A Texas Family Reunion

Dear Reader,

I knew all along David would be the resistant one. It would be too much to expect every long-lost Barlow to want to be found. Poor David thought he already had enough family, but ultimately had to relearn what “family” really means. Who better to teach him than his blood siblings?

I think David’s attitude is quite understandable—not everyone reacts well to change. We try to plan our lives and then when things change, we can be left floundering. That certainly has been true for me. My life hasn’t turned out as I planned it long ago. In some ways it is so much better; in others, it’s not so good. But I’m trying to make the best of what I have. David learns to do the same, and comes to love his old family while learning to relate to his new family. I hope you enjoy David’s journey.

Since David is the last of the five living siblings, you may be wondering if I’m doing a ghost story with poor Wally. The answer is no, I don’t write paranormal. The last book is about Vanessa, who has been in every book but hasn’t had her own story. Since we all know she’s firmly planted in the family camp, her story will be about what she does best—rescuing someone who also needs a family.

Thanks for your loyalty throughout this series. I love writing books about family, and I’ve enjoyed these stories especially. If you have any comments or questions, you can reach me at my Web site, www.judychristenberry.com.

Happy reading!

A Texas Family Reunion

Judy Christenberry

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Judy Christenberry has been writing romances for over fifteen years because she loves happy endings as much as her readers do. A former French teacher, Judy now devotes herself to writing full-time. She hopes readers have as much fun with her stories as she does. She spends her spare time reading, watching her favorite sports teams and keeping track of her two daughters. Judy lives in Texas.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Epilogue

Chapter One

Will Greenfield was enjoying the quiet solitude of the office one afternoon in February. The winds were blowing outside and the temperature hovered just below freezing. The weak winter sun struggled to make a difference, but it wasn’t succeeding.

When he heard the outer door of Greenfield and Associates open, he looked up to see if his partners, Jim and Carrie Barlow, were returning. She’d had a doctor’s appointment this morning, and Jim had gone with her. But the man who’d opened the door wasn’t anyone he’d met before.

“Hello,” Will said. He stood and walked around his desk and into the outer office. “I’m Will Greenfield. How can I help you?”

The man looked familiar, although Will was certain they had never met before.

“I’m not a potential client, Mr. Greenfield,” the man said. “I’m here to see what kind of operation you run.”

Will stared at the man probably twenty-five years his junior. “And why would you be interested in that if you’re not a potential client?”

“My cousin is going to be working for you,” he said tersely.

Will knew immediately to whom he was referring. “You’re Alexandra Buford’s cousin?”

“Yes. My name is David Buford.”

“Does Alexandra have doubts about coming to work here?” Will asked.

“No, but I wanted to be sure you were legitimate.”

“I see,” Will said slowly. He had recently decided to hire a new agent when Carrie had become pregnant. Carrie wouldn’t quit work completely, but she’d have to slow down a little.

“What kind of clients do you handle?”

“We do mostly insurance work. Occasionally we search for people or handle cases the police have given up on.”

The man crossed his arms over his chest, and again Will was struck with a feeling of familiarity.

“Do you do any divorce cases, things like that?”

“Normally, no. Why? Do you have something against divorce cases?”

“They seem rather unsavory to me.”

“What do you do for a living, Mr. Buford?” Will asked.

“I own a software company, Buford Works.”

“And Alexandra didn’t want to work for you?”

“No. She liked working in law enforcement, but she was tired of working the crazy hours. She doesn’t have much seniority, so it would be a while before she could work days.”

“So she said,” Will said, watching the man.

“Is this a one-man office, just you and Alexandra?”

“No, I have two partners who aren’t in today.”

“Will she be the only woman?” David Buford asked sharply.

“No. One of my partners is female.”

“Oh, good.”

“Yes,” Will agreed, still watching him closely.

“I won’t take up any more of your time, then. Oh, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell Alex I was here. She doesn’t—” He broke off as the door behind him opened.

“David!” Alexandra Buford exclaimed, obviously surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to see where you’d be working, Alex. You know, check out the working conditions, the parking, that kind of thing,” her cousin said.

Alexandra turned to her new boss. “Did he say anything to you to make you think I didn’t want to work for you, Will? Because I can assure you I do want this job.”

Will smiled as he noted the flash of anger in her brown eyes. “Don’t worry, Alexandra. I didn’t think you’d changed your mind.”

“Good! So you can go now, David, now that you’ve checked out the parking at my new job.”

“If you haven’t started work yet,” he said, “why don’t I take you to lunch?”

“No, I don’t have time. I want to set up my desk so I’ll be ready to start,” the young woman protested.

“You might as well accept his offer, Alexandra,” Will said. “Your desk hasn’t arrived yet. They called and told us it would be a couple of hours before it comes.” He smiled at David Buford.

“Then why don’t we eat at a restaurant near here so you can get back quickly,” Buford suggested to his cousin.

“I guess so,” the young woman said grudgingly.

“I apologize for interrupting your work, Mr. Greenfield,” David Buford said, reaching out to shake Will’s hand.

“No problem. I’m glad to have met you. Stop by anytime.”

Once they’d left, Will sat back down at his desk and tried to return to work, but something about the man—or was it his name?—continued to puzzle him.

Will kept musing, searching his memory. Was the name Buford in any of the cases they were working on? It was funny that Alexandra’s name hadn’t struck him as familiar when he’d interviewed her. So why did it when it was attached to her cousin?

He was just getting up to search through a few files when the office door opened again and his partners, Jim and Carrie Barlow, entered the office.

Will hurried around his desk to greet them. He hugged Carrie and shook Jim’s hand, asking, “What did the doctor say?”

“He said I’m fine, and there’s no reason I should sit at home on a pillow all day,” Carrie said, rolling her eyes at her husband.

“I’m glad to hear it. I want you to train Alexandra so she’ll be ready to take over when you’re on maternity leave.”

“It shouldn’t take long,” Carrie said. “After all, she’s a police officer, or was.”

“That’s true,” Will agreed.

Jim frowned. “I thought she was coming in this morning to get set up?”

“The desk was delayed, so she went out to lunch with her cousin.”

Jim nodded. “Any messages?”

“Yes, that lady you phoned in Longview called back. She left another number where she could be reached during the day.”

“Terrific. I’m hoping to get the name of the people who adopted David from her. She used to be a neighbor of my family’s.” Jim retrieved the message from his desk. “If you’ll excuse me,” he muttered, and dialed the number.

“He can’t wait to find David,” Carrie murmured to Will. “Did anything else happen while we were gone?”

“Well, Alexandra’s cousin appeared. He wanted to see what kind of a company she was going to work for.”

“That’s sweet. I’m glad she has family who look out for her.”

“I don’t think she really needs to be looked out for, Carrie. She was a police officer.”

“I know, Will. I just think it’s nice. I was worried because she said she was an only child.”

“Well, now you don’t have to worry,” Will said, and gave Carrie a quick hug. “I have to get back to work now.” He disappeared into his office.

Carrie smiled and slid into the chair behind her desk. She turned on the computer and began to input the files she’d been working on. She’d become so involved in her work she didn’t realize her husband had gotten off the phone until he spoke to her. “Yes, dear?”

“I said, that’s strange.”

“What?”

“The family who adopted David has the same last name as Alexandra.”

“Really? But Buford isn’t that unusual a name, is it?” Carrie asked.

“No, I suppose not. Maybe it’s just one of those crazy coincidences.”

“So does the family still live in Longview?”

“No. The lady isn’t sure where they moved. She said they left Longview about three years after my parents’ deaths.”

“Alexandra’s from here, isn’t she?”

“Plano, she said,” Jim muttered, naming a northern suburb of Dallas.

“What are you doing?”

“I just thought I’d look in the phone directory to see if there were any David Bufords listed in the area.” He picked up the phone again and dialed a number, then asked the person who answered if a family named Buford had moved from Longview ten or twelve years ago.

When he hung up, Carrie asked, “Well?”

“Nope.”

“Do you have more numbers?”

“Yeah. Are you willing to help make the calls?” He sent her a teasing look.

“You know I am, sweetheart, but I won’t interfere if you want to make them all yourself.”

“No, it doesn’t have to be me who finds him, as long as we find him.” He wrote down some numbers and brought them over to her desk.

After receiving a kiss from her husband, Carrie, too, began to dial the numbers he’d given her and to ask questions. Neither of them was having much luck when Will came out of his office again.

“What are you doing?” Will asked.

Jim explained what he’d learned.

“Buford is David’s name now?” Will asked. Then he slapped his forehead with his hand. “I just met him!”

Both his partners stared at him.

“Who?” Jim asked.

“Your brother. It’s got to be him. I thought he looked like someone I know. It was you!”

“Was his name Buford?” Carrie asked.

“Yeah. He introduced himself as Alexandra’s cousin, David Buford.”

“Where did he go?” Jim demanded, excitement in his voice.

“He took Alexandra out to lunch. They should be back soon, but I don’t know if he’ll come up with her. She didn’t seem to appreciate his overprotectiveness.”

Carrie grinned. “I know how she feels.”

Jim scowled. “I don’t overprotect you.”

“Not by yourself. You and Will work together to protect me.”

“Come on, sweetheart, you know we’re only trying to make sure you’re safe,” Jim said.

She ignored him. “Did he really look like Jim?”

“Yes, he did. He isn’t quite as tall, but he’s still over six feet. His hair is dark, like all the Barlows, but he has blue eyes.”

“My dad had blue eyes. Mom had brown,” Jim said.

Just then Alexandra entered the office.

“Where’s your cousin?” Will asked.

“I sent him back to work. I’m really so embarrassed that he came here checking up on my workplace.”

Jim stepped forward. “Alexandra, was your cousin adopted?”

“Why, yes. How did you know?”

“We think he may be my long-lost brother. He was adopted by a family named Buford in Longview twenty-three years ago. He was five years old. They moved from Longview about three years later.”

Alexandra stared at Jim. “The times fit. His family lived in Longview and moved to Plano about the time of my fifth birthday.”

“Can you call him and get him to come back?” Jim asked.

“Yes, of course, but—”

“Don’t tell him why, if you don’t mind.”

“Yes, but—”

“You could tell him you left your purse in his car,” Carrie suggested.

“Oh, no, he’d check before he came back. I’ll just tell him I need to talk to him.” She pulled out a cell phone and quickly dialed a number. “David, where are you?”

After a pause she said, “Because I need you to come back. I need to talk to you. No, I can’t explain on the phone.”

Another pause. “Okay. Thank you.”

She looked up at Jim. “He’ll be here in fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you. If he’s my brother, we’ll be reunited for the first time in twenty-three years.”

“Now that I look at you, I guess David does resemble you a little. But he has blue eyes.”

“Our father had blue eyes.”

“Oh.”

“Why did they move to Plano?”

“My father had started a company up here and he offered his brother a job when he’d lost his in Longview. So my uncle moved his family to Plano.”

“What happened to the company?” Carrie asked.

“Oh, after college, David took it over. My father had died and Uncle Joe tried to keep it going, but he wasn’t a very good businessman. David is a near genius. Since he took over the company, he’s quadrupled sales, and earnings have gone up significantly. David has made a small fortune for our mothers. They now live comfortably together.”

“Good for David,” Jim said with a smile.

“We can’t be absolutely sure he’s your brother, Jim,” Alexandra hurriedly said. “But they did live in Longview.”

“I know. We’ll see when he gets here.” Jim turned to Will. “Did you mention my name to him?”

“No. He asked if I was the only member of the firm, and I told him I had two partners, but I didn’t mention you by name.”

“Will he remember his former family name?” Carrie asked. “I mean, he was only five.”

“I think he will,” Jim said quietly. “If he’s shut out those memories, we’ll help him to remember who he really is.”

“Should you call Vanessa?” Carrie asked.

“Not until I’m sure. I don’t want to get her hopes up. Or Rebecca’s, either. We can plan a get-together once we know for sure.”

Alexandra said softly, “It seems strange to think of David belonging to another family.”

“It doesn’t mean he won’t still be a member of your family, Alexandra,” Jim replied. “It just means his family will have expanded.”

“If he does turn out to be your brother, how many brothers and sisters does he have?” she asked.

“There were six of us. Wally, the second oldest, died overseas. We were both in the marines. And I have three sisters, Rachel and Rebecca—twins—and Vanessa, the baby of the family. Vanessa is Will’s stepdaughter.”

“In the Buford family,” Alexandra said, “he has two sisters and me, his cousin. Gives him quite a big family altogether, doesn’t it?”

“We won’t know if David is Jim’s brother until we meet him,” Carrie reminded her.

“I know, but—”

Alexandra was interrupted by the sound of someone coming up the stairs, and they all turned to the door.

David Buford entered the room, his gaze seeking out Alexandra. He didn’t relax until he saw that she was okay.

Jim stared at his baby brother, his eyes tearing up. He no longer had any doubts.

Carrie stepped forward, holding out her hand. “Hello. I’m Carrie Barlow, one of Will’s partners. This is my husband, Jim Barlow.”

They all saw something flicker in David’s eyes, but he lowered his gaze and extended his hand to Jim. “David Buford, Alexandra’s cousin.”

He looked at Alexandra. “You wanted to talk to me?”

“Actually, Jim wanted to talk to you, David. Do you recognize him?”

Not looking at Jim, he replied, “No, I don’t.”

Silence fell. Then Jim said, “We know you were adopted, David. What was your name before your adoption?”

“I don’t remember,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll forgive me if I ask what gives you the right to ask me such a personal question.”

“Nothing to forgive,” Jim said, “but I believe you’re my younger brother, David Barlow, who was adopted by a family named Buford after our parents were killed in a car accident twenty-three years ago.”

“I don’t think so,” David said, turning away.

“Is your birthday August twentieth?” Jim asked.

“No! I have to go.”

“Yes, it is, David!” Alexandra exclaimed. “Why are you lying to Jim?”

“I’m not lying!” David snapped. “I…all right, my birthday is August twentieth. But I’m sure there are a million other people born on that date.”

“Yes, but how many of them are named David Buford?” Jim asked.

“Probably no more than three or four,” David muttered, staring at the floor.

“Oh, David, coincidences don’t happen that often,” Alexandra exclaimed.

“Why not? We’ve already had one coincidence, haven’t we?”

When Jim would’ve spoken, Carrie touched his arm. Then she said, “David, you’re the last of the long-lost six Barlow children. Did you know that?”

He looked up first at Carrie and then at Jim. “You’ve found everyone but me?” he asked.

“Wally died overseas as a marine,” Jim said softly. “Our sisters—Rebecca and Rachel, the twins, and Vanessa—have all reconnected. Vanessa was adopted by Vivian and Herbert Shaw. After Herbert died, Vivian hired Will Greenfield to find her daughter’s siblings. Rebecca was living in Arkansas. Rachel was here in Dallas. Now she lives in West Texas.”

David looked up at Jim and then quickly turned away, blinking rapidly as if trying to stop the tears. “I see. Perhaps I am David Barlow, your long-lost brother. I knew my name was Barlow but I didn’t think anyone was looking for me.”

“Is that why you denied being David Barlow?” Jim asked, frowning.

“Partly. I certainly don’t want my mother upset. I owe her and Dad a great deal for rescuing me.”

“And you think it would upset her for you to be reunited with your biological brother and sisters?” Carrie asked.

“Yes, I do. She’s dependent on me for her income and well-being. My sisters depend on me, too.”

“Yes,” Alexandra said, shaking her head. “Your mother raised you to be the big brother her daughters didn’t have. You were always taught to take care of everything for them. Too much, in my opinion.”

“You’re exaggerating, Alex! Mother doesn’t make that many demands.”

“You know I’m right,” Alexandra insisted.

“Look,” Jim said with amusement, “I don’t want to cut short your argument, but, David, I’d like to arrange a meeting between you and our sisters. Would you object to that?”

“If we can do it quietly. I don’t want Mom to know.” David shrugged. “I know that sounds strange, but I really do owe her, the whole family, in fact, everything.”

“Of course. I understand,” Jim said. “If you’ll give me your number, I’ll call you when I’ve got something set up.”

David reached in his suit jacket and pulled out a business card. “Here’s my number at work. Give me a call there, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course not. Are you usually free on weekends?”

“Better if it’s a workday night. I spend a lot of weekends at my mother’s.”

“I’m sure we can arrange something,” Jim said. He reached out his hand. “I’m glad to see you again, David.”

David stared at Jim’s hand. After a minute he took it in his and let his gaze meet Jim’s. “I’m glad to see you again, too.”

Jim pulled David into an awkward embrace. Then David broke free and hurried out of the office.

Alexandra shook her head sadly. “I can’t believe he did that!”

“What?” Carrie asked.

“Denied he was Jim’s brother until he was forced to admit it. Then he asked Jim not to let his mother know about his other family.”

“Would she be upset?” Jim asked.

“Oh, yes! She’ll probably throw a fit. Ever since her husband died, she’s clung to David, and she wouldn’t want anyone coming between them. But he knew, when he heard your name. And he denied it!” Alexandra exclaimed.

“Don’t be too hard on him,” Jim said softly. “He might not have made it if your aunt hadn’t adopted him when she did. David was the youngest of the boys and therefore the most vulnerable.”

“How old were you?”

“We were five and eight,” Jim admitted.

“Wow…you were very young too,” Alexandra said.

“I guess.” Jim grinned wryly.

“Jim’s a big brother to the world,” Carrie said as she slid an arm around her husband’s waist.

“Well, I think David’s lucky, he just doesn’t know it yet,” Alexandra said.

Chapter Two

Alexandra couldn’t get the scene out of her mind, of Jim confronting David and trying to get him to admit his kinship. She’d worried about David for some time now. Because he had assumed both his father’s and his uncle’s responsibilities she feared he might be overloaded.

Not that David listened to her. He’d been raised to think a woman couldn’t take care of herself or think for herself. His mother played the role of the southern belle to the nth degree. Her own mother was that way, too, but Alexandra had always been determined not to follow the same path.

Which explained her career choice; law enforcement was not for hothouse flowers.

“Do you want us to call you Alexandra or Alex?” Carrie asked as she carried over some supplies to Alexandra’s new desk.

“It doesn’t matter. I answer to both,” she said with a smile.

“I noticed David calls you Alex,” Carrie said.

“Yes. I was five when I first met him. He thought that because I was a girl, I would be easily dismissed, but I was determined to show him otherwise. I was in my tomboy phase. Maybe I still am.”

“And he hasn’t noticed you’re a beautiful woman now?” Carrie asked, raising her brows.

Alexandra felt her cheeks flush. “I’m not beautiful, Carrie. But I do have a boyfriend.”

“Well, I think you’re very attractive, and I’m glad someone appreciates you. Is he a policeman?”

“Yes, he is. That was another reason I left my job as a cop. They frown on fraternizing.”

“So you’ve made plans to marry?”

“Not yet, but I think… I hope my leaving will make things better.” Alexandra smiled, thinking of her boyfriend. Neil had been one of her instructors at the police academy. After she’d finished the course and been assigned nights, he’d asked her out to dinner. They’d begun seeing each other when they could, but her schedule didn’t fit well with his.

She was seeing him tonight. As far as she knew, he didn’t know about her change of job. It had happened quickly while Neil was on vacation. He’d gone to Tennessee to see his family.

“You’ll have to invite him to visit us. I’d love to meet him,” Carrie said.

“I haven’t even introduced him to my family yet. My cousins are gorgeous,” Alexandra said. “I don’t want him to be…distracted.”

Carrie chuckled. “Well, I can’t wait to introduce you to Vanessa, Will’s stepdaughter and Jim’s sister. Also the twins, Rebecca and Rachel. They’re all beauties, and you kind of have their look.”