick asked, so he wasn’t worried about meeting Jeff tonight.

  He’d also made a few calls about Vanessa Shaw. She checked out, too. And he was grateful to her, he guessed. She was giving him a chance to redeem himself. He’d messed up and betrayed his father’s trust by excluding Lindy from his life. She’d been an adorable six-year-old, blond like her mother, and he’d figured Anita would mold her in her own image.

  Maybe he could have prevented that to some extent, but it would have brought him into contact with Anita. That thought made him feel sick to his stomach. That was the reason he’d moved her and Lindy out of the house. He’d inherited it, with no stipulations. But he couldn’t live there with Anita in residence. So he’d bought her an exclusive condo and doubled the money she was supposed to get.

  And felt like he’d satisfied his conscience.

  Until Vanessa Shaw had come along to point out the holes in his plan. All of them affecting Lindy.

  He was worried about meeting Lindy, all grown up. He figured she hated him, and he didn’t for a moment think Vanessa Shaw would try very hard to change Lindy’s feelings about him. Vanessa herself hadn’t shown him any approval.

  However, he didn’t have much doubt about Vanessa being good to Lindy. She was young to be so protective of his sister, but maybe it was past time for someone to be kind to Lindy.

  Still feeling guilty, he rang the doorbell at the Greenfield home, hoping the dinner would go smoothly.

  An older man, one he hadn’t met, opened the door.

  Rick nodded to him. “I’m Rick Austin.”

  “Come in, Mr. Austin. I’m Peter, Betty’s husband. Uh, I’m supposed to give you this and wait for you to read it.”

  Rick frowned as he took the note and read the flowing writing. Vanessa wanted him to know that his sister was wearing a new dress this evening and that he should compliment her on it.

  He crumpled the note in his hand, leaving Peter watching him with a nervous expression.

  “Thank you, Peter,” Rick said, hoping to ease the man’s apprehension. He resented the note because he knew how to behave. His own mother insisted on good manners. But maybe Miss Shaw—he corrected himself, Vanessa—had a point. He had seen his sister only once since she was six—today when she’d fainted at the sight of him. Maybe a pleasant compliment would enable things to proceed smoothly.

  “Where am I to
go, Peter?”

  “This way, please.” He turned and started down the hall, and Rick followed.

  When Peter opened a door across from the library, Rick drew a deep breath. Then, pasting a smile on his face, he entered the room.

  Vivian immediately rose to greet him. Once again he was struck by the petite woman’s beauty. In her forties, she had strawberry blond hair with but a few strands of gray. She welcomed him and introduced him to Jeff Jacobs, his wife Rebecca, their children Joey and Jamie, as well as Jeff’s partner, Bill Wallace, and his wife, Chelsea, who was obviously pregnant.

  Will invited him to sit down, and Rick did so. But he didn’t see Vanessa or Lindy.

  Just as he was making conversation with the others, the door opened again. Vanessa, looking stunning in a chic black dress, entered the room, followed by a beautiful younger woman.

  Rick stood and stared at the two women. He remembered the note he’d received. Of course, praise was due both for their appearance, but he couldn’t help seeing his stepmother when he looked at Lindy. Her blond hair and slender figure looked so much like Anita’s.

  He crossed the room to greet them. “Hello, Vanessa. You look beautiful tonight.”

  “Thank you,” she said coolly, and stepped aside for him to face his sister.

  “You look very nice, Lindy. Like your mother,” he couldn’t help adding.

  Lindy appeared stricken, and she let out a gasp.

  Vanessa wrapped an arm around the child. “It’s all right, Lindy. He didn’t mean that.”

  “What do you mean?” Rick demanded. “She does look like her mother.”

  “The woman you hated? Does that mean you hate Lindy, too?”

  “No, of course not—I mean—I don’t know her!”

  “Exactly. Let me assure you, she may look like her mother, but that’s where the resemblance ends!” Vanessa exclaimed.

  “Dear,” Vivian said, “aren’t you asking a little too much of Rick to react as if he knows his sister? He’s scarcely seen her in nine years.”

  “And whose fault is that?” Vanessa demanded.

  Jeff stood and joined Rick. “Maybe you should cut him some slack, Vanessa. He may have been careless, but he had no choice about leaving her with her mother, unless he knew of any abuse. Any court would agree with that.”

  Vanessa wasn’t satisfied with legal obligations. “That still doesn’t—”

  At that moment Betty stepped into the room. “Dinner is served.”

  And that ended their conversation…for the time being.

  Chapter Three

  Vanessa had asked her mother to seat Lindy next to her, in case the girl continued to be nervous about her half brother. Vivian had done as Vanessa had asked, but she’d put Rick Austin across the table from Lindy.

  However, much to Vanessa’s surprise, Lindy seemed eager to talk to her brother.

  “Rick, do you still live in Dad’s house?” Lindy asked in a quiet moment.

  He frowned. “Yes, of course.”

  “It’s a wonderful house,” Lindy said. “I remember thinking it was like a castle.”

  Rick gave her a surprised look. “A castle? It doesn’t look anything like a castle.”

  Lindy withdrew immediately, and Vanessa intervened, telling Rick, “You’ll have to remember she was only six years old. Is it here in Highland Park?”

  “Yes, of course. I didn’t think,” Rick said, apologizing at once. “Would you like to visit the house?” he asked Lindy. “I’ll be out of town next week, but I’ll let my housekeeper know you’d like to drop by, if you want.”

  “Is it still Mrs. Abby?” Lindy asked, but her enthusiasm seemed to have disappeared.

  “Yes, it is.”

  Lindy turned to Vanessa. “She’s a lot like Betty, Vanessa. You’ll like her if you meet her.”

  “Of course, honey, I’m sure I will. Maybe your brother will tell us a convenient time. We wouldn’t want to show up at an inappropriate moment.” She sent a pointed look to Rick to let him know she’d understood his parameters…and didn’t like them.

  He squared his jaw but said nothing. Fortunately, Rebecca asked him a question that caused him to turn away.

  Vanessa felt Lindy withdraw beside her, but she couldn’t follow suit. She sensed that she had to be on alert whenever the man was near. He was dangerous, in so many ways. He was way too handsome. His good looks could make a susceptible woman believe anything he said. She wasn’t susceptible, of course.

  After they left the table, she whispered to Lindy, “Have you changed your mind about visiting the house?”

  Lindy shrugged. “He doesn’t want me there. I’ll manage without seeing it.” Her voice showed the hurt she was feeling.

  When they settled for coffee in the morning room, Vivian invited the children to join them, saying she seldom saw Rebecca’s two anymore. After the children arrived, Vanessa noticed Lindy relax for the first time that evening, losing her self-consciousness with Jamie, Rebecca and Jeff’s youngest.

  A glance across the room told her she wasn’t the only one who had noticed the change. Rick Austin had his eye on his sister, too. Good. She intended to have a word with Mr. Austin before he went home tonight!

  Rick leaned close to Vivian and asked a question, then Rick, Jeff and Bill stood and left the room.

  She asked, “Where are they going?”

  Vivian said, “Rick asked if I minded if he talked to Bill and Jeff in private.”

  “Is he coming back in here?” Vanessa demanded.

  Will said, “Why wouldn’t he?”

  Vanessa didn’t say anything. Since her parents had supported Rick several times, she didn’t want to tell them that she intended to chastise him in private. All the clothes she’d bought Lindy were worth nothing if her brother didn’t show some acceptance. He was like an absentee father figure for Lindy. Vanessa didn’t think it would be easy to make up for all the years of emotional neglect without some assistance from Rick.

  She breathed a sigh of relief when the men returned half an hour later. All three looked pleased with themselves, so Vanessa guessed Rick had hired Jeff and his partner to handle his private affairs.

  But he had better not think he could pass off Lindy to his lawyers. She wouldn’t allow that. Besides, that plan had already failed.

  Bill and Chelsea left first, Chelsea explaining apologetically that she had to go to bed early these days because of her pregnancy. Vivian immediately told her she had done the same. Rick stood to take his leave, too.

  After a cautious glance at Lindy, Vanessa stood and moved to his side, asking for a private moment in the library.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Because I would like to talk to you about your half sister.”

  “Look, I arranged with Jeff and Bill to handle everything. They’ll give you the money for whatever you need to buy her. I don’t think you’ll be unhappy.”

  “This is not about the money!” she protested in a low voice. “Can we go to the library, please?”

  “Fine!” He turned around, holding the door open for her.

  After another quick look at Lindy, still playing with Jamie, Vanessa walked past him to the library across the hall.

  She waited by the door until he entered and then shut it. “Please sit down.” It was an order, even though she said please.

  “Look, Vanessa, I’ve taken care of everything. If you’ll talk to Jeff, you’ll see.”

  “Jeff can’t handle this problem.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because he’s not Lindy’s big brother! For some reason, she craves approval from you.”

  “Fine. I approve of her. Will that do?”

  “You just don’t get it, do you. Your stepmother didn’t only deprive Lindy of clothes and furniture. She deprived her of love. The child is an emotional wreck, and only someone in her family can make that go away. Since you’re the only one she has, it has to be you!”

  “What do you expect me to do? I don’t even
know her.”

  Vanessa drew a deep breath. She needed to stay calm and focused. “Why do you think your father made you Lindy’s guardian if anything happened to her mother?”

  Rick glowered at her.

  Good, she thought. He needed to think about what he was doing.

  “He didn’t have anyone else to take care of her,” Rick said, his voice low.

  “That’s what I would assume. Wouldn’t he expect you to do what you could for her? To heal the hurts her mother inflicted?”

  “He married her. Not me!”

  The bitterness in his voice told Vanessa she still had some work to do.

  “How about I make a suggestion, and we’ll discuss whether or not you can handle it,” she said softly.

  “What?” he barked.

  “Instead of telling Lindy she can go see the house when you’re not going to be there, why not invite her to dinner and welcome her?”

  “She said she wanted to see the house. I said she could.”

  “I didn’t know Lindy’s mother or her father. But I know which one she loved the most. Remember your emotions when your father died? Well, Lindy felt at least that bad. You were old enough to take care of yourself. She was left to a mean, hateful woman who gave her no love at all. Would it be so hard to let Lindy into your heart just a little bit?”

  “Her mother—”

  Vanessa put up a hand to stop him. “I know her mother was impossible. But Lindy’s not. She’s sweet and lovable. And she needs your approval. Please?”

  “Fine! I can be home for dinner on Wednesday. I’ll tell Mrs. Abby the two of you will be there.”

  “I don’t have to come. You two—”

  “No. You’re the expert about all those emotions. You need to be there.”

  He’d trapped her, and there was no way out. “All right, I’ll come. Wednesday night at seven?”

  “Yes.”

  “You won’t forget?”

  “No, I won’t. Now, if you have no objection, I’ll be on my way.”

  “Wait! You need to invite Lindy yourself. And then tell her goodbye.”

  “Damn it! I told you you were invited!”

  She stared at him.

  “Fine!” He rose and headed for the door.