Mirror Image Bride - Barbara McMahon Mills & Boon Love Inspired

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But their relationship had never felt totally right. He’d been a friend whom she’d dated for months. When he proposed, she accepted, hoping her feelings would strengthen to be what she thought a wife should feel for a husband.

      What did she know? Her mother had died when she’d been five. Her father had never remarried. So she only saw married couples from a distance. Their widowed housekeeper, Rachel, had raised her and her brothers. Still, she was never able to envision herself living with Landon. She’d somehow known from the beginning the two of them wouldn’t make it.

      He was a great guy, and she was delighted he’d found his true love with Violet.

      Maddie once again pushed away the thought of Belle Colby. She had had weeks to get used to the idea that the woman was her mother. Yet the only interaction they’d had was when Maddie went to visit her with Violet. Despite Belle’s grim prognosis, Violet remained hopeful for recovery. Maddie spoke to her, prayed with her sister for her healing, but still she felt nothing of Belle to connect her as her mother.

      She’d seen photographs of Belle with Violet and Jack from when they’d been little. There was no doubt they were her children, which had to mean she and Grayson were also her children. But the instant rapport she’d yearned for wasn’t there. Not as it had been with Violet.

      “Can we ride a horse?” Darcy asked, interrupting her ruminations.

      “We can ask your dad. I’m sure he’ll want you to learn to ride.”

      “Then I could ride everywhere,” Darcy said, coming to stand beside Maddie. “Can you ride?”

      “Not very well.”

      “Maybe he can teach you, too,” she said, heading out of the barn.

      Maddie smiled at that suggestion. She doubted Ty wanted to spend a minute more with her than he had to. But she had enough questions to ask him when he got home.

      She smiled in anticipation. It would give her another reason to spend a bit more time with Ty—and the confusing feelings she had for him. She could hardly wait.

      Chapter Two

      By lunchtime, Maddie was glad to leave the barn area and return to Ty’s air-conditioned house.

      “Thank You, Lord, for this,” she murmured as she and Darcy entered.

      “What?” Darcy asked, looking up at her.

      “I’m giving a thanks prayer to the Lord for the coolness,” she said.

      “Oh.” Darcy was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Can you ask God why my mommy died?”

      “Honey, it was a terrible accident.” Maddie gave her a quick hug.

      From what she’d learned from Violet, the drunk driver had come from a side street and T-boned the driver’s side of Brittany Parker’s car, killing her instantly. Maddie was thankful Darcy had not been in the car.

      She released Darcy with a pat on her shoulder. “You’re with your dad now, he’ll take good care of you.”

      “Mommy said my dad was dead.”

      “He wasn’t. He’s been here all along, waiting for you to come live with him,” Maddie said, wondering how to explain things to the child when she herself didn’t understand his ex-wife’s behavior.

      “Why didn’t he ever come visit me? Especially at Christmas. My grandmama and grandpa always come to visit at Christmas. It’s time for family.”

      “He didn’t know where you lived.”

      Darcy considered that for a moment, then shrugged. “I don’t like it here. When can I go home?”

      “This is your home now,” Maddie said as they headed for the kitchen.

      “No, it’s not. I live at 2733 Aspen Street, Houston, Texas.”

      “That’s the home you had with your mom. Now you live here with your dad.” Maddie switched gears to try to lift the girl’s mood. “Let’s eat lunch and we can talk about what you want to do this afternoon.”

      “Are you going to spend the afternoon with me?”

      “I am. In fact, I’m going to be watching you during the day while your dad’s working. How’s that?”

      Darcy shrugged, pulling her mouth down. “Okay, I guess.”

      What a ringing endorsement, Maddie thought, but tried not to feel discouraged.

      She glanced through the wide window over the sink when she stepped into the kitchen. She loved the beautiful view.

      “What would you like for lunch?” Maddie asked, rummaging around, looking for bread and dishes.

      “Peanut butter and grape jam. He bought some grape jam for me ’cause I like it.”

      “He?” Maddie asked.

      “You know, my dad,” Darcy said in a quiet voice.

      Maddie wondered what Darcy was thinking. So far she hadn’t heard the child refer to Ty as anything but “he.”

      Darcy sat at the big, farm-style table, kicking the legs of the chair as she watched Maddie open cupboard doors and look into the refrigerator. By the time Maddie had found all she needed, Darcy had regained her more chatty nature. She talked about the pigs and the chickens and the goat and the fact Violet grew vegetables. That seemed to fascinate her. To Darcy, produce came from the grocery store, not the ground.

      “When we finish eating we’ll check out supplies and plan on what to have for supper,” Maddie said, finding the silverware drawer.

      “Are you going to cook our supper?” Darcy asked.

      “I am. And breakfast in the morning.”

      “He gets up very early,” Darcy said.

      “Hmmm, maybe you and I don’t need to get up that early. Shall we ask? I mean, it’s not like we have to get riding before it gets hot or have hours of work in front of us.”

      She needed to talk to Ty to see what he expected. Maybe he’d want her there for breakfast each morning. Getting up early wasn’t her favorite thing to do, but it would be worth it to see Ty first thing each morning. Was his attitude softening toward her? She considered it might be wishful thinking, but she was holding on to the thought.

      Once she knew what he expected, she could make plans accordingly. Maddie’s boss had always said she was an expert at that.

      Her former boss, she amended silently, feeling a pang that she wasn’t in Fort Worth, working frantically to get the next edition of Texas Today to bed. She missed the hectic atmosphere, the camaraderie of her coworkers. The sense of accomplishment when the issue was finally on its way to the stands.

      Sighing, she cut their sandwiches, poured milk and sat to eat. Another change in her topsy-turvy world.

      “What are we going to do this afternoon?” Darcy asked as she was finishing her sandwich.

      “How about some artwork? Did you bring any coloring books or crayons to color with?”

      Darcy shook her head. “The lady who came to tell my babysitter my mom was dead packed clothes and left everything else at our apartment. And she didn’t even pack my favorite dress.”

      “No toys or books or anything?”

      “I got to bring Teddy bear, that’s all,” Darcy said, kicking the legs of her chair again.

      Maddie had no idea how social services worked. Surely at some point the apartment had to be vacated for the next tenant. What would happen to all of Darcy’s things? And those of her mother? Surely they’d come to Darcy.

      Another item to discuss with Ty.

      Once they’d finished lunch, they walked

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