Judy Christenberry - Vanessa's Match

“He’s the only one you won’t know,” she assured him.

Then she sprinted back up the stairs to get dressed herself. She’d bought a little makeup when Lindy wasn’t watching. Later, Vanessa intended to instruct her on how to apply it. But first she showered and put on a black dress that was a little more sophisticated than Lindy’s.

Her dark hair flowed around her shoulders, a perfect coiffure that she’d been wearing for a long time. Then she lightly did her makeup.

As soon as she was satisfied with her appearance, she went down to collect the laundry, now clean and folded, and brought it up to Lindy’s room.

Lindy jumped up when Vanessa entered. “You look beautiful!”

“Thanks. You’re going to look beautiful, too!”

“I don’t think—”

“Come on. I’ll show you.”

Once Lindy was completely dressed, Vanessa applied some makeup to the girl’s face. Then she turned Lindy to the mirror.

The girl stared at herself, reaching to touch the mirror. “Is this really me?” she asked softly.

In the flattering blue dress and slim heels, her hair and makeup lighting up her face, Lindy looked every bit the angel she was. Vanessa choked back her emotions. “Of course it is, honey. You got your mother’s beauty…and your father’s heart!”

“I hope so,” Lindy said softly, almost as if saying a prayer.

RICK WASN’T SURE he should’ve agreed to dinner with Vanessa Shaw’s family tonight. But he’d spent the afternoon checking on Jeff Jacobs and his partner, Bill Wallace. They’d received high marks from everyone Rick asked, so he wasn’t worried about meeting Jeff tonight.

He’d also made a few calls about Vanessa Shaw. She checked out, too. And he was grateful to her, he guessed. She was giving him a chance to redeem himself. He’d messed up and betrayed his father’s trust by excluding Lindy from his life. She’d been an adorable six-year-old, blond like her mother, and he’d figured Anita would mold her in her own image.

Maybe he could have prevented that to some extent, but it would have brought him into contact with Anita. That thought made him feel sick to his stomach. That was the reason he’d moved her and Lindy out of the house. He’d inherited it, with no stipulations. But he couldn’t live there with Anita in residence. So he’d bought her an exclusive condo and doubled the money she was supposed to get.

And felt like he’d satisfied his conscience.

Until Vanessa Shaw had come along to point out the holes in his plan. All of them affecting Lindy.

He was worried about meeting Lindy, all grown up. He figured she hated him, and he didn’t for a moment think Vanessa Shaw would try very hard to change Lindy’s feelings about him. Vanessa herself hadn’t shown him any approval.

However, he didn’t have much doubt about Vanessa being good to Lindy. She was young to be so protective of his sister, but maybe it was past time for someone to be kind to Lindy.

Still feeling guilty, he rang the doorbell at the Greenfield home, hoping the dinner would go smoothly.

An older man, one he hadn’t met, opened the door.

Rick nodded to him. “I’m Rick Austin.”

“Come in, Mr. Austin. I’m Peter, Betty’s husband. Uh, I’m supposed to give you this and wait for you to read it.”

Rick frowned as he took the note and read the flowing writing. Vanessa wanted him to know that his sister was wearing a new dress this evening and that he should compliment her on it.

He crumpled the note in his hand, leaving Peter watching him with a nervous expression.

“Thank you, Peter,” Rick said, hoping to ease the man’s apprehension. He resented the note because he knew how to behave. His own mother insisted on good manners. But maybe Miss Shaw—he corrected himself, Vanessa—had a point. He had seen his sister only once since she was six—today when she’d fainted at the sight of him. Maybe a pleasant compliment would enable things to proceed smoothly.

“Where am I to go, Peter?”

“This way, please.” He turned and started down the hall, and Rick followed.

When Peter opened a door across from the library, Rick drew a deep breath. Then, pasting a smile on his face, he entered the room.

Vivian immediately rose to greet him. Once again he was struck by the petite woman’s beauty. In her forties, she had strawberry blond hair with but a few strands of gray. She welcomed him and introduced him to Jeff Jacobs, his wife Rebecca, their children Joey and Jamie, as well as Jeff’s partner, Bill Wallace, and his wife, Chelsea, who was obviously pregnant.

Will invited him to sit down, and Rick did so. But he didn’t see Vanessa or Lindy.

Just as he was making conversation with the others, the door opened again. Vanessa, looking stunning in a chic black dress, entered the room, followed by a beautiful younger woman.

Rick stood and stared at the two women. He remembered the note he’d received. Of course, praise was due both for their appearance, but he couldn’t help seeing his stepmother when he looked at Lindy. Her blond hair and slender figure looked so much like Anita’s.

He crossed the room to greet them. “Hello, Vanessa. You look beautiful tonight.”

“Thank you,” she said coolly, and stepped aside for him to face his sister.

“You look very nice, Lindy. Like your mother,” he couldn’t help adding.

Lindy appeared stricken, and she let out a gasp.

Vanessa wrapped an arm around the child. “It’s all right, Lindy. He didn’t mean that.”

“What do you mean?” Rick demanded. “She does look like her mother.”

“The woman you hated? Does that mean you hate Lindy, too?”

“No, of course not—I mean—I don’t know her!”

“Exactly. Let me assure you, she may look like her mother, but that’s where the resemblance ends!” Vanessa exclaimed.

“Dear,” Vivian said, “aren’t you asking a little too much of Rick to react as if he knows his sister? He’s scarcely seen her in nine years.”

“And whose fault is that?” Vanessa demanded.

Jeff stood and joined Rick. “Maybe you should cut him some slack, Vanessa. He may have been careless, but he had no choice about leaving her with her mother, unless he knew of any abuse. Any court would agree with that.”

Vanessa wasn’t satisfied with legal obligations. “That still doesn’t—”

At that moment Betty stepped into the room. “Dinner is served.”

And that ended their conversation…for the time being.

Vanessa had asked her mother to seat Lindy next to her, in case the girl continued to be nervous about her half brother. Vivian had done as Vanessa had asked, but she’d put Rick Austin across the table from Lindy.

However, much to Vanessa’s surprise, Lindy seemed eager to talk to her brother.

“Rick, do you still live in Dad’s house?” Lindy asked in a quiet moment.

He frowned. “Yes, of course.”

“It’s a wonderful house,” Lindy said. “I remember thinking it was like a castle.”

Rick gave her a surprised look. “A castle? It doesn’t look anything like a castle.”

Lindy withdrew immediately, and Vanessa intervened, telling Rick, “You’ll have to remember she was only six years old. Is it here in Highland Park?”

“Yes, of course. I didn’t think,” Rick said, apologizing at once. “Would you like to visit the house?” he asked Lindy. “I’ll be out of town next week, but I’ll let my housekeeper know you’d like to drop by, if you want.”

“Is it still Mrs. Abby?” Lindy asked, but her enthusiasm seemed to have disappeared.

“Yes, it is.”

Lindy turned to Vanessa. “She’s a lot like Betty, Vanessa. You’ll like her if you meet her.”