Brides And Blessings

If his past history symbolized his future acts, Mike planned to wash his hands of the entire matter. So far, he’d showed a complete lack of interest in doing anything he was hired to do.

Holly was completely disillusioned long before her plane touched down at Los Angeles International. By the time the limo her sister rented arrived at Suzann’s hilltop mansion in southern California, Holly felt like Alice at the bottom of an extremely majestic rabbit hole.

The house was done in shades of blue and off-white, suiting Holly’s tastes perfectly. She found antiques in almost every room—from France, Germany, England. Pewter goblets and bowls were everywhere. If I’m ever as rich as my sister, she thought, I’ll decorate my whole house just like this.

Gertie, her sister’s round, jolly, Austrian housekeeper, and Gertie’s son, Buddy, gave Holly a warm “Welcome home.” But, of course, they thought she was Suzann. Bates, Suzann’s butler, driver and sometimes secretary, exhibited a more formal demeanor.

When phone calls from Suzann’s numerous Hollywood friends started pouring in, she told Bates to say she was unavailable. Holly wasn’t ready to play “let’s pretend.”

Shortly before lunch, she picked up her Bible and moved outdoors, settling into a reclining chair by the pool. She imagined what the pool might look like on a summer night, the blue water all lighted up and inviting. The surrounding lawn looked smooth and green, with rows of tropical plants lining the rustic, cedar fence.

The setting was lovely. However, she’d never felt lonelier nor more out of place. Her old life in Texas hadn’t prepared her for the fast lane. For all the help her childhood experiences on a Texas ranch gave her, she might as well be living on another planet.

But she’d see this through, no matter what. Without the opportunity to spend time in a Bible-believing church environment, Suzann might never find the Lord.

She’d questioned whether or not she should phone Suzann and tell her about Mike. Sure, he’d asked Holly not to tell her sister that he wouldn’t be taking her calls, but Holly never promised she wouldn’t.

The unmistakable scent of cucumbers reminded her that she was hungry. She selected a sandwich from the tray Gertie placed beside her chair. The crunchy cucumber and taste of mayo fill her mouth. The sandwich was certainly palatable, but Holly would have preferred a cheeseburger and fries. She put down the sandwich and reached for her Bible.

After reading for half an hour, she prayed. Finally, she relaxed. She was about to close her eyes and take a quick nap when a man she didn’t know opened the yard gate and started toward her.

Holly jerked to a sitting position.

The man looked to be in his early thirties. He wasn’t tall—probably not more than five-eight—and his close-cropped hairstyle framed a rugged-looking face that few would call handsome. Yet Holly saw a kindness in that face. Somehow with a simple glance, he managed to put her at ease.

“Where did you come from?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, Miss Condry, if I scared you. But my brother, Mike, asked me to stop by. Your maid said I’d find you here.”

His deep voice was as comforting as his warm, open gaze.

Relief surged through her. “Oh, yes. He mentioned you.” She forced a pleasant expression. “You’re the pediatrician.” She offered him her hand.

“I’m Shawn McDowell.”

“Glad to know you, Doctor.”

“Please, call me Shawn.” He shrugged, clearly baffled, and shook his head. “Look, I don’t have a clue what I’m doing here.” Shawn peered at Holly as if he expected answers. “Would you mind filling me in?”

When she didn’t reply, he raked his hand through his thick, sandy hair. Then he pulled up one of the benches and sat down beside her.

Holly was at a loss to know what to say. Wasn’t it enough that Mike had deserted her? Did he also expect her to cover his tracks?

It would be easy to simply play along, pretend she was Suzann, and make Mike do his own dirty work. But that wasn’t Holly’s style. As a Christian, she felt she had to be honest with this man. His enquiring, blue-green eyes demanded it.

“I’m not who you think I am.” Her throat tightened. She paused before continuing. “I thought Mike would have told you.”

He scratched his head thoughtfully. “I must have missed something. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I’m not Suzann Condry.”

“What did you say?”

She lowered her lashes so she wouldn’t have to see his reaction to her revelation. “I’m her identical twin sister, Holly Harmon.”

“Look, ma’am, I think I’m in way over my head here.” He stood as if to leave. “I better go.”

She felt the color drain from her face. “No, please. Wait.”

“I’m a doctor. Not a private detective. Mike should have sent a private investigator, instead.”

Tears glistened in her eyes. First she’d convinced Suzann she should tell her parents in Texas about the identity switch. Now she’d told the secret again and still had no one to turn to.

One of her false eyelashes partially separated from her left eye. She yanked it off, pulling off the other one for good measure. The doctor probably found such behavior offensive, but she hated false anything. She also hated her current situation.

Holly knew the rules in Oak Valley. She had no idea how to proceed here. The urge to cry was now almost overwhelming.

“Don’t go.” Her voice choked with emotion. “I need…”

He sat down on the bench again. His compassion-ate gaze touched her emotionally. “Hey, are you all right?” He hesitated. “Is there someone you would like me to call?”

“There’s nobody I can phone but your brother, and he’s not taking my calls.”

“How ‘bout if we start at the beginning?” he suggested gently.

As best she could, Holly explained all that had happened in the last month. If his expression was an indication, Shawn McDowell wasn’t buying any of it.

“Do you expect me to believe all this is on the level?”

“As strange as it may sound, I do.”

“And you also want me to believe you’re a church librarian?”

“Normally, I hardly wear makeup at all.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes. “My hair’s dark auburn, and I wear glasses.”

A slow grin started in his eyes. “A sort of female Clark Kent, huh?”

She returned his smile and glanced down at her Bible. “Yeah.”

“So what do you want me to do?”

“Your brother said you would fill in for him while he’s—out of pocket. The trouble is, I don’t know what he was supposed to do…besides take my phone calls and escort me around town.”

“Phone calls, I can do. I’ll check with my brother to learn my other duties.”

“Then you’re willing to help me?”

His grin held a trace of amusement. “I’ll do whatever I can.”