The Unknown Sister

by Rebecca Winters

  “I’m not getting any younger, and she’ll be twenty-nine on her next birthday. We’ve decided that once we’re married, we don’t want to put off having children.”

  “A grandchild—”

  The happiness in her voice let David know this revelation had lifted her spirits immeasurably.

  “I have some news, too, Mother.”

  David eyed his brother, wondering what was coming.

  “If it’s about your racing, I really don’t want to talk about it.”

  “I’ve given it up.”

  She pushed her chair away from the table and started clearing dishes. “So you can do something even more dangerous—like skydiving?” Her retort was sharp.

  “No, Mother. Please—sit down. I’m trying to tell you something. If you’ll hear me out, you won’t need to run into the kitchen to take your headache medicine.”

  “That was very unkind of you, Mitch.”

  “I didn’t mean it to be. Please. I want to talk to you.”

  Slowly she took her place again, but her expression remained haunted.

  “This fall I’m going to start graduate school and work on getting my MBA.”

  “What?”

  “Dad ran a very successful insurance agency. David built his own day trading company. I figure it’s time I found out what I’m going to do with the rest of my life. I need to rely on myself and become independent, too.”

  Their mother hurried around the table and broke down sobbing in Mitch’s arms.

  David struggled to hold back tears. That must have been some conversation the doctor had held with Mitch. Obviously, it was as illuminating as his talk with David.

  “Before my school starts, I thought maybe the three of us could take a week off and go up to Banff and Lake Louise, like we used to do when Dad was alive. I can’t remember the last time we vacationed together. We could leave in a few days and on the way back, we could drive through Glacier Park. What do you say?”

  Sobbing with happiness, their mother couldn’t speak.

  David smiled at his brother over her head. Much as he didn’t want to leave Catherine, he knew this vacation was vital for their mother’s mental health. While they were away, they’d be able to talk about past guilt. It could be a healing time for everyone.

  A week apart from Catherine would be agony. But David had a gut feeling it would work in his favor. Before he’d left her condo, she’d admitted that she wished they were already married. Once he returned from his trip, she’d be ready to set the date.

  “It sounds like a terrific idea, Mitch. I’ll talk to my secretary in the morning and clear my calendar.”

  Their mother lifted her head and smiled. “I’m so happy,” she whispered, “I can hardly stand it.”

  David and Mitch exchanged a triumphant grin.

  WHILE HER DAD showed David around the spacious, modern house he’d designed years earlier, Catherine followed her mother to the kitchen, ostensibly to help her dish up dessert.

  Shorter than her daughter, with brown eyes and red hair she often wore in a ponytail, Robyn Casey had a vivacious and charming personality. Catherine could tell David felt at home with her parents, as if he’d known them for years.

  “Where’s Jack, Mom? I thought he’d be here for dinner.”

  “I really don’t know. He said he had something important to do, and we should expect him and Melanie when we saw them.”

  “Did he realize you’d invited David?”

  “Yes. Apparently he couldn’t get out of a prior commitment. Is something wrong?” She took out a homemade chocolate pie from the refrigerator.

  “Oh, no. I just hoped they’d be here.”

  “I’m sure he’ll come as soon as he can. Your brother knows you’ve fallen in love. He wouldn’t miss this without a good reason. Just yesterday, he said he was afraid you’d make it to the altar before he did.”

  Catherine blinked. “But I haven’t mentioned mar—”

  “You didn’t have to,” her mother interrupted with a smile. “When your father got home from the office the other day, he said he’d never seen two people so absolutely crazy about each other. After watching you tonight, I agree. What’s so nice is that I’ve fallen for him myself. Heavens, what’s not to like?”

  “Nothing,” Catherine agreed, beaming.

  “Besides so many attractive qualities, David has accomplished some truly remarkable things for a man of any age, let alone one who’s still in his thirties! Let’s face it. You’re my only daughter, and I expect near perfection from the man you choose. If I had to pick out a son-in-law, I would say David Britton comes closest to my ideal for you. He accepts everything about you, but challenges you, too. I think you’ve met your match.”

  “I’m so glad you feel that way! He’s wonderful, Mom. I love him so much. He wants to get married soon, but I’m nervous because it’s happened so fast.”

  “Falling in love is scary. There are no guarantees. The first time I met your father, I knew he was the man I was going to marry. On the surface he was very funny. Clever and charming. But there was a strength in him that I sensed right away. It told me he was the one. Sound familiar?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  “We got married fast. It might not have lasted. Many marriages don’t. We were very lucky, and we worked very hard at it.

  “If David’s the one, and it appears that he is, you’ll know when it’s right to set a date. Just remember that he’s waited a lot longer than you have to find his soul mate. Now that you’ve come along, naturally he’s eager.”

  She finished cutting the pie and put liberal slices on plates. “Shall we take these into the lounge for David and your father? I’ve already got coffee out there.”

  With a few remarks, her mother had managed to put everything into perspective for Catherine. Her words had driven out the last lingering doubts caused by that damaging love affair in college.

  Catherine threw her arms around her mother. “Thanks, Mom. I needed this tonight.”

  “So did I. I’ve been waiting a long time to see the stars in your eyes. It’s a sight every mother longs for,” she said softly. “Now, come on. Let’s go feed those hungry men.”

  When they reached the lounge, David and her father were deep in discussion. But the second they saw Catherine and her mother, they got up to take the plates and put them on the coffee table.

  “I’ve just learned that David’s brother, Mitch, has been in some of the same races as Jack,” her father announced. “You two have more in common than I thought.”

  David sent Catherine a private glance. “Except that it was never his raison d’être the way it is with Jack. In fact, while I was with my family earlier today, he told us he’s giving it up for good to go to graduate school. His decision has given my mother a new lease on life.”

  “We know exactly how she feels, don’t we, darling?” Catherine’s mother grasped her father’s hand.

  “But it’s even been harder on David’s mother, who’s a widow.” Catherine launched into an explanation of the SIDS tragedy that had robbed the Britton family of one of its sons and left his mother riddled with guilt.

  “That’s why David initially created the twin studies institute. To try to help her understand that his death wasn’t her fault.”

  David had told Catherine about his feelings of guilt over the stuffed toy, and the reason Mitch’s survivor guilt had forced him to stare death in the face. But those revelations were private.

  “I envy you, David,” Robyn confessed. “You no longer have to worry about Mitch the way we fear for Jack’s life every time he gets behind the wheel of his race car.”

  “Did I just hear my name taken in vain?”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “HI, EVERYBODY. Sorry we’re late. Melanie’s family had company at their house, too. We got away as soon as we could.” Jack’s gaze met David’s. He gave him a nod. “Good to see you.”

  “Thank you. It’s wonderful to have been invited,” David
replied. He caught Catherine’s hand closer to him.

  Jack had greeted him in a normal, friendly manner. Yet, somehow, David sensed that something was wrong.

  “We’re thrilled you made it,” Catherine’s mother said. “Do you two want some pie?”

  Melanie shook her head. “Thank you, but I don’t think I could.”

  “What about you, Jack?”

  “Save a piece for me, and I’ll eat it later. We just had strawberry shortcake at her house.”

  Catherine’s father smiled at him. “While you were eating poor Melanie’s family out of house and home, we found out you’re going to be minus one competitor from now on. David tells us his brother has put his race car away to go back to school.”

  Jack’s eyebrows shot up. “That is news. Tell me more about it while we go out to the garage for a minute, David. There’s something I want to show you.”

  I knew it.

  “Oh, no—no guy things tonight,” Catherine moaned. “Once you get out there, you’ll never come back.”

  Jack grinned. “I promise this won’t take long.”

  “We’ll time you,” Melanie said with a chuckle. “If you’re not back in twenty minutes, Catherine and I will come looking for you.”

  David’s glance swerved to Catherine’s. “Promise you’ll rescue me?” he murmured for her ears alone. She nodded, smiling, and the love light in her eyes almost blinded him. “I’ll hurry,” he whispered, then kissed her cheek and got up from the sofa.

  He and Catherine’s brother left the house and headed for the garage down the drive. “Has Mitch really given up racing?” Jack asked him.

  “Yes, much to my mother’s relief. He was never involved in it for the same reason you are. Right now, he wants to focus on getting his MBA.”

  “You don’t think he’ll regret it one day?”

  “Never. It’s not in his blood. You’re the one who’s truly passionate about it. You know, I meant what I said last week. You keep driving the way you are and you’ll make it to the top.”

  “Thanks, David.” Jack unlocked the door to the garage and turned on the lights. David followed him inside and shut it behind them.

  “I can tell there’s something important on your mind.”

  “So you knew I got you out here for a reason.”

  “Let’s just say I had a feeling.”

  “Okay. Here goes. I got a phone call from a woman on Thursday night. Somehow, she’d learned that I was the Casey who had dinner at the steakhouse with a blond woman several weeks ago. She wanted to know if this woman was a friend or a relative. I didn’t tell her anything, but I promised I’d call her back. After talking it over with Melanie, I decided to come to you first.”

  Jack put his hands on his hips. “Just answer me one question. When CC bumped into you at the track, how come you didn’t tell her right then that Shannon was her identical twin sister?”

  Somehow, before Jack had even opened his mouth, David had known this had everything to do with Shannon. He looked Catherine’s brother in the eye. “It may be a simple question,” he began. “But there’s no simple answer. In essence, this is the situation.”

  Jack listened intently while David filled him in. “I had hoped this day would never come,” David admitted. “But now that it has, I’m going to have to break institute rules and tell Catherine the truth. I don’t want Shannon getting to her first.

  “I’m in love with your sister and I plan to marry her. I’ve tried to protect her as long as I could, but I hadn’t counted on that waiter’s interference.”

  “Oh, man— What a hell of a mess.” Jack eyed him with compassion. “CC’s going to go into shock to find out she’s a twin. I’m sure the folks have no idea.”

  David took a fortifying breath. “Let’s put off phoning Shannon until Catherine’s had a chance to deal with her feelings.” Jack nodded. “If Catherine doesn’t want to meet her, then I’ll tell Shannon the truth and she’ll have to accept it. You don’t need to get any more involved. Shall we go back? They’re going to wonder where we are.”

  They left the garage and started up the drive. “You’re a good man, David. I couldn’t want better for my sister.”

  “Thanks, Jack,” he murmured. “It means a lot that you came to me first. I admire that more than you know.”

  No sooner did they step inside the living room than Catherine hurried over to greet him. “I was just about to come and get you.”

  He slid his arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go home.”

  Catherine turned to her family. “David and I have to be at work early in the morning. Much as we hate to leave, we’re going to have to. Thank you for the delicious dinner. We had wonderful time. It’s great to see you, Melanie.”

  David shook her father’s hand and gave her mother a hug. “I second everything Catherine said. This has been a delightful evening. I’ve been anxious to meet both of you. As for Jack and Melanie, we’ll look forward to seeing you at the next race.”

  Her parents followed them through the house to the front door, where good-nights were exchanged. Within minutes David was behind the wheel, ready to drive them to the city.

  Before he started the engine, he leaned across the seat for a swift kiss. “You have a terrific family, Catherine. I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed an evening more.” He set off down the long drive.

  “Mom and Dad enjoyed it, too. They were very impressed with you.”

  He smiled at her. She reached for his hand and lifted it to her lips.

  “I love you, Catherine. You’ve become my whole life. I hope you know that.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “Something has come up to do with my work, and you need to be told about it.”

  He felt her eyes on him. “Are you talking about the day trading company or the institute?”

  “The latter. As you know, we compile data on identical twins to study their genetic differences and similarities. The research scientists in the lab are finding out that some effects attributed to environment may actually be due to subtle genetic and other biological differences between supposedly identical twins.

  “In order to make predictions, they need thousands of subjects to study. Every day more twins around the country answer our ads, providing us with the information we need.

  “But there’s another aspect to this. We also put out ads to attract people who think they might be twins.”

  She stirred in her seat. “What do you mean, think?”

  “Have you ever known a pair of identical twins?”

  “No.”

  “Having grown up with Mitch, I noticed that he exhibited certain characteristic signs of wanting and needing another person to make him feel complete. It was almost as if he sensed he’d lost a part of himself and was trying to find it. No matter what Mother or I did for him, it was never enough.

  “As a child, when he made friends with other kids, he wanted more than they were willing to give. He had almost a need to possess them. This intense desire to share a special closeness alienated his friends, so he turned to hobbies.

  “Until the data started to come in, I didn’t understand Mitch’s behavior the way I do now. He’s not so different from other twins who’ve lost their siblings and can’t find comfort.

  “It’s not a conscious thing and has more to do with psychic experiences that transcend those of non-twin siblings. Scientists refer to the phenomenon as a psychic bond in which twins share thoughts and feelings even though they might live thousands of miles from each other.

  “Obviously, something we don’t understand goes on in the womb. Twins are born with a feeling of connection. Without it, they’re like wanderers. Not all of them, of course. And certainly those needs vary widely in degree.

  “I hope that, one day, someone will come along who relates to Mitch on that special level and fills the void. If it’s anything like the way you and I communicate, he’ll be a lucky man.

  “But to get back to my point, some people write or phone the institu
te telling us they’ve had experiences that led them to believe they’ve got a twin somewhere, even though there’s no real proof.

  “Occasionally, we hear from people who’ve learned from a certain source, reliable or otherwise, that they have a twin but were separated at birth or in the formative years. This starts them on a search.

  “The institute keeps records on all of these people. Once in a while, a pair of twins contacts us without either one being aware of it. They’ve both been dedicated to finding their sibling. When we receive the data and realize through DNA testing that it’s a match, we can be the catalyst to bring them together.”

  “Does this happen very often?”

  “Twice so far.”

  “That’s extraordinary! Were they happy to have found each other?”

  “Very happy. But consider for a moment how people might feel if they had no idea they were a twin and then were confronted by their long-lost sibling.”

  She shook her head. “It would be such a shock, I can’t even imagine it. Of course, knowing how much Jack wants to find his birth parents, I suspect he’d love it. I can see him now. If he discovered he had a twin, he—”

  Suddenly she stopped talking. He could practically hear her thinking.

  “David? I can tell you’ve been leading up to something,” she said slowly. “Are you saying Jack has an identical twin who’s been looking for him?”

  He pulled into a guest parking spot at her building. “I wish I could say yes to your question.”

  Catherine had been so certain she was right, it took a minute for David’s words to sink in. When they did, she realized this had nothing to do with Jack.

  Her mind flashed to that moment at the speedway.

  I think maybe it’s time you and I had a little talk, Shannon.

  She remembered the waiter’s words.

  You don’t happen to have an identical twin sister, do you?

  “I’m the one with the twin sister, aren’t I?”

  His sharp intake of breath resounded in the car.

  “Yes. Shannon came to the institute over a month ago to participate in the study. I sometimes do the initial interview. As it happened, I asked her out and wrote down the information during dinner. She said her mother had told her she was a twin, so she’s been looking for her sibling.