The Duplicate Bride

by Ginny Baird

Jackie was making time; she was just running late.

  Through no real fault of her own.

  Hope didn’t like deception, but she hated the idea of some condescending snob dissing her family even more. Grandmother Margaret had cast really harsh aspersions on Hope’s own flesh and blood: her precious twin sister—her baby sister, if only by a few minutes. The sister who was always getting herself into messes and who relied on Hope to get her out of them.

  Jackie’s words came back to her like loudly blaring sound waves in her brain.

  Just for one day…for all the right reasons…

  Then there was Iris’s voice, topping everything off.

  Jackie’s lucky to have a sister like you.

  She tightened her fingers around the steering wheel, worrying that she was getting in over her head. But, if she could help Jackie by making inroads with Brent’s tricky family, she should, right? It still seemed wrong that Brent couldn’t tell her and her twin apart, though. That made her question his relationship with Jackie and what exactly was going on between them.

  But that was for the two of them to figure out, not her. All Hope had to do was serve as sort of a placeholder for the next twenty-four hours until Jackie got here. Maybe, during that time, she’d be able to make progress with the grandmother.

  A girl can dream.

  “Sweetheart?” Brent gave her another devastating smile, and, for an instant, she couldn’t think straight or even recall where she was. “I was saying that we should head back to the house.”

  “Right,” she answered, realizing she’d slipped away.

  She wanted to confront them all, she really did, but she was overwhelmingly outnumbered. Taking the easy way out sounded more and more tempting by the second.

  Besides that, it really was just for one day. Would kind of be like old times…

  And seriously, how much could go wrong?

  A lot, if she was being honest with herself.

  She grew lightheaded in the summer heat. A lie of omission was still a lie, but it could be a white lie if it was due to good intentions. Somewhere between Elsa’s startling welcome and Margaret’s evil eye, she’d lost her way. Then, when she looked at Brent again…she found it.

  Grandmother Margaret shot her one last snooty look, then made excuses about going to get the mail.

  Something snapped inside Hope, and that cinched the deal.

  Nobody got the best of the Webbs. She and her sister might not have been raised with money, but they’d grown up proud. The Albrights were lucky to have Jackie joining their family. Hope planned to make them aware of that.

  Yep. She was going to do this.

  Brent looked over the sports car she’d picked up at the airport in Boston. “Nice wheels.” A dimple deepened in his left cheek, and Hope’s stomach flipped. “Ready to come inside?”

  If he was half as great as he seemed, he’d make the very best husband for Jackie. It was her sisterly duty to make sure their wedding happened. This is what the Webb family did. They stood together when times were tough, and times probably couldn’t get any tougher than the ones Brent’s grandmother was prepared to dish out.

  Hope nodded and put the gear shift in drive, her hand trembling at the thought of what lay ahead. One full day of pretending to be Jackie.

  But she could do this.

  Of course she could.

  It would be just like opening night at The Sound of Music.

  All she needed to do was avoid getting too close to Brent.

  Because, even though he’d only kissed her on the cheek, that kiss had rocked her world.

  And that definitely wasn’t right.

  Not when he was six days away from marrying her sister.

  …

  Brent helped Jackie from the car, noting that she looked prettier than ever. She’d always been a great-looking woman, with her sweet brown eyes and that gorgeous brown hair, but there was something different about her now.

  Maybe the Maine air had given her cheeks that pink tinge. Or maybe it was from the pressure of meeting his family. He frowned, concerned that his Grandmother Margaret had been unfriendly. He was not going to let her negativity ruin this week for him and Jackie.

  Even though he and his fiancé weren’t exactly in love, he wanted to believe that they’d get there eventually. He had every reason to love Jackie and pretty much no reason not to. He just wasn’t there yet.

  In other circumstances, he might have worried about rushing things, but knowing Jackie viewed their upcoming marriage the same way helped alleviate any guilt.

  “I’m going to clean up,” his mom said, heading toward the house, holding her berry basket. “I’ll see you kids later. There’s fresh lemonade in the kitchen. Help yourselves.”

  Jackie nodded her thanks, then opened the trunk with her key fob.

  Brent dug out her meager carry-on in surprise. “Just one?” He’d never known her to travel with less than two suitcases—at a minimum one checked bag and a carry-on. That wasn’t counting the oversize bag she claimed as a pocketbook.

  “I, er…” She dropped the key into her purse, which was also awfully small. In fact, it nearly fit in her hand. “Decided to pack light.”

  Her bag was so lightweight, he had no idea how she’d managed to squeeze multiple pairs of shoes into it. She never traveled with less than five pairs. “There’s always a first time.” He grinned, but she didn’t return it. Man, she was on edge, and he couldn’t blame her. He had such a big family compared to hers, and she was probably concerned about making a good impression.

  He leaned closer and took her hand, trying to reassure her. “Everything will be fine,” he whispered, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze.

  “Yeah.” She stiffened and awkwardly tugged her hand away. “Sure.”

  His heart sank. He had to do better. When he’d joined the others in the driveway, the tension between Jackie and his grandmother had been overwhelming. Maybe he could ask his mom to have a word with Grandmother, since she and his mom were close.

  Jackie turned toward him, wearing a puzzled expression. “You didn’t get my last phone call, did you? I mean, er…my voice message? Or maybe my text?”

  “Actually, I’ve kind of misplaced my phone.”

  She blanched. “Misplaced?”

  Luckily, he had a good idea where to find it. It was probably under a sofa cushion in the den, where he’d been watching the soccer match with his grandpa yesterday afternoon. He’d been so distracted he hadn’t realized it had gone missing until now.

  “Jackie,” he said slowly. “Is something going on?”

  She hesitated a beat. “Um, yeah, it is. Was.”

  Her eyebrows knitted together, then she shook her head. She wore her hair up, but a few strands framed her face, making her look even prettier than usual. How would she react if he reached out to touch those loose strands?

  “What I mean is,” she said, pulling him back into the conversation, “I wanted to update you on my travel plans because I was running late.”

  “You got here just in time.” He reached for her hand again, right as she moved to adjust her hair, which really did look different the more he stared at it. “Wait,” Brent said. “Did you cut it?”

  “It?”

  Brent laughed at her blank expression. “Your hair? You look different.”

  “Do I?” She scrunched up her lips, evidently thinking. “Oh, right! Yeah, I did. In layers.”

  She plucked a clip from the back of her head to demonstrate, and a dark, wavy mass tumbled to her shoulders.

  His heart jolted in a weird way.

  Maybe it was a jolt of surprise, but he didn’t think so.

  Whoa. This is news.

  “I got this new style for our wedding,” she added, doing a little swish of her bangs. They accentuated her dark brown eyes, maki
ng them look even bigger. “Do you like it?”

  Brent’s pulse thrummed in his ears.

  This reaction definitely isn’t normal.

  She beamed up at him, and his neck warmed.

  Neither was that.

  “It’s…” Brent’s throat tightened. “Very nice.” He didn’t know what was happening here, but his fiancée was having an unusual effect on him. Not an unpleasant one, either. It couldn’t seriously be just the haircut. Or could it?

  “Where are we going?” she asked as he led her down the flagstone path.

  “To the carriage house,” he said, remembering that they’d discussed these arrangements.

  “Ah,” she said, sounding like she knew, but the question in her eyes said she didn’t.

  “It’s where you’re staying with Meredith, your mom, and your sister until the wedding, remember?” He studied her. “The main house is full up, but the carriage house is really nice. I’m pretty sure we talked about this?”

  “Oh yeah. The carriage house,” she said on a breath. “Of course.”

  Brent caught a whiff of her perfume, which reminded him of lilies of the valley. It was a pleasant scent but different from the one with more citrusy undertones that Jackie normally wore. “You smell nice,” he said as they reached the carriage house and he held open the door.

  She stepped past him with a blush. “Thanks. You do, too.”

  Jackie glanced around at the kitchenette and mini dining room that joined a cozy seating area with large sliding glass doors overlooking the bay. A woodstove stood between a rustic dining room hutch and the back of the sectional sofa, which was positioned to have a view of the water.

  “The master bedroom’s in the back.” Brent pointed through the kitchen. “Full bath is down this hall.” He indicated the passageway that included a washer and dryer. Next, he motioned to a set of stairs off the living area. “A small den with a pullout couch is that way, and the bedroom with twin beds is on the other side of it.”

  Jackie didn’t try to hide how impressed she was. “It’s fabulous.”

  If she thought the carriage house was nice, he couldn’t wait to show her the rest of the place. He’d grown up exploring every part of the property with his siblings, and he knew he took the beauty of it for granted. Seeing it through new eyes would be fun.

  Brent set down her bag. “You should all be comfortable here. The fridge is stocked with snacks and drinks, but meals will be up at the main house. When you’re ready, I can show you around?”

  Her gaze landed on a wrapped loaf of banana bread that sat beside a covered plate of homemade cookies on the counter.

  “Those are from Grandmother Margaret. I told her you wouldn’t eat them, since you’re so strict about your diet, but she wanted to have them here for the others anyway.”

  “That’s really sweet of her.” Jackie blinked. “And unexpected.”

  “She has her good side.” He shot her a wink, and she blushed—again.

  He’d never known her to be much of a blusher before, yet here she was, his blushing bride. He repressed a grin at her unbearable cuteness. Though he and Jackie didn’t have what he’d call an ardent relationship, she was causing some odd “stirrings in his soul,” as Grandpa Chad would say. He ached to take her in his arms and kiss her like he meant it. In fact, he found that he’d unconsciously taken a step toward her.

  Jackie backed away, breaking the spell, and glanced at the door. “I’ll meet you up at the house in a few minutes, okay?”

  “Oh. Yeah, sure.” Great. Now he was crowding her. Had he completely forgotten what their arrangement was? Just because his brain was strangely scrambled in her presence, that didn’t mean she felt the same way. Her infrequent kisses were quick and cool. He was out of his mind to think they’d suddenly be passionate. “Take your time.”

  He couldn’t explain his out-of-the-blue magnetic attraction to her. Jackie definitely wasn’t acting like herself, but neither was he. She was probably nervous about meeting the rest of his family, but what about him? Maybe he was getting stoked about their marriage after all? Yeah, that had to be it. It would be awesome if he and Jackie could really make this work.

  Except she’d have to be into him, too.

  And, at the moment, he wasn’t getting that vibe. The vibe he was getting was more like she was eager for him to go away.

  He was probably overthinking it. Hopefully.

  “I can’t wait to meet your mom,” he said, stepping outside. “And your sister, Hope.”

  “Hope!” Jackie exclaimed, like he’d just shouted fire. “Right!”

  Then she slammed the door, leaving Brent standing there stunned.

  Chapter Three

  Hope, a nervous wreck, called Jackie. She didn’t know how she’d let this happen, but she had, and it was too much.

  “Jackie Webb, here. Thanks for calling. Please leave your number at the beep, and I’ll get back with you.”

  Argh.

  She was just about to send a panicked text when her phone rang.

  “Sorry,” Jackie said. “My phone was in the bottom of my bag, and I couldn’t find it.” She paused a beat, then asked in a breezy way, “So. How’s Blue Hill?”

  “Horrible.” Hope’s gaze snagged on the panoramic view out the sliding glass doors. “Beautiful.” She heaved a breath. “Messy.”

  “Those are quite a few conflicting adjectives. What’s so horrible about it?” She gasped. “Grandmother Margaret?”

  Hope stared down at the homemade goodies. “She supposedly has her good side.”

  “I…see?”

  “She baked me banana bread. I mean, not me—you. Or, all of us. And cookies, too.”

  “Let’s hope they’re not laced with arsenic.”

  “Ha. Ha.”

  “So,” Jackie asked, “how did everybody take the news about my delay? I sent Brent a text message, but he never answered.”

  Hope turned away from the windows and began pacing. “That’s because he didn’t get it.”

  “What?”

  “He’s lost his phone.”

  “Oh, no. Then, it’s a good thing you’re there to explain things.”

  Hope fell silent, twisting a lock of her hair around one finger. “Um, so, about that…”

  “Yeah?”

  “Everybody here thinks I’m you.”

  “What? Why?”

  Hope grimaced. “Because when I got here, they kind of assumed it.”

  “And you didn’t bother to correct them? Hope!” she exclaimed, her voice rising. “What about all that stuff you said? ‘Honesty’s the best policy’?”

  “It is.” She didn’t know why her sister sounded so upset. Jackie was the one who suggested the plan to begin with.

  “Then, how did this happen?”

  “I don’t know. One minute, I was driving the car—”

  “The rental?”

  “Yes. And the next, I was nearly running her over.”

  Jackie gasped. “Grandmother Margaret?”

  “No. Brent’s mom.”

  “Is this some elaborate joke? You’re setting me up for something, right? A big punch line.” She laughed nervously. “Okay. I’m ready. Sock it to me.”

  Hope braved it. “Brent believes it, too.”

  “What?” Jackie’s voice became a soft murmur. “That you’re me?”

  “Yeah.”

  The line went silent. Hope let her sister process that news without interruption.

  “Okay, all right,” Jackie finally said. “This isn’t so bad. Let’s think this through. You haven’t kissed him, have you?” she asked in an accusatory tone.

  “Brent? No! What kind of sister do you think I am? I mean, it was awkward. Trying to avoid it.”

  “It shouldn’t be that hard,” Jackie grumbled. “
Brent and I aren’t much into PDA. He’s not the type.”

  “Er…that’s good.” For Hope, at least.

  “Just try not to be alone with him.”

  “I wasn’t planning on it.”

  Through the phone, Hope could hear her sister drumming her fingernails. “Maybe we can make this work.”

  “I’d rather not,” Hope said. “What about Mom?”

  “Oh. I forgot to tell you. I just heard from her that she’s coming up tomorrow instead of today. Something about car trouble. She’s already let Elsa know.”

  “Well, that’s something. So, Mom won’t be an issue because you’ll get here first.”

  “Hopie, about that…” Jackie said, and Hope’s stomach sank. Not again. “I was just about to tell you…the Martin wedding has hit another hurdle.”

  “What?”

  “The Bridal Bouquets Boutique had assured us that two hundred and forty-two miniature bonsai trees were on order, but now there’s been a holdup in the delivery date.”

  “Who needs bonsai trees for a wedding?”

  “Apparently, the bride, Gwyneth, does. She’s honeymooning in Hawaii, and the outdoor reception is thematic. Each mini bonsai was supposed to be the centerpiece on a guest table.”

  The entire notion seemed ridiculous, but Hope decided not to say so. Instead, she homed in on Jackie’s veiled message. “So what are you saying, Jackie?”

  “Well, I was going to ask you to pass along the message, but since that’s no longer an option… It’s just one more day. I’ll be there by Tuesday for sure. Way before Meredith,” she said, mentioning her best friend.

  “You mean she’s not arriving on Monday with the others?”

  “She was supposed to, but then she got this fab opportunity to appear on a morning cable show. I, of course, urged her to take it. She’ll be there Tuesday afternoon now, sometime after the tea party. But I’ll be arriving first.”

  “And Mom?” Hope asked pointedly. “You just said she’s coming tomorrow.”

  “Oh, right. Maybe try to minimize contact? And, whatever you do, don’t let her look you in the eye.” Apart from the twins and their mother, few people knew that Hope’s eyes were slightly larger than Jackie’s. It was one way Ava had been able to tell her girls apart when they’d attempted that twin-swap game as kids. Hope’s birthmark was another big tip-off.