Vanessa's Match (7 page)

“Tomorrow night? That soon?”

“Yeah. That’s why I can’t find someone so quickly.” He realized, waiting for her answer, how important it was to him that she agree. As if a blindfold had been ripped off his eyes, he realized how perfect she would be, and how impossible Sharon had been.

A frown creasing her forehead, Vanessa finally said, “I guess so. Just this once.”

“Terrific. We’ll be going to NaNa, the restaurant in the Anatole. The food there is wonderful. Do you have a cocktail dress to wear? Something chic but not too skimpy?”

“Yes, I do. I don’t need you to tell me how to dress for an evening out.”

Rick held up a hand. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend.”

“What will Lindy do while we’re out?”

“Can’t she stay here with Betty and Peter?”

“I suppose so, as long as we’re not back late.”

“What do you consider late?” Rick asked, watching her.

“Well, I wouldn’t think dinner would take too long.”

At that moment Will entered the library again, this time with his wife. Vanessa forgot their conversation at once, and bounded over to hug her mother.

After Vivian made it clear she wasn’t angry at Vanessa for telling Will, she turned to their guest. “I’m glad you’re still here, Rick. Will said he enjoyed talking to you.”

“Same here. He certainly helped me.” Rick shot Will a smile. “And your daughter has agreed to help me out tomorrow evening with a business dinner, if you don’t mind our leaving Lindy here.”

“I think that’s very nice of Vanessa,” Will said at once.

“Yes, of course.” Vivian looked speculatively at her daughter, but she said nothing else.

Rick stood. “Well, I guess I should go. I’ve taken up a lot of your time today.”

“But you haven’t seen Lindy,” Vanessa protested. “She’ll be so disappointed if she doesn’t see you.”

“I’ll be glad to see her—but did you tell your parents she invited me for Sunday dinner?” He looked at Vivian. “I don’t want to wear out my welcome.”

“That’s impossible, Rick,” she said, smiling genuinely. “We want Lindy to feel like she’s part of the family. Any of our family is welcome on Sundays for dinner.”

“I’ll go up and get Lindy,” Vanessa said as she moved to the door.

Rick’s gaze followed her until he realized Will was speaking to him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what you said.”

“I said, good job.”

Rick smiled but shrugged. “She’s just agreed to help out on an emergency basis.”

“Rick!” At his sister’s high-pitched voice, he turned to see her running into the room. “I didn’t know you were coming over today.”

“It was sort of…unplanned.” He glanced at Vanessa, who came in behind his sister, but said nothing. “Did you say hello to Will and Vivian?” Rick asked Lindy softly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just so excited to see you. How are you doing, Vivian? Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, dear, I am. And I heard you took care of Danny this morning when I was having a difficult time. I really appreciate that. You’re a very sweet child. Have you finished shopping for the start of school?”

“She wears uniforms, Mom,” Vanessa reminded her mother.

“Oh. I was going to take her shopping and buy her something nice.”

“We’ll talk later. I have some ideas.” Vanessa smiled at her mother and Lindy.

“I don’t think you should spoil her,” Rick said.

Vanessa turned to him abruptly, a challenge in
her hazel eyes. “Yes, because she’s been so spoiled in the past.”

Rick didn’t meet the challenge in her voice. Instead, he calmly explained, “No, I meant I should be the one to pay for something for Lindy.”

He wasn’t sure where this sudden involvement in Lindy’s life had come from. Well, that wasn’t true. It had come from his own conscience and from the beautiful brunette glaring at him. She had made a lot of changes in his life whether she’d intended to or not.

He thought he liked them, but he wasn’t sure.

Vanessa started to answer Rick, to make her point, but her mother interrupted her. Somehow, Vanessa knew what was coming, but she couldn’t figure out a way to stop it.

“Why don’t you spend the rest of the afternoon here with Lindy and then have dinner with us? It will be a relaxing evening for you. And you and Vanessa can discuss anything you need to talk about. We’d love to have you stay.”

“I don’t think—” Rick began.

“I think it’s a good idea, Rick,” Will seconded. “If you get tired of visiting with the females, we can have an all-male session here in the library.”

“Are you saying something about the females in this family, Will Greenfield?” Vanessa asked, her brows raised in mock censure.

“Well, you do like to talk about shopping and boys and things like that,” Will said. “We men don’t have much interest in those topics.”

Lindy spoke up. “We could look over the choices I have to make on Monday when we visit my counselor.” She glanced at Vanessa. “You need to look with us, Vanessa. You promised, remember?”

Lindy’s big blue eyes were fixed on her face. How could she say no? “Uh, yes, I guess I did. Why don’t the three of us move to the morning room.”

“Okay!” Lindy agreed, smiling, and left to get the course booklet.

“Well,” Rick said, “I guess I can do some work on Sunday, now that I’m staying for dinner this evening instead.

“Don’t be silly,” Vivian said at once. “We want you to come for Sunday dinner no matter what you discuss today. Lindy needs all the time she can get with you.”

“That’s very nice of you. I really didn’t want to give up Sunday dinner,” he said with a smile as he stood to follow Vanessa.

“Because you’d starve to death without Sunday dinner?” she muttered in a voice only he could hear, she hoped.

“Because I wouldn’t have the charming company that I’ll have here.”

She grimaced but didn’t respond. She didn’t want her parents to think she didn’t like having Rick around. She really did want him here—for Lindy’s sake, of course, she hurriedly assured herself.

Lindy came back down, appearing completely happy with the arrangements.

“Here it is. She sent a copy of the four-year plan she made for me last time. Mom didn’t want to look at it. I finally faked her signature because the counselor was getting upset.”

“Well, that’s not a problem this year,” Rick said a little grimly. “With both of us at the interview and Vanessa always available for conferences even if I’m out of town, you’re going to be well taken care of.”

“I know. It’s a nice feeling.”

Vanessa gave her a hug, and they began looking at the proposed classes. It made Vanessa think about the loving care her mother had given her as she was growing up. Though her father was around, he hadn’t had a lot to do with her life. It was her mother who had made sure to give her the kind of life that she now wanted Lindy to have.

“Eew!” Lindy exclaimed. “The counselor signed me up for Chinese!”

“That’s good,” Rick immediately said. “When I go to the Far East, it helps if I can speak even a little of their language.”

“But I’m not going to China!” Lindy protested.

“You don’t know that. You might join the Austin Group once you’re out of college and I’d send you to China.”

“I don’t think so.”

Before Rick could insist, Vanessa said, “She’s already taking French. I think it might be better to
take Spanish. They’re more closely linked. Do you do business with Mexico?”

“Yes, but a lot of our business is with China and Japan.”

“Perhaps Lindy could start with Spanish and if she finds it easy, next year she might add Chinese.”

“I think it would be better to start it now.” The look on Rick’s face said he didn’t intend to budge.

“Lindy, the choice is yours,” Vanessa said.

“Wait a minute!” Rick countered. “She’s not an adult. Doesn’t my opinion count?”

“Of course it does, and you’ve expressed it. Now Lindy gets to make the choice.”

“Good. I want to take Spanish.”

“All right,” Vanessa said, happy to put an end to that debate. “Let’s see, the history is required, and I think you should choose the more difficult route through the mathematics since you’ve done so well in the past.”

“But I heard business math was very helpful,” Lindy said.

Vanessa shook her head. “We both know the kids who have difficulty with geometry go into business math. That’s not you. You made As in math last year.”

“She did?” Rick asked, surprised.

“Yes, she made straight As in her first year of high school.”

“That’s terrific, Lindy. Dad would’ve been proud of you.”

Blinking rapidly so as not to show her tears, Lindy muttered, “Thanks.”

Vanessa squeezed her hand. “So he should be, as well as you, Rick. She’s doing the family proud.”

“She is,” he agreed.

“I should probably take you to the movies on Saturday evening as a reward.” Vanessa smiled at Lindy.

“Good idea,” Rick exclaimed. “I could take both of you. What do you want to see, Lindy?”

“There’s a new Mel Gibson film coming out.”

“Isn’t Mel Gibson a little old for you?” Vanessa asked.

“He reminds me of Dad when he was younger, except Dad was taller.”

“I’ve heard that’s a good movie. It should be fun,” Vanessa said. “But there’s no need to change your plans, Rick. Lindy and I will be fine alone.”

“Oh, no, you’re not leaving me out of the fun. I don’t have any other plans.” He smiled at Lindy, who enthusiastically nodded.

Vanessa was kicking herself for suggesting such a thing in front of Rick. Now she was having dinner with him tonight and tomorrow night and going to the movies with him on Saturday. She could think of only one other way to rid herself of him.

“But Lindy and I will probably go to an early movie.”

“That’s fine with me. In fact, it’s great, because then I can take the two of you out to dinner afterward.”

“Oh, that would be so much fun!” Lindy exclaimed, and Vanessa knew she was trapped.

“Well, now that we’ve finished our consultation, I guess you can join Will in the library. I think I heard Mom going up to check on Danny a few minutes ago.”

Rick grinned at her, as if he could read her mind. “I’ll be happy to. Is it a relief to have me out of the way?”

“I just wanted you to feel comfortable. You made yourself quite plain on that subject.”

“I believe that was Will, not me, who suggested some male bonding. But I’ll be pleased to join him. I found him quite wise the last time we visited.”

Vanessa frowned. What had Rick talked to Will about? Did it have anything to do with her going out with him tomorrow night? She reminded herself to talk to Will herself as soon as she got rid of Rick, which apparently wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

Rick stood and leaned over to kiss Lindy’s cheek. “I’ll see you at dinner, Lindy.” He looked at Vanessa as if he was going to give her a kiss on the cheek, too. She glared at him, hoping to convey her reluctance. Apparently, she did a good job because he just smiled and walked out of the room.

“Oh, isn’t Rick being great?” Lindy asked.

Vanessa knew what Lindy wanted to hear and she supplied it. “Yes, he’s being very cooperative.”

“Saturday will be so much fun!”

“I could stay home and let you have Rick all to yourself,” Vanessa suggested.

“I think Rick would be disappointed,” Lindy said, staring at Vanessa.

“But that would be my third dinner with him in a row.”

Lindy frowned. “You’re having dinner with him tomorrow night?”

Vanessa explained about him needing a companion, now that he’d dropped Sharon.

“Do you think he’s falling in love with you?”

Vanessa was shocked by the thought. She denied it vehemently. “Sweetie, adults don’t fall in and out of love as much as teenagers do. Your brother is a busy man. This is business, that’s all. He probably won’t pay any attention to me.”

“But it’s okay if he does fall in love with you, because I know you love me, too.”

Vanessa hugged the girl. “Absolutely right. I love you. You’re my little sister and will always be my little sister. But sisterly love is a lot less complicated than that man-woman thing.” Vanessa paused. “Oh, I don’t think I told you the big news of the day. Mom’s pregnant again.”

“She is?” Lindy asked, her eyes big. “That’s wonderful.”

“So you may not be my only little sister.”

Lindy grinned. “I don’t mind. I like babies.”

“They are sweet. But they have some drawbacks. Dirty diapers, not sleeping all night. Luckily, Mom has help. But my sister Rebecca was unmarried
and alone when she had Joey. It was quite a struggle for her.”

“Why wasn’t Jeff around? He seems very nice.”

“It’s a long story, but he moved before he knew she was pregnant and lost touch with her. When we finally located her, in Arkansas, Mom talked her into coming here for a week. Then we managed to keep her with us. Mom found her a job in her lawyer’s office. He had recently died, but his nephew had taken over. And that was Jeff.”

“So they had a happy reunion?”

“Not at first. At the time Jeff was engaged to Chelsea.”

“But she’s his partner’s wife.”

“Yeah. Tricky, huh?”

Lindy sighed, grinning. “Yes, but it always seems to come right with your family.”

“We’ve been fortunate, I guess. Rebecca’s twin, Rachel, got really sick, but that turned out well, too, because she was reunited with J.D. and they fell in love.”

“That’s what I mean. I hope I’m as lucky when I grow up,” Lindy said.

“Me, too, honey. Me, too.”

V
ANESSA CHECKED
her appearance in the full-length mirror on the back of her bedroom door. She was wearing her favorite black dinner dress with a string of pearls and matching earrings. Her nails were
painted crimson and her dark hair fell around her face in waves.

A knock interrupted her appraisal. She opened the door to Lindy.

“Oh, you look beautiful.”

“Thanks, sweetie.”

“Is it okay if I come downstairs to see Rick before you go?” the girl asked.

“Of course, if you’re not tired of him by now.”

Vanessa had been teasing, but Lindy didn’t seem to realize it. “Are
you
getting tired of him?” she asked, her expression suddenly anxious.

“No, honey, I was just kidding. You’ve seen him a lot this week.”

“Yeah, but tomorrow he’s taking us to the movies and to dinner. I’ve never done that before.”

Vanessa sometimes forgot Lindy’s history because she was fitting in so well with the family. But then she said something like that. “Of course, and we’ll have a wonderful time,” Vanessa said.

“What should I wear for tomorrow night?” Lindy loved having choices now that she owned some nice clothes.

“You can wear your new slacks with that pretty blouse we bought, or you might want to put that blouse with one of your casual skirts.”

They both heard the distant ring of the doorbell. Lindy jumped up from Vanessa’s bed. “I’ll go say hi to Rick.”

“Of course. Tell him I’ll be right down.”

Vanessa let out a sigh of relief that she had a moment alone before she faced Rick. In spite of her determination to ignore the man, she was going out with him tonight, as his date. She knew she should remain completely unaffected by his presence, but she was finding it difficult. Which was a ridiculous admission for someone who had studied people’s behavior for years.

She took a deep breath. She was going to be friendly yet distant, sophisticated yet relaxed.

Right! At least she was going to give it a try.

R
ICK WASN’T SURPRISED
to be shown into the morning room and told Vanessa would be down soon. Women were often late. Sharon used to keep him waiting a minimum of half an hour.

When the door opened, he looked up in surprise to find his half sister. “Lindy! I didn’t know I’d get to see you tonight. How are you doing?”

The child ran over and hugged his neck. It amazed him how good that hug felt. Like they were a family again.

“I’m fine. Vanessa will be down in a minute. I just wanted to say hi. You haven’t forgotten our plans for tomorrow, have you?”

“No, of course not.”

“I’m so excited. I’ve never been to a movie theater before and Mom didn’t take me out to eat, ever.”

Rick again felt that jolt of regret. “Don’t worry,
kiddo,” he said, hugging her again. “You’re going to experience a lot of new things this year. Pretty soon, you’ll become blasé about an evening spent with your brother.”

“I’m sure you’re wrong,” she said, looking starry-eyed.

Rick knew he wasn’t wrong, but he appreciated her enthusiasm for his company right now. “What will you do this evening, while we’re out?”

“Oh, Rebecca and Jeff are coming over for dinner and I’ll get to play with their kids.”

“Well, don’t wait up for us. I’m not sure when we’ll get back.”

“I won’t. Vanessa doesn’t like me to stay up late.”

“She’s not too hard on you, is she?”

Lindy looked at him like he was crazy. “Vanessa?”

As if that had been her cue, Vanessa entered the room. Rick automatically looked at his watch.

“I’m sorry if I kept you waiting,” she said stiffly.

He looked up and the words lodged in his throat. She was beautiful. He’d never seen her dressed up and he liked what he saw now. The cocktail dress was tasteful yet sexy; the makeup was understated and enhanced her natural beauty.

He nearly stuttered, but regrouped in time to say, “You didn’t keep me waiting. Lindy and I were just chatting.”

The doorbell rang again and Lindy headed toward the door. “That will be Rebecca and Jeff.”

Her exit left an awkward silence in the morning room.

He felt the need to explain himself. “I wasn’t being critical when I looked at my watch. I actually expected you to be a lot later. Sharon always was.”

“I’m not Sharon.”

Well, that excuse hadn’t gotten him anywhere, Rick decided. But she had a point. She looked better than Sharon could ever hope to look. “Definitely not. Do you want to visit with Rebecca and Jeff before we go?”

“No, thank you.”