I know.
“Where are you right now?”
She sucked in her breath. “I’m just leaving my office with your drawings in hand.”
“After we get back from Eugene, I’d like to sit down and look at them. Now, what’s your address?”
She gave him directions to her condo, which was in an older building that had once housed apartments. “Number six. Use the lobby phone and I’ll let you in.”
“My condo’s three blocks from yours. That’s a plus I hadn’t counted on. See you in the morning, Catherine.”
Only three?
That meant they must have driven past each other dozens of times on their way to or from someplace else. “I’ll be waiting.” She hurriedly hung up so he couldn’t hear her heart hammering out of control.
CHAPTER FOUR
SHANNON LOOKED AROUND the crowded room of the Crompton Steakhouse. She knew it was foolish, but when she hadn’t been able to catch David at his work last week, she hoped she might run into him here.
He’d raved about the architecture of the warehouse and had seemed to like this restaurant a lot. Since it was a Friday night, he could be dining here. The institute hadn’t phoned or written about either the project or the job application. Maybe talking to him in person would make the difference, at least as far as a job was concerned.
“Good evening. Again!”
She lifted her head. The waiter looked vaguely familiar. “Hello.”
“I’m Steve. I waited on you before.”
“Oh, yes.”
“Shall I bring you what you ordered last time or do you want a menu?”
“You must have a photographic memory if you can remember that far back. Tell me what I had.”
“Filet mignon well done, champignons, a baked potato and salad with vinegar and oil dressing.”
“That’s very impressive, except for two details. I like my steak medium rare, and you left out the raspberry sorbet. But I forgive you.”
“Wait a minute— Then you’re the one who came in the first time!”
“What are you talking about? I’ve only been here once before.”
“Yes, I know that now. But I got mixed up because your double was in here recently. She ordered the same meal, except she wanted her steak well done.”
Shannon’s body stilled. “What do you mean, my double?”
“That’s exactly what she asked me when I mistook her for you!”
“You thought we looked like the same person?”
“You want to know something?” he said in a confiding tone. “I was friends with a pair of identical twins all through school. Most of the time, the teachers and students got so mixed up, they called them by the wrong names. I never got them right, either.
“I’m telling you, if that other woman was sitting next to you, I wouldn’t be able to guess which one of you wanted the steak well done and which one wanted it rare. Like I told her, you guys are identical. You must be related and don’t know it,” he said excitedly.
“She didn’t question you about it when you told her?”
“No.” He paused. “I don’t think she took my comment literally.”
“That probably means she doesn’t know she has a twin who’s searching for her. But I know.”
She sat bolt upright. “Listen, Steve, before my adoptive mother died she said something about my being a twin. But she was so ill, I didn’t know whether to believe her or not. Still, I’ve been looking for a brother or sister ever since.
“What you’ve just told me means my mother was telling the truth. Please—I need your help. Do you remember her name or the name of the person with her?”
“No.”
“Did they pay cash?”
He thought for a minute. “No. A credit card.”
“Do you think you could find a copy of it and give me the information so I can look her up?”
He shook his head. “Even if I could find it, it would be illegal.”
She bit her lip. “Listen, I’m going to leave you my picture and my business card. It has my home and work numbers on it. If she should come in here again, tell her about me, show her this picture and get a phone number from her. Then call me collect. Will you do it? Please?”
He blinked. “Sure.”
“You have no idea what this means to me.” She got up from the table.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
“I couldn’t. Not now.” She pulled some bills from her purse. “Here’s twenty for dinner and twenty for your help. I’m counting on you.”
He looked surprised. “If I ever see her in here again, believe me, I’ll find out everything I can and let you know.”
“Thanks, Steve.”
His admiring gaze swept over her. “You’re welcome. Anytime.”
Her feet hardly touched the ground as she left the restaurant. So her twin did exist! This was something she needed to share with David. She was overjoyed because it gave her a legitimate reason to see him again.
THE EARLY JULY HEAT brought spectators to the Eugene speedway in droves. David was glad of the crowded bleachers. While Melanie Barlow, Jack’s vivacious brunet girlfriend, was in another world as she followed his progress around the track, David had been searching for any excuse to touch Catherine.
In the car they’d been too far apart. But here, with so many people packed together, she’d been forced to sit close to him. He was aware of every breath she took.
Beneath her dusky-blue shirt and black cotton pants, he felt the feminine warmth of her arms, the provocative curve of her hips and shapely legs. Though he’d come to the track to support his brother, David found himself captivated by her joie de vivre. Before he’d met her, it was the same quality he’d seen in her architecture.
She seemed to embrace the essence of the day, the best part. He’d never met a woman more vital and alive. Her excitement about life was reflected in her eyes, her smile, her conversation.
Though she wasn’t conscious of it, David could feel her charm distill over him like a fine mist. Already he was dreading the moment when he had to say good-night to her.
Throughout the race, she’d been sharing her binoculars with him. But now that it was nearing the last few minutes, he refused them so she could watch her brother’s progress to the end.
Over breakfast, David had learned enough to understand the importance of every win for Jack Casey, not only in points but in prize money so he could build his formula one car.
Catherine jumped to her feet, but still held onto David’s hand. “It doesn’t look like either of our brothers is going to come in first today.”
“One of his sponsors asked Jack to try out some new tires for this race,” Melanie informed them.
“They’ve given him nothing but trouble. I bet he could kick himself now. Uh-oh. It’s over. Number thirty won.” She lowered the binoculars. A look of disappointment appeared on her lovely face.
David stood behind Catherine as the checkered flags were waved. “The doctor warned Mitch to rest his bruised ribs,” he murmured, his hands on her shoulders. He couldn’t stop touching her. “He drove well, but I could tell he’s not up to par yet.”
Catherine turned to gaze into his eyes. “I don’t know about Mitch, but after a loss, my brother goes into a real decline. Thank heaven for Melanie,” she whispered.
Her tremulous voice drove him to put a comforting arm around her shoulders. The gesture disturbed the back of her sun-warmed hair, and he could smell the flowery scent of her shampoo. He inhaled deeply.
“Mitch handles defeat reasonably well, but then he doesn’t have as much at stake as your brother. Why don’t we take them both out to dinner?” At her enthusiastic nod, he said, “Let’s go out to the car and drive to the other side of the speedway to find them. Melanie?” he asked the other woman.
“Are you ready?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Catherine and I were thinking it might be a good idea if we all went out to dinner. It ought
to lighten everyone’s mood before we head home.”
Melanie beamed. “Jack will love that. Since they both lost, they can commiserate. Before long, they’ll be consoling each other and planning their strategies for the next race.”
As Melanie hurried ahead of them, Catherine flashed him that glorious smile of hers. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
She stared at him long and hard. “For making this a wonderful day, for being so thoughtful and generous, for saying the right things at the right time, for being willing to cheer up Melanie. It’ll mean a lot to Jack. It means a lot to me.”
Her words went soul deep. There were a lot of things he would’ve liked to say in response, but this wasn’t the time or place. “You know something? This wonderful day is far from over. Come on.”
He cupped her elbow, and they left the bleachers as fast as the crowds would allow. The feeling of togetherness was so strong, he could barely remember what it was like not to feel this way. He’d never experienced such a sense of wholeness. Of completion.
As soon as they reached the car, he helped her and Melanie inside, then they were off. There was always a mad scramble in the parking area after any race. Used to the chaos, David swung wide to avoid potential accidents and circled the speedway.
When he saw members of his brother’s crew, he began honking. Mitch had to be in the middle of the swarm. “There he is. The one in the red racing suit with the Citrus Surprise logo. Notice how he’s carrying his crash helmet. Obviously his ribs are still too sore for him to tuck it under his arm.”
Catherine’s gaze fastened on the younger man walking toward them. “Except for being smaller, he looks so much like you, I can’t believe it.”
“Well, well.” A voice filtered in through the open window. “You stayed for the whole nine yards to watch my demise.” He leaned down and gave David a punch on the shoulder.
“Catherine, this is my younger brother, Mitch Britton. Mitch, allow me to introduce you to Catherine Casey, Jack Casey’s sister.”
His brother’s face had broken into a grin. David could see the male admiration in his gaze when it fell on Catherine.
“I’ve been wanting to meet the owner of the sporty little MG I’ve been looking for all over town.”
“Mitch, I’d also like you to meet Melanie Barlow, Jack Casey’s girlfriend.”
“I’ve seen you around. Nice to meet you.” They shook hands.
“You’re a superb driver, Mitch,” Catherine offered.
“Coming from Jack Casey’s sister, that’s a compliment I’m going to have emblazoned on my helmet.”
She laughed. “I’m sorry only one person could win out there today.”
“Aren’t we all.” He groaned.
David smiled at his brother. “The three of us are going to take you two losers out to dinner. Why don’t you peel off that monkey suit and come with us? We’ll bring you back here later to pick up your car.”
Mitch eyed Catherine, then David. “Sounds terrific. I’m starving.”
“We are, too. Tell you what. We’ll come back here in a minute. We have to find Jack.”
“He’s over there being mobbed. I’ll get him!” Melanie cried. “We’ll follow you in his Porsche.”
A few minutes after she’d vanished into the throng, Mitch climbed in the back seat, minus the suit. “If you don’t have a particular place in mind, the Cowboy Grub, about five blocks south of here, serves great ribs. All you can eat.”
Catherine turned her head to look at him again. She still couldn’t get over it. Despite the difference in their size and age, he bore a remarkable likeness to David. “Jack will enjoy that.”
He grinned. “I know.”
“Something tells me all you racers ate dinner there last night, and breakfast this morning.”
Mitch leaned forward and clasped David on the shoulder. “Hey, she’s smart, too.”
David didn’t say anything, but there was such intimacy in his gaze that she averted her eyes.
“There’s no mystery, Mitch,” she explained.
“It’s a well-known fact that race car drivers love good food—and they’re remarkably consistent in their habits. When Jack finds something he likes, he doesn’t deviate. Growing up, he ate tuna fish sandwiches every day for lunch.”
“Yeah? I was a bologna-and-cheese man.”
“You still are,” David said.
“It’ll make my wife’s grocery shopping easier.”
Catherine saw David’s lips quirk. “So, Mitch, have you chosen this particular moment to make an announcement?”
“Nope. I’m waiting for yours first.”
David’s hand tightened on Catherine’s. On cue, a blush washed over her face. Satisfied by that response, he started the car and began driving toward the road leading out of the speedway. In the rearview mirror he could see Jack’s Porsche following them.
TOO SOON, Catherine noticed the sign for the Cowboy Grub. David had to let go of her hand to make the turn into the parking lot. All through the day, she’d thrived on the constant contact with him. Crowded into the bleachers as they’d been, she’d had the perfect excuse to lean against his arm.
More often than not, she’d discovered binoculars trained on him. There were too many women at the track eyeing his face and hard-muscled body. A brown Levi’s shirt with the sleeves rolled up and well-fitting tan chinos revealed a casual sense of style—and didn’t hide his attractions. The other women’s brazen attention brought out Catherine’s possessive instincts. She didn’t like the idea of David attending another race without her.
He escorted her into the packed restaurant. She thought they’d have a long wait, but he took the hostess aside. Before she knew it, they were being shown to a table. Mitch joked about his brother always having that effect on women.
A few moments later, Jack and Melanie joined them.
“Jack,” Catherine said. “I’d like you to meet David Britton. He’s the man I bumped into at the speedway last week. I’m going to design his office complex. Of course, you’ve already met his brother, Mitch. David? This is my brother Jack Casey.”
As they shook hands, David murmured, “You’re a fine driver, Jack. I expect one day you’ll be a household name like Unser or Andretti.”
“Thank you. But after my performance today, maybe I’d better go back to racing my miniature car in the Boy Scouts Pinewood Derby.”
“Jack!” Melanie burst out laughing.
“You were in Scouts, too?” Mitch asked.
Jack nodded. “Oh, yeah. I used to load those critters with weights.”
“Mitch did the same thing,” David told him.
“Everyone accused him of cheating.”
“It was the only way to win.”
At Mitch’s comment, Jack laughed.
Catherine felt David’s hand caress her back. Getting the two brothers together was an even better idea than they’d thought.
She noticed the covert way Jack studied David across the table. In a minute, he sent Catherine a private glance, giving her his nod of brotherly approval.
“You like to fly?” Mitch asked Jack as soon as the waitress had taken their orders.
“Sometimes I wish my Chevy had wings.”
“I’m talking a Cessna or Piper Cherokee.”
“The smallest plane I’ve ever been in is a 747. What’s it like?”
“A damn sight better than racing.”
“That’s hard to believe, isn’t it, honey?” Jack gave Melanie a kiss on the cheek.
The three of them became more engrossed in their private conversation, and David pulled Catherine closer to him. The gesture charged her system with new energy. She didn’t have to look at David to know he was pleased by their brothers’ friendliness.
Well into the meal, Jack addressed David. “I understand it was the renovation of the Crompton warehouse that first interested you in my sister’s work.”
“You’re right. I figured anyone with that ki
nd of talent could design something unique for me. When I first met her at the site of her latest project in the suburbs, it struck me again that she possesses a rare gift. In fact, the whole Casey family seems to have many talents. When’s the next race for you guys?”
“Portland speedway in two weeks.”
“Catherine and I were hoping we’d have to drive out of town again.”
Melanie hung on to Jack’s arm. “There’s one in Vancouver next month.”
David signaled to the waitress that she should give him the bill. “Then we’ll definitely be there.”
Before long, the five of them left the restaurant. After thanking David profusely, Jack and Melanie left the parking lot in his Porsche. It didn’t take any time at all for David to reach the speedway again.
Once Mitch had picked up his car, David headed for the freeway leading north. Then he turned his head to glance at Catherine. “Alone at last. Come here.”
Catherine sat as close to him as the seat belts and gearshift allowed. Her hand seemed to have become a permanent part of his.
“I haven’t had such a good time in years.”
“Neither have I,” she confessed “Mitch is so cute.”
David chuckled. “He hates that word.”
“So does Jack. But it’s an apt description that fits both of them.”
“You’re right. I like your brother, too. Melanie seems to be mellow enough to handle his intensity.”
“She’s terrific with him. I’m hoping they’ll get married.”
“Tell me about your other brothers.”
“Well, neither of them is as complex as Jack. They both married in their early twenties, have solid careers and go home to their wives and children at five o’clock every night.”
“How much older are they than you?”
“Mark’s thirty-three, five years my senior. Brody’s the oldest. He’s thirty-five.”
“And then there’s Jack.”
“Yes. Until Melanie, he never showed the slightest interest in getting married. He loves to tinker with cars and he keeps horrendous hours. Jack’s the kind of person who pushes himself to the edge, no matter what he’s doing.”
The Unknown Sister Page 6
