LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter Two

      Holly, on her flight to California, tried to ignore Mike in the first-class seat beside her. Yet he kept staring at her as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. He appeared amazed that she looked so much like Suzann. Holly had the sudden urge to stare right back.

      With his green eyes and blond hair, some might call Mike McDowell handsome. Holly saw him as conceited, condescending and a big phoney. During the last two weeks, the only time he’d been halfway civil was when her sister was around.

      A man like Mike probably expected every woman on the planet to fall down at his feet. He would be surprised if he knew how truly unimpressed Holly really was. She would definitely put Mike McDowell on her prayer list.

      Suzann had depicted Mike as charming, a sweetheart. Holly thought his congenial attitude was a facade to impress her wealthy sister. She intended to be courteous to Mike, but the friendship balls were all in his court.

      He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. “We’ll be landing in less than a hour, and I’m bushed. I haven’t had a day off in over two weeks. Sometimes I think Suzann forgets that she’s not my only client.”

      Holly didn’t feel like making a comment.

      “I hope you don’t mind,” he continued, “but I’ll be out of pocket for the next few days. So I won’t be able to take your phone calls.”

      She stared at him, unable to believe what she was hearing. “What?”

      “Now, hold on. Don’t blow this way out of proportion. You can still call me—just not right away. And whatever you do, don’t tell your sister.”

      “Now, let’s see. I don’t know a single person in California but you. And I’m pretending to be a movie star. So if a problem comes up, who should I call? Nine-one-one?”

      He laughed. “That sounds like something Suzann would say. I’m glad to see that you’re finally beginning to lighten up.”

      “And?”

      “I have someone in mind to take my place. You can call him anytime.” He handed her a calling card.

      Stunned, Holly shook her head. Then she glanced down at the white card. Turning it over, she read a name and a phone number. Dr. Shawn McDowell, Pediatrician.

      “Shawn’s my younger brother,” Mike said.

      “Does he know who I am?”

      “Not yet.”

      Her sister had said that nobody else in California was to know. But that was because Suzann assumed Holly could go to Mike for help. Did Mike intend to explain the situation to his brother? Or leave Holly dangling?

      If his past history symbolized his future acts, Mike planned to wash his hands of the entire matter. So far, he’d showed a complete lack of interest in doing anything he was hired to do.

      Holly was completely disillusioned long before her plane touched down at Los Angeles International. By the time the limo her sister rented arrived at Suzann’s hilltop mansion in southern California, Holly felt like Alice at the bottom of an extremely majestic rabbit hole.

      The house was done in shades of blue and off-white, suiting Holly’s tastes perfectly. She found antiques in almost every room—from France, Germany, England. Pewter goblets and bowls were everywhere. If I’m ever as rich as my sister, she thought, I’ll decorate my whole house just like this.

      Gertie, her sister’s round, jolly, Austrian housekeeper, and Gertie’s son, Buddy, gave Holly a warm “Welcome home.” But, of course, they thought she was Suzann. Bates, Suzann’s butler, driver and sometimes secretary, exhibited a more formal demeanor.

      When phone calls from Suzann’s numerous Hollywood friends started pouring in, she told Bates to say she was unavailable. Holly wasn’t ready to play “let’s pretend.”

      Shortly before lunch, she picked up her Bible and moved outdoors, settling into a reclining chair by the pool. She imagined what the pool might look like on a summer night, the blue water all lighted up and inviting. The surrounding lawn looked smooth and green, with rows of tropical plants lining the rustic, cedar fence.

      The setting was lovely. However, she’d never felt lonelier nor more out of place. Her old life in Texas hadn’t prepared her for the fast lane. For all the help her childhood experiences on a Texas ranch gave her, she might as well be living on another planet.

      But she’d see this through, no matter what. Without the opportunity to spend time in a Bible-believing church environment, Suzann might never find the Lord.

      She’d questioned whether or not she should phone Suzann and tell her about Mike. Sure, he’d asked Holly not to tell her sister that he wouldn’t be taking her calls, but Holly never promised she wouldn’t.

      The unmistakable scent of cucumbers reminded her that she was hungry. She selected a sandwich from the tray Gertie placed beside her chair. The crunchy cucumber and taste of mayo fill her mouth. The sandwich was certainly palatable, but Holly would have preferred a cheeseburger and fries. She put down the sandwich and reached for her Bible.

      After reading for half an hour, she prayed. Finally, she relaxed. She was about to close her eyes and take a quick nap when a man she didn’t know opened the yard gate and started toward her.

      Holly jerked to a sitting position.

      The man looked to be in his early thirties. He wasn’t tall—probably not more than five-eight—and his close-cropped hairstyle framed a rugged-looking face that few would call handsome. Yet Holly saw a kindness in that face. Somehow with a simple glance, he managed to put her at ease.

      “Where did you come from?” she asked.

      “I’m sorry, Miss Condry, if I scared you. But my brother, Mike, asked me to stop by. Your maid said I’d find you here.”

      His deep voice was as comforting as his warm, open gaze.

      Relief surged through her. “Oh, yes. He mentioned you.” She forced a pleasant expression. “You’re the pediatrician.” She offered him her hand.

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