Margaret Daley - Carbon Copy Cowboy

Kendra gasped. She’d give anything to know if she had family somewhere, anyone at all, really, even a great-aunt or second cousin. While little Darcy watched avidly, Violet and Maddie exchanged troubled looks. Ty stilled as if waiting for Jack to say more, but he did not look up from his plate. After a moment, Jack picked up his fork again and started to eat. The rest of the meal passed in silence.

Kendra found that her appetite had fled with his words. She wondered what she’d walked into here—an ill mother, twins who had never met... She found it all very confusing.

Jack excused himself and left the table without so much as a glance in Kendra’s direction. She worried that he might be angry with her. Perhaps they all were. She looked to Violet, on the verge of an apology, but the other woman beat her to it.

“I’m sorry, Kendra. Don’t mind Jack. He’s got a lot on his mind right now.”

“We all do,” Maddie added.

“You see,” Violet went on, “Jack and I didn’t even know until a couple months ago that Maddie, Grayson and our other brother Carter existed.”

Kendra switched her shocked gaze back and forth between Violet and Maddie. “How...?” She bit off the question, fearing that to voice it would be rude.

“We don’t know,” Maddie said flatly.

“And until our mother wakes up...” Violet began.

“Or we find our father,” Maddie supplied.

“We won’t know why they split the family and raised us apart,” Violet finished.

Kendra shook her head, overwhelmed. “That’s...that’s...” She swallowed the word awful, a question occurring. “You said, until your mother wakes up?”

Violet’s whole countenance fell. “Mom’s in a coma,” she whispered. “She fell off her horse.”

“Oh, wow,” Kendra said, impulsively clasping Violet’s hand with hers. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know....”

“No reason why you should,” Violet told her, squeezing her hand.

Kendra took her hand back, exclaiming, “I shouldn’t be here! You have enough troubles without me bringing mine into the mix.”

Both Maddie and Violet rushed to reassure her.

“No, no,” Violet said. “It’s no bother.”

“It might even be a good thing,” Maddie said at the same time. Ty cleared his throat, and she instantly subsided. Kendra could only wonder what that might be about, but she had no time to ponder the matter as Violet suddenly rose.

“You must be tired,” she said, “after everything you’ve been through. Let me show you to your room.”

“I’d like to help clean up first,” Kendra insisted, aware that she really had no choice but to stay the night here at least.

Violet waved that away. “Lupita will have cleaned up everything but what you see here.”

“Ty and I will clear the table and load these things into the dishwasher,” Maddie volunteered. Ty lifted an eyebrow but said not a word. He was certainly a quiet type, good-looking, too, almost as good-looking as Jack.

Kendra got up. Suddenly exhausted, she felt herself sway. Violet instantly reached out.

“You poor thing! You haven’t recovered at all.”

“I’m fine,” Kendra said with a wan smile, “just a little tired is all.” Straightening, she lifted her chin and took a deep breath.

“You come on with me now,” Violet instructed, taking Kendra by the arm.

“Do you have any things to be brought in?” Maddie asked, looking to Ty.

“I left a bag of toiletries in Jack’s truck,” Kendra said, just then remembering. “Other than that, I only have what I’m wearing.”

“I’ll run out and get the bag,” Maddie told her, hurrying away from the table. “Then I have some things you can borrow.”

“We’ll get you all fixed up,” Violet promised.

Embarrassed, Kendra could do nothing but smile and follow her hostess from the room.

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