The Unknown Sister

by Rebecca Winters

  Shannon followed him to the door, then gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for everything,” she whispered.

  An overjoyed Jack headed immediately for home. When his cell phone rang, he reached for it, never stopping to glance at the caller ID.

  “Jack?”

  “Hey, David!”

  “Any news?” The agony in his voice left nothing to the imagination.

  Jack smiled. “Not yet. But it’s still early days.”

  “This isn’t any good, Jack. Last night I was with your sister. We drove to Tacoma to see Shannon, but she wouldn’t even come to the door of her friend’s apartment. It ripped Catherine apart all over again. I can feel her slipping farther and farther away from me.”

  “You’ve got to be patient.”

  “I don’t know if I can.”

  “I know what you mean. But in CC’s case, this is going to take a little more time.”

  “I’m leaving for Detroit today to attend a family funeral. Call me if you know anything. I don’t care if it’s the middle of the night. I should be home in three days.”

  “I will. You call me, too. Anytime. We’ll get together as soon as you get back.”

  CATHERINE WALKED Dean Kooning to the door of the trailer and said good-night. After spending hours going over the blueprints with the acting foreman on the new project, she was exhausted.

  Her lack of sleep had taken its toll. She felt numb, barely able to function. Until Sol got out of the hospital, it looked like she’d have to spend the next week at the site making sure everything went according to her specifications.

  She sat in the chair, trying to summon the energy to gather up her things and leave. She closed her eyes, too physically and emotionally drained to move. When Shannon entered the trailer, Catherine thought she must be dreaming.

  “Is it really you?” she whispered in disbelief.

  “Yes. Mind if I come in?”

  Catherine felt a surge of excitement. She wanted to throw her arms around her sister, but she didn’t know what kind of a reception she’d get, so she stayed where she was.

  “Please. Sit down.”

  “Thanks. After the way I treated you last night, I’m surprised you’re still speaking to me.”

  “It was wrong of us to intrude. Last night was a mistake from start to finish.”

  “Not yours, Catherine. Mine,” Shannon muttered. “But I was in a bad way and didn’t want you to see how upset I was. I looked absolutely awful.”

  “You couldn’t possibly have looked as bad as I know I look right now.”

  “I didn’t sleep a wink.”

  “Neither did I.”

  “You’re sure you don’t mind my coming to the site?”

  “Of course not! In fact, I’m thrilled.”

  Catherine was so glad, so relieved that nothing terrible had happened to her sister, she felt light-headed.

  “I’m sorry if I worried you.”

  “You had every right to run off after being betrayed by people you should have had every reason to trust. I’m the one who’s sorry—for everything. I never meant to hurt you.”

  “I know you didn’t. The truth is, I didn’t mean to say such harsh things and then alarm you by disappearing. But I had to be by myself to…to get my head on straight.”

  “I understand. Yesterday was the most ghastly day I’ve ever experienced. I can’t even begin to imagine your state of mind.”

  “I admit yesterday was a day I wouldn’t care to repeat. But after thinking everything over, I can tell you there’s one thing you could do that would take away my pain.”

  Grasping for anything to improve the situation, Catherine lifted her head. “What is it?” she asked eagerly. “You know if it’s humanly possible I’ll do it.”

  Shannon stared straight at her. “You promise?”

  “Yes,” she answered in a solemn voice.

  “You swear before God?”

  “I swear it.”

  “Go to David and make up with him.”

  “No!” Catherine cried in anger and sprang to her feet. “That’s the one thing I won’t do!”

  “But you promised!”

  “I thought— I didn’t know this was going to be about David. I wouldn’t dream of getting back together with him. What he said after we’d already broken up was needless and unutterably cruel. It caused you untold pain.

  “Do you honestly believe I could ever enjoy being with him again knowing how much it would hurt you? You’re my sister. I love you. You’re always going to be in my life. I want us to start fresh. A new beginning. No history.”

  Shannon shook her head. “That works fine in a fairy tale. But as a wise person recently told me, it’s pure fiction. We’re two grown women who need to deal with reality.”

  “David’s out of my life.”

  “Let me ask you a question, Catherine. Do you really want me in yours?”

  “More than anything in the world!”

  “If that’s the truth, then I want you and David to get back together. Otherwise I can’t stay in Portland knowing I’m the reason you broke your engagement.” She took a deep, shuddering breath.

  “Catherine, listen to me,” she went on. “Do you have any idea how it would make me feel to live around you day after day, aware that my presence prevented you from being with the man you love? Do you know what a nightmare that would be? How absurd? Talk about cruel!”

  Catherine couldn’t take it in. “But…but you met David first and you fell in love—”

  “No!” Shannon blurted. “I had a long talk with Amy last night. She shared some insights with me from this book she bought—it’s a woman’s guide to marriage, and it’s the first book that’s ever changed my life. Anyway, Amy helped me realize what I’ve always known deep down but never wanted to admit to myself.

  “What I felt for David wasn’t love. It was infatuation. I’ve been infatuated with other men before, and I suppose I will be again. The point is, that’s all it was.

  “David was attracted to me, too, but before the evening was over his attraction wore off. My pride couldn’t take it, so I lived in a state of denial hoping he would miraculously change his mind and come to love me. I was pathetic, you know? I became oversensitive, out of control. Visiting his office, trying to get him to go out with me.

  “I even went so far as to apply for a job at his clinic so I could be around him. I’m not proud of the fact that I let you believe I applied for the nursing position at Sacred Heart Hospital to be near you. That wasn’t the case. At least not entirely.

  “I also lied when I told you that I broke up with the man I lived with because he didn’t want children and I did. In reality, when I moved in with him, he never made any promises. I went into the relationship thinking I could change him. Of course it didn’t work.

  “I’ve really messed up where men are concerned, Catherine. After talking to Amy and reading the book from cover to cover, I can see that I’ve made practically every mistake on the list. Maybe I’ll get it right next time. So for starters, I’m going to move out of your condo.”

  “No, Shannon! You don’t have to go anywhere!”

  “Yes, I do. You’re going to be getting married and you need to feel free to do whatever you want with your condo. Jack’s invited me to stay at your parents’ home until I can find a permanent place of my own.”

  Thank you, Jack Casey.

  Catherine nodded. “Mom and Dad suggested it last week.”

  “That’s what he said. I can’t tell you what it means to know your family wants me around.” Her voice trembled.

  Catherine was dazed with joy and only half believed this conversation was really taking place. “We all want you around. Forever!”

  “If that’s true,” Shannon said, getting to her feet to take hold of Catherine’s hands, “promise me you’ll marry David as you planned. Then I can be happy in my new life. Will you do that for me?”

  “Shannon…” She caught her sister to her heart
. They clung for a long time.

  “Enough of this.” Shannon sniffed hard before they finally released each other. “You need to find David right away, and I need to call Steve.”

  “The waiter?”

  She grinned. “Yes. He’s been trying to get me to go out with him. In fact, he called this morning and left a message on your machine. Jack convinced me to say yes. He said he and Melanie would join us. I’m not a very good judge of character when it comes to men, but I have a feeling Jack will be able to size him up in a hurry.”

  “He sure will, and he’ll be blunt about it, too!”

  They both laughed.

  “What about Phil?”

  “I’ve agreed to go out with him, as well. I’ve learned that I need to be open to all kinds of possibilities—dredge all kinds of ponds.”

  Catherine didn’t understand that remark but let it go. “Well, I can tell you one thing about Phil. He’d never call a woman unless he meant it. I’m jealous to think he’s already phoned you twice.”

  “Actually, he phoned this morning, too. I guess I’m going to find out how interested he really is. I called him at the garage. We have a date for brunch next Sunday at the Sky Castle.”

  “That’s wonderful news,” Catherine said softly.

  “But the best news is, I have a sister. I always wanted one.”

  “So did I.”

  “We’ve got years and years to be together.” Catherine couldn’t stop smiling.

  “We’ll grow old together.”

  “We’ll always have each other.”

  “What if my mother had never told me I had a twin?”

  “But she did. Our lives are richer because of it.”

  “Yes.”

  “I love you, Shannon.”

  “And I love you. Now let’s get you out of here because there’s a man waiting to hear from you. I think it’s time you put him out of his agony.”

  AS THE PLANE began its descent to the Portland airport, David felt despair overwhelm him. Catherine was somewhere in that city, but she wouldn’t be waiting for him.

  On this short trip, which had resulted in his aunt Colleen’s coming to stay with his mother for a while, David had begun to think that living in Portland was no longer good for him.

  “Are you sure you don’t want company?” Mitch asked an hour later, after they’d settled their mother and aunt at the house.

  “You know something, Mitch? You’ve had to put up with my foul mood long enough. Thanks for being there. Now I think I’d better spend some time alone. Open the trunk, will you?”

  He levered himself from the passenger seat of Mitch’s car to retrieve his suitcase.

  “David?” his brother called. “Remember, Jack told you not to give up hope.”

  “When Catherine threw my wedding present back in my face, Jack wasn’t there to hear her tell me she couldn’t marry me. I’ve finally come to the conclusion that this dream is truly over.”

  Mitch eyed him sorrowfully. “If it wasn’t meant to be, just remember that one day someone else will come along.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve lived on this earth long enough to know that’s true. But she won’t be Catherine. What really scares me is that I’ll be looking for her in every woman I meet. I’m afraid that when I can’t find her, I’ll move on, never able to settle.

  “It might not be a bad idea if I left Portland and lived someplace else, someplace completely different. Maybe even out of the country. The thought of being in the same city with her, knowing she’s here but never being able to see her, is just too painful.”

  “David, you sound too depressed to be alone. Let’s go out for a drink.”

  “Not a good idea. When I can’t stand my own company, I wouldn’t dare inflict myself on you.”

  “I’d tell you to go home and get drunk, but I know it wouldn’t help. Well…I’ll call you later to see how you’re doing.”

  As Mitch drove away, David was already entertaining the idea of making Dr. Kamura acting head of the institute. The move would free David to go anywhere in the world. Russia needed outside business to help bring money to its struggling economy. Maybe he could set up a day trading company there.

  The administrative challenges involved, not to mention the language difficulties in getting established, sounded like exactly the kind of consuming distraction he needed.

  He nodded to some acquaintances who lived in his building, then rode the elevator to the fifth floor. Frustrated because it was too late in the day to find out if his idea of setting up a business in Russia was feasible, he entered his apartment in the blackest of moods, tossing his suitcase carelessly aside.

  Mitch’s suggestion about getting drunk propelled him to the kitchen, where he knew there was a bottle of Scotch on the shelf. But before he could reach for it, he saw something propped on the counter. Some sort of painting or poster.

  It brought him to an abrupt halt. He glanced around, puzzled. It meant he’d had a visitor at his condo while he’d been gone.

  As he moved closer to see what it was, the blood started to pound in his ears. With a sense of wonder he took in the breathtaking watercolor—a rendering of an exquisite French country home designed in Catherine Casey’s inimitable style.

  His gaze shifted to the printing at the bottom.

  Residence of Mr. and Mrs. David M. Britton.

  The words filled his vision before they echoed in his heart.

  “Catherine?”

  He heard a footfall behind him and wheeled, out of breath. There stood the woman he loved. She was in T-shirt and jeans, wearing a hard hat. She smiled at him, the way she had that day at the speedway. Her gray eyes virtually blinded him with their radiance.

  “Mr. Britton? I thought you’d never get here. I’m Catherine Casey. I know you were expecting Cameron Casey, but I told him this project was mine, because I’m in love with the client. You see, I know his soul. I know his wants and needs better than anyone else alive because I have those same wants and needs.” She swallowed. “In fact, I still have the designs for his office complex on my computer at work. Any time he’s interested in starting that project, I’m ready. Mr. Casey approves.”

  “Darling—”

  “I also informed Mr. Casey that you and I are getting married on September first. Lucky for me, he approves of that, too. He kindly relieved me of all other responsibilities so I could get started on this lifetime project immediately.

  “As soon as your friend Allen learned why I needed to get into your condo, he couldn’t have been more accommodating. I’m pretty sure your mom and mine will be on the phone shortly to plan our wedding. They’ll have a lot of extra help now that Shannon’s moved to the house.

  “If I don’t miss my guess, the folks have already installed her in my old bedroom. I hear she’s getting along really well with the crew. I’d be jealous if I wasn’t so deeply in love with the most wonderful man I’ve ever met.

  “David, how can I ever thank you for going ahead and telling Shannon the truth? She sought Amy’s help, and that turned everything around.

  “She begged me to get back together with you. I knew she meant it with all her heart. In that moment, we became close the way twin sisters should be. The past is behind us.

  “Your instincts were right all along. Hiding our love from her was the worst thing I could have done. Everyone’s suffered because of my fears.

  “Please forgive me, David. I’ll never knowingly hurt you again. I love you. I want to be your wife as soon as you’ll have me.”

  Never underestimate the power of your love.

  After the long period of darkness, the sunlight was too dazzling. David couldn’t seem to function in his dazed condition. What he needed was to find comfort in Catherine’s arms. Then he’d know this was real.

  As he reached for her, the hard hat fell to the floor, but neither of them noticed or cared.

  October 8

  WHILE CATHERINE STOOD in the kitchen drinking some milk to settle her
stomach, she heard a key in the lock. The next thing she knew, her brother waltzed through the door.

  “Jack!” she squealed in delight. Setting her glass on the counter, she rushed toward him, almost stumbling over the bags she had yet to unpack from their honeymoon. She and David had decided to stay in her condo until their house was built.

  Her brother caught her in his arms and swung her around.

  “Welcome home, CC! After five weeks, I thought maybe you and David had decided to set up residence in Greece.”

  “We were tempted, believe me. Corfu is so fabulous you’ll have to go there on your honeymoon. How soon’s your wedding?”

  “Two weeks away.”

  “Melanie must be ecstatic.”

  “Yeah.” Jack studied her. “Marriage looks good on you, CC. I can tell my brother-in-law has made you very happy.”

  “You can’t even imagine,” she whispered emotionally.

  “I think I can. You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

  “Jack!” She blushed. “How could you know something like that?”

  “Just a guess.” He shrugged expansively. “I know it’s a cliché, but there’s a glow about you.”

  She shook her head in amazement. “A few minutes ago, I did a home pregnancy test. It came out positive! Can you believe it?” she cried. “I’m going to be a mother! David has no idea that in about eight months he’s going to be a father. He’ll be so thrilled. I can’t wait to tell him!”

  “No one deserves good news more than he does.” A seriousness had crept into Jack’s voice.

  “I’m so thankful you and David are friends.”

  “Your husband’s incredible, CC. While you were on your honeymoon, an anonymous donor put funds in my bank account. It was enough money for me to start building a formula one car.

  “Dad swore he didn’t do it. I don’t know anyone else with that kind of cash who’d be willing to back me. David didn’t tell you?”

  Catherine’s heart rate had gone off the charts. “No. But I know he was the one who did it. In Corfu he confided what a wonderful friend you were to him through our crisis. He said that when the going got really rough, you encouraged him and gave him hope. You took time off work to help him clarify his feelings. That’s what he said—and that he owed you big time.”