Mirror Image Bride (Love Inspired)

by Barbara McMahon

  When they walked to the main house a short time later, Darcy skipped along beside her. “Can we work in the vegetables today?”

  “We’ll see if Violet needs us to help. First we need to talk to her. Maybe Jack’s dog will be at the house.” Nipper was a working dog, but he followed Jack everywhere. If Jack was around today, they’d see his dog.

  Violet was in the kitchen with Lupita, sipping a cup of coffee and chatting with the housekeeper as she rolled out dough for a pie.

  “Good morning,” Violet said when Maddie and Darcy entered.

  “What are you making?” Darcy rushed straight to Lupita’s side, watching with fascination as she rolled the dough.

  “An apple pie. Jack loves those and he needs something to cheer him up these days,” Lupita said with a smile for the little girl.

  Maddie grabbed a cup of coffee and perched on one of the barstools by the island. “What time did you want to go to Ranchland Manor?” she asked her sister, referring to the place for Belle to be moved to.

  “Anytime this morning. I was impressed last time we visited. If we’re still impressed, we can sign the papers and arrange transportation for Mom.” Violet wrapped her hands around her steaming coffee mug. “The sooner she’s here, the more often we can visit.”

  Maddie nodded pensively. “I’d spend more time with her, but don’t know what to say.”

  “You have enough with watching Darcy. Whenever you can visit, I think she’ll know. I hope she knows we’re there. The doctor said sometimes comatose patients can hear people talking. So I try to tell her about my day.” Her face softened with emotion. “And of course I’ve told her all about Landon. And you and Grayson. As well as how sorry Jack is about things. It wasn’t his fault, but I can’t get that through his thick skull.”

  “Where is Landon? Is he going with us?”

  “He’s back in Dallas. I can’t wait until he moves to Grasslands. This long-distance thing is hard,” Violet said.

  “When your mom wakes up, you’ll get married and you two will be together all the time,” Maddie said with a grin. She’d almost had that with Landon, and it had not made her heart beat faster.

  Now, if it were with Ty—

  Violet grinned. “I can’t wait.” She tilted her head slightly and looked at Maddie. “She’s your mother, too, you know.”

  Maddie nodded. “I know that. At least intellectually I know it. But I have no memories, no shared experiences, nothing that gives me a feeling of belonging.”

  “Oh, I wish you did. I thought once you saw her you’d naturally love her as I do. I keep forgetting to you she’s a total stranger,” Violet said.

  They had spent many hours over the last few weeks talking about Belle and Brian, each twin trying to give the other as much information about their parents as they could. But hearing about them wasn’t the same as knowing them.

  “Same as Dad is to you,” Maddie said.

  “I really hoped you’d be able to find him when you went to Blackstone.”

  “I guess it’s a test of patience, and I’ve prayed for more as each day goes by.”

  Darcy came over to Maddie. “Lupita says I can stay here when you go to the nursing home. Can I?”

  Violet nodded. “Great idea. You’d be bored going with us. You don’t mind, Lupita?”

  “Wouldn’t have offered if I minded. You two girls go on now and get everything set for your mom to come home. Tell her I’m fixing to make her a huge steak with all the trimmings the day she comes back here!”

  “I’ll tell her. I hope being at Ranchlands will be the closest thing to home we have for now. Maybe even just breathing the same air will have some effect,” Violet said.

  Maddie hoped something would have an effect and bring Belle back to them.

  * * *

  Ty spent most of the morning taking a tally of the cattle in each section, leaving the one closest to the old house Jack was working on until last. When he spotted the house, he tucked his tally notebook into a pocket and headed for the place.

  It had belonged to a neighbor, acquired when the neighbor died and his heirs had sold the property to Belle. Tying his horse to one of the porch rails, he unloosed the saddle and slapped him on the rump as he rounded the horse to step up onto the porch. The sound of a power saw filled the air.

  Jack was in one of the first-floor rooms, cutting a two-by-four that would obviously replace one damaged in the wall where the plaster had been removed. He looked up when Ty entered, cutting the saw off.

  “Problem?” he asked, wiping his forehead with his arm.

  “No, just wanted to talk for a minute,” Ty said, looking around. “You’ve bitten off a lot here. Need help?”

  “It’d probably go faster if I had help, but working keeps me occupied and there’s no time limit to finish.”

  Ty had heard Jack blamed himself for his mother’s accident. But he didn’t see it. Belle had been a hundred yards or more ahead when her horse shied. Maybe she’d been distracted by their argument, or maybe she’d just fallen. Could happen to anyone.

  Ty walked across and looked out the window to the side, studying the view.

  “So what’s on your mind?” Jack asked.

  “I need a favor,” Ty said. “A big one.”

  “Name it,” Jack said.

  Ty turned. “If something happens to me, would you be guardian for Darcy?”

  Jack looked at him a moment, then shook his head. “You sick or something?”

  “No. Neither was Brittany. Look at your mom, no telling what could happen in the blink of an eye.”

  “Yeah, look at my mom. Which is why I wonder if you are certifiable, asking me to watch your daughter. I’m not the man.”

  “You’re the best one I know for the job, and you have Violet to help. I’m hoping to be around long enough to see grandkids, but you never know. And there’s not another man I’d trust with the care of Darcy. Could be a moot point, if her grandparents get custody.”

  Jack stared at him for a long moment. “I never considered being asked as a guardian for anyone—much less a little girl. You know I’ll do whatever you need. She’s family—like you are. You better stick around until she’s all grown up, but yeah, if something happens to you, I’ll step in. You know Violet and I will do our best for her.”

  “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” Ty offered his hand and shook on the deal, feeling a weight lift. He couldn’t find a better man than Jack Colby to take care of his precious daughter if he wasn’t around to do the job himself.

  * * *

  The nursing home was situated in the midst of lovely grounds off the highway to Amarillo. The rolling lawn appeared accessible by cement paths meandering through where nurses could easily push wheelchairs to get patients out to the gardens. A profusion of blossoming plants added color and fragrance. The low, brick building looked nestled in the grounds. The serenity of the place was strongly appealing.

  Violet, Jack and Maddie had chosen this one as the best option for Belle’s continuing care. They were fortunate that Ranchland Manor was equipped to care for comatose patients as well as those well on the way to full recovery from various injuries.

  They again toured the facility, had an explanation of the care and treatment Belle would receive when she moved there. It would be perfect, Violet and Maddie agreed. The only thing left now was to make arrangements for her transportation.

  On the way out, Maddie took a deep breath. “I love it here. Totally different from the antiseptic hospital feel. And the program they described sounds hopeful, don’t you think?”

  “I pray every day, several times a day, actually, that Mom will wake up and be back to her normal self. She’ll be so surprised to see you. But happy, I know it. I wonder how often she pulled out that picture and looked at it, the one with all of us in it.”

  “I imagine many times over the years,” Maddie said. “With you and Jack, she had a perfect idea of how Grayson and I were growing.”

  “True, but
she had no notion of what you were doing, what was important to you, what made you laugh or cry. You’ll love her when you get to know her. She’s warm and compassionate and loving. And honorable.” She wrung her hands together. “That’s why I can’t believe what that woman said about her sleeping around before marrying our dad.”

  “I never picked up a hint that anything like that happened. Of course, I thought Grayson, Carter and I were all Sharla’s kids, so who knows what really happened. But I know Dad loves Grayson as much as he loves me and Carter.” Maddie glanced at her twin. “If there were any truth to Mrs. Earl’s accusations, I think we would have picked up something over the years in Dad’s attitude toward Grayson.”

  “Landon says let it go. That the woman was probably bitterly jealous of Belle in high school and never got over it.”

  As they were driving back to the ranch, Maddie casually mentioned, “Ty asked me out.”

  Violet glanced at her. “As in a date?”

  “I think so.”

  She quirked a brow. “You don’t know?”

  “Yes, it’s a date. He’s taking me to dinner and a movie. I didn’t even know he liked me.”

  “What’s not to like?” her twin asked with a grin.

  “He started out thinking I was like his ex-wife—a city girl through and through and interested in clubs and the fast life in the city. If he only knew the truth.” She sighed. “I worked too long to go out very often. I loved my job, but between that, family and church, I didn’t date a lot, and certainly didn’t go to many clubs.”

  “So he’s seeing you’re doing a good job with Darcy and wants to give you a night out,” Violet suggested.

  “Oh.”

  “Uh-oh, that sounds disappointed.”

  “No, if that’s all it is, it’s fine.” She wondered if this was just a reward for a job well done. Was she reading more into it than Ty meant?

  “But?” Violet asked perceptively.

  “I thought his opinion of me was changing. And actually...I was sort of thinking of looking for something here—a job or something.”

  “What? That’s fabulous!” Violet pulled the car off the road and stopped. She reached over and hugged her sister. “That would be the best thing. Fort Worth’s too far away.”

  “I’m just considering it. I’d have to find a job first.”

  “You already have one with Ty.”

  “That goes away when school starts. I talked to Sadie yesterday and she found a job almost immediately when she came to Grasslands. So I thought I’d put out some feelers. No magazines are produced here, but I have skills I learned that I can use in a variety of jobs.”

  “I can’t wait to tell Jack...and Mom. They’ll be thrilled. You’ll find something, I just know it.”

  “Well, pray about it for me. I haven’t begun to look yet and there may be nothing.”

  “I will pray. I don’t know what split us up, but I love that the Lord has brought us back together. Now it looks like we’ll be able to spend the rest of our lives catching up.”

  Maddie didn’t bring up Ty’s name again. She’d hoped Violet would say something like, “he rarely dates, so it’s special he asked you out.” Instead, her assessment was probably correct—a thank-you for taking care of Darcy. The salary he was paying her was enough. She didn’t need more. Should she back out?

  No, she wanted to go with him. She’d have a good time and enjoy every moment they spent together. If that’s all they’d have, she’d have a nice memory.

  * * *

  Ty sat on his horse and quickly counted the cattle in this section. Periodically he took a tally to make sure he didn’t need to look for missing cattle. Rustlers weren’t as common as they once had been, but in this tight economy there were still those tempted to steal from others to make a quick buck.

  That done, he took off his hat, wiped his forehead with his sleeve and reset the hat. It was hot. He’d love to go to the river and take a quick swim. Maybe he’d ride home and get Maddie and Darcy. They both were riding well enough to venture forth away from the barn and corrals. He wasn’t sure if he’d have the chance in the future to spontaneously have a swim day with Darcy. He was working hard at trusting in the Lord. Not having years of faith behind him, he nevertheless knew the Lord was looking out for him. A quick prayer and he started for home.

  He hoped Maddie and Darcy were there. Maddie had said they were making final arrangements for Belle’s move to Grasslands today. If they were still in town, he’d find plenty to do around the homestead. If they returned early enough they could still go swimming.

  The farrier was working on reshoeing one of the horses. Two more were tied nearby, awaiting their turn. Ty greeted him, loosened the saddle on his horse and tied him in the shade.

  He and Tim Conners chatted for a moment, then he walked to his house. It was empty. Disappointed, he turned to head back to the barn when he heard Darcy’s voice talking a mile a minute. He waited on the porch as Maddie and Darcy headed his way from the main house. When his little girl saw him, her face broke into a smile and she ran toward him.

  Ty found it hard to swallow. He opened his arms, and she ran right into them, hugging him tightly.

  “Lupita let me make a pie with her! I want to have some for dinner and she said we are to come to dinner at the main house and we’ll have pie for dessert.”

  “That sounds good,” he said, looking up as Maddie followed more slowly. For a moment, he wished he could open his arms for her and that she’d rush in and give him a hug, too.

  “Dinner with the Colbys?” he asked.

  “We’re invited. You used to eat there more often before Darcy came, didn’t you?”

  “Couple of times a week. The rest of the time I usually ate on my own or with the men. What’s the occasion?” he asked.

  “We’re celebrating Belle’s return to Grasslands—to Ranchland Manor. She’ll be here in two days.”

  “Any change?”

  She shook her head. “Violet called the hospital to arrange everything from that end and her situation’s still stable. I wish she’d wake up. There’s so much I want to know.”

  Darcy gazed up at her father. “Belle is Maddie’s second mother. Maddie said I could have a second mother if you got married. Are you going to get married so I can have a second mother?” she asked.

  That thought caught him unaware. “Well, I haven’t given it a lot of thought. The first time I got married it didn’t turn out so well.”

  “I would like to have a second mother. But I miss Mommy.”

  “You’ll miss her for a long time, I expect. She probably misses you,” Ty said, holding Darcy’s chin in his palm. “She always wanted you to be happy, remember that.”

  “Okay. Are we going riding?”

  “Yes, we are.” He looked at Maddie. “It’s so hot, I thought we could ride to the river and go swimming. There’s a spot where the water moves really slow under some cottonwoods that give shade. Nice this time of day. It’s almost too hot to do anything else.”

  “Sounds like a great plan. Lucky we bought swimsuits for the picnic. We’ll change and be ready to go in no time.”

  Chapter Eight

  Swimming had been the perfect suggestion, Ty thought when they were splashing each other in the river. Both Maddie and Darcy had ridden to the spot with no trouble, as if they’d been riding for a long time. Maddie even commented on how much more confident she felt thanks to his pointers, which made him feel about ten feet tall. Darcy could hardly wait to get her jeans off and splash in the river. It was fairly shallow near the bank, tapering down to deeper at the center of the wide river. The current was slow, so no danger of her being carried away.

  Maddie plunged in once she stripped down to her dark teal swimsuit. She dove into the water and came up laughing. “This is wonderful,” she said, shaking the water from her face, her hair sending drops everywhere.

  “I love to swim,” Darcy said, swimming out to where Maddie was, holding on to her shoul
ders and then turning to swim back to Ty.

  As the afternoon wore on, they played Marco Polo and then had races. Ty let Darcy win one and she was ecstatic.

  To his surprise, he enjoyed being with Maddie as much as with Darcy. She was not fussy about having her hair wet or having her makeup wash off. She laughed and splashed and obviously enjoyed herself.

  Suddenly, Ty stopped and listened. Was that thunder? Scanning the skies, he saw thunderclouds in the distance.

  “Time to go,” he said.

  “Oh, I don’t want to go,” Darcy protested. “We’re having fun.”

  “I know. We’ll come again. But I think I heard thunder and if those clouds on the horizon are any indication, we’ll have a lightning storm here before long. Too dangerous to be around water if that’s the case.”

  Maddie looked in the direction he’d indicated.

  “Okay, let’s go,” she said, moving directly for shore.

  They dried off the best they could with the towels they’d brought, then pulled on their jeans and shirts over damp swimsuits. Maddie kept watching the clouds nervously.

  “We’ll make it home in plenty of time,” Ty reassured her.

  She nodded, but continued to look worried.

  “Do we have to go?” Darcy asked.

  “Tell you what...when we get home, we’ll watch a video and have popcorn. How about that?” Maddie said with another anxious glance at the horizon.

  By the time they reached the barn, the breeze had kicked up. The clouds were growing larger and darker by the minute. Ty took the reins of all three horses.

  “You two go get changed. I’ll take care of these fellows and be in when I’m done.”

  Maddie nodded and headed for the foreman’s house, Darcy right beside her.

  By the time Ty entered the house a half hour later, they had changed into dry clothes and were busy popping popcorn. He changed and joined them in the living room as Darcy was going through several movies he didn’t even know were there.