Читать книгу Treasure Creek Dad - Terri Reed - Страница 9

Not sure what to think of her sister’s sudden and unexpected appearance after so many years away, Casey asked, “What are you doing here?”

Raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow, Amelia said, “Hello to you, too, sis.”

“Sorry. Hi.” Casey gave Amelia an awkward hug.

As Amelia released Casey, she tugged on Casey’s short ponytail. “I came for our class reunion, of course. And because I saw that wonderful article about Treasure Creek and all the hunky bachelors.” She slid a glance toward Jake.

A wave of irritation crashed over Casey, but with Jake watching, she choose to ignore the reminder of that awful article, as well as her sister’s condescending action and the tone that suggested Casey should have known why she’d returned.

But how could Casey possibly know her twin would come back for the reunion, when Amelia hadn’t even RSVPed? Since Casey was on the reunion decoration committee even though she wasn’t planning to attend, she’d heard all about how her sister hadn’t responded yet. “The reunion’s not for another three weeks.”

Amelia shrugged and said, in an airy tone, “I had some vacation time I needed to use or lose, so I thought I’d come early.”

“Okay.” That sounded reasonable. Or did it?

If it were anyone other than Amelia, Casey would believe the explanation. But this was Amelia talking—the girl who had left two days after they’d graduated from high school, loudly proclaiming she couldn’t wait to get as far away as she could from Treasure Creek. She’d ended up in San Francisco. Back to the place where they were born.

Over the last decade, though she called every few weeks, she’d come back only twice. Each time staying no more than a couple of days before declaring she couldn’t take another minute in this small town. So why the sudden need to return? And from the sound of it, for an extended stay.

Casey knew she should be glad to see her sister, but for some reason, Amelia’s presence only stirred up annoyance. How awful was that? Guilt curled in Casey’s belly, making her breakfast churn.

A chiming noise emanated from Amelia’s purse. She stuck her hand inside and silenced the cell phone.

“You’re not going to answer that?” Casey asked, curious as to why she wouldn’t.

“No.” Amelia turned her red, glossy smile on Jake. “Jake Rodgers, right?” She held out her soft-looking, manicured hand. “I remember you. You were ahead of us by a couple of years.” Her gaze slid speculatively to Casey and then back to Jake. “I didn’t know you two were friends.”

The insinuation in her voice grated across Casey’s nerves. “He’s my client,” she said, trying to keep impatience out of her tone.

Jake briefly shook her offered hand. “Nice to meet you, Amelia. I take it you don’t live in Treasure Creek anymore.”

“Oh, please. No, I flew the coop after graduation. Just like you. I ended up in San Francisco. I manage a department store now,” she said, with obvious pride in her voice. “Where did you end up?”

“The windy city of Chicago.”

“Ah. And now you’re back.” Her dark eyes took on a predatory gleam. “For how long?”

Casey clenched her jaw at her sister’s obvious ploy. Amelia liked her men rich, which Jake Rodgers definitely was.

“Permanently,” Jake stated, firmly. “I’m taking over the family business.

“How interesting.” She glanced at Casey. “So you’re hiring my sis to take you on a wilderness tour? Very exciting.”

Jake flashed a grin at Casey. “Yes, I am. We were discussing the details.”

Amelia bumped Casey with her shoulder. “I’ve always wanted to take one of sis’s tours, but have never had the time. Until now.”

Right. Like Casey believed that. Her prissy sister wouldn’t last ten minutes out in the Alaskan wilderness. Needing to get her sister out of her hair so she could finish up with Jake, Casey dug her house keys from the side pocket of her hiking pants and held them out. “Why don’t you take my keys and head to the house? You can unpack and unwind. I’ll be home later.”

Ignoring the dangling keys hanging from Casey’s finger, Amelia pinned her with a challenging look. “I’d really like to hear about this tour. When are you going?” She slanted a coy glance at Jake. “Is there room for one more?”

“We haven’t firmed up the particulars. We were talking about leaving this coming Monday.” Jake tilted his head and shifted his gaze to Casey. “I’m open to having a group tour.”

Dread sluiced through Casey like a dam bursting. Gritting her teeth in a semblance of what she hoped was a smile, Casey said to Jake, “That’s very generous of you.” To her sister, she said, “Amelia, it’s a backpacking trip. You know? Hiking through the woods, climbing over rough terrain, camping out, carrying your own equipment.”

“Oh, how rugged that sounds.” Amelia grinned, flashing her even, blindingly white teeth. “I love it. Count me in.”

“Great.” Just great…not.

Well, so much for finding out if she had a shot with Jake. With Amelia around, Casey didn’t stand a chance. For as long as Casey could remember, people gravitated to Amelia, leaving Casey to follow in her shadow. Why would Jake be any different?

It was just as well, Casey reasoned. She had experienced too much loss to ever want to risk her heart to love again.

Not even for the handsome, charming Jake Rodgers.

“No way. That sounds horrible.”

Jake stared at his daughter slouched on the navy leather couch of his parents’ home. She hadn’t even looked up from the fashion magazine in her lap when he’d told her of the plans. She just kept cutting away with the scissors. Strewn all over the couch were cutouts from the various magazines stacked on the floor. Veronica dreamed of being a fashion model or designer or some such. She pasted the cutouts onto a big piece of poster board in her room.

His jaw tightened and he tried to keep impatience from edging his tone. “This isn’t up for debate, Veronica. We are going on this backpacking trip next week.”

She snapped the magazine closed and rose to her feet. Tall for her age, she was willowy, with porcelain features like her mother. Her straight, strawberry-blond hair fell past her shoulders. “Fine. Whatever. Like I have any choice.”

“You have a choice—to enjoy this trip. Or you can choose to be miserable. You are in control of your attitude.”

The tight-leg designer jeans and frilly blouse she wore had been purchased back in Chicago, where they were the norm. Here in Treasure Creek, she looked out of place. The other kids Jake had seen around town wore more rugged clothing, better suited to life in Alaska. “Why don’t we go shopping for more appropriate attire for the trip? You’ll need some sweatshirts, T-shirts and jeans you can actually move in.”

“Dad!” She rolled her hazel eyes, gathered her clippings, and stomped out of the living room and down the hall to her bedroom, which used to be Jake’s when he was a teen. He now slept in the guest room. He cringed when Veronica slammed the door shut. Should he discipline her for the rude behavior?

He wished kids came with a manual. Being a single parent wasn’t exactly how he’d planned his life. But Natalie was gone, so he was doing the best he could.

Was he making a mistake to insist on the trip? It had seemed like such a good idea when Reed suggested it. After talking with Casey, whose friendly demeanor and down-to-earth attitude had been a refreshing change from the city women he’d become accustomed to, he’d been convinced he was making the right decision. Especially after Casey’s sister had shown up wanting to be a part of the tour.

Here were two very different women, yet each seemed so confident and successful. Surely the influence of these two contrasting females would be a good thing for Veronica.

And Jake had to admit, from the moment he’d seen Casey Donner in the reflection of the window in the reception room, looking so adorable in cargo pants, a form-fitting zip-up jacket and with her dark hair pulled back from her unadorned face, he’d been intrigued.

Most females looked at him with dollar signs in their eyes, just as Amelia Donner had the second she’d walked into the tour company office. But not Casey.

There had been such lively intelligence in Casey’s dark eyes. And when she’d looked him up and down, assessing his stamina for the backpacking trip and finding him wanting, he’d been swamped with the need to prove her wrong. A sensation he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

“Did you put Reed up to suggesting me to Jake for this tour?” Casey asked, watching her friend, Amy, closely over the expanse of the oak desk in her boss’s office. This was the first opportunity Casey had had to talk alone with Amy since yesterday.

Amy blinked, her blues eyes guileless. “No. Why would you think I had?”

Feeling guilty for suspecting her friend of pitying her, Casey said, “It just was so out of the blue.”

Mouth quirking, Amy said, “Like your sister’s return was out of the blue?”

“Yeah. What’s up with that? She said she’s here for the reunion. But three weeks early? Something’s up.”

“Have you asked her about it?”

“Not really,” Casey said, a bit sheepishly. “We don’t have the kind of relationship that most twins do. Or at least, we haven’t since we moved to Alaska. Everything changed. She shut me out.”

“That must have hurt,” Amy said, in a gentle tone. It had.

“I got over it.”

Amy steepled her fingers on the desk. “Her joining the Rodgers tour might be a really good thing, then. You two might grow closer.”

Of course Amy would think of the situation as an opportunity for the sisters to bond. Amy was an idealist in many ways. Casey, not so much.

“It’s just so infuriating that my sister would weasel her way in like this,” Casey said, sure that Amelia’s motivation had nothing to do with a desire to be out in nature and everything to do with Jake. Not that that was any of Casey’s concern. “Who is Amelia kidding? She’ll hate it and make everyone miserable.”

Amy slipped off her serviceable clogs and propped her sock-clad feet on the arm of her chair. Little penguins, dressed in frilly outfits, marched up the sides of her long, white socks and disappeared beneath the legs of Amy’s khaki pants. “Give her a chance. She may have changed.”

Casey scoffed. “If the way Amelia’s taken over the house is any indication, no, she hasn’t. Her stuff is everywhere.” Jamming her hands into the pockets of her hooded sweatshirt, Casey slunk further in her chair. “My bathroom now reeks of some flowery perfume that makes me sneeze every time I go in.”

“She does kind of apply a lot,” Amy said, with a grin. “But a stinky sister isn’t what’s really bothering you, is it?”

It was so like Amy to see to the heart of a matter. Casey groaned. “No, it isn’t.”

“Come on, tell me,” Amy cajoled.

“It’s just that article and…oh, I don’t know.” She hated to come across as whiney and ungrateful. How did she explain this growing discontentment gnawing away at her nicely ordered life?

It wasn’t even the fact that she was the brunt of so many jokes since that article came out—though the snickering was getting old. What bothered her most was that, deep inside she felt hollow, empty. Like something was missing.

Her gaze snagged on a framed photo of Amy and her late husband, Ben, and their two boys. What a beautiful family. They looked so happy.

That’s what Casey wanted. A family of her own. A love like Amy and Ben had shared. She held tight to the knowledge that their love proved love existed.

An uninvited memory escaped from the recesses of her mind and tore across her brain, reminding her that love came with a price. A price she’d paid once. A price that left her wounded and discouraged.

She slapped the memory down and stuffed it back into its box inside her head, and refocused on the grief of her friend’s loss.

Amy searched her face, as if she sensed her pain. “I’m sorry that article has caused you hurt.”

Casey waved away Amy’s self-imposed guilt. “I don’t blame you. And it’s really the truth. I’m ‘one of guys.’” She made air quotes to emphasize her words.

“A role that you’ve perpetuated. You keep everyone at arm’s length. I think it’s time for you to stop keeping yourself so isolated. Be open to a relationship.”

“But the risk is too great,” Casey murmured. She didn’t want to lose someone she loved again. She’d lost her parents, Uncle Patrick and, essentially, Amelia. Another name floated into her consciousness. She ignored it.

Amy gave her a sad, direct look and said softly, “I know. But the risk is worth it, Casey. I wouldn’t trade one single ounce of heartache if it meant not having ever loved Ben.”

Ouch. Direct hit. “Just rip my heart out and feed it to me, why don’t you, Amy?”

Amy’s lips twitched. “Hey, if you didn’t want the truth, you wouldn’t be sitting here.”

Casey sighed. “I know. You’ve never pulled any punches with me, and I appreciate it.”

“Jake Rodgers doesn’t think of you as ‘one of the guys,’” Amy stated, with a curving of her lips, as she mimicked Casey’s air quotes.

“Not yet, maybe, but give him time.” Casey rolled her eyes. “I’m not his type, anyway.”

“And you know this how?”

“He’s a city guy now, regardless that he was born here. And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly a beauty queen. Amelia’s more his type. Glamor and glitz. Besides,” Casey pointed out, “he’s a single dad trying to raise his daughter. What do I know about kids?”

Amy gave her a chiding look. “Casey, you’re great with kids. The boys love you. And you’ve dealt with children on several tours and did great, so don’t use his daughter as an excuse to keep him at arm’s length.”

“But I’m no good at the dating thing.” She cringed, remembering the last date she’d been on.

Bucky Holland, the town’s mechanic and one of the town’s many bachelors, had invited her to dinner at Martelli’s, a fancy grill in town. Casey had looked forward to the date with hopeful anticipation. Maybe this time a date would end differently.

But the evening had consisted of forced conversation and awkward silences. When he dropped her off and roared away in his big rig—faster than if a bear had been chasing him—she’d decided dating wasn’t her thing.

“Just be yourself, Casey. If a relationship with Jake or any other man is part of God’s plan for your life, then everything will work out, regardless of your sister or that article.”

Tugging on her bottom lip, Casey wished she shared Amy’s convictions. But trusting God was something Casey couldn’t do. Not ever again. A blast of anger blew through her. She’d trusted that God would answer her prayers and make Uncle Patrick well. God hadn’t. She’d trusted God to protect her heart when Seth came into her life. Another prayer ignored.

There was a knock at the door. “Come in,” Amy called.

Rachel stepped inside. “The police chief is here to see you, Amy.”

“Tell Reed I’ll be a moment longer,” Amy said, her voice taking on a slight edge.

Anticipation? Or irritation?

When Rachel shut the door, Casey raised an eyebrow. “A social call?”

Amy brushed a lock of red hair back behind her ear. Beneath her smattering of freckles, a blush brightened her cheeks. “No. We don’t have that kind of relationship. I’m sure there’s some official reason he’s stopping by.”

Glancing at the photo on the desk, Casey knew Ben would want Amy to find love again. Rising from her seat, Casey said, “He’s a good man, Amy. Ben wouldn’t mind.”

Amy frowned, as a shadow of sorrow passed over her expression. “Now who’s ripping whose heart out?”

Casey held up her hands in a show of entreaty. “Sorry. Not another word.”

“Thank you.” Amy rose and rounded the desk, to put her arm around Casey’s shoulders. “It’s all going to work out. Be open to what God has in store for you.”

Casey hugged Amy for a moment, thankful to have such a wise and gracious friend. After Patrick died, Amy and her late husband had taken Casey under their wing. Casey would be forever grateful to Ben James for taking a chance and hiring her as a wilderness guide. She missed him, as did everyone in Treasure Creek. He’d been the mayor as well as the owner of Alaska’s Treasures.

His death had been a tragic accident. Ben had been trying to save the life of a client during a dangerous rapids trip and lost his life for the effort. Reed Truscott had witnessed the devastating event. Perhaps that was the tension Casey always sensed between Amy and Reed.

As Casey left Amy’s office, she glanced at her watch and decided she could still get a ten-mile run in before she went home. She met Reed in the hall. “Hey, Chief. Thank you for recommending me to Jake Rodgers.”

Reed nodded in acknowledgement but didn’t slow down. “No thanks necessary. You’ll be good for Jake.” He disappeared inside Amy’s office.

Okay. Not the most cordial person, but he got the job done. Just why did Chief Truscott think Casey would be good for Jake?

Casey opened the front door to the small A-frame house that she’d lived in since she’d first come to Alaska twenty-two years ago. To a little girl who’d just lost her parents, the house had seemed big and strange, so very different than her parents’ turn-of-the-century town house in the heart of San Francisco. Now the A-frame was comfortable, her safe haven.

At least it had been, until Amelia returned.

Casey stepped across the threshold to the darkened living room and tension crept up her neck. Had Amelia left as mysteriously as she’d returned?

A movement to her right jolted her system. She pivoted, prepared to defend herself against an attack. But none came.

She reached out to flip on the light switch. The table lamp by the couch glowed, throwing shadows around the room. Casey blinked as her eyes adjusted. Her sister sat in the rocker by the window.

A sense of déjà vu swept over Casey. Many times, when Casey and Uncle Patrick had returned from some adventure out in the wilderness, they would find Amelia quietly sitting in the rocker, waiting for them as she now waited for Casey. Casey had never understood why Amelia had chosen to stay home alone while she and Patrick went exploring.

Were those tears wetting her sister’s lashes? “Amelia? Are you okay?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” Amelia snapped, and rose from the chair to glide past Casey toward the kitchen. She wore a turquoise top with a matching skirt that flowed with each step. “Dinner is ready.”

Casey closed the front door and went to the sink to wash her hands. “Thanks for cooking. You know, you don’t have to take care of me.”

“I know I don’t have to,” Amelia said as she set on the table a plate with little canapés. “But what else is there to do in this town but cook? Besides, I didn’t make anything fancy, because your cupboards are pathetic.”

“I haven’t gone shopping this week.” Taking the seat opposite Amelia, Casey eyed the plate of crostini topped with pepperoni and stuffed olives. This was dinner? Casey’s stomach growled. “And there’s plenty to do.”

“Like?”

The ring of Amelia’s cell phone drew Casey’s attention. Amelia didn’t move. “Aren’t you going to pick up?”

Amelia made a face. “No.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Casey asked, wondering at her sister’s odd behavior.

“No.” Amelia made a rolling gesture with her hand. “You were saying what there was to do in town.”

Pursue Jake?

Not wanting to put that idea into Amelia’s head, Casey said, “You could browse the shops. Take a walk. Volunteer to help with the reunion committee.”

Amelia plucked a crostini from the plate and held it between her two fingers as if she were holding fine china. “Now, that sounds perfect for my skill set. Who do I talk to about helping with the committee?”

“Renee Haversham. I can introduce you when we get back from our backpacking trip.” Casey searched her sister’s face closely. In some ways it was like looking in a mirror, but not. To Casey, Amelia’s pale complexion was flawless, her eyes bluer and her features better proportioned. Was it any wonder people, men especially, gravitated to Amelia? “Unless you’ve changed your mind about going?”

“No, I haven’t.” Amelia peered at her just as closely. “You don’t want me to go, do you?”

Stalling as she tried to think how best to answer her twin, Casey popped a crostini into her mouth and chewed slowly. After she’d swallowed and taken a sip of water, she said, “It’s not that I don’t want you to go—I just can’t see you enjoying backpacking.”

With a shrug, Amelia said, “We’ll see. Having Jake Rodgers along should be interesting. I understand he’s available.” She rubbed her hands together. “One of those bachelors that magazine talked about.”

Casey’s stomach clenched, and it wasn’t from the spicy pepperoni. “He’s single.”

“Divorced,” she corrected. “And rich. Just the kind of guy I like.”

The speculative gleam in her twin’s gaze made Casey’s mouth go dry. She took a quick sip of water before saying, “Amelia, don’t play with Jake’s affections. He’s struggling right now to raise his daughter. He doesn’t need you coming on strong with no intention of following through.”

Amelia’s expression darkened. “How do you know I wouldn’t follow through?”

“You left a string of broken hearts behind when you charged out of Treasure Creek.” And who knew how many men she’d caught and thrown away in San Francisco? Every time Amelia called home, she’d spoken of someone new. “You never follow through. At least not when it comes to love.”

“Oh, and you’re some expert? When have you ever been in love?”

The barb hit home. “Seth Davenport,” Casey replied just a tad too defensively for her liking.

Amelia scoffed. “Right. You had one date with the nerd. That doesn’t qualify.”

It had been more than just one date. But Casey wasn’t about to share with her twin the intimate details of her disastrous romance, though she cringed to associate the nicety of romance with what had transpired between her and Seth.

Switching gears to keep the focus off herself, Casey said, “Why are you really home?”

Amelia arched one perfectly waxed eyebrow—her signature expression that drove Casey nuts. “Excuse me?”

Casey reached across the table and took Amelia’s hand. “Don’t pretend not to understand me. Why did you return home so early? And why were you crying when I came in?”

Her expression shut down as she extracted her hand from Casey’s hold. “I’ll leave if you don’t want me here.”

Frustration bounced around Casey’s chest. Amelia always did that—twisted Casey’s words around and used them against her. “I didn’t say that.”

“Good.” Amelia took her plate to the sink and began doing the dishes, leaving Casey’s questions un answered.

Her sister was hiding something. Casey wasn’t sure how to get Amelia to open up. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to try. Amy’s voice rang in her head, urging her to give Amelia a chance. They might grow closer. Maybe close enough for Amelia to confide in her. Because whatever Amelia wasn’t saying was upsetting her.