Mirror Image Bride (Love Inspired) Read online

  Maddie shifted and then sat up, her hat falling into her lap. “My one day off and I sleep through it,” she grumbled.

  He watched her come wide awake. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. Her chocolate-brown eyes sparkled. Her hair fell right into place, brushing against her shoulders, looking like fine silk. His fingers itched to touch it, to see if it was as thick and soft as it looked.

  “Only a short nap. Darcy’s not even bored yet,” he said.

  She looked around. “Where is she?”

  “Up a tree.”

  Spotting her, Maddie grinned. “That looks like fun.”

  “Ever climb one when you were a kid?”

  “Never had a tree big enough in the tiny yard we had.” She took a deep breath. “I like the smells out here. No exhaust and pollution. Still smells like cattle, though.”

  Ty felt a surge of yearning—to spend more Sunday afternoons with her, to be someone she wanted to spend her time with. He half turned from her lest the longing was reflected in his eyes. What happened to his belief she’d turn and run for the city at any moment? That was still a possibility, but somehow he was beginning to doubt she’d do such a thing.

  “It’s getting late. We should head back,” he said gruffly.

  “Okay. I thought we could cook steaks on the grill in back of your house. That way all I have to do is the salad and potatoes—I know better than to come between a man and his grill,” Maddie said on a teasing note.

  He wasn’t used to the teasing. He liked it.

  “Sounds like a plan. And after dinner, you and Darcy can continue those riding lessons. Today we could have gone farther had we been riding horses rather than in the truck.”

  “You’re on, cowboy. I can’t wait to ride like the wind.”

  * * *

  Once Darcy was in bed, Maddie told Ty good-night and walked back to the main house. She was hopeful Violet had found some notes or something her mom might have had concerning the picnic. And she wanted to study the folder Sadie had given her. So far she hadn’t had a moment to herself.

  Not that she minded. The day had been delightful from the inspiring message given by the pastor to the picnic lunch, to dinner in Ty’s backyard. For once Darcy had opened up a little, chatting about Rambo and the piglets. She’d even asked Ty a couple of questions, which he answered with as few words as possible.

  Maddie teased him once about considering the possibility of expanding his vocabulary. The teasing, amused look he’d given her had sent shivers up her back; she was thrilled to see a lighter side to the man. Which only made her more determined to get to know him better and see if she could coax that side out again.

  Once in the main house, she went directly to the office, surprised to find Violet sitting at the desk using the computer.

  “Hi,” Maddie said. “Where’s Landon?”

  “He had to go back. How was your day?”

  Maddie sat in the one comfortable chair and filled her in on her day.

  “Sounds like Ty’s making progress,” Violet said.

  “I guess.” Maddie nodded. “Did you find anything on the picnic?”

  “Yes, here’s the folder Mom had. But guess what else I found today?”

  Maddie reached for the folder, opening it to the neat notes Belle had written. She was struck by her neat handwriting. She touched the top paper, tracing her fingertip over the letters. She’d been to see Belle several times, talked to her, urged her to recover. This was her mother’s handwriting. She had written these words thinking she’d be coordinating the entire event. How Maddie wished Belle would recover and talk to her. Not only about the past and the choices she’d made, but about today, being involved in the church, running a ranch—no mean feat in this day and age.

  “Maddie,” Violet said, snapping her out of her reverie.

  She looked up. Her sister held out a Bible, white cover, gold edging on the pages.

  Maddie smiled. “Is that what you plan to carry when you and Landon get married?” she asked.

  Violet shook her head. “I found this in my car when I left church. And the note is identical to yours.”

  Maddie looked at her in disbelief. “You’re kidding.”

  Violet held out a sheet of paper, creased from being folded in the Bible. “Read it yourself and see.”

  I am sorry for what I did to you and your family. I hope you and your siblings, especially your twin, can forgive me as I ask the Lord to forgive me.

  “Wow, it looks exactly like mine. Wait.” Maddie dashed up to her room, found the Bible that had been left at her apartment weeks ago. As she hurried back, she pulled out the sheet of paper from the book. Together the twins looked at the pages side by side. Identical handwriting, identical words.

  “Who left it?” Maddie asked softly.

  “I have no idea. It was on the seat of the car when I left church. But I was talking with you and Sadie, and then the Mitchells and Pastor Jeb for a couple of minutes—so anyone at all could have walked by the car and tossed it in. The windows were rolled down.”

  “When I got mine, I had no idea I had a twin. Obviously, whoever is doing this knows about you, too,” Maddie said. “But what does it mean? Who was responsible for separating us when we were young? I don’t get it. And how did this person know we were twins before we did? Or where we lived?”

  “I have no idea. I’ve been racking my brain all afternoon trying to figure it out. I was even searching on the internet to see if this Bible came from a special place, but it’s a regular Bible, new obviously, but not particularly special in any way.”

  “Mine is rather nondescript as well.” Maddie sighed. “But let’s look at that photo again.”

  Violet had found an old grainy photograph in her mother’s hope chest a couple of weeks ago. A picture of a man and woman each holding a toddler and an infant. It had been faded and worn. Landon had taken it to have it enhanced for her. Once done, it clearly showed her mother and Brian standing in front of an older house, each holding identical boys and infant twins. And it had an address she’d traced to Fort Worth.

  Violet reached over and plucked it from the desk by the computer keyboard.

  “Now that we know the address is in Fort Worth, I think we need to go there and see if we can find out more about our family twenty-five years ago. There might be neighbors still living there who knew them—us.”

  Maddie stared at her for a moment, then nodded. “I think so, too. Jack needs to come with us. He wants answers as much as we do.”

  “Maybe more. He was always pestering Mom. Do you think Grayson would be around?” Violet asked.

  “Since I’ve left him half a dozen messages and not heard back, my guess is no. But he’ll call as soon as he gets off assignment. I don’t want to wait for him, though. Let’s go tomorrow.”

  Chapter Four

  Maddie, Violet, Jack and Darcy headed for Fort Worth early the next morning. Since the drive would take five hours, they’d made an early start. Maddie had assured Ty that she could watch his daughter as long as he gave permission for her to go with them. They would not be back before dinner, so he was on his own there.

  Jack drove with Violet beside him, and Maddie sat in the back with Darcy.

  “Why are we going?” the child asked again. Maddie had explained already at breakfast, but she didn’t mind responding again.

  “To see if we can discover anything about when we were babies.”

  She looked at Violet and then Maddie. “You’re twins. Ask your mother.”

  “Belle is our mother,” Violet answered. “Did you know she’s in the hospital and is in a coma? Do you know what a coma is?”

  Darcy shook her head.

  “The person’s unconscious. Can’t wake up,” Jack ground out. His sister looked at him with sympathy.

  “You can’t keep blaming yourself,” Violet said gently.

  “Why not, Vi? If I hadn’t kept pushing for answers, Mom would be fine.”

  It had been an argument with
Jack that had set Belle off on a ride that had ended so tragically. He blamed himself for her injury though he’d hardly been responsible for Belle’s horse shying and throwing her off.

  “She’s still around, you make it sound like she’s dead. She’ll get better. We’ve prayed and prayed. I know the Lord answers prayers.”

  “I know that, too. I also know sometimes He says no,” Jack grumbled.

  Darcy looked at Maddie. “Is Jack mad?” she whispered.

  “No, honey, he’s worried about his mom.”

  The drive took a little under five hours. They had stopped once for a short break, then pushed on. The goal was to get back to the ranch before dark.

  Once they reached Fort Worth, Maddie invited them to her apartment. “We can have lunch, regroup and then head for the house.”

  “I want to go now,” Jack said.

  “Me, too,” Violet said.

  “I think a certain little girl needs lunch and I know I do. I hardly ate any breakfast this morning.”

  Jack glanced at her in the rearview. Maddie knew he held her at a distance. Yet how could he deny she was Violet’s twin, thus his sister? Still, they were almost strangers, living in the same house when he was home. Which wasn’t often. He and his dog would take off for the far boundary of the ranch to work on that old house and be away for days at a time. He was working through the perceived guilt of his mother’s accident. Or trying to tire himself enough to sleep at night.

  “Okay, good point. But as soon as we eat, we’ll head out,” he conceded.

  They stopped at a deli for take-out sandwiches and drinks. Maddie had disposed of all perishables at her place when she’d left to visit Colby Ranch.

  When the four of them arrived at her condo, she pointed out her parking spot. Violet looked around. “Lots of apartments around here,” she said, looking at the high-rise buildings.

  “Land’s at a premium in Fort Worth, so we build up,” Maddie said.

  Her apartment was on the third floor. It had a view of the parking garage and another apartment building. But the large windows admitted lots of light, and she’d decorated in a minimalistic style to give the feeling of spaciousness in the limited room.

  “Wow, this is cool,” Darcy exclaimed as she prowled around the living room while Maddie unpacked the food and took down glasses for the sodas. Darcy might like it, but after her stay on the ranch, Maddie wasn’t as thrilled with the apartment as she’d once been. Looking out the windows, she saw glass and concrete instead of rolling hills and endless vistas. The traffic had been horrendous, and it wasn’t even rush hour. She already missed the ranch.

  “Oh, I have this print,” Violet said, stopping in front of a large print of an old-fashioned street in the rain. “Funny how I didn’t notice it the first time I was here.”

  “Where? I haven’t seen it,” Maddie said.

  “I used to have it in my bedroom. When we painted a couple of years ago, I took it down. I still like it, but I thought the blue tones don’t go so well with the yellow I chose for the wall colors.” She smiled at her twin.

  Maddie smiled back. Another similarity. She loved discovering how alike she and Violet were even though they’d been raised by different parents in different parts of Texas.

  “Let’s eat and get going,” Jack said impatiently.

  An hour later, he pulled the big truck to a stop before a rundown house in an old neighborhood. Stopping the car, he leaned forward to see around Violet. The small house had seen better days.

  “The place could use a good paint job and landscaping,” he said.

  “It’s twenty-some years older than the picture,” Violet said. “Looking around the neighborhood, it all looks sad and worn. Yet there are a couple of places in pristine condition, like the one across the street.”

  They all studied that house. Colorful flowers surrounded the walkway. A large maple tree shaded a portion of the front lawn, which was neatly mowed. The lush green grass contrasted sharply to the patchy, weedy yard in front of the old house they’d come to see.

  The houses on either side of their old home weren’t in much better condition, though an effort had been made to keep the grass short.

  “I’ll go ask if the current owners know anything,” Jack said.

  Maddie and Violet got out to stand beside the truck. Darcy had fallen asleep on the short ride from Maddie’s place. With the windows rolled down it was as comfortable as it was going to get. Maddie left her door open as well. A slight breeze kept the heat tolerable.

  They watched as the door opened and Jack spoke to an older man.

  A moment later Jack returned, frowning.

  “The house is a rental and the current tenant’s only lived here two years. Before that was another family. Who knows how many families have lived here since we did.”

  “Any neighbors from twenty-five years ago?” Maddie asked.

  “Apparently, the woman across the street, Mrs. Patty Earl. She’s a widow and keeps to herself, but he said he thinks she’s lived on this street the longest.”

  They all looked at the pristine house and yard.

  “Guess we’ll try there, then,” Maddie said brightly. She couldn’t wait to learn more. How wonderful if the woman actually lived here when the Wallace family did—and remembered what had happened to them.

  “I’ll wait with Darcy, if you two want to go ahead,” she said.

  “No, we should all go together,” Violet said.

  “I’ll swing the truck into her driveway. We’ll leave the door open and stay on the porch. She’ll be okay,” Jack said.

  Five minutes later they rang the doorbell and waited. Maddie could feel her excitement rise and she exchanged glances with Violet. She could almost feel her twin vibrate with the same anticipation.

  The door opened a moment later and a middle-aged woman stared at them. She was tall, thin and her big, bleached blond hairstyle was a testament to an earlier era. Her makeup was just a bit too much, as if she were trying to fight inevitable aging. The slacks and shirt she wore hung on her slight frame. At first her expression was that of wariness, but it gradually changed to suspicion.

  “What do you want?” she asked, looking at Violet and Maddie. A frown settled in.

  “We believe we used to live in the house across the street, many years ago, and wondered if you lived in the neighborhood at the same time,” Jack began.

  “What for?” she asked, her expression wary.

  “We wanted to know if you knew the Wallace family,” Maddie said. “I’m Maddie Wallace.”

  “Sure I knew your family. If you’re Maddie, then you have to be Laurel,” she said, looking at Violet. “And you’re either Tanner or Grayson. Never had much use for the Wallace family, not after what your mother did to my husband.”

  Maddie stared at her. “You knew our parents?” She didn’t understand the reference to names. Had her mother changed her twin’s first name as well as last? And if Grayson kept his name, what happened to Tanner that he became Jack? Maybe the woman was confused.

  “I said I did, didn’t I? Or at least if you’re Isabella’s kids. The jury’s still out on the father.” She started to close her door.

  “Wait, please. I’m so confused. Could you explain what you mean?” Maddie asked, holding her hand against the door to prevent the woman from closing it.

  “What’s to explain? Your family lived here, your mother split, your dad moved away. End of story.”

  “Our names are different,” Violet said. “After all this time, I could understand you not remembering our names. Especially since we were so small.”

  “I never forgot one thing about Isabella Wallace and her kids,” the woman snapped. “After she left, your mother probably changed them. At least she didn’t claim the Earl name.”

  “What does that mean?” Jack asked sharply.

  The woman glared at him, then narrowed her eyes as if studying his face. “Don’t look much like Joe, but that was the story going around.” />
  “What story?” he asked.

  “Who’s Joe?” Maddie asked.

  “Ask your parents, they know the history.”

  “Please,” Maddie said. “We don’t have anyone to turn to. We have to find out about our past. We were separated as far we can figure out when I was an infant. We just recently found each other after twenty-five years apart. We don’t know what happened, but now that we’ve discovered where we used to live, we are trying to piece together the clues to find answers. Did you send us the letter? The Bibles?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know about any letters or Bibles. You’re the last people I’d want anything to do with.”

  “Please.” Maddie turned, getting more frustrated with the stubborn woman. Her off-the-wall comments made no sense.

  Mrs. Earl stared at her for a long moment. Frowning, she shook her head, then reconsidered. “What’s to tell? Isabella always wanted her own way. She wanted Brian and got him, but not until after my Joe got her pregnant. At least she didn’t try to make a play for him.”

  “That’s not possible,” Jack retorted. “Our mother’s nothing like that.”

  “Oh, she was a wild one in high school, let me tell you. Getting pregnant and marrying like that. And two more kids by the time she was eighteen. I know, I was in school with Joe and Brian and Isabella. Can’t tell me what’s possible and what ain’t.”

  “Then you have firsthand knowledge,” Maddie said, trying to placate the woman. There was so much more going on, she didn’t want to alienate her and have her stop talking.

  “So you and Joe married and all four of you lived on this street?” Maddie asked.

  “Brian’s grandma got him that house. Joe and I had to scrimp and save to afford this one. Worth lots more now, but back then it was tough on our starting salaries. At least we stuck together until he died a few years back.” She narrowed her eyes. “More than I can say for Isabella cutting out on Brian like that.”