The Third Twin

There was something rather endearing about that, which was ridiculous. So what if the man had a mother and sisters? Even serial killers had family.

“Jezzy?” she asked nervously.

“Short for Jezebelle. You’ll notice the faded leather seats and all the fancy dashboard equipment. At one time this girl was loaded with all the extras, flashy and pretentious for such a cheaply made little car. When I found her on the used car lot, she reminded me of an abandoned harlot, past her prime but determined to make the best of what she still had.”

“Oh.”

He chuckled, a warm rumbly sound that was as oddly soothing as the man himself.

“Don’t worry about it. My family thinks I’m a little nuts, too, but it isn’t contagious.”

“Too bad.”

He tilted his head. Alexis squirmed. “I just meant that it’s a nice sort of nuts to be.” That grin of his was dangerously disarming.

“Thanks.”

Alexis looked away quickly. The man gave a whole other meaning to the words “perfect stranger.” She was suddenly all too aware of how rumpled she looked. She’d done the best she could this morning considering she’d had no fresh clothing and only the contents of her purse to work with. She’d only wanted to look presentable when she spoke with the lawyer. Now she wished she’d taken the time to stop and buy a clean outfit. There was nothing she could do about it at the moment, but she’d noticed a dress shop in town. She’d go there as soon as they returned. Hopefully the prices wouldn’t be too outrageous. Her bank account was a little slim these days.

With a start, she realized he’d spoken to her again. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I just said you look tired.”

“I am tired.” A gross understatement. Alexis closed her eyes in despair.

“It’s going to be okay, Leigh.”

Her eyes flew open. Who was Leigh? Cousin? Sister? Aunt?

“Look, I don’t mean to be rude—”

“You aren’t being rude. You’re tired. You’ve been through a lot in the past few days.”

Startled, she inhaled sharply. How did he know?

Puzzled concern creased his forehead. He didn’t know, she realized. He’d meant this Leigh person had been through a lot in the past few days. He’d said the woman could have been inside the burned-out shell of that building back in town. It was simply an unnerving coincidence that this Leigh person had been through an ordeal, as well.

“Hey, how does a milk shake sound? Chocolate? Vanilla? One of the more exotics?”

A milk shake? Somehow she couldn’t get her mind to focus on something so mundane. She was pretty sure she wasn’t going to be able to swallow a single sip anyhow.

“Surprise me.”

“Okay, but I like the exotics, myself. Some of those candy-flavored ones are dangerously addictive, you know.”

It was impossible not to return that smile, even if hers felt weak and distant. She suspected candy-flavored milk shakes weren’t the only things potentially addictive around here. Why couldn’t someone like this have been her roommate’s cousin instead of Seth?

Golden’s Ice Cream turned out to be a drive-up place in the middle of nowhere. Yet, judging from the number of cars clustered around the parking lot, being in the middle of nowhere wasn’t a drawback. A scattering of picnic tables sat in a grove of trees off to one side and all of them held people.

“Do you want to come with me or stay here while I get us something?” he asked.

“I’d rather stay.”

He opened all the windows before stepping out of the car. “You sure you won’t get too hot waiting for me?”

“I’ll try to contain myself.”

He winced in consternation as he realized how his question had come out.

“I meant, try not to melt before I get back, okay?”

That dredged a genuine smile from her. “You’d better quit while you’re ahead.”

“I think you’re right. I’ll be right back.”

She liked him. Not only was he extremely good-looking, he was a genuinely nice guy, as well. She watched him stride toward the long line of customers waiting under the awning for service. More than one person called out a greeting as he passed.

“Hey, Wyatt!”

“Wyatt! Are we still playing ball tomorrow?”

“That’s the plan, but if we get more rain, we may need snorkels.”

His name was Wyatt and he played ball. She tossed the name around in her head. Unusual, but it suited him. Alexis could picture him as gunslinger in the Old West. Tall and loose-limbed, Wyatt had an athletic body that moved with a comfortable grace. Yet there was a sense of barely restrained energy about him. Wyatt never seemed to just walk. He strode with a sense of purpose, a sense of power. Like his namesake, the role of sheriff would suit him. Wyatt was the sort of man people looked up to, a natural leader.

What was the matter with her? She had no business sitting here thinking about some stranger, no matter how appealing he might be. She was in real trouble. She needed to stop thinking about Wyatt and to start planning a course of action.

Alexis leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. How could she plan a course of action when she lacked the most basic information? She was out of her depth and so exhausted she could barely think at all.

“Leigh? Wake up, Leigh.”

The low, warm voice seeped through the barrier of half-sleep to stir her conscious mind awake. Alexis forced her heavy lids apart. For a second she had no idea where she was or why this incredible stranger was bending over her.

“I know you’re tired, but it’s too hot to sit in the car. I appropriated one of the tables in the shade. It may not feel all that much cooler, but the ice cream should help.”

Loggy, she stared at his handsome features. Her fingers started a quest toward the strong line of his jaw.

“Hey, you awake?”

She lowered her hand, confused. “I’m not sure,” she admitted.

He reached across her to unfasten her seat belt. Awareness tightened her nipples as his bare arm brushed her chest. He pretended not to notice, stepping back and extending his hand to her. Her body responded as if it was a different sort of invitation altogether.

His large, warm hand enveloped hers, making her feel small and delicate and surprisingly feminine. For a dizzy, disorienting second, their gazes locked. She came out of the car and swayed slightly.

“Easy, there,” he said.

Anticipation rippled through her. He released her hand and stepped back quickly.