Mirror Image Bride (Love Inspired) Read online

  “Things went okay. I’ll probably be eating most of my meals there with Darcy. Which is fine with me. It gives me a chance to cook.” Maddie crossed to the sofa and sat beside her twin. “Where’s Landon?”

  “On some phone call he couldn’t miss.”

  Since Landon and Violet had become engaged, he split his time between the ranch and Fort Worth, where he worked. He was currently overseeing plans to remodel the guesthouse on the ranch and talked about moving his company here permanently after they were married. At one time, it was odd for Maddie to imagine Landon living away from the hustle and bustle of Fort Worth. But he’d changed since falling in love with her sister. She prayed everything would work out for the best for them both.

  “What can you tell me about Ty that would help me?” she asked.

  When Violet had introduced her to all the ranch hands her first few days visiting, she’d said he’d worked for them for eight years. She had to know more than Maddie did.

  “He’s a good worker. Has a quick mind and is practical. Gets on with the men.”

  “That doesn’t tell me a lot. I could have guessed that by his position. I mean, tell me more about him as Darcy’s dad so I know how to help with his daughter.”

  Violet thought a moment. “I don’t know a lot about him, outside of how he works around the ranch. He used to ride rodeos, but got hurt and stopped. He keeps to himself a lot. He became a Christian shortly after starting work here. I don’t ever remember hearing he was dating anyone.” She shrugged. “I think you should check with Jack—he knows him better. A guy thing, I guess.”

  Maddie wasn’t as comfortable around Jack as she was around Violet. Still, this was for Darcy’s benefit. Maybe she could catch him in a talkative mood one of these days. If he hung around the ranch for longer than a day at a time.

  Jack had been gone frequently since she’d arrived. He used the fact that he was doing construction work on one of the parcels of the ranch a distance away from here as an excuse for being MIA.

  But she knew there was more to it than that. Clearly, the change wasn’t any easier on him than on her.

  “Ty and I’ll be taking Darcy into town tomorrow to buy clothes more suitable for a ranch. I thought I’d pick up some for myself while I’m there,” Maddie said.

  “You know you’re welcome to borrow anything of mine you like,” Violet said.

  Maddie had already borrowed jeans and old boots the few times she’d ventured out on a horse. She liked her clothes better, but they were very impractical on the dusty ranch.

  “I know, thanks. But it’s time to get some of my own.”

  “Stop in at the Simmons Coffee Shop for lunch. Darcy’ll like that. Then try the feed store. It carries a lot of Western clothes and boots and hats. All sizes and the prices are reasonable. Otherwise, if you shop at Campbells, the other clothing store in town, you’ll find the prices higher than really warranted.”

  “Want to go in with us?” It would make things easier with Ty if she had a buffer.

  “I would, but I was there today. I’m visiting Mom tomorrow. Speaking of which, did you reach your dad yet?”

  “Nope, mailbox full, still not answering.” Maddie looked at her. “And isn’t he our dad?”

  * * *

  Shortly before noon the next day, Ty, Maddie and Darcy entered the Simmons Coffee Shop on Main Street. Maddie was still mildly surprised to find it was larger inside than it looked from the street. Tables, booths and the counter all offered seating for customers. Ty chose a booth next to the window so Darcy could also look outside. He had her sit by the window and he slid onto the bench seat next to her. Maddie sat opposite.

  Gwen Simmons came over and handed them each a menu. “How are y’all doing today, Ty, Maddie? Can I get you something to drink?” the owner asked as she smiled at them.

  “Doing fine, you?” Ty replied.

  “Can’t complain, wouldn’t do any good if I did.” She smiled at Darcy. “And who is this fine young lady?”

  “My daughter, Darcy,” Ty said, opening the menu and avoiding Gwen’s surprised look.

  “Well, welcome to Grasslands, Darcy. You on a visit?”

  Darcy shook her head. “My mommy died, and now I live with him,” she said.

  Gwen glanced at Maddie, a questioning look in her expression.

  “I’m acting as nanny for the time being.”

  “I know Violet’s glad you’re staying longer,” Gwen said. The older woman seemed to know everyone in the place, and sounded as if she knew what was going on around town as well.

  Ty ordered iced tea. Maddie had the same and Darcy ordered chocolate milk. Once their lunch order was taken, Ty sat back and looked out the window.

  Maddie wished he’d initiate some kind of conversation. The silence stretched out as she gazed around the room, out the window.

  Okay, if he wouldn’t, then she would. “Do you come here often?”

  He looked at her, his dark eyes a rich, deep brown. She could look at him all day.

  “No. Usually working. Unless there’s a special reason to come into town at night, it’s easier to eat at home.”

  “I like it,” Darcy said. She smiled at Maddie and then looked at her father with hesitation. “It’s not so fancy like the restaurants Mom took me to. I had to be real careful and mind my manners.”

  “You have to mind your manners anywhere,” Ty reminded her.

  “Mmm,” she said, turning to look out the window again.

  When the bell over the door jangled, announcing another customer, Maddie looked around and saw Sadie Johnson. She waved at the new church secretary whom she’d met at church two weeks ago. Sadie nodded, hesitated a moment and then walked over.

  Maddie watched her and wondered why she always wore baggy clothing. She wasn’t overweight. And the big glasses could be swapped for a more stylish pair—or even contacts. Would Sadie be open to some well-meant suggestions?

  “Hi,” Sadie said with a shy smile.

  Ty slid out of the booth and stood. “Sadie,” he said.

  “Here for lunch, I see. Who’s this?” she asked, looking at Darcy.

  “My daughter, Darcy,” Ty responded. “Darcy, this is Sadie Johnson—she’s the church secretary.”

  “You’re new to town, too,” Maddie said with a friendly smile. “So am I and so is Darcy.”

  “We’re going shopping after lunch,” Darcy said.

  “That’ll be nice. Enjoy your lunch,” Sadie said with a timid smile. She turned and headed for the counter.

  Ty slid back onto the seat. “Guess Darcy and I need to start going to church come Sunday.”

  “Don’t you normally?” Maddie asked.

  He shrugged. “I try to make it most of the time. Sometimes there’re things at the ranch that need attention that can’t wait. Jeb’s a good preacher. First I’ve known.”

  This was more information than he’d revealed in all the short time she’d known him.

  “Why’s that?”

  “Didn’t know the Lord until a few years ago,” he said gruffly.

  Maddie wondered why that was. She couldn’t remember when she didn’t have a close relationship with Jesus. Rachel had not only been there to take care of them when their father was studying and working, she’d brought all of them to the Lord. What a blessing she’d been to Maddie’s life.

  “Can I get jeans and boots and a cowboy hat?” Darcy asked. “Then I’ll be ready to ride a horse.”

  Ty looked at her and nodded, his expression softening slightly. Maddie loved watching Ty interact with his daughter. Sometimes he looked baffled, other times charmed. She liked it most when he smiled—at Darcy or her. Especially when he smiled at her.

  Maddie wished she knew what to do to bring the two of them closer. Time would help. But it was hard to sit by and do nothing.

  Darcy looked at her. “If you buy boots and a hat, you can ride, too. He can teach you.”

  Ty looked at Maddie, a hint of amusement in his eyes.


  “That’s all it takes,” he said.

  Maddie laughed. “If only. I’ll see what’s there. No guarantee that because I dress the part, I’ll be a cowgirl,” she said to Darcy.

  Ty shook his head, the amusement vanishing. “No. Highly unlikely, I’d say.”

  Annoyed she’d said anything, Maddie didn’t know how to convince him he could trust her not to run back to Fort Worth anytime soon.

  Time would help with that as well.

  “Can we buy a storybook?” Darcy asked. “Maddie’s telling me the bestest story, but I want her to read me some books Mommy used to like,” Darcy said.

  “That can be arranged,” Ty said.

  Their food arrived and the next few minutes were devoted to eating.

  It was awkward being the only one making conversation, so Maddie was glad for the diversion of their lunch. Once finished, they’d be heading to the store.

  The Feed and Grain was on the edge of town. Ty turned into the huge gravel parking lot and pulled up to the wide wooden porch, which ran the full width of the building and contained stacked dog crates, rolls of wire fencing of various heights, a small enclosed area with baby chicks and an assortment of decorative items for a garden.

  To the side was a cavernous, barnlike warehouse loaded with hay, straw, alfalfa and brown sacks Maddie hadn’t a clue what they were. A forklift was maneuvering bales of hay into the back of a pickup.

  Inside, the building was clearly divided into clothing and items for livestock, fencing and chicken feed. They headed to the clothing side. Shelves reaching the ceiling held boxes of boots of all varieties and sizes, work shoes and cowboy hats. Racks of clothing included jeans, long, dark duster raincoats, colorful shirts in all sizes and denim jackets.

  “Wow,” Maddie said. “One-stop shopping for Western wear.”

  Ty looked at her, then around the store. “I’ve been shopping here the last eight years. Nothing fancy, but good, practical clothing. What size does she wear?” he asked, heading to the edge where children’s clothing was displayed.

  Maddie picked up his vibe—the sooner they got this over with, the sooner they could return home. “I don’t know. She’ll probably have to try a few things on so we can gauge that. Once we know her size, we can go from there.”

  The three of them looked at the different shirts. Maddie held several Darcy liked up to her, judging her size. Satisfied, she draped them over her arm. She thought these would fit the child. They moved on to jeans.

  Maddie could feel Ty’s impatience grow. He said nothing, but she could tell he didn’t like hanging around and discussing which jeans would fit and be suitable for the ranch. Maddie understood to a point. Jeans were jeans, but some were fancier than others. She hesitated over a pair that had rhinestones on the pocket. Somehow she couldn’t see Ty Garland being impressed. Not that she necessarily wanted to impress him. Well, maybe a little. Enough so he wouldn’t cast her in the same light as his ex-wife.

  Fortunately, Darcy liked the plain ones and soon she was trying clothes on in one of the dressing booths at the back of the store. Maddie, knowing her own size, grabbed a few items to try on as well.

  Ty leaned against one of the posts holding up the ceiling as he waited for the two to decide if they’d be buying the clothes they selected or not. He didn’t know about buying things for a little girl. Grateful for Maddie’s assistance, he couldn’t help wishing it took less time. When he needed new clothes, he came in, picked up an assortment and left. No trying-on needed.

  They still had boots and hats and maybe a jacket or two to get.

  When Darcy stepped out of the fitting room a minute later, he felt his heart catch. She looked adorable. The yellow top was perfect with her brown hair. The jeans made her look taller than he’d expected. It wouldn’t be too long before she grew up completely. For a moment he was shaken that he’d almost missed all this. Anger against Brittany burned.

  “Where’s Maddie?” she asked, looking around.

  “Right here,” she said, stepping out.

  He looked at her. For a moment she looked exactly like Violet—jeans, yellow shirt. She’d even pulled her hair behind her ears, which helped with the effect. She may look like Violet sometimes, but he could tell the difference in a heartbeat. Maddie was special, had a manner about her that he found intriguing and appealing. Like now—dressing the part for Darcy. Her sweetness was a balm to him after the hard ending to his marriage. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was a cowgirl from way back, dressed up for some rodeo event.

  He looked away. It was highly unlikely she’d ever remain on the ranch. She was a city girl looking for work. No use getting used to her being around. Though he couldn’t help stealing a quick glance as she had Darcy turn around, testing the fit at the shoulders and waist. “Perfect. Now that we know your size, we can buy more things without trying them on.”

  Darcy looked at her. “You look like Violet now,” she said, unconsciously echoing Ty’s thoughts.

  “I always look like her—we’re twins,” she said.

  Darcy shook her head. “Not with the other clothes. Now you look like you belong.”

  Maddie gave the child a hug. “Thanks. So do you.”

  “Looks can be deceiving,” Ty muttered.

  Maddie frowned. “Or not. I may not be a cowgirl from way back, but I can learn.”

  He shook his head. The jury was still out on that one.

  Once they each had a stack of clothes, they moved to try on hats. Fortunately there were a couple of small ones for Darcy, as the first one she tried on fell below her ears and completely covered her eyes.

  Boots proved the most difficult to buy. Explaining what to look for and how they should feel was a new experience for Ty. But he didn’t want either of them to have problems with the boots, so he took extra time and care to make sure they both got the best.

  It was late afternoon by the time they reached the ranch. Ty wanted to check on the men and see if there was anything crucial he needed to deal with, so he left the women at his place and headed out to the barn.

  He’d never gone shopping with girls before. He’d loved the expression on Darcy’s face when she saw herself completely clothed in jeans, shirt, boots and hat. She’d beamed her delight. He’d felt another clutch in his heart. He’d wanted to sweep her up into his arms, hug her, and promise to never let anything harm her.

  That would have freaked her out, he expected. She was still wary around him, as if she couldn’t believe he was truly her father. Who blamed her, after Brittany telling her for eight years that he was dead? She hadn’t even told Darcy his name. That hurt.

  Nothing he could do about the past. He had to move forward and hope before long she’d know they could make a happy family together.

  He had to hand it to Maddie. She smoothed everything. Acting as a kind of buffer between him and Darcy, she kept things on an even keel. For a moment he wished she wouldn’t return to Fort Worth. That she’d find her place here on the ranch. Frowning at the thought, he tried to banish it. He had work to do, not time to fantasize about a future that was never likely to materialize.

  Chapter Three

  Maddie and Darcy wore their new Western attire home, both pleased with their selections. They had unloaded the car and were already putting things away when Violet knocked on the door.

  “I saw you were home and wanted to see how it went,” she said. Then she laughed. “My favorite color is yellow,” she informed them, pointing to her pale yellow shirt. Maddie’s was the color of buttercups, Darcy’s a brighter yellow.

  “We look like an ad for butter,” Violet said, giving Maddie a hug. “Your shopping spree gives me hope that you’ll stay longer.”

  “I said I’ll be staying at least until Darcy starts school,” Maddie reminded her.

  “I know. And I’m hoping I can convince you to stay even longer.”

  “We’ve been through this. I need to work, and there aren’t a lot of publishing opportunities in
Grasslands.”

  “There could be other jobs. Never mind that now. I’m happy you bought the jeans and boots.” A mischievous glint filled her eyes. “Now we just need to get you comfortable riding,” Violet said.

  “We went riding,” Maddie protested. Granted, she couldn’t sit a horse like her twin, but then, she hadn’t been raised around horses since she was little.

  “I’m leaving the next stage to Ty. If he’s teaching Darcy, he can teach you,” Violet murmured.

  Maddie felt her adrenaline spike. If he had his way, he’d not only teach them to ride, he’d have them out on the back forty in no time, herding cattle, avoiding stampedes and fending off rustlers.

  She sighed. In for a penny, she thought.

  As it drew nearer to dinnertime, Maddie’s nerves grew more and more jangled. She’d already spent hours with Ty today. Yet she couldn’t help anticipating seeing him again. She’d felt a special connection today as they shopped for Darcy together. She was growing increasingly interested in the cowboy. She hoped he was changing his mind about her. She wasn’t just a city sophisticate. She fit on the ranch more and more each day.

  Two pairs of boots clomped around the kitchen as she and Darcy prepared dinner—tonight, a roast with all the trimmings. One thing she’d discovered was the huge freezer beside the back stoop filled with various cuts of meat. They’d not go hungry in this house.

  Darcy still wore her cowboy hat. She swaggered around, setting the table, and came over to Maddie several times to watch her.

  “Today was fun,” she said. “Do you think he’ll let us go riding after dinner?”

  “We’ll have to ask,” Maddie said. She wasn’t so sure she wanted riding lessons. What if she made a fool of herself in front of Ty?

  She heard his footsteps on the back porch and it was all she could do to continue slicing the fresh tomato she planned to have with their salads and not turn around to watch him enter. Every cell attuned to him, she tried to be as casual as she could be. But when she heard Darcy greet him, she spun around and added her greeting as well. She was uncertain where she stood with the man. But he fascinated her.