The Right Twin

The Right Twin
GINA WILKINS

DOUBLE TROUBLE!It’s a beautiful Texas summer, and Shelby Bell’s idyllic lakeside resort is tailormade for romance. So when Shelby suggests that Aaron Walker be her pretend boyfriend to help her catch a resort thief, she’s sure it’s the perfect plan. Aaron is handsome, smart, and understanding – so what if her perfect boyfriend is a fake?Having grown up in the shadow of his twin brother, Aaron is enjoying being the hero. Shelby looks at him as if he is number one. Could Aaron convince Shelby that when it came to romance, he was exactly the right man for the job?

“Sorry,” he said. “Couldn’t resist.”

“You couldn’t resist dunking me?”

Aaron’s smile faded a little. His dark eyes locked with hers. “I couldn’t resist putting my hands on you.”

“Oh.” Had the water suddenly gotten hotter? Shelby felt a definite wave of heat course through her, and was almost surprised that steam didn’t rise from her skin. “Um—”

“No one’s watching,” he murmured, reaching out to draw her closer with his left arm around her waist. He braced his other arm on her watercraft to support them. “I’m not playing a part. So if you want me to back off, just give me a shove.”

She put a hand on his shoulder, but only to steady herself in the water. She had no intention of pushing him away.

Dear Reader,

For me, revisiting characters from previous books is like catching up with old friends. I love to sit down with a cup of tea and find out what’s been happening in their lives—and then to give them new adventures and romance to entertain my readers. Members of the Walker family I introduced in my long-running FAMILY FOUND series, twins Aaron and Andrew Walker first appeared as adults in The Texan’s Tennessee Romance. They were so amused by their cousin Casey’s romance that I figured they deserved to be blindsided by Cupid themselves!

Aaron Walker is startled by a big hug from a pretty blonde who thinks she is greeting his identical twin, Andrew. Shelby Bell—a member of the big, close family that owns and operates the Bell Resort and Marina in southeastern Texas—is embarrassed by her mistake. Shelby is in trouble and she had hoped for help from Andrew. Now Aaron has to convince her that he’s the right twin for the job … and for her. I hope you enjoy their adventures together. Watch for Andrew’s story, The Texan’s Surprise Baby, in June 2013.

Gina Wilkins

About the Author

GINA WILKINS is a bestselling and award-winning author who has written more than seventy novels for Mills & Boon. She credits her successful career in romance to her long, happy marriage and her three “extraordinary” children.

A lifelong resident of central Arkansas, Ms Wilkins sold her first book to Mills & Boon in 1988 and has been writing full-time since. She has appeared on the Walden-books, B. Dalton and USA TODAY bestseller lists. She is a three-time recipient of a Maggie Award for Excellence, sponsored by Georgia Romance Writers, and has won several awards from the reviewers of RT Book Reviews.

The Right Twin

Gina Wilkins

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

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Chapter One

Just once, Aaron Walker thought with a deep sigh, it would be nice if his twin brother, Andrew, would be the one to screw up. Nothing major, just something embarrassing or a little reckless. Something that would get their large, loving and well-intended family in a tizzy about anything other than Aaron’s latest debacle. But even as the selfish wish crossed his mind, he knew it was futile. Andrew rarely made mistakes, and never of the same magnitude as Aaron’s. Andrew was the one more likely to rush to the rescue than to need rescuing.

Sure, Andrew had been known to raise a little hell in his time, especially as a member of the “terrible trio”—the affectionate nickname given to the twins and their same-age cousin, Casey Walker, during their mischief-prone childhood and teen years. But now Casey had settled down with a wife and a legal practice in east Tennessee, while Andrew was rising in the ranks of the family-owned investigation and security business. Aaron was the only one still regularly causing general concern and disapproval.

Especially during the past few months, all Andrew did was work and complain about Aaron’s lack of focus. Aaron had just endured another one of those brotherly lectures, triggered by his decision to quit yet another job that hadn’t been working out for him. Andrew had stated that it was time for thirty-year-old Aaron to get serious about his life and his future. If he was determined not to work in the family business, he needed to find a purpose, and soon. Andrew wasn’t the first family member who’d given Aaron that speech—he’d also heard it from his dad, his uncles, his mother, his grandfather and a couple of random cousins—but Andrew was the one who most annoyed him. Had Andrew not been called out of his office for a quick consultation, they’d probably be in the middle of a heated quarrel right this minute.

Though Andrew had asked him to wait, Aaron decided to make his escape, postponing the quarrel for later. Just as he rose to walk out of the office, a colorful brochure lying on the floor beside the trash can caught his eye. It looked as though Andrew had tossed it that way and missed the receptacle. For no particular reason, Aaron picked it up and studied the bright photographs printed on the glossy trifold.

Bell Resort and Marina was located on Lake Livingston, a large reservoir roughly a hundred and seventy-five miles southeast of Dallas. Aaron had never been to that particular resort, but he’d visited the lake a time or two. Good fishing, peaceful setting, nice scenery. Eyeing the photos of people skiing, swimming, picnicking and lounging in the sun, he wished he were there rather than here in Dallas with his beloved but disapproving family. Just for a little while, until he could return to them with a solid new career plan in mind. All he needed was a little time to think, to regroup, to determine why he seemed to be the only one in his overachieving family who hadn’t yet found the path he wanted to follow. On impulse, he stuffed the brochure in his pocket and headed for the door.

Twenty-four hours later, he stood beside his car, idly watching numbers flash past on the gas pump from which he was filling his tank. It was midafternoon on this second Tuesday in June, the temperature hovering at ninety degrees even though summer was barely underway. The heavy scent of gasoline hung in the overheated air. He reached up to tug at the neckline of the bright blue T-shirt he wore with khaki cargo shorts and sandals. His longish, near-black hair clung damply to the back of his neck. After his almost four-hour drive, he looked forward to sitting under a tree by the water’s edge with a cold beer.

According to his directions, Bell Resort was only another fifteen-minute drive away from this little town where he’d stopped for a fuel-and-restroom break. There wasn’t much to see here—from where he stood, he spotted a few houses, a thrift shop, a dollar store and a tiny post office. Just the sort of laid-back area he needed in which to brood for a few days. Maybe a week. There was no one here to shake a head or a finger at him, no one to lecture him or advise him, no one here who knew him at all.…

Even as that thought crossed his mind, a young woman in a tank top and shorts squealed and almost tackled him with a hug. “You’re back! It’s so good to see you again!”

Aaron staggered a little with the assault, but quickly recovered his balance. He couldn’t say he was displeased about suddenly finding his arms filled with a petite, curvy blonde, but he had no clue who she was. “Um—”

She drew back a few inches to smile up at him and for a moment he forgot how to form words. Damn, but she was pretty. Clear blue eyes framed in long, dark lashes. Dimples deep enough to fall into. A nose that could only be described as “pert,” and full lips curved into a smile that made his knees feel suddenly shaky. Her scoop-necked top revealed the upper curves of perfectly sized, creamy breasts, and he could tell by feel that the rest of her was just as nicely formed.

Oh, yeah, coming here had definitely been a good idea.

“You are coming to Bell Resort, right?” she asked, surprising him again. “You’re here because I sent you the brochure and the reminder that you’re always welcome?”

The Bell Resort and Marina had been Aaron’s destination, though he hadn’t taken the time to make reservations. It looked ideal in the brochure his brother had tossed in the trash, but Aaron figured he’d find a room somewhere else on the lake if the resort was full. He hadn’t seen the personal invitation that had been enclosed with the brochure, so either Andrew had held on to it or thrown it away separately. “Well, yes, I thought I’d relax for a few days if there’s a vacancy. But—”

“Great!” She hugged him again, then pulled away. He released her reluctantly. “Of course there’s a vacancy for you! Everyone is going to be so happy to see you. We’re all still so grateful to you for what you did for us last year.”

“Listen, you—”

“You’ve grown out your hair,” she said, studying him with her head cocked to one side. “I like it.”

He was beginning to understand. Now if only he could get a few words in to explain it to her. “Thanks, but I—”

“You should see Lori’s hair. She dyed it coal-black with blue streaks. Dad nearly had a conniption. Pop said she looks like she bruised her head. Steven thinks it’s funny, but Lori complains that he’s laughing at her. Mom and Mimi just sigh a lot.”

“Yes, well, I—”

“Hey, Shelby, how’s it going?” a lanky young man in a faded camo T-shirt, denim shorts and a sweat-stained red ball cap called out as he ambled from the store toward a battered pickup truck parked at one of the other gas pumps.

“I’m good, Bubba,” the blonde replied. “Look who’s back.”

The guy nodded. “Yo, Mr. Walker. ‘Sup?”

Resigned, Aaron nodded in return, saying, “Hey,” an all-purpose greeting that seemed to satisfy the younger man.

Shelby turned back to Aaron when Bubba drove off. Her bright smile faded when she asked, “Does Hannah know you’re here? She’s out of town for a few weeks, visiting her mom’s family near Shreveport. I doubt she’ll be back while you’re here.”

“No one knows I’m here,” he said with a shrug. “It was an impulsive trip.”

She laughed and patted his arm, her momentary gravity evaporating. She was definitely the demonstrative type—not that he was complaining. “That’s so funny. I never would have pegged you as impulsive, but I’m glad you’re here, anyway.”

He nodded, wryly amused now that he’d finally figured out what was going on. He tightened the gas cap on his car and closed the flap, having already paid by credit card. Even here it seemed he was living in his brother’s shadow.

“Listen, before we head for the resort, would you mind if I buy you a soda or a cup of coffee inside?” Shelby asked, gazing up at him with a thoughtful expression. “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you before you see everyone else. Something’s been bothering me and everyone thinks I’m being overly dramatic, but maybe while you’re here you could help me out a little? You know, tell me if there’s reason for me to be concerned or if I really am nuts?”