Both men smiled and shook hands.
“Finally I’m understanding why my daughter seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth lately,” her father said, blue eyes amused.
“Finally I get to meet the Casey,” David murmured. “It’s a real pleasure.”
“I guess that means David was disappointed when he found out I was going to design his office complex instead of you, Dad.”
Her father’s keen gaze played over them. “From where I was standing, that’s not how it looked.”
She blushed again. “We’re on our way to an early lunch. Would you like to join us?”
“I’d love to, but I’ve just come from breakfast and I’m late for an appointment. Why don’t the two of you drive out to the house one night this week? Your mom’s cold is better, and she told me she’s missing you. Phone her later and set up a time.”
“I will.” She let go of David’s hand to give her father a hug.
“You’re glowing, honey. Must be someone special,” he whispered against her cheek.
“He is,” she whispered.
They waited until the elevator doors closed before David guided her out of the building to the sidewalk, where they started walking.
“Your father’s a kind man, isn’t he?”
It thrilled her David would discern that about him so quickly. “It’s just one of his great qualities. He liked you, too.”
“You think so?” He squeezed her hand a little tighter.
“Dad may be the nicest man on earth, but he’s never issued one of my dates an invitation to the house on first meeting.”
“Most likely that’s because he’s never caught you in a compromising position before, and he wants to find out if my intentions are honorable. Why don’t we go in here?” he said, ushering her inside a small jewelry store advertising fine diamonds only. “Then he’ll know they are.”
A slight gasp escaped her throat. “David…”
Catherine’s two closest girlfriends had been married for several years. She’d watched them fall in love, exclaimed over their engagement rings and cried at their weddings. Naturally she’d hoped it would happen to her, too. She just hadn’t expected love to hit her this hard and fast when it did strike. Maybe she and David were so certain of their relationship because they were older. Perhaps their experience of life enabled them to recognize the depth of their feelings.
The jeweler placed a dozen unset diamonds of various cuts on a black velvet cloth in front of them.
David leaned close to her ear. “I know which one I’d like to see on your finger.”
“So do I.” She said it without hesitation, then smiled at him provocatively. “You guess.”
His eyes searched hers, and she felt the force of his gaze through her entire body. “I don’t think the designer in you would be happy with something conventional, so I’m going to choose the pear shape.”
She shouldn’t have been surprised, not when he was so in tune with her feelings. The corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
“You know you are,” she answered in a husky voice.
Despite the jeweler looking on, he brushed his lips against hers. “That was easy.”
After they’d chosen a mounting and the jeweler sized the ring, David said, “Shall we go to that crâpe restaurant we passed? Or will you fly with me to a private island for the rest of the week? The decision is yours.”
“I wonder what you’d do if I asked you to drive us to the airport.”
His eyes narrowed on her mouth, taking her breath away. “Ask, and find out.”
She felt a surge of excitement that left her physically weak. “Don’t tempt me, David. Maybe we’d better eat. Then I have to get back and pretend to do some work at the office before I leave for the site today.”
“Unfortunately I have commitments, too. But tonight we’ll be together for the symphony. I’ll come by for you at seven. That reminds me—we’ve been invited to dinner tomorrow night at the Hales’. Allen’s wife said it’s casual.”
“Is he a friend you met through business?”
“No.” He kissed her mouth once more. “A great buddy from my high school days. We’ve remained close. He and his wife can’t wait to meet the woman I’m going to marry.”
WHEN A FAMILY was ready to put an ailing member in a nursing home, the ordeal drained everyone. A big part of Shannon’s job was to provide reassurance. But this was Thursday night, and she’d put in a grueling four days since returning from Portland.
“My husband’s been getting progressively worse,” the elderly woman said in a tearful voice. “Now that he’s incontinent, I can’t take care of him anymore.”
Shannon eyed her with compassion. “Of course not. He’ll get excellent care here, Mrs. Stevens. It won’t be the way you do things, but we’ll make sure he’s comfortable. Ralph is a strong man and a good nurse. He’ll be able to assist your husband and give him a massage every day.”
“Even if my husband doesn’t know me, I plan to come in most days to help him eat his dinner. My son will drive me.”
“How fortunate for you. I’m glad you have your son’s support. And I’m sure anything you can do for your husband will make him happy, and it’ll also make you feel better. So I’ll see both of you in the morning somewhere between ten and twelve. Remember to bring all his medications. The doctor will want to discuss everything with you then.”
“Yes, Ms. White. Thank you.”
Shannon took the woman’s arm and walked her to the large lobby of the nursing home. Considering its function, it was a beautifully designed and furnished place. Before she died, Shannon’s mother had learned to like it.
“Good night,” she called after Mrs. Stevens.
Anxious to leave work and go to her friend Amy’s for a heart-to-heart, she hurried to her office to lock up.
“Hello, Shannon.”
She whirled around in surprise because she didn’t know anyone had come in. “Steve!”
The waiter from the steakhouse got up from the chair by her desk. He was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans instead of his uniform, and she realized he was an attractive man.
“Do you have news for me?” she asked excitedly. “Did you do something illegal for me, after all?”
He cocked his head while he studied her features and uniformed figure. “Does a guy have to have a reason to come and see you?”
Her spirits plummeted. “No. But it’s quite a drive from Portland to Tacoma just to say hello.”
“Not if a guy’s interested. The first time you came to the restaurant, you were with a date. The second time you came alone. Since you weren’t wearing a ring either time, I thought I’d take my chances and see if you’d like to go out with me.”
“I don’t know you.”
He smiled. “That’s why I’m here. My name is Steve Jarvis, and I’m working my way through graduate school waiting tables. How about going for a drink somewhere? Or would I be, shall we say, trespassing on private property?”
Much as I appreciate the invitation, Shannon, I can’t. I’m involved with someone else…. I’m planning to marry her.
“No. You wouldn’t be doing that, but tonight isn’t a good time. I’m sorry.”
His expression sobered. “So am I.” He reached in his pocket. “Before I leave, you might want this.” He handed her a folded piece of paper. “I did something I shouldn’t. Please don’t get me in trouble. It’s the name and address of the guy who was with your twin.”
She was incredulous. “You did that for me?”
“Yeah. Well, you did pay me. Of course, I wish I could have given it to you while we were having a drink, but you win a few and you lose a few.” He backed away. “Good luck meeting up with her.”
“Thank you,” she finally murmured, still in shock. But she ended up saying it to an empty room.
Fifteen minutes later, she arrived at Amy’s apartment.
“Look!” Shannon said without preamble.
“This is the man who was with my twin at the steakhouse. That waiter, Steve, just brought it to me.”
“He brought it to you? All the way from Portland? My, my.”
“I paid him, remember?”
“That’s true. But, Shannon—this means you’ve found her!” Amy threw both arms around her.
“Yes!”
“My only problem is approaching this Jack without getting Steve in trouble. He took the information off a copy of the credit card receipt.”
“That’s easy. Just tell the guy you asked the waiter for his help in finding your sister, and he thought he remembered the name Casey from when he ran the credit card through. With that much information, you finally tracked him down on your own.”
Shannon nodded. “I think that could work.”
“Of course it will.”
“I’m going to see if Laurie will cover for me tomorrow so I can drive to Portland in the morning.”
Amy frowned. “After what David Britton said to you, maybe it’d be better if you got this guy’s number through information and phoned him first.”
She might not want a twin in her life adding more complications. “You’re right. I’m being too impatient.”
“No one could blame you. Why don’t you call him right now?”
Needing no encouragement, Shannon called information, but the number was unlisted by request. There was another number for a Cameron Casey at the same address. Would she like that?
Shannon quickly wrote it down.
Amy hovered nearby. “Did you get it?”
“It’s for a Cameron, not Jack, but they’re both at the same address.”
“Hmm. Do you want me to call and ask for Jack? If he’s there, I’ll give you the phone.”
“No, because I’m not supposed to know his first name, remember?”
“That’s right! Then I’ll call and say I’m looking for a man with the last name of Casey who had dinner at the steakhouse in Portland recently. If either one of them is that person, I’ll ask him to call me back collect. How does that sound?”
After thinking about it, Shannon couldn’t find anything wrong with the plan. “They’ll probably think we’ve found something of theirs and want to return it. That’s good. Go ahead and try.”
She held her breath while her friend made the call. It didn’t take very long. Amy put down the receiver. “The man who answered said he’d never eaten at the steakhouse but he couldn’t answer for his son, so he’d give him the message.”
“So Jack is his son. Well, I guess it’s a waiting game now.”
“I’ll order a pizza while you find us a video.”
WITH MELANIE WORKING LATE at her job at the Red Cross blood bank, Jack let himself in the door of his apartment at the back of his parents’ house, anxious to study the video from last Saturday’s race.
He’d seen it before, but other people were around. Now that he was alone, he wanted to watch it again. He had a couple of hours before he needed to pick up Melanie, and this time he would figure out where he’d gone wrong.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a note in his dad’s handwriting. It had been slipped under the door.
Call Amy Walsh collect if you’ve recently had dinner at the new steakhouse in Portland. 253-555-9871.
It was a Tacoma, Washington, area code.
He tried to remember if he’d left something behind at the restaurant. Or maybe his credit card hadn’t gone through. That didn’t seem likely since he’d paid off most of it. Still…
He decided he’d better call and find out what they wanted before he started watching the video.
He reached for his cell phone and punched in the number, not bothering with the suggestion that he call collect.
“This is Jack Casey. I’m returning your call.”
“Just a minute, please.”
While he waited, he fast-forwarded the video to the middle of the race, where he’d started to fall behind.
“Hello? Mr. Casey?”
“Yes.”
“Are you the Casey who had dinner at the steakhouse in Portland a few weeks ago?”
“That’s why I’m returning your call. Who is this?”
“I—I don’t want to say or do anything wrong. Before I answer that question, would you please be gracious enough to answer one other question for me?”
The woman’s voice, the hesitation, sounded oddly familiar. A strange sensation traveled up his spine.
He forgot about the video. “Go ahead and ask.”
Another hesitation. “The blond woman you were with that night—is she a friend or a relative?”
He blinked. It was Shannon. He’d known it in his gut when he first heard her speak.
He thought back to the night he and Catherine had eaten dinner at the steakhouse and remembered how all that business about her double had come up. The waiter was the only person who would have seen Jack’s full name printed on the credit card. That was the only possible way this woman could have made a connection.
“You’re Shannon, aren’t you?”
There was a silence. “Shannon White,” she finally said. “Amy Walsh is a friend of mine. I’m at her place.”
“I think you and I had better meet.”
“Thank you.” Heartfelt emotion was conveyed in those words. “When?”
“I’ll get back to you. It may be a while.”
“I understand. You’re very kind. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He clicked off.
The sweetness in her voice, the vulnerability—it was Catherine all over again. Those very qualities had always made him want to protect his sister. There was no question in Jack’s mind that he’d just spoken to Catherine’s identical twin.
David Britton had some explaining to do.
IT WAS SUNDAY. The long-awaited day of the family council. David pulled into the driveway of his mother’s two-story colonial house behind Mitch’s Jeep. He was ten minutes late.
After attending church with Catherine, David had gone to her place. They’d planned to fix breakfast. But they only made it as far as pouring juice before they fell into each other’s arms. From then on, he’d lost track of time.
If Catherine’s mother hadn’t phoned, asking her to bring him to the house for dinner that night, David would have forgotten about the meeting at his mother’s.
Catherine understood he had to leave, but she’d clung to him for a long moment. It was harder and harder to be apart, for any reason. He had a solution, though, and was glad he’d be meeting her mother.
Next week, he planned to introduce Catherine to his mother. The sooner both families realized how things were between him and Catherine, the sooner they could set a wedding date.
With a promise that he’d be by later to drive her to her parents’ home, he left for his mother’s. His body was still throbbing from a desire he could barely hold in check.
Mitch, who must have been watching for him through the living room window, met him at the front door.
“You’re late. Mom’s putting lunch on the table already.”
“Sorry, but I couldn’t get here any sooner.”
A knowing smile broke out on Mitch’s face.
“I’ve never seen you like this in my life. Whatever Catherine’s done to you, you’re a mess.”
“It’ll happen to you, too—when you least expect it.”
“Have you told Mother yet?”
“I will before lunch is over.”
They walked through the house to the dining room where their mother was bringing in a salad and a platter of ham. She might be in her late sixties, but she had the figure of a younger woman and kept her hair a natural brown color to hide the gray.
How sad their father wasn’t still alive. Since Catherine had come into David’s life, he couldn’t imagin
e existence without her. No wonder his mother’s grief had been so acute.
“Let me help you with that.”
“Oh—David! You’re here. I’m so glad. Everyone sit down. Mitch, dear? Will you say the blessing, please?”
“I’d be happy to.”
Since their visit to the psychiatrist, David could see a difference in Mitch. He didn’t act as wary or defensive.
“Thank you, Mitch. Now if you’ll start passing the ham and scalloped potatoes. David, if you’d toss the salad.” Soon everyone was served, and they began to eat.
“This is my favorite meal of yours, Mother. Would you mind if I asked you to fix it again next Sunday?”
“Of course I wouldn’t mind. But why?”
“Because I’d like to bring someone home for dinner.”
“A business acquaintance?”
“No. The woman I’m going to marry.”
His mother let out a cry of joy and rushed around the table to hug him. “That’s the most wonderful news I’ve heard in a long, long time!”
He stood and hugged her. “Her name is Catherine Casey. She lives here in Portland. Her father is Cameron Casey, the architect. You may have heard of him. She’s an architect, too. In fact, I’ve hired her to design my new complex. We’re not officially engaged yet, but we’ve picked out her ring.
“I’ve even seen a piece of property where I’d like us to build our home. I’ve already contacted my attorney to make an earnest money offer.”
“That’s wonderful!” She wiped her eyes. “Have you met her yet, Mitch?”
“Yes. Last week David brought her to the track. She’s a gorgeous blonde with gray eyes and a knockout figure. I wish I’d seen her first.”
“Sit down, Mother, and I’ll answer all your questions.”
“This is so exciting, David!” she said after she’d taken her place once more. “When do you plan to be married?”
“I’d arrange for a minister today, but Catherine needs more time. We only met two weeks ago.”
“Two weeks! Well, of course she needs more time!”
“I’m hoping for a fall wedding. Preferably September. That gives us two months to plan. We talk constantly about everything, and I feel I know her in a way I’ve never known a woman before. We agree on everything that’s important.” He paused.
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