Loe raamatut: «Brides And Blessings»

Chapter One

It was now or never.

Either Suzann Condry exchanged identities with her twin sister within the next ten minutes. Or she flew back to California and forgot the whole idea.

The morning sun streamed through the east window of the rustic living room. Suzann drummed her fingers on the arm of the tan leather couch. When her sister came up with the idea, it had seemed like the perfect solution to Suzann’s problems. But actually going through with the deception produced unsettling feelings that she hadn’t anticipated.

Suzann gazed at her twin sister, seated beside her. “Thank you again, Holly, for agreeing to meet me. Taking a two-week vacation from your job in order to be here couldn’t have been easy to manage.”

Holly’s smile beamed softness and serenity. “Mother always said that at the time of my adoption, she learned that I had a twin sister somewhere. I just didn’t know how to find you until you phoned me from L.A. It was icing on the cake to discover you’re also famous.”

“I wish I’d known about you,” Suzann said, “but I didn’t know a thing until I found my original birth certificate after Mom died. But I mentioned that, didn’t I?” Suzann shook her head, hoping to clear her mind. “I’m more stressed than I realized.”

“That makes two of us.”

The plan sounded simple enough. Suzann would become Holly Harmon. Holly would become Suzann Condry—former child movie star, actress, model, national icon.

For the first time in her life, Suzann would be free of glamour, fans and glitz. A new identity, no matter how brief, would also give her a means of escaping an unhappy relationship, and the clutches of the paparazzi.

But had the past two weeks with Holly in an isolated cabin in the Texas hill country been long enough? Did she know her sister well enough to swap lives with her?

Everything happened quickly. One minute Suzann was going through her mother’s things after the funeral, the next she was phoning her agent, telling him she was adopted and asking him to hire a private detective to search for her birth parents. Mike phoned a reliable detective agency the next day and signed on one of their investigators to handle the case.

Discovering that she was the daughter of an unwed, teenage mother was surprising. She practically fell out of her chair on learning that she had an identical twin sister.

Once she got Holly on the phone, the sisters set up the get-acquainted meeting at the cabin. At their first face-to-face, it was Holly who suggested that they switch lives, perhaps because Suzann had shared how depressed she’d been lately. Suzann’s actor boyfriend, Greer Fraser, had dumped her for another movie actress, and her heartbreak had been smeared all over the tabloids.

At first, the mere idea of assuming her sister’s identity shocked Suzann. To begin with, such a disguise would never work. Suzann’s face and figure had been on movie screens, in magazines, and on television since she was in diapers.

Holly attempted to convince her sister that she would look different without that heavy makeup she constantly wore in California. When Suzann finally saw how much Holly looked like her with makeup, she was persuaded to give the madcap idea a try. Still, even at this late date, she had doubts.

Suzann squinted at the autumn-kissed hills beyond the east window. They couldn’t have found a more beautiful setting for their scheme.

Holly’s transformation still amazed her. Bleachedblond hair, carefully applied makeup, and a designer outfit hid her sister’s true identity. But no amount of makeup could hide Holly’s winsome smile or the wide-eyed innocence of her chocolate-brown eyes.

Holly peered at Suzann questioningly. “I’m doing the innocent stare thing again, aren’t I?”

“Really, Holly, I think you look great. Still, you’re going to have to keep working if you hope to look like Suzann Condry.”

Holly bit her lower lip. “I’m trying, really.”

“I know you are. You know you really are a dead ringer for me,” Suzann said, hoping to encourage her sister. “In fact at the moment, you look more like me than I do.”

Holly laughed nervously. “A lot has happened in two weeks, hasn’t it? I think letting your hair go back to its natural color and the black-rimmed glasses add just the right touch. Now, if I can ever get used to these contacts, I guess I’ll be all set”

Holly was warm and tenderhearted. She was also naive. Was Suzann expecting more of her sister than Holly could give?

Absently, Suzann curled a lock of her long, dark auburn hair around her forefinger. “Do you think we can pull this off?”

“I certainly do.”

“Then I think we can too,” Suzann said with feigned optimism. “You know, I’ve dreamed of this.”

“Dreamed of what?”

“A normal life.” Suzann smiled thoughtfully. “I’ve been in the limelight since before my second birthday. This will be my first opportunity ever to live like normal people do, and I owe it all to you.”

“Think of it this way—you’re giving me the chance to wear designer clothes and live in a mansion in the California hills. What more could I want?”

“How ‘bout your life back?”

“I’ll get it back in six months,” Holly said. “That’s soon enough for me. Still, I’m unsure how to play a movie star.”

“At least you won’t have to do any acting,” Suzann said. “Playing a church librarian in Oak Valley, Texas, might be the hardest role I’ve ever taken on.”

Holly shrugged. “The only acting I’ve ever done was a role in a church musical.”

“You’ll do fine,” Suzann said. “And remember, Mike will be right there to help you out, anytime you need him.” Suzann smiled. “Mike McDowell’s a sweetheart. And the best agent I know. But don’t let all that charm fool you. I’m paying him big bucks to show you the ropes in California.”

“I’ll try to remember.”

Suzann wanted to kick herself for reminding her sister that she paid Mike to be nice to Holly.

“I’m sorry,” Suzann said beseechingly. “I shouldn’t have said that. Sometimes I can be pretty thoughtless, I guess. But I never meant to hurt your feelings.”

“You haven’t.”

Suzann feared that she had. Something was bothering Holly.

“Tact is seldom necessary in Hollywood,” Suzann explained. “In the future, I’ll try to remember I’m not in Tinsel Town anymore.”

“I’ll try to remind myself that I’m not me anymore,” Holly said. “I’m you now.”

“And I’m you.” Suzann tried to make her voice sound perky and inspiring. “Doesn’t this sound exciting?”

“Yes,” Holly said under her breath. “Yes, it does.”

Suzann’s upbeat comment hadn’t lifted her sister’s spirits. She wondered what would.

“You hinted that you have a secret crush on the youth director at your church. What did you say his name was?”

“Josh Gallagher.” Holly laughed self-consciously. “Some of the women in my Sunday School class call him Sir Gallagher-had.”

“I believe there was once a famous knight by that name.”

“So I heard.” A trace of a smile still lingered in Holly’s eyes. “And for your information, I never said I had a crush on him. Josh doesn’t know I’m alive. I said he was good-looking. Probably every single woman in the church noticed that.”

“I stand corrected.” Suzann wiggled her nose teasingly. “Now, back to Mike.” She put her hands on her knees. “I want you to feel free to phone him at any time and for any reason.”

“All right.”

“He’ll also be your escort whenever you go out socially, so he can tell you who is who among my circle of friends. Any problem with that?”

“Not at all. I’ll need to be with someone who knows who I really am. Otherwise I would never be able to go through with this—this disguise.”

Suzann’s throat felt dry and sore. However, she’d learned long ago that mentioning one’s aches and pains proved pointless. The show must go on—no matter what.

She reclaimed her mug from the coffee table and blew away invisible steam before lifting it to her lips. The warm liquid soothed her burning throat.

Somehow, the sugary taste and the scent of fresh coffee also triggered still more thoughts on her physical condition. Was she sick instead of tired? Impossible. Suzann Condry was never ill.

She swallowed slowly and glanced back at her sister. Holly had already demonstrated what a kind, straightforward person she could be. Still, how could Holly possibly fit into the world Suzann had left behind? And deep down, was Holly wishing she’d never suggested that they make the switch?

Five weeks ago Suzann didn’t know she had a twin sister. Now that she’d had the opportunity to know Holly, they had bonded in ways Suzann never thought possible. A lump formed in her throat. It wouldn’t be easy to say goodbye.

“Holly, it’s not too late to back out. Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

“I’m sure. And I have no intention of backing out.”

“You can’t know how much this means to me,” Suzann said. “And how much I appreciate what you’re doing.”

“You’re my sister. We’re family now.”

Suzann reached over and hugged her sister. “You’re great.”

When the sisterly embrace ended, Suzann took Holly’s hand in hers and held it. After all the years of living as an only child, it felt good to have a sibling.

Yet in a few minutes, Holly and Mike would take a limo to the airport in San Antonio and fly to California. Suzann would settle into Holly’s apartment here in Texas. They wouldn’t see each other again for months, and there were still so many things they had never discussed.

“Holly, what’s the real reason you agreed to do this?”

Holly hesitated as if she was going over something in her mind. “I’m doing this because of you.”

Suzann pressed her hand to her chest. “Me?”

Her mother’s locket under her palm felt cold and as unyielding as Greer Fraser’s heart. Suzann moved her hand to her face, touching her chin with her forefinger.

“You hardly know me,” Suzann added.

“Don’t be silly. You’re my twin sister. Why, I already love you.”

“Is that the only reason you’re doing this?”

“Not entirely.” Holly focused her full attention on Suzann. “I happen to think there’s something missing in your life. Something important. Stepping into my shoes for a few months, you might find out what that important something really is.”

Suzann inclined her head toward her sister, planning to ask what could be more important than a normal life. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mike, standing in the doorway.

“How long have you been there?” Suzann asked.

He grinned, first at Suzann and then at Holly. “Not long. And it’s time to go, Sue. It’s a long drive, and our plane leaves in less than two hours.”

Holly didn’t move a muscle.

“He means you, Holly,” Suzann said. “You’re the only Sue in this room now.”

“I know he meant me. It’s just that—” Holly’s voice cracked with emotion “—after all these years, I’ve finally found my sister. I’m not ready to give her up yet”

“I’m not ready to give you up, either.”

Holly and Mike left a few minutes later. Suzann stood at the window until the rented limo disappeared behind a hill.

She gathered her things and locked the cabin. Then she settled behind the wheel of Holly’s compact car and flipped on the heater. At the fork in the gravel road, she turned onto a narrow, two-lane highway, speculating about what lay ahead.

She already missed Holly, and there was so much to do and so much to remember. Recalling everything Holly had told her about Oak Valley and her new life there might prove more difficult than memorizing a scene from a movie script.

Now what was the name of that good-looking assistant pastor who also served as the youth director at Holly’s church? Oh, yes, Josh Gallagher. Suzann smiled to herself. After hearing Holly rave about the man for two weeks, her curiosity level had reached an all-time high.

The highway snaked around rocky hills and over numerous low-water crossings. Holly had prepared her for huge trees, clear running water, and a hint of fall colors brightening the landscape. Yet the sheer beauty of a late-October morning in the Texas hills astounded her. If she didn’t know better, she would swear she was driving through the autumn countryside in Vermont or Connecticut.

Suzann had grown up in L.A. Holly had spent her growing-up years on a Texas ranch. Though their lives couldn’t have been more different, some similarities were astounding.

As children, both twins hated math, loved art and music, and were poor spellers. Both sucked their thumbs until they were four years old, got the chicken pox the Christmas they were six, had big orange tabby cats as pets and liked to keep things neat and tidy.

If that were not enough, Suzann and Holly put on identical blue sweat pants and matching tops on their second morning at the cabin without knowing what the other twin planned to wear that day. Suzann still couldn’t understand it all. However, Holly had suggested she read a book on twins who were separated at birth. Suzann resolved to buy a copy.

A white water tower in the distance told Suzann she would soon arrive in Oak Valley. Holly had said the town all but shuts down by noon on Saturdays. Suzann glanced at the hand-drawn map Holly had given her. A native Californian should be able to find Holly’s apartment with no problem at all.

The apartment on the second floor of a mom-andpop apartment house looked even smaller than Suzann expected. Still, a rush of excitement filled her as she opened the door for the first time.

Inside the doorway, her eyes widened, taking in the deep blue and off-white color scheme, and the quaint, antique furniture. Just what I would have chosen, she thought. And lace curtains. Perfect. She put down her suitcases. It seemed identical twins—even when separated at birth—were more alike than she had dreamed possible.

A document in a wooden frame hung over the bookcase. Suzann crossed the room for a closer look. Holly’s college diploma stared at her from behind clear glass.

Her twin sister had said she was a university graduate. Now Suzann also knew that Holly graduated from Baylor with a degree in English and library science. Very impressive.

Suzann always dreamed of going to college. But how could she? As the main breadwinner in her tiny family, it was a wonder she managed to graduate from high school.

Oh, she’d taken courses in drama at an exclusive school in New York City, but that didn’t count. Her studio paid for the courses, and she was pressured to take them.

Pressured should have been her middle name. Growing up, adults manipulated her constantly. Was it surprising that now, as an adult, Suzann had a problem making decisions?

Suddenly tired, she sat down and leaned back, gripping the maple arms of an aged rocker. The wood felt good under her hands, strong, like solid families. She’d never experienced that kind of closeness. She’d merely simulated that emotion when the movie script called for it.

Oh, her mother had loved her, all right, and was always just and kind. Yet for whatever reason, her adoptive mother, Nancy Condry, was distant—seldom kissing or hugging Suzann. As an adult, she still struggled to fully understand.

Her adoptive father died in a car accident less than two years after Suzann was born, and her mother had needed a means of support for herself and her baby daughter. It couldn’t have been easy, rearing a child alone.

Nancy Condry stumbled into the world of baby modeling and child acting by accident. One of the few choices for a poorly educated, single mom living in California twenty years ago.

Suzann’s birth parents were an even bigger mystery, and Holly hadn’t been much help. However, Suzann would soon know the truth. Private detective Roger Bairn had promised to locate her birth parents and reveal all the secrets of her past.

She eyed a photo album on the lamp table beside her chair. Her sister had thought of everything. Suzann ran her hand across the smooth, leather cover, then opened to page one.

Her mirror image in pigtails, and wearing a blue-and-white gingham dress, grinned back at her. Holly was probably about ten years old and stood between her two younger brothers. Their parents smiled proudly behind them.

Now there was a real family. Suzann imagined two little girls in the picture instead of one. The fantasy warmed her.

A mental list of all the chores she’d proposed to do that morning interrupted her musings. I should unpack, she thought. Reluctantly, she closed the album, promising herself that she would return to it later that day.

She would be wearing Holly’s clothes. The only items she needed to put away were her personal belongings.

Then she planned to trek the six-and-a-half blocks to Oak Valley Bible Church. Walking instead of driving would give her the opportunity to see Oak Valley, firsthand. The exercise wouldn’t hurt, either. She recalled that Holly had said nobody but the janitor would be at the church on Saturday morning. She could explore the building without being disturbed.

The name Josh Gallagher flashed through her brain again. If her interest in men was as similar to Holly’s as her taste in home furnishings, she would find him appealing.

Rule number one. Josh Gallagher is strictly off-limits. If this crazy idea of Holly’s was going to work, she must constantly remind herself of that important guideline.

Suzann coughed and sneezed her way to the hallway leading to the church library. She would take a quick look inside, then turn around and go back to the apartment.

Just outside the door, another coughing spell paralyzed her temporarily. Her throat still hurt. She coughed again. This was not the time to come down with a cold.

She took a sip of water from the fountain nearby, then another. As she reached out to open the door, she thought she heard someone coming.

Suzann froze. She’d found empty buildings unnerving since she was a child. She pulled her hand back from the door-knob and slipped her key ring back in her purse.

The janitor—yes, that’s who it is, she thought. Now, what did Holly call him? Oh, yes, Turner. Albert Turner.

Whirling around, her mouth formed the letter M for Mister Turner. A tall, broad-shouldered man in a white, western-style shirt, jeans and brown cowboy boots came around the corner. Could this cowboy be the church janitor?

“Miss Harmon.” He propped his arm against the door frame. A one-sided grin emerged. “How was your vacation?”

“Great.”

His eyes sparkled. “Then are you rested and ready to get back to work?”

“Do I have to answer that?”

“Absolutely.”

The corners of his mouth still turned up, revealing even white teeth. His brown, wavy hair looked thick and coarse. Yet she knew intuitively that it would be soft to the touch.

The bronzed tan on his weather-worn face and strong-looking hands suggested an outdoorsman. Jeans and cowboy boots painted an even clearer picture. Everything about him told of a working man who spent hours in the Texas sun.

But what kept her looking at him were those blue eyes that appeared to glow with energy and excitement. Their sky-blue color contained specks of a deeper blue and were edged in navy, giving his entire gaze an intensity that she found compelling.

“Having trouble opening the library door?” he asked.

“Yes, as a matter of fact. I’ve lost my key.”

Not lost it, exactly. She just couldn’t figure out which key fit without trying all of the keys on the ring. A task she’d rather perform without curious witnesses. But the excuse gave her the chance to talk to him for a minute. She suspected that he wasn’t a janitor. She wanted to learn his identity before she ran into him again.

“Here,” he said. “Try mine.”

“Thanks.”

So, he had a master key. Maybe he was the janitor after all. Or maybe he was…

Of course.

He didn’t fit her idea of a man of the cloth. Yet this too-handsome cowboy had to be none other than Josh Gallagher, the youth director and assistant pastor.

After seeing him, she knew why he’d captured the notice of all the single women in the congregation. That lean muscular body and long legs left no doubt.

“Don’t forget,” he said, “Pastor Jones wants us to work on that duet for next Sunday.”

“You don’t mean tomorrow, do you?”

“Tomorrow’s this Sunday.” His engaging grin held a pinch of laughter. “Don’t worry. We still have two weeks to practice. Do you have a copy of the music yet?”

“Yes. I mean—You know, I can’t remember.”

“Don’t let it bother you. I’ll run off a copy of mine.”

Suzann nodded her thanks and put the key in the lock. As she reached back to return his key, another coughing spell erupted. She felt slightly light-headed and feverish now along with her other symptoms.

Without a word the cowboy reached for a paper cup above the fountain. He filled it and handed her the water.

“Here,” he said, “drink this.”

She put the cup to her lips and drank. The urge to cough slowly vanished. The cool water also relieved her aching throat a bit. But she still felt woozy.

“Thanks,” she said. “I needed that.”

“You sure did.” His deep chuckle filled the air. “Are you all right?”

“I’ll—” she swallowed “—I’ll be fine.”

“Did you know it’s getting dark outside? Looks like rain.”

“In that case, I’ll cut my visit to the library short.”

“Can I get you anything?” He hesitated thoughtfully. “We have cough drops in the church office. I’ll go get you some.”

“You’re kind to think of that.”

When he’d gone, Suzann sat down at the desk, put her head down and closed her eyes. When she finally lifted her head again, she studied the room, searching for some sort of work that she could be involved in when the cowboy returned. Turning in her chair, she pulled out a book from the bookcase behind her.

The Church Directory.

She’d been wanting something that would acquaint her with the congregation at Oak Valley Bible Church. A church directory was just the text she’d been hoping to find. She would check it out of the church library and take it back to Holly’s apartment for further study.

She filled out the library card and opened the book to the first page. She’d just turned to the Gs for Gallagher when Josh reappeared with the cough medication. Casually, she flipped to the Rs.

“How’s the cough?” He handed her the box of candied drops.

“Better.” She popped a drop in her mouth. “Yum, cherry-flavored. My favorite.”

“Keep the whole box then. We have several cartons of the stuff in the church office.”

“Thanks again.”

He shifted his weight from one long leg to the other as if there was something more he wanted to say. “As you know,” he began, “I’m new to Oak Valley, and I thought the pastor said you were a native Texan. But you sure didn’t sound like it just then.”

She needed to forget her cough and get in character.

“I have several friends from other states.” Suzann’s sculptured lips formed her best ingenuous smile yet. “I guess it’s beginning to rub off.”

“Yeah, that’s probably it.”

He still looked puzzled, but maybe not as much as before.

“I couldn’t help noticing that you’re wearing cowboy boots and jeans,” she said with a Texas accent. “Were you raised on a farm? Or do you just like Western clothes?”

“A little of both, I guess. But it was a ranch. Not a farm,” he corrected with a spark of amusement in his eyes. He glanced out the window. “Why, it’s starting to sprinkle.”

The light shower had turned to rain by the time she looked out too. The trees and the entire parking lot had grayed eerily. She could barely see the street beyond.

“You sure don’t need to be out in wet weather with that cough of yours.” He glanced toward the side door. “If you’ll give me your car keys, I’ll re-park your car under the carport.”

“I—I walked.”

“Walked? Didn’t you notice those dark clouds coming up from the north?”

“I guess I was distracted. Coming from far west Texas, I’m still amazed when I find autumn colors this far south. Besides, fall is my favorite time of the year.”

“Fall’s my favorite time of the year too,” he said. “But you need to look up once in a while, young lady. Know what I mean?”

Suzann forced herself to hold in a smile. Josh looked to be in his mid- to late-twenties. She was probably only a few years younger than he, if that.

“I’ll try to remember to do that,” she said after the long pause. “But I do hope you’ll keep reminding me.”

He cocked his head to one side and grinned his heart-stopping smile again. “I can’t seem to stop preaching, can I?”

“Occupational hazard, I guess.”

He laughed. “You know, you have a great sense of humor. I guess I never saw that side of you before.”

“My funny side only comes out when I’m feeling a little bit under the weather.”

His animated expression fell away. “That’s right. You’re sick, aren’t you?”

“I think I just need to rest up from my vacation.”

“Well, if you think I’m going to let you walk home in the rain, you have another think coming.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “Let me pull my truck around. And meet me at the side entrance in five minutes.” He started to walk off, then stopped and turned back. “Unless you would rather stay a little longer.”

“No,” she said. “I’m ready to go right now.”

She knew she shouldn’t be catching a ride with her sister’s secret love. But it was raining outside. And she was feeling sicker by the minute.