Vanessa's Match (3 page)

“It should be easy now. And your nails look lovely.”

“Yes. I feel so—so elegant!”

“Good. That’s the whole point,” Vanessa said.

Once they were in the car, heading to the store the stylist had mentioned, Lindy balked. “But, Vanessa, I thought we would wait.”

“No, sweetie, we’re not going to wait. You’ve done without for too long.”

By the time they finally arrived home, they were laden with packages.

“I think you’d better take a shower and rest for a few minutes,” Vanessa told her. “I’ll be up later to help you get ready.”

“Oh, thank you, Vanessa. I’m so nervous about tonight!”

“You’re going to look great.”

Once Vanessa was alone, she removed the tags on Lindy’s purchases and took all but the dress the girl was wearing that evening down to Betty to be quickly laundered. She also wrote a note and took it downstairs.

After leaving the laundry with Betty, she asked Betty’s husband Peter, “Are you going to open the door for our guests tonight?” Usually Peter tended to the gardens and the cars.

“Sure will. Betty’s fixing a grand meal, so she’ll be busy.”

“Then will you please give this note to Mr. Austin and ask that he read it before he joins us?”

“Which one is Mr. Austin?”

“He’s the only one you won’t know,” she assured him.

Then she sprinted back up the stairs to get dressed herself. She’d bought a little makeup when Lindy wasn’t watching. Later, Vanessa intended to instruct
her on how to apply it. But first she showered and put on a black dress that was a little more sophisticated than Lindy’s.

Her dark hair flowed around her shoulders, a perfect coiffure that she’d been wearing for a long time. Then she lightly did her makeup.

As soon as she was satisfied with her appearance, she went down to collect the laundry, now clean and folded, and brought it up to Lindy’s room.

Lindy jumped up when Vanessa entered. “You look beautiful!”

“Thanks. You’re going to look beautiful, too!”

“I don’t think—”

“Come on. I’ll show you.”

Once Lindy was completely dressed, Vanessa applied some makeup to the girl’s face. Then she turned Lindy to the mirror.

The girl stared at herself, reaching to touch the mirror. “Is this really me?” she asked softly.

In the flattering blue dress and slim heels, her hair and makeup lighting up her face, Lindy looked every bit the angel she was. Vanessa choked back her emotions. “Of course it is, honey. You got your mother’s beauty…and your father’s heart!”

“I hope so,” Lindy said softly, almost as if saying a prayer.

R
ICK WASN’T SURE
he should’ve agreed to dinner with Vanessa Shaw’s family tonight. But he’d spent
the afternoon checking on Jeff Jacobs and his partner, Bill Wallace. They’d received high marks from everyone Rick asked, so he wasn’t worried about meeting Jeff tonight.

He’d also made a few calls about Vanessa Shaw. She checked out, too. And he was grateful to her, he guessed. She was giving him a chance to redeem himself. He’d messed up and betrayed his father’s trust by excluding Lindy from his life. She’d been an adorable six-year-old, blond like her mother, and he’d figured Anita would mold her in her own image.

Maybe he could have prevented that to some extent, but it would have brought him into contact with Anita. That thought made him feel sick to his stomach. That was the reason he’d moved her and Lindy out of the house. He’d inherited it, with no stipulations. But he couldn’t live there with Anita in residence. So he’d bought her an exclusive condo and doubled the money she was supposed to get.

And felt like he’d satisfied his conscience.

Until Vanessa Shaw had come along to point out the holes in his plan. All of them affecting Lindy.

He was worried about meeting Lindy, all grown up. He figured she hated him, and he didn’t for a moment think Vanessa Shaw would try very hard to change Lindy’s feelings about him. Vanessa herself hadn’t shown him any approval.

However, he didn’t have much doubt about Vanessa being good to Lindy. She was young to be
so protective of his sister, but maybe it was past time for someone to be kind to Lindy.

Still feeling guilty, he rang the doorbell at the Greenfield home, hoping the dinner would go smoothly.

An older man, one he hadn’t met, opened the door.

Rick nodded to him. “I’m Rick Austin.”

“Come in, Mr. Austin. I’m Peter, Betty’s husband. Uh, I’m supposed to give you this and wait for you to read it.”

Rick frowned as he took the note and read the flowing writing. Vanessa wanted him to know that his sister was wearing a new dress this evening and that he should compliment her on it.

He crumpled the note in his hand, leaving Peter watching him with a nervous expression.

“Thank you, Peter,” Rick said, hoping to ease the man’s apprehension. He resented the note because he
knew
how to behave. His own mother insisted on good manners. But maybe Miss Shaw—he corrected himself, Vanessa—had a point. He had seen his sister only once since she was six—today when she’d fainted at the sight of him. Maybe a pleasant compliment would enable things to proceed smoothly.

“Where am I to go, Peter?”

“This way, please.” He turned and started down the hall, and Rick followed.

When Peter opened a door across from the library, Rick drew a deep breath. Then, pasting a smile on his face, he entered the room.

Vivian immediately rose to greet him. Once again he was struck by the petite woman’s beauty. In her forties, she had strawberry blond hair with but a few strands of gray. She welcomed him and introduced him to Jeff Jacobs, his wife Rebecca, their children Joey and Jamie, as well as Jeff’s partner, Bill Wallace, and his wife, Chelsea, who was obviously pregnant.

Will invited him to sit down, and Rick did so. But he didn’t see Vanessa or Lindy.

Just as he was making conversation with the others, the door opened again. Vanessa, looking stunning in a chic black dress, entered the room, followed by a beautiful younger woman.

Rick stood and stared at the two women. He remembered the note he’d received. Of course, praise was due both for their appearance, but he couldn’t help seeing his stepmother when he looked at Lindy. Her blond hair and slender figure looked so much like Anita’s.

He crossed the room to greet them. “Hello, Vanessa. You look beautiful tonight.”

“Thank you,” she said coolly, and stepped aside for him to face his sister.

“You look very nice, Lindy. Like your mother,” he couldn’t help adding.

Lindy appeared stricken, and she let out a gasp.

Vanessa wrapped an arm around the child. “It’s all right, Lindy. He didn’t mean that.”

“What do you mean?” Rick demanded. “She
does
look like her mother.”

“The woman you hated? Does that mean you hate Lindy, too?”

“No, of course not—I mean—I don’t know her!”

“Exactly. Let me assure you, she may look like her mother, but that’s where the resemblance ends!” Vanessa exclaimed.

“Dear,” Vivian said, “aren’t you asking a little too much of Rick to react as if he knows his sister? He’s scarcely seen her in nine years.”

“And whose fault is that?” Vanessa demanded.

Jeff stood and joined Rick. “Maybe you should cut him some slack, Vanessa. He may have been careless, but he had no choice about leaving her with her mother, unless he knew of any abuse. Any court would agree with that.”

Vanessa wasn’t satisfied with legal obligations. “That still doesn’t—”

At that moment Betty stepped into the room. “Dinner is served.”

And that ended their conversation…for the time being.

Vanessa had asked her mother to seat Lindy next to her, in case the girl continued to be nervous about her half brother. Vivian had done as Vanessa had asked, but she’d put Rick Austin across the table from Lindy.

However, much to Vanessa’s surprise, Lindy seemed eager to talk to her brother.

“Rick, do you still live in Dad’s house?” Lindy asked in a quiet moment.

He frowned. “Yes, of course.”

“It’s a wonderful house,” Lindy said. “I remember thinking it was like a castle.”

Rick gave her a surprised look. “A castle? It doesn’t look anything like a castle.”

Lindy withdrew immediately, and Vanessa intervened, telling Rick, “You’ll have to remember she was only six years old. Is it here in Highland Park?”

“Yes, of course. I didn’t think,” Rick said, apologizing at once. “Would you like to visit the house?”
he asked Lindy. “I’ll be out of town next week, but I’ll let my housekeeper know you’d like to drop by, if you want.”

“Is it still Mrs. Abby?” Lindy asked, but her enthusiasm seemed to have disappeared.

“Yes, it is.”

Lindy turned to Vanessa. “She’s a lot like Betty, Vanessa. You’ll like her if you meet her.”

“Of course, honey, I’m sure I will. Maybe your brother will tell us a convenient time. We wouldn’t want to show up at an inappropriate moment.” She sent a pointed look to Rick to let him know she’d understood his parameters…and didn’t like them.

He squared his jaw but said nothing. Fortunately, Rebecca asked him a question that caused him to turn away.

Vanessa felt Lindy withdraw beside her, but she couldn’t follow suit. She sensed that she had to be on alert whenever the man was near. He was dangerous, in so many ways. He was way too handsome. His good looks could make a susceptible woman believe anything he said.
She
wasn’t susceptible, of course.

After they left the table, she whispered to Lindy, “Have you changed your mind about visiting the house?”

Lindy shrugged. “He doesn’t want me there. I’ll manage without seeing it.” Her voice showed the hurt she was feeling.

When they settled for coffee in the morning room,
Vivian invited the children to join them, saying she seldom saw Rebecca’s two anymore. After the children arrived, Vanessa noticed Lindy relax for the first time that evening, losing her self-consciousness with Jamie, Rebecca and Jeff’s youngest.

A glance across the room told her she wasn’t the only one who had noticed the change. Rick Austin had his eye on his sister, too. Good. She intended to have a word with Mr. Austin before he went home tonight!

Rick leaned close to Vivian and asked a question, then Rick, Jeff and Bill stood and left the room.

She asked, “Where are they going?”

Vivian said, “Rick asked if I minded if he talked to Bill and Jeff in private.”

“Is he coming back in here?” Vanessa demanded.

Will said, “Why wouldn’t he?”

Vanessa didn’t say anything. Since her parents had supported Rick several times, she didn’t want to tell them that she intended to chastise him in private. All the clothes she’d bought Lindy were worth nothing if her brother didn’t show some acceptance. He was like an absentee father figure for Lindy. Vanessa didn’t think it would be easy to make up for all the years of emotional neglect without some assistance from Rick.

She breathed a sigh of relief when the men returned half an hour later. All three looked pleased with themselves, so Vanessa guessed Rick had hired Jeff and his partner to handle his private affairs.

But he had better not think he could pass off Lindy to his lawyers. She wouldn’t allow that. Besides, that plan had already failed.

Bill and Chelsea left first, Chelsea explaining apologetically that she had to go to bed early these days because of her pregnancy. Vivian immediately told her she had done the same. Rick stood to take his leave, too.

After a cautious glance at Lindy, Vanessa stood and moved to his side, asking for a private moment in the library.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because I would like to talk to you about your half sister.”

“Look, I arranged with Jeff and Bill to handle everything. They’ll give you the money for whatever you need to buy her. I don’t think you’ll be unhappy.”

“This is not about the money!” she protested in a low voice. “Can we go to the library, please?”

“Fine!” He turned around, holding the door open for her.

After another quick look at Lindy, still playing with Jamie, Vanessa walked past him to the library across the hall.

She waited by the door until he entered and then shut it. “Please sit down.” It was an order, even though she said
please.

“Look, Vanessa, I’ve taken care of everything. If you’ll talk to Jeff, you’ll see.”

“Jeff can’t handle this problem.”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s not Lindy’s big brother! For some reason, she craves approval from you.”

“Fine. I approve of her. Will that do?”

“You just don’t get it, do you. Your stepmother didn’t only deprive Lindy of clothes and furniture. She deprived her of love. The child is an emotional wreck, and only someone in her family can make that go away. Since you’re the only one she has, it has to be you!”

“What do you expect me to do? I don’t even know her.”

Vanessa drew a deep breath. She needed to stay calm and focused. “Why do you think your father made you Lindy’s guardian if anything happened to her mother?”

Rick glowered at her.

Good, she thought. He needed to think about what he was doing.

“He didn’t have anyone else to take care of her,” Rick said, his voice low.

“That’s what I would assume. Wouldn’t he expect you to do what you could for her? To heal the hurts her mother inflicted?”

“
He
married her. Not me!”

The bitterness in his voice told Vanessa she still had some work to do.

“How about I make a suggestion, and we’ll discuss whether or not you can handle it,” she said softly.

“What?” he barked.

“Instead of telling Lindy she can go see the house when you’re not going to be there, why not invite her to dinner and welcome her?”

“She said she wanted to see the house. I said she could.”

“I didn’t know Lindy’s mother or her father. But I know which one she loved the most. Remember your emotions when your father died? Well, Lindy felt at least that bad. You were old enough to take care of yourself. She was left to a mean, hateful woman who gave her no love at all. Would it be so hard to let Lindy into your heart just a little bit?”

“Her mother—”

Vanessa put up a hand to stop him. “I know her mother was impossible. But Lindy’s not. She’s sweet and lovable. And she needs your approval. Please?”

“Fine! I can be home for dinner on Wednesday. I’ll tell Mrs. Abby the two of you will be there.”

“I don’t have to come. You two—”

“No. You’re the expert about all those emotions. You need to be there.”

He’d trapped her, and there was no way out. “All right, I’ll come. Wednesday night at seven?”

“Yes.”

“You won’t forget?”

“No, I won’t. Now, if you have no objection, I’ll be on my way.”

“Wait! You need to invite Lindy yourself. And then tell her goodbye.”

“Damn it! I told you you were invited!”

She stared at him.

“Fine!” He rose and headed for the door.

She’d won the round, so why wasn’t she happy?

Because spending another night with Rick Austin was the last thing she wanted to do. For many reasons she thought it best to keep her distance from him—not least of which was the fact that the man was too attractive for his own good.

Or for hers.

R
ICK ENTERED THE OTHER ROOM
, trying to put a smile on his face. It was what his father would’ve wanted, he told himself. He hated to think that he’d failed the man. He knew his father had loved Lindy, his cute, precocious little girl.

But now she was a child-woman and reminded Rick so much of her mother. A shiver ran through his body at the mere thought of Anita. He controlled himself and walked over to his sister where she played with Vanessa’s niece.

“Lindy, I was thinking, if you don’t mind waiting until Wednesday to come see the house, I’d be free that evening and you and Vanessa could come to dinner. Would that be all right?”

He watched Lindy’s face light up like a spotlight and acknowledged to himself that Vanessa had been right. He hadn’t been sure until then.

“Oh, Rick, that would be wonderful!” Her gaze
shifted to Vanessa, who’d come in behind Rick. “Wouldn’t it, Vanessa? Can we go on Wednesday night?”

“Sure, Lindy. I’m free then if you are.”

Lindy giggled, reminding Rick again that she was still maturing. “You know I’m free, Vanessa.”

“Okay, then we’ll plan on Wednesday night. What time, Rick? Will seven be okay?”

Rick turned around to glare at Vanessa while no one else could see him. She was playing him. They’d already agreed on the time. “Yes, seven will be fine.”

“Then we’ll look forward to seeing you Wednesday at seven.”

He nodded and remembered to smile at Lindy one more time. Then he turned to Will and Vivian, who, it appeared, had been watching them all with interest. “I’ve got to go now. I enjoyed the evening and I’m very pleased with Jeff and Bill. Thanks for referring them to me.”

Will stood and shook his hand and Vivian kissed his cheek. Her warm gesture surprised him.

“Come to dinner anytime you please, Rick. We always have plenty of food and we love the company.”

He wouldn’t take her up on it, but the offer was sweet. “Thank you, Vivian.”

After he left the house, he got into his car to drive home. He had a lot to think about. And he couldn’t help feeling a surge of anger toward Vanessa Shaw.
He’d forgotten she was studying to be a psychologist. She’d make a good one, he remarked to himself. She’d certainly found the right button to push and he’d done exactly what she wanted.

Normally he wasn’t that easily manipulated. Dinner Wednesday evening wouldn’t be exactly as she’d envisioned it.

He hit a button on his cell phone.

A silky voice answered. “Hello.”

“Sharon, it’s Rick.”

“Oh, hi, lover. I missed you tonight.”

He chuckled. That was her standard greeting, though he seldom saw her because of his travels. “Good. I’m having an intimate dinner party on Wednesday evening at seven. It will just be you, my sister and her guardian. Can you make it?”

“I didn’t know you had a sister. But of course I’ll be glad to come. I’m delighted to finally meet your family.”

“Good. I’ll see you then.”

He shut off the cell phone, thinking about what she’d meant. When it hit him that Sharon thought he was getting serious about her, he almost stomped on the brakes. Damn! He’d let Vanessa get under his skin and trick him into doing the right thing. Then he’d tried to outsmart her, and now look at the mess he was in.

Sharon was a good date, presentable, sophisticated. She didn’t require a lot of maintenance, either.
But he, unlike his father, did not intend to be caught by a pretty face or a good body. His stepmother had taught him that lesson.

Should he call Sharon back and cancel? No, he needed protection from Vanessa.

What was he thinking? He didn’t need protection from any woman! He could handle himself…couldn’t he?

T
HE EFFECT
R
ICK’S INVITATION
had on Lindy was remarkable. She always seemed to be smiling. And thinking about Wednesday. Monday, after a relaxing weekend, she announced, “It’s only two days until Wednesday.”

Vanessa looked up in surprise. “Well, yes, Wednesday is always two days after Monday, Lindy.”

“Yes, but we don’t always have an invitation to Rick’s for dinner, you know.”

“Ah, yes, I forgot about that.” At Lindy’s alarmed look, she hastily added, “Temporarily, of course. I have it written in my day planner.”

“Oh, good. I was thinking maybe I could wear my new pink dress.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“What will you wear?”

“Me? I don’t think it matters what I wear. Rick will be focused on you, not me.”

Lindy kept her head down, saying nothing for several minutes, but Vanessa waited patiently.

“Maybe…maybe Rick only invited me so you’d come,” she finally said, almost in a whisper.

Vanessa put her arm around the young girl. “I can guarantee you that’s not the case. Don’t even give it another thought.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. I think he realized he should be there the first time you come back to the family home. That’s what his father would’ve wanted—Let me rephrase that. That’s what
your
father would’ve wanted.”

Tears filled Lindy’s eyes. “I can’t really remember him,” she confessed. “When I think about him, I remember how he made me feel, rather than what he looked like.”

“Don’t you have a picture of him?” Vanessa asked, shocked.

“No. Mom didn’t have any pictures of him. I asked her once, but she said no.”

“Maybe while we’re over there Rick will let you have a picture of your father.”

“Do you think he might? I’d like that.”

Vanessa made a mental note to call Rick later, when Lindy wasn’t around.

Just then, the phone rang downstairs, which meant it was for her parents. Vanessa ignored it. Betty would answer it if her mother wasn’t available. To her surprise, Betty called up the stairs for her.

“Excuse me, Lindy. I’ll go see what Betty wants.”

She quickly ran down the stairs to the kitchen.

“Vanessa. Your sister is on the line, wanting to know if Lindy could baby-sit tonight,” Betty said. “She didn’t want to call on your line because she figured Lindy would hear the conversation. She thought you should decide if you thought it was okay before she talked to Lindy.”

“Oh. I’d better talk to her.” She went to the phone in the library. “Becca? It’s Vanessa. You need Lindy for tonight?”

“Yes. Jeff wants me to accompany him to dinner with one of his clients. We’ll be home before ten. Do you think Lindy could baby-sit?”

“She probably could, but you could bring the kids over here.”