The Twin

“You have,” Cass said, leaning forward. “Why? Is it a man?” She grinned. “Give, sis.”

“Don’t do your lawyer bit with me. You know that I don’t respond well to grilling.”

Cass laughed. “Look who’s talking. The grill queen. You’re like a pit bull, but don’t sidestep the question. What’s been going on with you? You know we always tell each other everything.”

Sunny thought for a moment. What was she avoiding? Not wanting to stir up old feelings, she deliberately hadn’t mentioned Sam Outlaw’s visit to the café. “Oh, I had to run a million errands yesterday, and the band practiced last night.”

Cass lifted one eyebrow and waited.

“Something sort of interesting happened Wednesday. A guy, a Texas Ranger to be exact, dropped in for lunch. His name was Sam Outlaw.”

Both of Cass’s brows went up. “Sam Bass Outlaw?”

“Yep.” She took a sip of the iced mint tea that Sid had left for her. “The very one.” Leaving out anything but a general mention of Sam’s being with another Ranger, she related the entire conversation with their relative.

“Interesting,” Cass said.

“I thought so.”

“Do you think he knew about us before he came in?” Cass asked.

“I don’t think he had a clue. It was pure coincidence.”

“I don’t believe in coincidences.”

“Well, whether you believe in them or not, I can assure you that this was,” Sunny said. “He seemed genuinely surprised. How could he have known about us to come looking? And why would he care about his illegitimate cousins? Trust me, it was a coincidence.”

Cass narrowed her eyes and peered into Sunny’s. “Is there something you left out?”

Sunny put on her best innocent face. “I’ve told you everything that I can remember about my conversation with Sam.” No way was she going to mention Ben. Cass would blow it all out of proportion and start to nag her. She was worse than the Senator. Sometimes being a twin with those special connections could be a real pain.

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“You must miss being a lawyer. There you go again with the grilling. I feel like I’m in the witness box.”

“Sunny, sweetie, I can’t hold a candle to you when it comes to interrogation. Must be all those years as a detective that honed your skills. You were great at it. Do you miss being a cop?”

Sunny hesitated. A year ago she wouldn’t have hesitated a beat in saying no, but now and again she wondered if she didn’t miss some things—not that she would admit it to Cass. “No. Not at all.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

Cass studied her for a minute; Sunny resisted squirming. “Running Chili Witches isn’t much of a challenge after being one of Austin’s finest.”

“Maybe not, but it suits me fine. Besides, I wouldn’t be much of a cop without a gun, and I never want to pick up one again.”

Cass obviously sensed Sunny’s discomfort and changed the subject. “Tell me about the other Ranger with Sam.”

Sunny squirmed, but only a hair. A hair was enough. Cass let out a hoot of laughter.

“I knew it,” Cass said. “I knew it. Tell me about him.”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

Cass rolled her eyes. “Come on, sis. This is me. What’s his name? What does he look like?”

“I think his name was Ben.”

“You think?”

“Okay. His name was Ben. I don’t even remember his last name. McSomething, I think. He was tall and kind of nice-looking. I didn’t pay much attention. I doubt that I’ll ever see him again.”

“You’re lying. Did he ask you out?”

“Of course not. I mostly talked to Sam, and we were busy in the café.”

Cass waited, that look on her face that said she wasn’t letting it go.

“And all right, he came back for lunch today.”

“Aha! I’d say that he’s interested. Was Sam with him?”

“No. He was alone.”

“That definitely means he’s interested.”

“It only means that he likes our chili. We barely spoke.”

“And why was that? Did you go hide in the kitchen?”

“Why would I hide in the kitchen?”

“Aha!” Cass said again. “I knew it. Listen to me, sis. It’s past time you put aside that shroud you’ve wrapped yourself in and rejoin the world. You’re too young to molder in widows’ weeds with your plants and cats.”

“Are you nuts? I’m not moldering, and I only have one cat.”

“How long since you’ve gone out with a man? How long since you’ve even considered going out with a man?”

“Would you stop with the goading? I’m simply not interested in dating. Not yet, in any case.”

“How long are you going to wait? Five years? Ten? Twenty?”

Thank goodness Sid appeared with their food, and Sunny was saved from answering Cass’s question. But she couldn’t help asking herself the same question. How long was she going to wait?

The whole subject gave her a headache. And for no reason. Ben might have revved her motor a little bit, but he hadn’t shown any particular interest in asking her out. Anyhow, just because he didn’t wear a wedding ring didn’t mean a thing. He could be very married. Or he could be in a committed relationship of some sort. It was unlikely that a hunk like him was available. Case closed.

Chapter Four

Sunny was just walking into Chili Witches after her lunch with Cass when the phone near the register rang. Melanie, a short blonde who was the assistant manager, grabbed it, then put her hand over the phone receiver and said, “Sunny, a call for you on line one.”

“Who is it?”

“Beats me. Some guy. Are you in?”

“Sure. I’ll take it.” She reached for the receiver. “Hi, this is Sunny. May I help you?”

There was a pause, then a deep voice said, “Hello. This is Ben McKee.”

Her breath caught and an odd rush spread over her. “Ben?”

“Yes. I’m the Ranger who came in with Sam Outlaw on Wednesday. I was there at noon today for chili.”

“Oh, yes, of course. Ben. Did you forget something?”

He chuckled and the sound seemed to resonate in her belly. How very odd.

“No, I think I got out with everything I came in with. I wanted to ask you to have dinner with me tomorrow night.”

“Din-dinner?” she said, stammering in spite of her efforts at control. “Tomorrow night?” Panic clawed its way up from her stomach to her throat. She wasn’t ready to deal with this.

“Yes. Tomorrow. Saturday night. If you’re free. That is, if you’re not involved with anyone. I didn’t even think to ask that. Are you?”

Her mouth went August dry. She finally managed to say, “No. I’m a widow.”

“Good,” he said quickly. “Oh, God, I didn’t mean it was good you were a widow. Sorry about that. I meant it was good you weren’t—”

“I know what you meant.” She almost smiled. He seemed as nervous as she felt. “And I really appreciate the invitation, but I have a previous commitment tomorrow night.”

There was a moment of silence, then Ben said, “Oh. Well, maybe another time. I’ll catch you later.”

And he was gone. She was left with a dial tone and a minor shock. What was that all about? His invitation had surprised her. True, she’d noticed a bit of interest on his part, but she hadn’t expected him to ask her on a date. She really did have a commitment tomorrow night. Her band, the Copper Pistols, played somewhere almost every Saturday night. Made up of police officers, the Pistols had been a garage band formed when Brian was still alive. She played drums, and Brian had played bass. Two other friends played guitar and keyboard and a third sang lead. They’d first started playing together as a stress reliever, and then realized they were pretty darned good and started accepting gigs now and then. After Brian’s death, the members of the group had helped her keep her sanity. And although she was no longer employed by Austin PD, the guys hadn’t kicked her out. Sometimes the band seemed like her last connection to Brian. They’d had so much fun playing together.

She hadn’t even had a chance to explain to Ben that she was working tomorrow night, that her excuse wasn’t a brush-off. He must not have been too interested or he would have asked her about another night. She wasn’t doing anything Sunday. Or Tuesday. Or Thursday.

It was just as well. She really wasn’t ready to date. It had been so long since she’d dated anyone, she wasn’t sure she’d know how to act. The whole business was awkward.

When she turned around the Senator stood there, shaking his head.

“What?”

He sighed and disappeared.

“It wasn’t my fault,” she said to the empty space. “I really am busy tomorrow night.”

“I believe you,” Melanie said.

“Believe what?” Sunny asked.

Melanie grinned. “I believe you’re busy tomorrow night. I’m coming to see you at the Spotted Cow. Remember?”

“Uh, great.” It took Sunny a few beats to catch up with the conversation. Melanie, who dated the keyboard player, had thought Sunny’s remarks to the Senator were aimed at her. “Listen, did that new supply of napkins come in yet?”

“Sure did. Not ten minutes ago. Jimmy put them in the supply room. Was the guy on the phone asking you for a date?”

“Uh, no. It was something else. Some committee he wanted me to serve on.” Sunny didn’t like lying, but she didn’t want everybody in the place buzzing about her love life—or lack of one. She adored Melanie, and she was an excellent employee, but she was a terrible gossip.

During the afternoon lull, Sunny sat behind the bar, where she could keep an eye on the door, dispensing an occasional beer and rolling utensils in napkins and placing them in a bin.

She glanced up and saw a tall, dark-haired woman enter. Dressed in a blue silk blouse, a gray pencil skirt and killer gray heels, the attractive woman sported a rock on her left hand roughly the size of a large ice cube. She stood by the door and scanned the room as if looking for someone. When her eyes met Sunny’s, both of them stared. Sunny had the odd sense she knew the woman, but nothing registered.

Leaving the bar, Sunny approached her. “May I help you?”

A bright smile spread across the woman’s face that transformed her from merely attractive to a real beauty. “I’ll bet my bottom dollar you’re Sunny Outlaw.”

“I am. Sunny Outlaw Payton. Have we met?”

“Not yet.” The woman threw open her arms. “I’m Belle Outlaw Burrell. I’m your cousin.”

“You’re kidding!”

“Nope.”

Sunny was stunned for a moment, then elation filled her. “My cousin? I can’t believe it! You’re Sam’s sister.” Sunny fell into her arms, and the two of them hugged as if they were long-lost buddies.

“I am,” Belle said, laughing. “And Colt’s and Frank’s and J.J.’s. I also come with a husband, two parents, assorted sisters-in-law and a growing number of nieces and nephews. Welcome to the family.”

Sunny hugged her again. This was better than Christmas. “I want to know all about everybody. But wait. I’ve got to call Cass. She’ll kill me if she misses this.”

“Cass?”

“Cassidy Outlaw, my sister.”

“Uncle Butch had two daughters?”

“That’s right.” Sunny grabbed her cell phone from her pocket and punched Cass’s code. When she discovered her sister was upstairs, she said, “Drop everything and get down here right away. I have a surprise!”

“I can’t believe he had two daughters. We didn’t even know he had one.”

“He didn’t, either. We were born after he…died.”

When Cass rushed into the room, Belle looked from her to Sunny, then back again. “You’re…twins.”

“Yep.” Sunny introduced Cass and Belle and they hugged, as well.

“I can’t believe we’ve finally met,” Cass said, hugging her again. “It’s awful being the family pariahs.”

“Pariahs?” Belle said. “Good Lord, why would you be pariahs?”

“Well, our father was married to someone else when we were conceived.”

Belle made a dismissing motion. “Aunt Iris never counted for much. My mother said they were married in name only. She wouldn’t give him a divorce. She and Daddy were tickled to death when they heard they have a new niece—nieces now. They’ll be doubly pleased. They can’t wait to meet you. In fact the whole family wants to meet you. They’re hoping we can all get together for Thanksgiving in Naconiche. Can you arrange it?”

“Sure we can,” Cass said.

“We’ll manage somehow,” Sunny said. She ordered drinks for everyone, and they talked for two hours, mostly with Belle catching them up on the Outlaw family.

They were captivated by learning Belle was a former FBI agent.

“Why on earth did you ever leave?” Sunny asked. “Sounds like a dream job for an Outlaw.”

“I discovered I wasn’t cut out for being an agent. I’m much happier running a newspaper in Wimberley. I love it.”

“I hear that,” Cass said. “I got sick of lawyering, too. Boring. And too dog-eat-dog for me.”

“My brother Frank is a lawyer…well, a judge now,” Belle said. “And his wife, Carrie, is a lawyer. But she was a landman before she went back to practicing law in Naconiche. It might be boring, but there’s not much dog-eat-dog dynamics in Naconiche.”

“Actually, I think Cass just missed Austin,” Sunny said.

“True,” Cass admitted. “I love this place. Always have.”

“I do, too,” Belle said. “And Wimberley isn’t that far away. I can’t believe we’ve been living so close all this time. I even went to school at UT here in Austin.”

“So did I,” Cass said. “Law school. Unbelievable we could have passed each other on the street and not known it.”

“Isn’t it? Listen, my husband, Gabe, and I are coming up tomorrow with Sam and his wife to Sam’s place on Lake Travis. Why don’t you two join us? We might even do a little fishing.”

“Oh, rats,” Cass said, “I can’t make it tomorrow. It’s my day to run the place, and we’re going to be shorthanded, but Sunny can go. She loves to fish.”

“Count me in,” Sunny said. “I haven’t been fishing in ages. But I’ll have to make an early day of it. I have a gig tomorrow night.”

“A gig?”

“Sunny’s a drummer in a band on Saturday nights.”

“How fun! I want to come hear you sometime.” Belle glanced around. “It looks like the early dinner crowd is beginning to arrive, and I’d better leave and meet Gabe. He’s probably through with his business by now, and he’ll be chomping at the bit to get home.” She gave Sunny directions to Sam’s lake house, then rose and hugged them both warmly. “I’m so excited to have met you and have you as part of the Outlaw clan.”

Sunny was flying as Belle handed her card to each of them and they exchanged cell phone numbers. For as long as she could remember, she’d yearned for a big family. Having Cass and her mom and Aunt Min had been great, but she’d always envied families with fathers and brothers and kids running around.

“Cass,” Belle said, “do you work on Sundays?”

“Nope. We’re closed on Sunday.”

“Great. I want you both to plan on coming to Wimberley on Sunday of next week. We’ll have a barbecue or something.”

They walked Belle to the door, hesitant to let her go. Funny, Sunny thought, as she waved goodbye to her newfound cousin. It felt as if they had been friends and cousins forever.

“She looks like us,” Cass said. “Did you notice?”

“I did.”

“I like her.”

“Me, too.”

They looked at each other, connecting as they always did, grinned and hugged. “Hot damn!” they said in unison.

“You know what this means?” Cass said.

“Yeah. We’ve just acquired a humongous family.”

“Besides that.”

Sunny heaved a big sigh. “We’ve got to figure out how to tell Mama.”

“I vote we table telling her until she and Aunt Min get home from their grand adventure.”

Mama and Aunt Min had rented a cottage in France and were making excursions to various places in Europe—the dream of a lifetime. “But they won’t be home for another six months.”

Cass grinned. “Yeah. I know. But we wouldn’t want to spoil their trip now, would we?”

Chapter Five

Saturday was one of those perfect Texas days that come most often in the spring or the fall. The colors on the hills toward the lake seemed brighter than usual. Because most of the trees were evergreen, and the climate didn’t generate many autumn colors, this was a rarity. She’d heard something about an especially dry summer and a number of cool nights turning the deciduous trees into a lovely palette of reds and golds against the blue sky.

Sunny followed a winding, blacktopped road toward the place where she was meeting Belle and the others. She hated that Cass wasn’t along and had tried to convince her sister to come in her place, but Cass wouldn’t hear of it.

“You know I’m not much on fishing,” Cass had said. “Go on. Go. Go.”

And truthfully Cass didn’t know one end of a rod from another. Brian had taught Sunny to fish, and she’d learned to love it. They’d spent many an hour on Lake Travis. She hadn’t wet a hook since he’d died. In fact, she’d had to do some digging in her storage unit to find a rod and reel and her tackle box.

After checking the number on the mailbox, she pulled into the driveway of a ranch house at nine on the dot. It was a rather ordinary place except that its backyard abutted the gorgeous panorama of the lake, and a helicopter rested in a large clearing beside the house. Who on earth did that belong to?

She pulled up behind a black SUV and got out. By the time she had retrieved her fishing gear, Belle had appeared from behind the house, and a willowy, short-haired blonde was with her.

“Hey,” Belle said, waving. “You found us. Great. Sunny, this is Sam’s wife, Skye. She’s a veterinarian, a vegetarian, my double sister-in-law and my best friend.”

Skye stuck out her hand and laughed. “Sounds ominous, doesn’t it? Welcome to our branch of the Outlaw gang. I’m sort of new myself.”

“How are you a double sister-in-law?” Sunny asked.

“Well, Belle married my brother Gabe, and I married her brother Sam. Seems like we were destined to be sisters one way or another. I’m sorry your sister couldn’t come, but I look forward to meeting her next weekend. Sorry I don’t eat chili because Sam says yours is fabulous.”

“We have a vegetarian version,” Sunny said.

“You do? Sweet!”

Belle grabbed the tackle box, hooked her arm with Sunny’s and said, “Come on out back. The guys have the boat about ready to shove off.”

In the back, they walked down a flight of steps to a pier where a boat was docked. Sunny was surprised to see three men instead of the two she expected. She immediately recognized Sam, who looked up and smiled. A handsome blond guy she didn’t know also turned and smiled. When the third turned around, she almost dropped her rod.

It was Ben McKee. He’d traded his Stetson for a blue ball cap and his dress shirt and tie for a jersey faded from red to almost pink.

“Sunny,” Belle said, “the blond hunk in the sunglasses is my husband, Gabe Burrell, and I think you’ve met the other hunk, Ben McKee.”

“Good to meet you, Sunny,” Gabe said. “I see you’ve brought your own rod. It looks custom-made.”

“Whoo-ee,” Sam said. “We’d better watch out, guys. She looks like she takes fishing seriously.”

“Sunny,” Ben said, simply smiling and touching the brim of his cap. “Closest thing I have to a custom-made rig is a cane pole I cut myself.”

Sunny felt her face blaze, and she felt an irrational urge to slap the silly smile off his face. “It was a Christmas gift from my husband.”

There was a sudden silence. Her comment had gone over like a toad in a punch bowl.

“Sorry about the crack,” Ben said, and he held out his hand to help her aboard. “It’s a fine-looking rod. Was it made locally?”

Sunny accepted his hand, and everybody started talking at once as they climbed onto the large boat.

“The biggest fish of the morning,” Sam said, “is exempt from cleaning the catch or cooking lunch. Except for Skye. She’s not included in the contest.”

“Because you’re vegetarian?” Sunny asked her.

“No,” Belle said. “Because she’d probably catch a whale. Fish jump on her hook.”

“You fish,” Skye said, pulling a paperback from her tote, “and I read.”

“Why is it fish jump on your hook?” Ben asked.

She shrugged. “Just one of those odd things.”

“She’s enchanted,” Belle said. “Critters of every kind adore her. Who’s got the worms?”

“Ben brought the worms,” Sam shouted as he pulled the boat away from the pier.

They spent the rest of the morning fishing and laughing and talking. Sunny thoroughly enjoyed herself. She couldn’t remember when she’d laughed or talked so much. Sam and Belle were natural cutups, and they were in fine form. A shame she’d only met them now.

Shortly before they were due to go in, Sunny cast her line near where someone had left a milk jug marker. Immediately, a fish struck, a big one by the feel of it. She played it, praying she wouldn’t lose what she hoped was a whopping-size black bass. When she finally pulled in the fish, Ben helped her get the huge black bass in the boat.

Ben held it up and said, “Unless I miss my guess, this looks like the day’s winner. At least seven pounds.”

“Or eight,” Gabe said. “Only fitting, Sunny, that you’re our winner.”

“I agree,” Skye said.

Sam looked at Skye and frowned.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Skye said. “I had nothing to do with it. I’ve been reading about the latest treatment for mange.”

They headed back to the lake house, where the guys lit the grill and cleaned the fish while Belle and Skye retrieved containers of side dishes from the fridge. Sunny tried to help, but they wouldn’t hear of it.

“You won, fair and square,” Skye said.

“Do you really attract critters?” Sunny asked. Although the thought of such a thing seemed a little odd, who was she to say? She talked to a ghost.

“Umm. Sometimes. When you’re a veterinarian, it’s helpful to have a good rapport with animals.”

“Do you treat many fish?”

Skye chuckled. “Not many. In fact the only patient I can recall was a goldfish, and I wasn’t able to revive him. We had a funeral service instead.”

“Seriously?”

“Yep. With songs and prayers and the whole shebang.” Skye picked up a plastic container. “I’m going to take these veggies out for the guys to put on the grill. Want to bring the paper plates?”

LUNCH HAD BEEN SO MUCH FUN that before she knew it, it was midafternoon. “Oh, wow,” Sunny said, jumping up. “I didn’t realize it was so late. I have to get back to town.”

“Big date?” Sam asked.

Sunny almost laughed when she saw Skye kick him under the table.

“No. I have to work tonight. Most Saturday nights are full. Let me help with this real quick.”

She picked up the empty bowls from the patio table, and Skye picked up the ice-cream maker. Belle got the rest of the remnants, and the women carried the things inside to the kitchen.

“Are you working tonight at the café?” Skye asked.

“No, I play with a band on most Saturday nights.”

“A band?” Skye said, her eyebrows going up. “Like with instruments?”

“Guitars, drums, keyboard. Real instruments. We’re the Copper Pistols.”

“What fun!” Skye said. “How did you come up with the name?”

“Seemed like a logical one for police officers—and everybody in the group is a working cop. They let me stay in the band after I left the force.”

“I forgot Belle told me you were in law enforcement,” Skye said as they walked back outside. “What did you do on the police force?”

Hearing Skye’s question, Gabe asked, “Sunny, were you really a cop?”

“Sure was. For several years. I was in uniform for a while, working traffic, and later I became a detective. Listen, everybody, today has been wonderful. I’m so glad you invited me, and Cass and I are looking forward to next Sunday. In the meantime, if you drop by Chili Witches, your next meal is on the house. Now, I’ve got to run.”

After goodbyes were said, Ben picked up her rod and reel and tackle box and followed Sunny to her car.