Mirror Image Bride

He reached the fence and began patrolling. Until he found a break, there was nothing keeping his thoughts from straying to his new nanny. He envisioned her plain as day. She looked like Violet, yet didn’t. They were identical, yet her features were a tiny bit sharper. Her auburn hair brushed her shoulders, looking soft in the sunlight, with gold strands gleaming in the sun. Her brown eyes, which she often covered with sunglasses, looked like melted chocolate. The lashes were dark and thick.

Ty scowled. He had no business comparing any woman’s eyes with chocolate. He had to figure if he should be looking for a local woman who could watch Darcy. Someone used to ranch life, instead of someone city bred and as out of place on the ranch as the Queen of England.

Maybe that was the reason Violet suggested Maddie. She lived the same kind of life Darcy had. They’d relate. And both were like fish out of water. Maddie had been here almost a month and still wore silk blouses and open-toed shoes. Even Brittany had known better.

Maddie reminded him of Brittany. He knew it was unfair to judge a person on outward appearances, but he couldn’t help it. She was gloss and glamour, and he needed someone practical and down to earth. He didn’t believe it was going to work.

Of course the next one to watch Darcy wouldn’t be as pretty, he knew. Probably wouldn’t have that constant cheerful smile that had him taking a second look. And a third. He wasn’t sure what she had to smile about. She’d lost her job, found out she’d been lied to her entire life and was now temporarily hired to be a nanny. And apparently, she was alone in the world except for the Colbys as her own brothers were away and her father was not responding to her calls.

Note to the future—he’d be there for his daughter when she needed him.

* * *

Once the kitchen was spotless, Maddie and Darcy went to the barn. The horses fascinated the little girl, and Maddie was trying to get used to them. She envied Violet’s lack of trepidation when around the large animals. Together, Maddie and Darcy walked through the wide center portion, looking at the empty stalls, studying the hay stacked in the loft high overhead, wondering how the bales had made it up there. Most of the horses were either being ridden by the cowboys or were in the corral at the side of the barn.

As Maddie watched the little girl dart here and there, she wondered if she would be up to the task. A local woman would have been a better choice, someone who already knew about the ranches, about cattle, horses and cowboys. This child would soon find out all she needed as she grew up on the ranch from someone like that.

Maddie, on the other hand, believed she’d always feel awkward and out of step. It seemed to be a lifestyle one needed to be raised in to fully understand. She’d never even visited a dude ranch, much less a working ranch. And much as she loved being with her sister, learning more about her life and coming face-to-face with identical likes and dislikes, she also felt in the way.

Especially since Violet and Landon had fallen in love.

Talk about a curveball! Only two months ago Landon had been pressuring her for a wedding date. Now he was head over heels in love with her twin. Not that Maddie wanted to marry him, as she’d explained when she’d broken their engagement. He hadn’t taken no for an answer at first, claiming she was having premarital jitters. 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.”