Hope's Discovery (THE MATCHMAKER TRILOGY) (23 page)

The depth of color in David’s cheeks deepened. He squeezed together his fingers until his knuckles were white. David’s Adam’s apple bobbed slowly, and Trevor readied himself.

“You’ve moved in on my daughter because Donald Buchanan paid you to do so?” he asked through clenched teeth.

“I approached your daughter because he asked me to.”

“She’s under the impression that you two have some kind of future together. But she’s ‘just another case?’”

“No, it’s not like that.”

“Really, it sounds like that’s exactly what it is.” David stood and Trevor followed, bracing for his shift in attitude.

He tried to swallow the lump of fear that had lodged itself in his throat. It wasn’t going down easily. “Sir, I’ve been in love with your daughter for a very long time.”

David’s eyes narrowed and Trevor moved behind the chair and gripped the back of it for support.

“This is going to sound very stupid to a man as smart as you. But I’ve seen her in my dreams. It was as if I was looking for this perfect woman all along and then there she was. I do love your daughter, and I don’t ever want to see her hurt.”

“You expect me to believe that this is all okay because you’ve dreamed about her?”

“And she’s dreamed about me too.” He raked his fingers through his hair again.

Every word he spoke made him sound like a complete idiot. But he couldn’t stop himself. He just had to keep talking.

“I know this is all very sudden and I don’t seem like the ideal man for her.”

“You’re a mind reader too,” David spat out.

“But I hope you can see past the circumstances and know that I truly care about your daughter.”

David paced the room. The color in his cheeks had returned to normal and Trevor was relieved by that, though he still kept his distance from David and blocked his entrance to the kitchen with his body.

“I may be an over-protective father, but I am a man. I fell in love once too. Hard and quick.” He sat back down on the sofa and smiled ruefully. “Mr. Investigator, did you know I proposed to my wife the first time we went out?”

“No.”

“I proposed to her for years. It took thirteen for us to finally get married. But I knew I loved her and always would. I never gave up on that, even though she did for a bit.”

“When she played for Pablo DiAngelo?”

David nodded. “You’ve done your homework. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that.” Trevor tensed, but relaxed a bit as David turned and faced the windows. “She wanted children and couldn’t have them. When I agreed to take Hope I thought it would be her chance to have a baby, but I knew just how stupid it sounded.”

He stared out the window for a moment. “She wasn’t an easy sell, but when she realized what I was willing to lose to keep Carissa and her sister together, she knew it was our opportunity to have a family. She’s never thought of Hope as anyone else’s but her own.”

“Hope loves Sophia. She loves you both.”

“That’s why I don’t want to see her hurt. If Delores Buchanan wants those stocks, back then I say we hand everything over. This has gone too far.”

“You seem to be the only person who has talked to her. I can’t get her to answer her phone. She left her husband in the hospital.”

“Do you think she’ll hit Carissa’s house?”

“It’s completely possible. Especially if she knows they drove all the way to Jefferson City to a bank.”

David nodded. “Maybe you should get Hope out of town for a few days.”

Trevor thought it a good sign that David would consider him being with Hope again. “I asked her to go to New York with me to meet my mother. I want to give her the painting Hope did as a gift.”

Again, relief flooded him when David smiled. “She’s quite an artist, isn’t she?”

“I think so.”

“Can you make the trip earlier? I don’t want her here, where we know Delores Buchanan is.”

“We can leave tomorrow morning.”

“Okay. She’s staying with us tonight.”

Trevor nodded. “I’ll pick her up in the morning, then. I’ll make arrangements tonight.”

“Thank you for being a gentleman about it,” David said as he walked toward him and then patted him on the back. “I’d love to have you stay, but…”

“I wouldn’t even dream of it.”

CHAPTER TEN

H
ope settled into bed with her nieces on either side of
her.
She’d hoped Trevor would stay with her parents too, but he’d called and explained that he felt more comfortable at a hotel. She couldn’t blame him, but when they went to New York to visit his parents he’d better not suggest she go to a hotel.

He’d told her the plans to take her to New York the next morning. When she’d voiced her concern, her father had laid his hand on her shoulder and comforted her.

“It’s best for you to go now. We’ll watch the store and take care of your apartment. Besides, the man who loves you wants to show you off,” he’d said with a smile, then leaned in closer to her. “He’ll also protect you if anything happens.”

Julie rolled over, pulling the blankets with her and uncovering her sister. Becky, sound asleep, wiggled closer to Hope for warmth. Hope chuckled quietly and adjusted the blankets over all of them. It would prove to be an interesting night, she thought. She closed her eyes and quickly drifted to sleep.

Since she’d met Trevor, he hadn’t filled her dreams. He was her reality now. But tonight she dreamed of him. She swam in and out of sleep, tossing and turning as she tried to shake the image of him standing with Delores Buchanan, laughing at her. She told herself she loved him, but there were so many things that didn’t line up quite right.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t wake up, and he continued to laugh at her.

“Hope, be careful.” Katie’s voice broke through Trevor’s laughter.

“I am careful, Grandma,” Hope said. She rested her head on her grandmother’s shoulder, their hands clasped together as they walked through clouds.

“He’s here to protect you and love you. But things don’t seem to be going smoothly.”

“Oh, Grandma, you worry too much.”

“That’s my job. I’m supposed to worry about you. I didn’t get to spend enough time with you. I only want you happy like your mother and your sister are.”

“I am happy.” Hope stopped and looked at her grandmother, whose face shimmered and glowed. “I love Trevor. I want to marry him.”

Katie nodded and smiled. “Be careful, Hope,” she said again before she faded away.

The girls were gone when Hope awoke. The room had filled with sunlight and she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, trying to wake fully.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” her mother said as she opened the door to her childhood room.

“What time is it?”

“Nine thirty.”

Hope sat straight up and ran her fingers through her hair. “I guess yesterday took more out of me than I thought. That or sleeping with those girls.” She shook her head, thinking about the war that had continued throughout the night with legs and arms flailing.

“They adore you.”

“I love them so much. It’s funny to think I was Brice’s age when he was born. I’ve been an auntie half my life.”

Sophia walked into the room and sat down on the bed. She rested her hand on Hope’s leg over the covers.

“Your father had a lot to say about Trevor.”

Hope winced and then let out a sigh. “He doesn’t like him, does he?”

“On the contrary, he only had nice things to say about him.”

“Really?” She was completely shocked and it resonated in her voice.

“Why do you seem so surprised?”

“Because it’s only been a few weeks since we met. Because most of the time I’ve spent with him has revolved around Mandy.” She dropped her shoulders. “Because when I asked him to help me find out more about my birth parents, it hurt you.” Hope reached for Sophia’s hand and held it. “I’m still very sorry about that.”

Sophia smiled. “You never would have made that decision if you thought it would hurt me. I’ll admit my feelings were hurt. But that’s all. You deserve to know everything you can. They can’t take you away from me now.”

“They never could have, Mom. You are my mother. You’re the only mother I know.”

Sophia raised her hand to Hope’s cheek and caressed it as she had when she was a child. “I’m glad I didn’t walk away when your father chose to keep you. Now you’re all grown up and it looks like you’ve fallen in love too.”

“I have.”

Sophia nodded and replaced her hand within Hope’s. “I’m your mother. I’m supposed to tell you to be careful.”

“Grandma already told me.”

Sophia opened her mouth to speak and then reconsidered. “You’re dreaming about her again?”

“Yes.”

Sophia shook her head. “Leave it to my grandmother to still meddle in people’s lives thirteen years after she died.”

“Do you believe in things like that?” Hope asked, already knowing the answer.

“My parents used to come to me in dreams. It gave me comfort to think they were still with me after they died. I felt like they watched me grow up.”

“I miss her.”

“I do too.” Sophia blew out a breath, and Hope watched as she batted away a tear. “Well, you’d better get some things together. That man that makes your eyes sparkle will be here in an hour to take you to meet his mother.”

Hope felt the blood drain from her face. “I’m scared to death.”

“Don’t be,” Sophia laughed. “She will love you.”

“Do you really think so?”

She patted her hand. “I know so.”

Trevor rang the doorbell after having stood on the front porch of the house for almost five minutes collecting his thoughts. He heard the young voice announce that she’d answer the door moments before it flung open.

“Hi, Mr. Jacobs.”

“Good morning…” He stopped, unable to remember her name.

“Julie. I’m Julie.”

“Good morning, Julie,” he said realizing that she was the one who resembled Mandy so closely. “Is your aunt here?”

“Yeah, she’s here.” She ran toward the back of the house, and Trevor shut the front door.

Hope appeared a moment later and smiled just as she had in his dream the night before.

“You look beautiful,” he said as he crossed to her and kissed her gently on the lips. They were soft. It was a welcome warmth after he’d lost hours of sleep worrying about her.

“I missed you last night,” she whispered as she ran her hands up his chest and he wrapped his arms around her waist. After yesterday, to have her embrace him settled his nerves. Perhaps she hadn’t realized just how deep into the investigation he was on both sides.

“How could you miss me? You had your entire family hovering over you.”

“I slept with six- and eight-year-old cover hogs.”

Trevor smiled. “That must be where you get it.”

Hope’s eyes opened wide and she shook her head. “Beware, Mr. Jacobs.” She drew her eyebrows together. “Insult me again and you may be sleeping alone for a very long time.”

He laughed as she turned, grabbed his hand, and pulled him to the small kitchen where her family sat crowded around the table.

“Good morning, Trevor.” Sophia greeted him with a cup of coffee.

“Good morning.”

David stood and silently shook his hand. They had a pact. David knew all his secrets. With one word, he could make or break Trevor’s relationship with Hope.

Trevor sat down with her family while Hope finished the last of her packing. They talked with him and around him as though he were a part of their day-to-day life. They did it all without one word about Mandy Marlow, break-ins, or company stocks. He noticed David never looked up from his newspaper and he was okay with that. He didn’t know if he could carry on a nonchalant conversation with the man yet. He was, however, eternally grateful that David hadn’t told anyone about his connection to Donald Buchanan. If he had, Trevor assumed he wouldn’t be sitting calmly among them. Sophia would have been frying him up on the stove instead.

“So when you get back to Kansas City will you set up shop for yourself?” Carissa asked. “Hope told me you wouldn’t be staying in New York any longer.”

His eyes widened. She obviously trusted them with almost everything. A shiver ran through him. Just how much about their relationship had Hope shared with her family?

“Um, yeah. My mom has connections everywhere. So I’ll sit down with her this week and brainstorm on a plan. I’d like to remain independent if I can.”

“It’s always nice to work for yourself,” Thomas added.

“I’ve always enjoyed it.” Trevor looked up as Hope walked through the doorway. “Are you all set?”

“I think so.”

He stood and pushed in his chair. “Thank you for the coffee.”