Vanessa's Match

by Judy Christenberry

  “No, Mom, but—but I think I might’ve learned a lot by earning an honest paycheck.”

  “You want to fill in when Carrie goes on leave?” Will suddenly asked, leaning forward. His assistant, and Vanessa’s friend, was having a baby. Vanessa would be an aunt again, since Carrie had married her brother Jim after helping to locate the missing sibling. Jim had just gotten discharged from the Marines, where he’d been a captain, and was now working at Will’s private investigation firm.

  “I’d love to help out, Will, but I have classes to teach.”

  “See? I think maybe your mother is pretty smart.”

  Vanessa laughed. “I get paid for teaching at the university. It’s not much, but I do earn it. I meant when I was a teenager.”

  “Well,” Will said, sitting back, “I can’t help you there. I wasn’t around then.”

  “No, Will, but I wish you had been. And I think Mom does, too.” Vanessa looked at her mother for agreement.

  “I’m not sure God would appreciate me agreeing with you, dear, but I can certainly say I’m glad he came along.” She smiled lovingly at her husband.

  He lifted her hand to his lips. “Me, too, sweetheart.”

  Vanessa smiled at the pair. She’d never seen her mother so happy as after she’d gotten together with Will. Not that her marriage to Herbert Shaw had been unlivable, but Will was warm, open about his feelings, demonstrative. They shared something really special.

  Would Vanessa ever find that kind of happiness?

  She’d dated some, had certainly had her share of boyfriends in high school and college. Lately, though, because she was involved with her doctorate and teaching, she hadn’t had much time for romantic pursuits.

  Did Rick have a girlfriend?

  Where had that thought come from? Wherever it came from, she sent it back. There was no point in pursuing that line of thinking. Except for the fact that Rick Austin was Lindy’s brother, the man didn’t matter to her in any way.

  Still, she asked her mother and Will, “What do you think about Rick Austin?”

  Will’s gaze sharpened. “Why?”

  Vanessa didn’t meet his eye. It was hard enough to admit to herself that she found the man interesting, much less to Will and Vivian. “I just wondered.”

  The two older people exchanged looks. Then Vivian said, “I like him. He seems to be a true gentleman.”

  “Of course he is to you, Mom,” Vanessa said wryly.

  Will sat up. “Are you saying he hasn’t been a gentleman to you, Vanessa?” He was frowning.

  “No, Will, don’t go all protective on me. I’m just saying he—he doesn’t treat me like he treats Mom.”

  “I don’t blame him for that, Vanessa,” Will said on a laugh.

  Just then, Betty came into the library carrying a tray with coffee and cookies.

  “Yum, Betty,” Vanessa exclaimed.

  “I brought cookies just because Mr. Will gets hungry late at night. But he might be willing to share.”

  “Maybe,” Will said, but Vanessa saw him wink at Betty.

  Betty smiled and left the room.

  “Well, are you going to share, you rat?” Vanessa asked.

  Vivian, reaching out for a cookie without asking, said, “That’s her favorite word. I’ve tried to persuade her not to use it, but I haven’t had much success.”

  Will grinned. “Yes, the rat will share, child. Betty brought two for each of us.”

  “Ah, good.” Vanessa got her coffee and two cookies and returned to her seat. Then she brought the conversation back to the man who occupied a lot of her thoughts. “Lindy is worried that Rick doesn’t laugh much.”

  “What made her think of that?” Vivian asked.

  “I was teasing her earlier and she started giggling. I told her I was glad she had a sense of humor, that it was important to laugh.”

  “That’s true,” Will agreed.

  “So when we got home, she wanted to know if I thought Rick laughed much.” She sighed before she said, “I had to be honest. I said no.”

  “He’s a very serious young man,” Vivian said.

  “Yes, he is.” So much so that it made her heart ache for him. She knew he felt guilty about Lindy, which was a good thing. In fact, she was relieved to know that he had a conscience. It made him appear different from her own father, thank goodness.

  “What did Lindy say then?” Will asked.

  “She wanted to know if I could tell some jokes Wednesday night at dinner.”

  Will burst out laughing, but Vivian sighed.

  “She’s such a darling, isn’t she?” Vivian said.

  “Yes, she is. Did you know she hasn’t had a picture of her father since he died? When I found out today I called his housekeeper and asked her to find one that Lindy could bring back home with her…after Mrs. Abby gets Rick’s permission. I didn’t want to appear to be doing something behind his back.”

  “Oh, I’m glad you did that, dear.”

  “Yeah,” Will agreed. “Her mother has a lot to answer for, but I guess we’ll have to leave that up to God, since she’s already gone.”

  “Yes, I guess so.” Vanessa stood. “Well, now that I’ve had my cookies and coffee, I’ll go up to bed. I just wanted to—to get those things off my chest.”

  “We’re glad you did, sweetheart. Sleep well.”

  Vanessa kissed both of them on their cheeks and headed for her bedroom. Will and her mom were always willing to listen. She didn’t know what she’d do without them.

  Not that she told them everything. Her true opinion about Rick Austin had to remain a secret. It would undermine her resistance to him if she ever let anyone know about that.

  RICK HAD TOLD SHARON to be there at seven o’clock for dinner, but when the doorbell rang as the hall clock chimed the hour, he knew it wasn’t Sharon. She was notorious for being late.

  Sure enough, when he opened the door, his half sister and Vanessa stood there. “Come in. You’re right on time.”

  “Vanessa said it would be rude to be late,” Lindy said with a smile.

  He wished Sharon showed that consideration. As he led them into the living room, he noticed Vanessa looking around, but he wasn’t worried. His mother had bought the furniture and, in spite of his stepmother’s protests, it had remained the same. To him, it was a warm, comfortable room.

  He was startled to realize how perfectly Vanessa fit in the room.

  Mrs. Abby, having heard the doorbell, followed them into the room and set down a tray of hors d’oeuvres. Her gaze flew immediately to the slim blonde sitting demurely on the sofa. “Oh, Miss Lindy, how you’ve grown!”

  Lindy stood up. “I’m so glad to see you, Mrs. Abby,” she said as she rushed into the woman’s outstretched arms.

  Mrs. Abby patted her hair and kissed her flushed cheek. “My, my, your daddy would be so proud of you now!”

  Lindy’s eyes filled with tears. “Would he?”

  “Didn’t Rick tell you that? Your daddy thought you were the most beautiful child. But you’re even prettier now.”

  As if she were making a terrible confession, Lindy whispered, “Rick says I look like my mom.”

  “He’s just fooled by the blond hair, that’s all. Right, Rick?” Mrs. Abby challenged.

  Rick recognized his cue. “Of course, as usual you’re right, Mrs. Abby. May I introduce Vanessa Shaw?”

  Mrs. Abby nodded. “I’m pleased to meet you, Miss Shaw. You must be taking good care of our baby for her to look so pretty.”

  “I can’t take much credit for it, Mrs. Abby. Our housekeeper is trying to feed her all the time.”

  “Good for her. But it takes more than healthy food to make a girl happy. I bet you’re responsible for that. Now, I’ll go finish up dinner.” After checking her watch and frowning at Rick she left the room.

  He ignored her behavior. He knew she didn’t care for Sharon, but he wasn’t going to determine his dates based on Mrs. Abby’s tastes.

  He picked up a gift-wrapp
ed package off the coffee table and handed it to Lindy. “Mrs. Abby got this for you.”

  Lindy eagerly unwrapped a framed picture of her father. “Oh, I do remember him! I wasn’t sure.”

  “I’m glad you do. He loved you very much.”

  “He used to let me sit in his lap while he worked in the evenings. Then, when I got sleepy, he’d carry me up to bed and help me say my prayers. I can still smell his pipe smoke.” Lindy’s voice was dreamy, as if she’d traveled back in time.

  “That’s probably what killed him,” Rick said.

  Lindy let out a moan and Vanessa gasped. She wrapped an arm around Lindy. “How dare you say that to her!”

  “What? What did I say?”

  “Telling Lindy that she killed her father because he carried her up to bed! She couldn’t have weighed much at all!”

  “I didn’t say that,” he protested.

  “Yes, you did!” Vanessa snapped back.

  “I meant his smoking. He switched to a pipe, but he’d already smoked cigarettes far too long. That’s what I meant.”

  Lindy relaxed against Vanessa’s shoulder. “Oh, I thought you meant—” She sat up straight and forced out a smile. “He liked taking me up to bed, didn’t he?”

  “Of course he did,” Rick replied. “If anything, that made him younger.”

  His words soothed Lindy. He wasn’t sure Vanessa had forgiven him, though.

  “Maybe we should go on in to dinner. My other guest seems to be late.” He wanted to stop Vanessa from thinking about his gaffe.

  They were crossing the hall to the dining room when the doorbell rang.

  “Good. That will be Sharon.” He opened the door.

  Before he could greet Sharon, she slid her arm around his neck and pulled his head down for a long kiss. Then, when he pulled away, she said in a throaty voice, “Hello, sexy.”

  He pulled her arm down and turned her toward the other two guests. He hoped Vanessa wouldn’t realize how embarrassed he was. “Sharon didn’t know she had an audience. Sharon Cresswell, this is my baby sister, Lindy, and her companion, Vanessa Shaw.”

  The tall, curvy redhead came over and took Lindy’s hand. “Well, aren’t you the cutest little thing!”

  Then she looked at Vanessa. “Hello, Vanessa. Long time no see.”

  “Hello, Sharon.”

  Rick frowned. “You two know each other?”

  “We pledged the same sorority house,” Sharon explained, “but Vanessa dropped out after one year.”

  “Dropped out of school?” Rick asked, surprised.

  “No,” Vanessa said coolly. “I just dropped out of the sorority.”

  “Uh, well, shall we go in to eat?” He reached out and took Lindy’s hand as Sharon moved forward, expecting Rick to escort her into the dining room.

  Rick led Lindy to the hostess’s seat. “This is where you should sit, Lindy. After all, this is your home, too.”

  “I thought she was living with Vanessa,” Sharon challenged.

  “She is, but this is still her home,” Rick said firmly.

  Sharon pouted as she took one of the seats at the side of the table. Vanessa waited until Sharon had made her choice, then she moved to the other chair.

  Almost at once, Mrs. Abby brought out the first course. After they were all served, Sharon leaned toward Rick and murmured to him that she’d seen a mutual friend that morning. While he acknowledged what she’d said, he was well aware that she was trying to exclude the other two guests. It struck him that Sharon was using tricks as his stepmother had done. He hadn’t realized that before.

  Watching Vanessa, he saw her lean toward Lindy and say something. He couldn’t hear the words, but Lindy laughed, looking so happy.

  He interrupted Sharon, saying loud enough for the others to hear, “Sharon, Lindy was excited because she earned money baby-sitting this week.”

  “Really? Well, Lindy, you should learn now that that’s not the way to get rich. What you do is find a rich man and marry him. That’s what I’m doing—right, Rick?”

  Rick froze. His other two guests looked embarrassed for him. “I wouldn’t know, Sharon.”

  “Baby, don’t be so shy. We can tell your sister,” she assured him with a smile.

  He frowned. “I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Sharon’s face turned red. “So I’m fine to sleep with, but not good enough to marry? I’ll sue you for all you’re worth, Rick Austin!” She threw her napkin on the table and stood. “Don’t think you can sweet talk me now, either. I refuse to listen.”

  Rick noticed that she was lingering, as if she thought he would try to convince her to stay. He stood. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Sharon. I’ll walk you to the door.”

  LINDY LEANED OVER to Vanessa, as they heard Sharon pleading with Rick, to ask, “Do you think he’ll marry her?”

  “I don’t know, Lindy. It’s obvious he didn’t want to talk about it tonight.”

  “I hope he doesn’t. If she only wants his money, why would he marry her?”

  “Some men make inappropriate marriages because the woman is beautiful.”

  “You mean like my dad and mom?” Lindy asked in a small voice.

  “I think your dad believed he’d be happy married to your mom. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t have married her.”

  “Yes, but I stayed at home with Daddy. She didn’t.”

  “The marriages in my family aren’t like that. The couples do most things together.”

  “I think I’d like a marriage like Will and Vivian’s,” Lindy said slowly. “They seem to like each other a lot.”

  Vanessa smiled. “I think that’s important.”

  Rick suddenly came back into the room to rejoin them, looking flushed. “I apologize for Sharon.”

  “That’s all right,” Vanessa said. “People have arguments all the time.”

  “She said she was jealous of you,” Rick announced, staring at Vanessa.

  “I beg your pardon? Why would she be jealous of me? I wasn’t flirting with you.”

  “Probably because you’re prettier than her,” Lindy pointed out.

  Vanessa turned a frown on Lindy. “Sharon is a very attractive woman.”

  “But—” Lindy began.

  Vanessa simply said, “Lindy.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I don’t think you have the right to stifle my sister in her own house, Vanessa,” Rick said.

  “If she’s in my care, then I’m responsible for her behavior.” To defuse the volatile exchange, Vanessa changed the subject. “Lindy, did you tell your brother we have to go to the school and choose what you intend to study this year?”

  “When do you do that, Lindy?”

  “Next week. We have to call tomorrow to make our appointment.”

  “Should I go with you, too? To help you decide what you want to study?” Rick asked his half sister.

  Lindy brightened. “Would you do that?”

  Vanessa went on alert. There was really no need for him to get involved; she had it under control. “I don’t think—”

  But Lindy spoke up, cutting her off. “I’d really like that, Rick.”

  “What are your choices?” he asked, ignoring Vanessa as if she hadn’t voiced an objection. Or tried to.

  “I have a book with them listed,” Lindy said. “I can’t remember all of them. Maybe you could come to dinner on Sunday and we could look at them together. Would that be all right, Vanessa?”

  Now they noticed her, she thought, just when they could put her on the spot. She couldn’t very well say no now. “Of course, Lindy,” she said reluctantly.

  Rick smiled broadly at Lindy, then Vanessa. “What time should I come?”

  “We usually dine at one, after everyone gets out of church,” she said. Then, giving it one more try, she said, “But if that’s not convenient—”

  Rick put up his hand. “I’ll make sure it is. After all, it’s what our dad would have wanted.”

&n
bsp; Vanessa glared at his pompous face. He knew he’d won this round. There was no way she could possibly decline him now, not when he’d used her own words against her.

  No, she was stuck with him another day.

  Chapter Five

  “Are you mad at me?” Lindy asked anxiously after they started the drive home.

  “No, of course not. I just have a lot to think about,” Vanessa said.

  “Rick said he’d help me pick my classes. I didn’t think he’d ever want to see me again. Isn’t that cool?”

  “Yes.”

  “You don’t mind, do you? I mean, I know you were going to help me, but Rick said he would and—”

  “Yes, Lindy, I heard. That’s fine.”

  “Okay,” Lindy said, staring straight ahead.

  Vanessa pulled the car into the driveway and turned off the motor, but she didn’t open her door. “I’m very pleased that your brother is showing an interest in you. But I want you to remember that the choice is yours. He’s an important man and is responsible for a large corporation. That tends to make him autocratic. I just want you to choose what is right for you, not what is right for him.”

  “I will, Vanessa, I promise. Besides, you’ll be with me, too, won’t you?”

  “Yes, I will,” Vanessa said. She didn’t intend to let Lindy’s brother run her over, as her own father had tried to do to her. She got out of the car, hoping she’d made her point. The change in Rick Austin tonight had been dramatic. Lindy was clutching the picture of her father and feeling restored to the family. All that was good. But how long Rick’s attention would remain on Lindy, Vanessa wasn’t sure. And his reason for changing bothered her, too.

  She hoped she was wrong in thinking he’d changed to get back at her.

  She was sure he’d invited the redhead just to irritate her. That was obvious when he shuffled Sharon out the door after she didn’t behave as he wanted. Vanessa shook her head. If he married Sharon, he’d receive the same treatment his father had in his marriage. It would be a disaster.

  Especially for Lindy.

  The child would disintegrate in a battle with Sharon, a woman who wouldn’t hesitate to play dirty. Vanessa had known Sharon well years ago when they were sisters in the sorority.