Kitabı oku: «The Twin», sayfa 3

Chapter Six

Sunny almost let out a whistle when she opened her door. Ben stood there in dark brown slacks, a green shirt that matched his eyes and a killer leather jacket that looked butter soft. His dress Western boots were some exotic skin. Snake? Eel? She wasn’t up on such things.

Ben grinned, then he whistled. “You look beautiful. Turn around.” He made a circle with his finger.

She complied, feeling a bit silly and smug at the same time. “Thank you. I wasn’t quite sure where we were going. Will this do?”

“Oh, yeah.”

She picked up her wrap and they went downstairs to his waiting SUV. While it wasn’t a carriage, she noticed it had been washed since she’d seen it yesterday, and she felt as special as any princess.

They went to an upscale Italian restaurant downtown. While it was only a few blocks away, it was a world apart from Chili Witches. The tables were set with fine linen, and a plant-laden room filled with rustic antiques and shimmering candlelight created an inviting atmosphere.

When they were seated Sunny said, “How lovely this place is.”

Ben glanced around. “My sister recommended it. I’ll have to tell her you approved. Or maybe we should wait until we taste the food.”

“I’m sure it’s wonderful. I’ve heard great things about it, but I’ve never been here before.”

After they’d studied the menu and ordered, she said, “Tell me about your sister. Does she live here?”

“Yes. Tracy and her husband and my two nieces. That’s one of the reasons we moved here.”

“We?” Her heart must have skipped a half-dozen beats. Dear Lord, surely he wasn’t married. Surely he wouldn’t have asked her out if he was married. Although, these days, who knew what men would do?

“My son, Jay, and me. I’m divorced.” He grinned. “You thought for a minute I was married, didn’t you?”

She fiddled with her water glass, then looked up and grinned. “What was your first clue?”

“The bug-eyed gape.”

She laughed. “Busted. You Texas Ranger types are sharp. I was always known for my poker face. Guess I’m out of practice.”

“Use it or lose it. How long have you been off the force?”

“About three years. Tell me about your son.”

“His name is Jay. He’s five and in kindergarten. Montessori. Right now he’s torn between becoming a fireman and a pilot.”

“Not interested in becoming a Ranger like his dad?”

“He’s not old enough to be impressed by the Rangers. Their class visited the fire station last month, and he thinks running the siren on a fire engine is much more exciting than what I do. My brother-in-law is a pilot for one of the major airlines, and Jay is very impressed by that—especially since he got to fly on a short hop to Dallas with Uncle Rick.”

“You know, I’ve always wanted to learn to fly. I’ve thought about taking lessons many times.”

“Then why don’t you?”

She started to give one of her stock answers, like she didn’t have the time or it was too expensive, then stopped herself. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “It seems as if I always have one excuse or another, but I don’t think any of them are valid. I may look into it.”

“Good for you.”

Their lobster bisque was served—which was out-of-this-world delicious—and they chatted in a first-date way about inconsequential things. Neither his ex-wife nor Brian was mentioned. Politics was alluded to only briefly, and she could tell by his comment that they had similar leanings, which was good but not a critical factor in a relationship as far as she was concerned. She and Brian had been polar opposites politically, and it had been no big deal; it had simply been an accepted difference, not something they argued about.

The pasta was as good as the bisque, and the wine delicious. Ben was easy to talk to—and easy to look at. She loved the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled. She liked the strong planes of his face and jaw, his thick, short-cropped hair and the way his eyebrows rose when he was listening. He was a good listener.

Their conversation flowed easily, and there were no awkward pauses as they talked. She was surprised so much time had passed, when, as they lingered over coffee, she glanced down at her watch.

“I can’t believe the time,” Sunny said. “I need to get home.”

Ben glanced at his watch, too. “Sorry about that. Do you have an early workday?”

“Not too early, but I usually go to the gym first thing.”

He motioned for the check. “I used to do that, too. B.J.”

“B.J.?”

“Before Jay. Now he keeps me hopping in the mornings.”

After the check was paid and they were leaving, Ben put his hand to her back to guide her out. And left it there. It was a casual touch, but she was totally aware of his hand, of its warmth, of his closeness. His smell even tantalized her senses. He smelled nothing like Brian; his was a new scent, masculine, yet with an undertone of freshness and the vaguest hint of citrus and spice.

His touch made her nervous, but when his hand left her back to help her into the SUV, she missed the feel of it.

“Is Jay with a sitter?” she asked as they drove home.

“No, he’s spending the night with Tracy and his cousins. Rick’s out of town a lot, and my sister loves having the extra company. I think it was pizza and a Disney movie tonight. Tell me, is Sunny your real name or a nickname?”

Sighing, she said, “Both, sort of. It’s not something I tell everyone, because it doesn’t often come up, but the name on my birth certificate is Sundance. How’s that for a name?”

“I think it’s very…interesting.”

She laughed. “Diplomatic response.”

“No, actually, I kind of like it. Goes with the whole outlaw theme Sam was telling me about.”

“Exactly. My father was Butch Cassidy. It’s harder to come up with good women’s names. I’m just lucky I wasn’t named Blue Nose Sally.”

Ben hooted. “I’ll say.”

“My mother did it only because she thought it was what my father would have wanted. She’s always just called me Sunny.”

The drive home didn’t take very long. Ben parked, and when she started to reach for the door handle, he said, “Wait.”

“For what?” Was he going to kiss her? It seemed like forever since she’d been kissed. Her heart picked up its pace and sounded an alarm. Did she want him to?

Yes. Yes, she did.

No. No, she didn’t.

Yes, she did.

But she wasn’t supposed to want him to. There was the guilt again. Oh, Lord, what a mess.

“For me to come around and help you out.”

“For heaven’s sake, why? I’m perfectly able to open a door.”

“Call me old-fashioned.”

She smiled. “You are, aren’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Wouldn’t some of her old buddies on the force carry her high if they could see her now? She’d fought hard to be treated as an equal. She had to. There was no place in law enforcement for fan-fluttering females. Being treated like one felt odd.

“Well, I’m not.” She opened her own door and stepped down.

She forgot she was wearing stilettos, stumbled and nearly fell on her keister.

Ben grabbed her elbow. “Gotcha.”

“Now I’m embarrassed.”

“No need to be. I know you’re an independent female, but I doubt if you wear those stilts on the job.”

“Have I been teetering?”

He smiled. “Not at all.”

As they walked up the stairs, Ben walked beside her, his hand on her back again. It felt warm and solid and…tantalizing. Should she invite him inside?

No. Definitely no. She wasn’t ready for that.

When they reached her door, she retrieved her key, turned the lock and pushed the door ajar. She turned and said, “Ben, I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I enjoyed it, too.”

He gently gripped her shoulders and lowered his face to hers. Here it comes, she thought, her knees turning a little wobbly.

But his kiss was so brief she almost missed it.

“Good night,” he said.

“Good night.” She went inside, closed the door and leaned against it. She heard his boots taking the wooden stairs as he hurried down and the sound of his engine as it roared to life. Then he was gone.

When the last echo died, a tap on the door beneath her head startled her. She checked the spy hole, almost hoping it was Ben returning.

Instead she saw Cass and opened the door.

“Tell me everything!”

“DAMN!” BEN SAID AS HE drove home. This wasn’t turning out at all the way he’d planned. He’d been looking for a simple, no-strings relationship. A casual affair to fill his needs. This was going to be more complicated. He felt it in his bones.

First off, Sunny’s being part of Sam Outlaw’s family made things awkward. Second, she didn’t seem the casual-affair type. Oh, she might play the independent woman, and truth was, she was an independent woman. No one, man or woman, who was a wimp got to be a detective. Still, he could tell she wasn’t cut out for an occasional romp in the sack. He sensed an underlying vulnerability in Sunny that brought out his protective streak. Did he still want to get involved with her and chance being played for a sucker again? Did he want to take things any further?

He was still paying for the mess Marla had made in his life. His and Jay’s. He wasn’t ready to jump back into something serious. Jay was his first priority.

But something about Sunny Outlaw Payton—

Oh, hell, McKee. You’d better cut and run while you have the chance.

ON TUESDAY MORNING, SUNNY followed her usual routine: a quick breakfast, paperwork, then a visit to the nearby animal shelter. She loved animals, but with her schedule, she’d never felt comfortable having more than Sadie, her nine-year-old cat. Sadie had been a feral kitten she’d saved from euthanasia, and the small Siamese mix still spent most of her time under Sunny’s bed or in some other secret hiding spot. Sometimes the only way she was sure she really had a cat was when the food and water disappeared. She’d tried to adopt another cat, hoping Sadie would adjust better with a companion. It had been a disaster, and the second cat had ended up with a friend to prevent it from being totally traumatized.

Sunny loved dogs. She always had, but living in the apartment above the café, combined with dreadful working hours and Sadie’s temperament, wasn’t conducive to having a dog. She’d tried that once, too. Sadie had terrified the poor little mutt and had shredded her couch, so Sunny re-covered the couch and found another home for the pup. Now she volunteered at the animal shelter for a couple of hours a week. She walked dogs and played with them and tried not to get too attached. Dogs that were there on one Tuesday often were gone by the next.

Annabelle, a permanent employee, gave her a new dog to walk. A beautiful, mostly German shepherd about three years old, he was extremely well behaved.

Sunny squatted down and scratched his ruff. “You’re a beauty, sir. How did you come to be here?”

“Somebody was moving out of the country and couldn’t take him,” Annabelle said. “A real shame.”

“We need to find you a good home, boy.”

Maybe Ben’s son would like to have a dog. Or maybe he already had one. She’d have to ask. If she ever saw Ben again. He hadn’t called or dropped by for lunch the day before, but he’d probably been busy.

Had he been disappointed in their date?

No, she told herself. Don’t go there. If he asked her out again, fine. If not, that was fine, too. No big deal.

BEN HELD OUT UNTIL THURSDAY. Sunny had been on his mind most of the time. And a sudden cold snap made it a great day for chili. He stopped by about half past twelve, and it seemed as if half the people in town had the same idea. The place was packed.

He didn’t even see Sunny. He looked around the crowd, trying to spot an empty place. Some lanky college kid in a red shirt pointed him at a table for two behind a post, and another one brought tea and took his order. He finally glimpsed her behind the bar pulling a tray of drafts. He tried to catch her attention. Tried, hell, he practically stood on the table and flagged her. She smiled and nodded toward him, then said something to a waitress and motioned his way before she hoisted the tray and went off to deliver the beer to the other room. The waitress came over and filled his tea glass, and that was the last he saw of Sunny except for a fleeting glance of her back now and then.

Damn.

Against his better judgment, Ben had planned on asking her out again. He spent a long time over his lunch, but he was finally forced to pay up and leave. He had to get back to work. Once the crowd had thinned out, he’d been tempted to ask for her, but his pride had gotten in his way.

Guess he wasn’t the only one who had reservations about their getting involved. He’d thought their date had turned out well. She’d seemed to be enjoying herself, but maybe he’d misread the situation because for sure she was treating him like a leper today. Marla had called him a loser more than once. Maybe Sunny was looking for somebody more exciting than he was.

Damn.

Chapter Seven

“Have you heard from the hunk?” Cass asked as they drove to Wimberley.

“Which hunk?” Sunny asked, wishing Cass would stop quizzing her every day.

“Ben the hunk.”

“How do you know he’s a hunk?”

“Because I peeped through my spy hole when he came to pick you up last weekend. Looked like a hunk to me. Has he called?”

“Nope.”

“Bummer,” Cass said, flipping down the mirrored visor to apply lip gloss.

“Don’t do that! Keep your eyes on the road or you’re going to end up in a cow pasture.” Cass wasn’t really a bad driver, but she was a speed demon in her fancy little convertible, and the two-lane highway had a lot of twists and turns.

“I haven’t seen a cow for miles, and you’re not a cop anymore, so ease up, sis. Have you got the map and directions?”

“I do.” Sunny unfolded the directions Belle had dictated as well as a map she’d printed from the Internet. “I think the turn should be about a mile ahead. On the right.”

They started looking for landmarks and soon saw their turn. The road wound and dipped some more before they spotted the entrance to Belle and Gabe’s place. It even had a guardhouse, and they pulled to a stop.

A burly-looking guy glanced back and forth between them. “You must be the twins. Go straight ahead and hang a left at the fork. If they don’t answer the bell at the big house, try the pool area around back.” He touched his hand to the bill of his cap.

“The big house?” Cass said as she drove on. “How many houses are there? And how big is the big house?”

“Don’t ask me. I get the impression Gabe’s loaded. The monster helicopter was my first clue.”

The house was huge, but not ostentatious. They parked beside several cars and walked up the steps to the large porch stretched across the front. Sunny rang the bell.

A little bit of a woman with sharp features answered the door. “You must be the Outlaw twins. I’m Suki. Come on in. Most everybody’s out back in the pool or sittin’ around shootin’ the…breeze and drinkin’ beer. You bring swimsuits or do you need to borrow one?”

“I’m Sunny, and she’s Cass, and, yes, we brought our suits. Should we change first?”

“Suit yourself. It’s a mite chilly for me, but the pool’s heated so you won’t freeze your tokus off.”

“I think I’ll take a dip,” Cass said. “It’s in the seventies, and I haven’t been swimming in ages. Where can we change?”

“Up them stairs,” Suki said. “First door on your right. There’s extra robes in the closet. When you’re done, just go straight through the house to the outside. There’s a bunch of windows and doors back there, and you can’t miss it. I’ll let Belle know you’re here.”

“Thanks, Suki,” Sunny said.

The little woman scurried off, and they went upstairs.

“This place is gorgeous,” Cass said as she opened the door to a suite. “Wonder who their decorator was?”

“Beats me. Ask Belle.”

After they’d changed and were selecting robes from the closet, there was a tap on the door. “It’s Belle.”

Sunny opened the door. “Hello. We were just about to come outside. Your house is gorgeous.”

“Thanks. We like it. Especially after I redecorated.”

“I was admiring your choices,” Cass said. “Beautiful.”

“Thanks. It’s sort of Belle eclectic. I figured if I liked it, it went together.”

“A woman after my own heart,” Sunny said. “What was it before?”

“Country French from top to bottom and designed by a former fiancé who was also a decorator.”

“I don’t see a stick of Country French now.”

Belle grinned. “Nope. Not a stick. I unloaded most of it on Skye and my mother-in-law for their new places. The rest I gave to the Salvation Army. Come on down. The party’s grown and we have a backyard full of people.”

“Who’s the hottie on the diving board?” Cass whispered to Sunny.

Sunny stopped in her tracks, and her heart bounced. Dear Lord, it was Ben poised on his toes. She didn’t realize he’d been invited, and things were bound to be awkward between them. Leaving wasn’t an option, although the thought was tempting.

“Back off. That’s Ben McKee,” she muttered to Cass. “I thought you said you’d seen him through your spy hole.”

“It was dark, and I couldn’t see much more than his back. His butt was awfully cute, though. You know, he looks familiar,” Cass said, gawking at him as he performed a perfect dive.

“His butt?”

“No, his face. I’m almost sure he came into the café one day last week.”

“Last week? When? Why didn’t you say something?”

“I think it was Thursday,” Cass told her, “and I didn’t mention it because I didn’t recognize him.”

“Did you talk to him?”

“Nope. We were packed, and I didn’t get a chance.”

Sunny groaned. “He probably thought you were me and that I was ignoring him.”

“Is something wrong?” Belle asked.

“No,” Sunny said, “not a thing. Beautiful pool.”

“Isn’t it? It’s heated with solar power, and we can swim any day of the year, except when it’s storming.”

“Now there,” Cass said, “is a real hottie. The tall one in the red shirt. He looks like a movie star.”

Belle laughed. “Don’t get too excited over him, though I’ll grant you he is good-looking. He’s my brother Frank, and your cousin. He’s married and has three kids.”

“Frank James Outlaw?”

“The very one,” Belle said, catching his eye and waving him over to where they stood near the back door. “He’s a judge in the County Court at Law in Naconiche.”

Frank smiled as he approached. “You must be the newfound family. It’s good to meet you,” he added as he was introduced and shook hands with both of them. “The rest of the Naconiche bunch wanted to come, but everyone was tied up this weekend except my wife, Carrie and me. We drove down yesterday with our twins. We left the youngest with J.J. and Mary Beth.”

“You have twins?” Sunny asked.

He nodded. “Janey and Jimmy. Fraternal, of course, not like the two of you. Come meet Carrie.”

“She’s the lawyer?” Cass asked.

“That she is,” Frank said. “Are you the one who’s a lawyer, too?”

“Used to be.”

“Once a lawyer, always a lawyer,” Frank said.

“I’m not sure I agree. Let’s just say I’m a recovering lawyer.”

Frank laughed, and the four of them joined a group sitting near the shallow end of the pool and watching children splashing around.

When Skye spotted them approaching, she jumped up and hugged them both. “It’s so good to see you again, Sunny, and I know you must be Cass.” Sunny was surprised Skye got it right. “Come meet everybody.”

“This is Gabe’s and my mother, Flora,” Skye said. “She’s a painter and owns a local art gallery.”

Flora, an older woman in a dazzling magenta muumuu and full makeup was effusive in her greeting.

“And this,” Frank said, “is my wife, Carrie.”

“Lawyer and former landman,” Carrie said, standing and hugging them both. “And stepmother to two of those kiddos in the pool. The dark-haired ones.”

“What exactly is a landman?” Sunny asked.

“Basically, it’s someone who acquires land leases for oil and gas companies. That’s how I came to Naconiche and met Frank and the other Outlaws.”

They also met the Ballards, neighbors of Belle and Gabe and parents to two other children in the group. The last of the adults was John Oates, a nice-looking guy who was mayor of Wimberley.

A big German shepherd came to stand beside Skye, and she scratched his head. “This big fellow is Gus.”

“He’s beautiful,” Sunny said.

“Isn’t he?”

“He reminds me a bit of a dog I was walking at the shelter the other day. I volunteer there.”

“How wonderful. A woman after my own heart. Do you think he would be a good service dog?”

“You know, I hadn’t thought of that. Possibly. Thanks for the suggestion.”

“And, Sunny, you know Ben McKee,” Belle said.

The twins turned to Ben, who was hoisting himself from the pool. He looked back and forth between the two of them as if totally bewildered.

“You’re twins?”

Sunny smiled. “Is that so odd?”

He picked up a towel, dried his face and ran the cloth over his well-muscled chest, which looked even better up close. “You said you had a sister. You didn’t mention she was a twin.” He frowned and glanced from one to the other again until he zeroed in on her. “Sunny?”

“Yes,” she said. “And this is Cass. Cassidy Outlaw, my baby sister.”

Cass snorted. “By two and a half minutes. Sorry I didn’t recognize you when you were in Chili Witches the other day. Thursday, wasn’t it?”

He nodded, then smiled at Sunny. “I thought she was you and that you were ignoring me.”

“We’re comanagers on flextime. She runs things on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and I’m boss on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.”

“What a marvelous idea!” Flora said. “You must let me paint the two of you. I don’t think I’ve ever done twins before, and your bone structure is superb!”

“You ought to let her,” Sam said, coming up behind Flora and hugging her against him. “She’s terrific.”

Flora patted his cheek, obviously adoring him. “You’re a dear boy to say so, even if you did move my daughter all the way to San Antonio.”

“San Antonio isn’t Lubbock. It’s just down the road a piece.” He kissed the pouf of curls atop her head. “And you know we’ve always got an extra room for you.” He stuck out his hand toward the twins. “I’m your cousin Sam,” he said. “Who’s Cass?”

“I am,” Cass said, shaking his hand.

“Welcome to the family. Hey, Sunny, good to see you again.” He gave her a hug. “This is Pookie.” He held out a small mop of a dog which had been tucked under his arm. Sunny took her, and Pookie licked her face and wiggled all over. “You’re a friendly one.”

“She seems to like you,” Sam said. “Want a dog?”

“Oh, Sam,” Skye said. “Stop that. You know you wouldn’t part with Pookie for any amount of money.”

He grinned. “Make an offer.”

“I have a demon cat that won’t share space.” Sunny handed the dog back to Sam and glanced around. “Where’s Gabe?”

“Here I am,” he called, coming in the back gate. He kissed Belle on the cheek. “Sorry I’m late, but I had to show some property to an out-of-town client. You must be Cass.” He offered his hand.

“Nope. I’m Sunny.”

“Oops. Sorry about that. How does anyone ever tell you apart?”

“They’re just different to me,” Belle said.

“Me, too,” Ben added. “And Sunny has a little scar on the right side of her chin.”

She smiled, pleased Ben could tell the difference between them. “Bike accident when we were eight.”

They chatted with the members of the group for a few minutes, then several people decided to go in the pool.

“Coming?” Ben asked Sunny.

She put her hand to her long hair. “Yes, but I need to find a rubber band first.”

“I’m always prepared,” Belle said. Digging a couple from her robe pocket, she handed one to Sunny and one to Cass.

“Thanks.” She caught her hair in a ponytail, then shed her robe and ran for the pool with Ben right behind her.

She dived into the deep end and popped up to race across the width in a fast crawl. The water felt wonderful. She loved swimming, but didn’t get a chance to go in often. Or, rather, she’d gotten out of the habit.

“You’re a regular otter,” Ben said as he grabbed on to the edge beside her.

“I love it. I was on the swim team in high school and college.”

“Me, too,” Ben said. “But only in high school, not college. Where did you go to college?”

“We went to Texas State University in San Marcos. Just far enough away to live in the dorm, but close enough so our mom didn’t have a fit. Cass went on to law school at the University of Texas, and I joined the Austin PD. What about you?”

“I went straight into the army and became an MP. Went to junior college after that, majored in criminal justice, then joined the Department of Public Safety. I was a Texas highway patrolman in the Dallas area for several years, then applied to be a Ranger.”

“And here you are.”

He grinned. “And here I am.”

His grin did things to her that made her nervous. And things she couldn’t act on, given where they were. “Race you,” she said, and struck out across the pool.

After a couple more laps, Sunny climbed from the pool and grabbed a big towel from a stack on a nearby table. Ben grabbed the one under it, and they both dried off. The smell of grilling food reminded her that her bowl of cereal was long gone, and her stomach growled.

“Hungry?” Ben asked.

“Obviously, unless there’s a bear around here somewhere.”

“There’s someone I want you to meet first.”

“Oh, who?”

“My son, Jay—if I can drag him out of the pool and away from the other kids for a few seconds.”

The idea of meeting his son made Sunny super nervous. She knew zip about kids. What if he was a brat? She’d seen plenty of those in the café, and they’d set her teeth on edge. She crossed her fingers and hoped he wasn’t one of those little stinkers.