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“She looks like me!” When her orphaned niece utters those words, Kelsey Harris is shocked—not only that Morgan has a long-lost twin but that the grieving five-year-old spoke at all. Overjoyed by Morgan and Mia’s instant connection, Kelsey and Zach Johnson, Mia’s widowed adoptive father, agree to be friends—and only friends. But can they ignore their growing feelings when the matchmaking sisters put their plan into action?
Chapter One
For the third time that Thursday morning, Kelsey Harris fought back tears. And for the hundredth time over the past six months, she questioned her ability to be a mother.
Her niece, Morgan, had been given the world’s most amazing parents for almost six years. Then in a moment, at the hands of a reckless drunk driver, both her parents had been snatched away in a nasty collision with Morgan in the back seat.
Now all she had was Kelsey.
An inadequate substitute.
She stood in the kitchen of her sister’s house—her house now—in the small community of Swallow’s Creek, Delaware, ignoring the empty Chinese food containers mixed in with the clutter on the kitchen counter and the stack of dishes in the sink. Instead, Kelsey watched Morgan swing her legs under the small round kitchen table, eating her Lucky Charms slower than the first pour of ketchup from a bottle. Kelsey didn’t dare rush her for fear that Morgan would stop eating.
The child already barely ate.
Or spoke.
Her vibrant, fun-loving five-year-old niece had been replaced with one enclosed in a silent cocoon. Kelsey didn’t know how to get Morgan back to herself.
Reason number 4,673 why Kelsey doubted her skills. Oh, why had God put her in this position?
Morgan took another spoonful—her fourth—her hand moving from bowl to mouth, lackluster. A chore.
Sitting down in a chair across from Morgan, Kelsey braced herself to ask a question that made her heart pound. “I heard you crying last night. But when I came in the room, you turned away from me. I know you were awake and pretending to be asleep. Do you want to talk about it?”
Her niece closed her eyes and shook her head.
“Sweetie, you can talk to me about anything regarding your mom and dad. And how you feel. I want to help you.”
Kelsey tensed while she prayed and begged God to loosen her niece’s tongue. All she got was another shake of the head. She didn’t push for fear Morgan would become upset and stop eating.
Patting Morgan’s hand, she said, “Okay, honey. Finish your breakfast.”
After a brief hesitation, Morgan squared her shoulders and resumed eating. Kelsey released a plume of air.
Maybe it was good she had finally heeded Pastor Reid’s advice. He had recommended a Christian therapist, Lily Hernandez, who was trained in childhood trauma. After months of lagging, Kelsey had made the appointment for the following Thursday, June 23. It was an hour away in Wilmington, but Morgan’s well-being was worth the drive. Kelsey had plugged the details into her calendar and set an alarm reminder to make sure she didn’t forget. If therapy didn’t work, Kelsey was seriously considering a move to San Diego or Florida. Both she and Morgan could use a little sunshine in their lives.
Kelsey looked at the clock and bit back a groan. She had thirty minutes until the meeting with her new client, but she had to drop Morgan off at the first day of summer camp. As one of the top real estate agents in Swallow’s Creek, Kelsey stayed busy and worked past midnight most days. But once she became Morgan’s primary caretaker, she’d had to reduce her hours. One of the perks of being in business for herself in a small town was that she could do the daily drop-off and pickup from school. Not bad for a twenty-nine-year-old cosmetology school dropout.
Which in itself was a plus. Morgan’s hair was always on point. Kelsey eyed her niece’s shoulder-length cornrows and beads with pride. Morgan’s hair shone, moving and swaying while Morgan chewed her food. Slowly.
Seconds later, Morgan plopped her spoon in the bowl and stood, causing the chair to scrape across the floor.
“Are you all done, honey?” Kelsey asked, swallowing the disappointment when she saw how much was left.
With a nod, Morgan picked up her bowl, holding it close to her chest. Kelsey knew Morgan was afraid it might fall and shatter to pieces like two others had before. Yet, if she offered to help, Morgan would refuse. Her niece placed the bowl in an empty spot on the counter, then tugged her Moana T-shirt over her brown leggings. She had outgrown the outfit but refused to allow Kelsey to change out her wardrobe. Their last trip to the mall had been a disaster, with Morgan crying and asking for her mom.
“Can you use your words for Auntie?” Kelsey pleaded, tucking Morgan under the chin.
Her niece looked up at her with sad, haunted eyes, her jaw churning behind zipped lips. A few seconds passed before she whispered, “Yes.”
“Great,” Kelsey said with a cheer she didn’t feel. She gave Morgan a quick hug. “Why don’t you get your Princess Tiana bag?” With a nod, Morgan went to get her backpack. It was one of the last things Kennedy had purchased for Morgan, and it was her niece’s prized possession. Morgan didn’t go anywhere without it, though it was almost as big as she was.
Once they were out the door, Kelsey swallowed the muggy heat, rushed to her BMW coupe and directed Morgan to get in her booster chair and put on her seat belt. She really needed to trade this car in and get a sensible mom car.
And she would. Probably never.
She couldn’t bear to part with her car.
Kelsey put on JoJo Siwa, then glanced in her mirror to see if Morgan danced along. But the former ballerina sat still, eyes wide as she clutched the leather seats. Kelsey wanted to tell her niece not to worry, but she, too, had been traumatized. The first week after Kennedy’s and Alex’s deaths, Kelsey had been too paranoid to drive. One of her best friends, Sienna King, had done the driving. Kelsey had had to recite 2 Timothy 1:7 several times before she got behind the wheel again.
She was halfway to the summer camp when she slapped her forehead. “I forgot to pack your lunch.” She rebuked her self-recriminating thoughts.
Morgan shrugged and peered out the window.
“I’ll get you a burger and fries for lunch. How’s that sound?”
Her niece nodded. Kelsey couldn’t imagine the horror Morgan relived every time they got inside a vehicle. Her heart squeezed tight, like a lollipop in a child’s fist. She wished she could snap her fingers and remove the pain that Morgan must be feeling. Or take that agony onto herself.
Sinking into her seat, Kelsey whispered an internal prayer. Please, God. Help me help her. `Cause I don’t have a clue.
By this time, Kelsey had twelve minutes to meet her client. She gripped the wheel and resisted the urge to press down on the accelerator. That might scare Morgan. She would prefer to be late and lose that deal rather than cause Morgan any additional harm. So she counted to ten and followed the speed limit.
Kelsey pulled into the church parking lot and drove to the rear, toward the camp entrance. There was a huge black SUV in the lane. Just as she moved to turn, the rear door of the truck opened and a pink ball bounced in front of her car. A small girl jumped out and went after the ball. All Kelsey saw was a head full of curls as she squealed with horror.
Panicked, Kelsey stomped on her brakes. The tires screeched like squawking seagulls as the car hurtled forward. Morgan emitted an earsplitting scream. And then another. Kelsey rammed the gear into Park, jabbed the release button on her seat belt and grabbed Morgan’s leg to comfort her. Morgan’s eyes were shut tight, her face red, her horror evident.
A tall, muscular man dressed in a pair of gray slacks and a blue-and-white-checkered shirt came after the child and scooped her into his arms.
Stealing a quick glance and seeing the other little girl had not been hurt, Kelsey yelled, “It’s all right, Morgan,” before opening her door with such force it rocked on the hinges. She catapulted out of the vehicle and scuttled to the passenger side to open Morgan’s door.
With sweaty hands, Kelsey fumbled before undoing Morgan’s seat belt. Morgan lunged toward Kelsey, her little body shaking and her chest heaving. Kelsey scooped the quivering child into her arms and rocked her, kissing the top of her head. “It’s okay. It’s okay. You’re fine, Morgan. You’re fine.” Morgan bellowed directly in her ear. She tilted her head, her ear cavity ringing. Her niece had quite the healthy pair of lungs.
Feeling a presence looming behind her, Kelsey turned. She was tall, at five-ten, but she had to look up at the man. And her eyes enjoyed the journey, taking in his full lips and square jaw and stopping in awe at a pair of unusual eyes—one hazel, the other a deep, rich honey brown. She swallowed, having never met anyone with heterochromia before, and tried to hide her instant fascination.
She lowered her eyes, resisting the urge to fan herself. Did he notice how flustered she was? The stranger hadn’t said a word. That was odd. She scrunched her nose and made her eyes meet his.
His gaze was trained on…Morgan? Kelsey frowned, snapping out of her musings and swallowing her awakened fury. You’d think he would be apologizing or thanking her, but instead he stood staring at Morgan, like he was judging her niece for screaming and crying. His daughter slid down his body to hide behind his leg.
Kelsey swung around to shield Morgan from the man’s intense gaze.
“I’m glad your daughter is okay,” she said, raising a brow. Her tone had enough acid to solicit a reaction.
The man sputtered like a choked engine. “I’m sorry. I’m glad you saw Mia jump out of my truck. If you hadn’t…”
“The main thing is that I did see her and that she’s safe.” Kelsey tried to put Morgan down, but her niece clung to her tighter than a monkey on a swing. Morgan had stopped screaming and had wiped her face into Kelsey’s blouse. Her sniffles tore at Kelsey’s heart.
“Are you okay?” she asked, noting that the man was still, as if he was in shock.
He stepped back, rubbing his eyes. “Nope. My eyes aren’t deceiving me. I am seeing doubles.” He tried to tug the little girl from his leg, but she was holding on to him.
“Doubles? Really?” Kelsey asked, moving away from him. She didn’t have time for corny pickup lines or to engage with someone more concerned with hitting on a woman than tending to his child. She retrieved Morgan’s book bag, then swung her hips to close the car door. With long strides, she went to the driver’s side to shut that door as well. Kelsey tried not to think of her damp blouse and her bun coming undone.
“Wait,” the man said, but she lifted her chin and kept moving. She thought she heard the sound of an alarm behind her. This man definitely wasn’t from around here. Hardly anybody in Swallow’s Creek locked their vehicles.
*
Zachary Johnson watched the woman scurrying up the path, struggling to keep her rapid pace with a child in her arms. A child that, if his eyes were seeing right, was the mirror image of his daughter, Mia.
A doppelgänger.
His heart thumped in his chest, and goose bumps popped up on his arms. It couldn’t be. Zach needed to get another glimpse. Then he could laugh at his error and apologize for freaking out her mother. He hadn’t had much sleep the past few nights, having just relocated to Swallow’s Creek from Philadelphia.
“Why was that girl screaming, Daddy?” Mia asked, peering around his leg and looking up at him. “I’m scary.” Her chin wobbled, melting his heart. His little pumpkin, as he called her, had him wrapped about her finger. Fortunately, she didn’t know it.
“You mean scared.” Zach patted her curls and corrected her. “I don’t know, honey. Maybe she was afraid.”
The fact that Mia could have been hit by a vehicle registered. Not even five minutes ago, Zach could have lost his baby girl. An image of her lifeless body flashed before him and his legs weakened. He snatched Mia in his arms again and hugged her tight. She squirmed, her back arching like mozzarella cheese against him, but Zach couldn’t let her go. His baby was alive and well.
Unlike Sandy. His wife had passed after losing a battle with cancer two years ago. They had gotten married at twenty-one, and he treasured the eleven years they’d had together. Sandy had truly been his best friend.
“Put me down, Daddy,” Mia said, pulling on his goatee. “I’m not a baby. I’m a big girl. I can walk.”
“You’ll always be my baby,” Zach said, willing his legs to move.
Then he stopped. With all the commotion, he had forgotten Mia’s lunch box. He put Mia down and kept his eyes on her as he ran to retrieve her pink ball. Her ruffled pink skirt looked like it had snagged, and the T-shirt was no longer tucked in. Most of her hair had come undone from her lopsided ponytail. It had taken him fifteen minutes to undo her tangles and get it in a ponytail.
Zach hated to see her so disheveled, especially on her first day of summer camp. But he had to get back to the house. There was a truck coming to deliver Sandy’s car, and he had to be there to open the garage.
Thankfully, his chatty new neighbor, Jade Wilson, had shown up a couple days ago with a scrumptious walnut cake in her hand to welcome him to the neighborhood. When he mentioned Mia, who had been asleep upstairs, she had suggested Millennial House of Praise’s summer camp. Jade had left after that, promising to come by soon with her fifteen-year-old daughter, Izabelle, whom she had volunteered for babysitting if he needed it.
“Hurry up, Daddy,” Mia said, flapping her arms like a baby bird trying out its wings. “I’m ready to go.”
Zach returned to his truck, tossed the ball in the back and stretched across the seat for Mia’s lunch box. Taking her hand in his, he started back up the path to the entrance of the camp. Mia danced and twirled the entire way.
“I’m going to make twenty new friends,” Mia said.
He chuckled. “Twenty? That’s a lot of friends. You only need one or two.”
“I still want twenty.” She skipped.
As soon as he walked through the door, warmth akin to the first bite of fluffy pancakes seeped through him. The walls were painted with images of Noah’s ark, David and Goliath, and other biblical heroes. There were about thirty children ranging in age from four to twelve scattered throughout the huge room. The young children herded together, their bodies moving like marionettes to the Chicken Dance. Some of the older children were sprawled in chairs in front of a large television screen, the rumble of T. D. Jakes’s voice a low hum. Others busied themselves on their cell phones or on computers. His eyes scanned the play kitchen area, theater tent and a mini racetrack—an organized chaos.
Zach counted six counselors milling about the room, recognizable by their blue T-shirts with Millennial House of Praise Camp Counselor emblazoned across the chest in white. He approached one and asked for Sienna King. While the teen scurried to get her, he appreciated the aroma of cinnamon rolls. He could almost taste the icing, picturing it oozing on the sides. His stomach growled. He hadn’t had time for his protein shake that morning.
Mia loosened out of his grip to run over to where some girls stood playing with dolls. He searched for the little girl that looked like his daughter, but neither she nor her mother were in sight. If it weren’t for his legs, which still felt like caving, Zach would have thought he was in a weird dream.
Then their absence was explained when he saw them come out of an office with another lady, whom he assumed was Sienna King, since she approached him with a hand outstretched. She was plus-size with a wide smile and deep dimples.
“Hello, you must be Zachary Johnson.” Her voice was bubbly and light.
He nodded. “Yes, we spoke over the phone. Thanks for allowing me to drop my daughter off and register her the same day.”
“Oh, it’s not a problem. I’m glad you called when you did, because we’re almost at capacity. Here is the paperwork for you to sign, and you have to complete the emergency contact information.”
“Thank you so much,” he said, taking the documents she offered. He noticed the other woman still clutched the little girl in her arms and seemed to be trying to get her to stay. He strained to focus on Sienna’s words, but his attention was on the little girl. He couldn’t see her face, but he knew that body, that frame, that hair. He knew it well.
“Mr. Johnson?”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I…” He pointed to where the woman stood. “Who is that?”
Sienna whipped her head to follow his finger. “That’s my best friend, Kelsey.” She gave him a suggestive smile. “She’s single, if that’s what you’re asking.”
He took a step back and held up a hand. “No, I’m not talking about her. I mean, who’s the little girl with her? She looks just like—”
The woman lost her smile. “Like who?” she asked with a drawl in her tone that suggested she was ready to get on the defensive.
He knew he must look dumbstruck, but Zach’s mind couldn’t process what he was seeing.
Zach rushed to explain. “Let me introduce you to my daughter. I think when you see her, you’ll understand.” He called out to Mia, and when his daughter ran over, Sienna’s eyes widened.
She sputtered. “This is your daughter?”
“Her name is Mia.”
“That can’t be,” she said, shaking her head. “This is Morgan.”
He splayed his hands. “Exactly.”
Sienna’s mouth hung open. “Oh, my.” She swung around and shouted, “Kelsey. Come over here. You’ve got to see this.”
The woman approached, and Zach’s breath caught. His mind had been so occupied with the child in her arms that he hadn’t seen her mother. But he was seeing her now. For sure. From her bronze-colored skin to her pouty lips and the purposeful sway in her stride, this woman emitted confidence.
Kelsey. The name suited her.
Zach looked away to compose himself. He had no right noticing her radiant beauty. He swallowed. Now that he had seen her, there was no unseeing her.
When she spotted Mia and he heard her harsh intake of breath, he said, “Our daughters have an uncanny resemblance.”
“There’s nothing uncanny about it,” Sienna chimed in. “You can tell they are twins just by looking at them.”
Twins. His insides twisted. No, it couldn’t be.
Kelsey lifted a hand to her mouth. “How? How? They are like carbon copies.”
A squeal and a scream quieted the entire room. The girls had discovered each other and had polar opposite reactions.
“She looks like me,” Mia said, clapping her hands. The other little girl wasn’t as delighted. In fact, to Zach, there was only one way to describe her face.
Terrified.
Chapter Two
Shivering, Morgan pulled on Kelsey’s blouse before pointing at the other little girl. There was genuine fear in her eyes.
Kelsey willed her own rapidly beating heart to slow down as she looked Morgan in the eyes and said, “It’s okay. Don’t be alarmed, honey. We’ll figure this out.”
“She looks like me,” Morgan whispered.
“I know” was all Kelsey could say. She was too busy trying not to show her excitement at those four spoken words.
Four amazing words that made Kelsey want to give a shout of praise. Her niece had spoken a sentence. But she knew Morgan was frightened. So was she. Questions raced through her mind, and she struggled to think. Now she understood the man’s reaction earlier.
By this time, all the children had crowded around the room and stood with awed expressions on their faces. Sienna ushered the four of them into her office for some privacy, and Kelsey set Morgan on the ground.
“My name’s Zach.” The man offered her his free hand, camp papers clutched in his other.
Kelsey blinked, trying not to appear fascinated by his heterochromia, and held out a hand. “I’m Kelsey.” When their hands connected, she drew in a breath.
He had a firm grip and a sturdy handshake. Plus, he was looking her in the eyes. Finally. Her father always said that was a sign a man had character. Well, if that was true, Zach had plenty of character and some to spare.
Sienna left them on their own to go see about getting the camp started, her long box braids swaying behind her. Kelsey tuned into the girls while Zach wandered the room, looking at the camp pictures Sienna had on display.
“I’m Mia,” Morgan’s look-alike said, reaching for Morgan’s arm.
Kelsey could feel Morgan tense beside her, but her niece didn’t pull her arm away. Which was a good sign. Morgan’s eyes were wide and fixed on Mia.
“What’s your name?” Mia said.
“Morgan,” her niece whispered.
Zach returned, standing a few feet away, observing their interaction. He kept looking at both girls, shaking his head like he couldn’t process what was transpiring right before him.
“Both our names start with M,” Mia said, giggling and clapping her hands. She pressed her lips together to make the M sound. Her eyes brightened with glee. “Ooh, look. Let’s go play together. We’re going to be best friends.”
She tugged Morgan to the corner of the room, where there was an assortment of toys and books. Mia began asking a lot of questions, and Kelsey strained her ear to hear Morgan’s replies. Morgan spoke too softly for Kelsey to understand what she was saying.
But her mouth was moving.
She was talking. Having a conversation.
Like normal.
In six minutes, Mia had accomplished what Kelsey hadn’t been able to do in six months. Kelsey sniffled and dabbed at her eyes with the back of her index finger. She remembered her prayer that morning and felt awe at how God appeared to be answering her. She just hadn’t seen His answer coming in the form of a look-alike.
It was all too much.
Glancing at the clock, she could see it was close to 9:00 a.m. It was a good thing she had already called her client to reschedule for later that afternoon. She plopped into one of the two armchairs to watch the girls.
“Mind if I sit here?” a deep baritone asked.
Kelsey jumped. She had been so enthralled with the girls, she had almost forgotten she wasn’t the only adult in the room. Almost. There was no missing the tall, imposing man who smelled of…baby powder? Kelsey, who had been told she had a silver tongue, sat there in awkward silence, her words stuck in her throat, before giving a slight nod.
Zach scooted the other armchair close to her and grinned, showing off a set of beautiful white teeth her dentist mother would have appreciated.
“So, I’m going to tackle the elephant in the room and ask if your daughter is adopted, and if so, does she know?”
Kelsey nodded, grateful he had broached the topic uppermost in both their minds. “Morgan’s actually my niece.” She wiped a hand on her pants, ignoring the curiosity in his eyes. “But yes, she’s adopted, and yes, she knows. Thankfully, my sister had the foresight to explain it to her, because this would have been too much for me to handle.”
He put a hand to his chin and narrowed his eyes.
“So, I’m assuming your daughter is adopted as well?” She posed her statement as a question in a gentle tone.
Zach nodded, shifting his focus to somewhere across the room. “Yes, she is. Sandy—” He waved a hand. “That’s my, uh, wife. She was a breast cancer survivor and had been advised to wait to have children. But she wanted to be a mother so badly that we looked into adoption. We did some inquiries and were ecstatic to learn there was a newborn baby girl available. We jumped at the chance to welcome Mia into our lives.”
He had a wife. Kelsey squelched her sudden disappointment and bit her lower lip to keep from asking about his wife’s whereabouts.
Zach’s openness gave Kelsey the courage to share. “My sister, Kennedy, and her husband, Alex, decided to adopt when they found out he wasn’t able to have children. When they…passed, six months ago, I became Morgan’s guardian.” She tried to sound matter-of-fact, though fresh pain sliced her heart and tears threatened. “So just like that, both our lives changed,” she added, snapping her fingers. “I went from being Kelsey Harris the Realtor to Kelsey Harris, Morgan’s…caretaker.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” he said, before he pointed at her. “Oh, snap. You’re that Kelsey? You’re the Realtor who sold me my house.”
Thanks to the internet, she was able to work with clients remotely. About six weeks back, she had sold a five-bedroom house, two doors down from where she lived, all without ever meeting the owner or his agent.
“Yes, I am. And you must be Zachary Johnson?” She leaned forward, feeling more comfortable in his presence. “It’s nice to put a face to the name.”
She had conducted most of the transactions with his agent and hadn’t seen Zachary Johnson. What mattered was that his check had cleared the bank. The commission from that sale was already spent. Two words: Disney World. She couldn’t wait to see Morgan’s face at that news.
“I just moved in a few days ago,” he said.
Kelsey chuckled. “I know. I saw your moving truck.” He raised a brow, so she explained. “I live two doors away from you.”
“Wow. I would say that’s a coincidence, but I know there’s no such thing with God. We were designed to meet. Of all the towns in the world, I end up here on the same block as you. That could only mean one thing.”
What? What did it mean? Kelsey didn’t want to assume she understood his thought pattern. She gestured for him to continue.
“God wanted the girls to meet. This was His divine ordinance. I would say He has a plan, and I can’t even venture to guess what it is.”
Her eyes filled. “I think you’re right.” She lowered her voice. “If I seem emotional, it’s because up until today, my niece hasn’t spoken much… I don’t know why I’m telling you this.” She stopped and touched a hand to her chest. Why was she divulging so much to a stranger?
Then his words settled in her mind, and her eyes widened. “You don’t talk like a regular person. You sound like a preacher. Like my daddy.” She cocked her head. “Are you a minister?” He gave a jerky nod and rubbed his head like her question made him uncomfortable. “I’m sorry. It’s just that you reminded me of my father just now. Your tone. Your words. I am—I was a preacher’s kid. He was the pastor here at Millennial before August Reid took over.”
“I used to be. I…I resigned.” He coughed. “I’m not a minister anymore.” He pulled on his slacks and fussed with his shirt before glancing around the room. Then he held up the papers in his hand as if they were a lifeline. “I’d better finish filling these out.” He stepped away to answer a call before returning to scoot his chair up to the edge of Sienna’s desk to complete the sign-up process.
Oh, yes, he was definitely on edge about his resignation. There was a story there. But he wasn’t her man to read. She would leave that up to his wife. Kelsey waited until he was done before she changed the subject. “Look at them,” she said, pointing to the girls, who were huddled side by side. Mia had an arm around Morgan. “You’d think they had known each other forever. No one would believe they just met this morning. It’s unbelievable.”
His face softened into a smile. “They must be twins, probably separated during the adoption.”
Kelsey’s voice box squeezed closed. Hearing the words twins and separated in the same sentence made her chest tighten.
Zach’s brows rose to his forehead. “They are exact replicas. We’ll need to take a—”
Just then, the door cracked open and Sienna walked in, fanning her face. Kelsey smiled, glad for the interruption. She was pretty sure Zach had been about to suggest DNA testing. It was the next logical step.
“It is too hot out there for words.” Sienna retrieved three small bottles of water from her minifridge and offered one to each of them.
Kelsey declined but Zach accepted, downing his water in two swallows.
“How are you two making out?” Sienna asked. “I imagine this must be a shock to both of you.” Then she addressed Kelsey. “You know who is going to have a field day with this?” Sienna rolled her eyes.
Despite the bizarre events of the morning and even though she was still in shock, Kelsey laughed at Sienna’s exasperation. Sienna spoke of their town’s reporter and one of their childhood friends, Joel Armstrong. He was tenacious when he was after a story and had been determined to feature Sienna in the paper when she made Teacher of the Year. Her friend was equally determined to avoid being in his presence.
Sienna came over to where they sat. “Joel’s going to have this on the front page. I guarantee it. I don’t know who he has for spies, but I’m certain he’s going to turn up here.”
Kelsey laughed at Zach’s quizzical expression. “Possible twins in Swallow’s Creek is big news. The only other set of identical twins are in their sixties, and they are in the Journal on the regular.”
“Welcome to small-town life. Are you ready to see your daughter in the paper? `Cause he’s going to be at your door, begging for an exclusive.” Sienna tapped Kelsey on the shoulder. “I don’t think Morgan’s going to go for that.”
Zach shrugged. “I was a minister of a large congregation back in Philly. The church has an active social media page, so I’m used to the spotlight, though I’m not personally on any social platforms. When my wife and I brought Mia home, Mia’s face was all over the page. The town paper will be a breeze for her. When she sees a camera, she goes into fierce mode.” He chuckled and then jutted his chin in Mia and Morgan’s direction. “They’re doing well,” he observed.
Kelsey appreciated how he had maneuvered into a new topic of conversation. She was still upset with Joel for putting her sister’s accident and her and Morgan’s grieving faces on the front page. Once was enough.
“Look at them. It’s like they have a special connection,” Sienna said. Her words brought Kelsey out of her musings.
“A connection that time and distance has done nothing to thwart,” Zach murmured, like he’d already accepted they were twins.
“Their relationship hasn’t been confirmed,” Kelsey felt the need to point out, touching her chest.
Sienna continued like Kelsey hadn’t spoken. “I think they will be fine here together. Since Mia is new and, for obvious reasons, already attached to Morgan, I can put them in the same group. I can always call if they become agitated,” she suggested.
When Morgan giggled at something Mia said, Kelsey faced them, and her heart constricted. Her ears welcomed the sweet sound of Morgan’s laughter. This time Kelsey couldn’t stop the tears from sliding down her face. She didn’t want Zach to become curious about her display of emotion, so she jumped to her feet.
She wiped her palms on her pants leg. “I should go. Call me if Morgan gets upset. I only have one client to meet with later this afternoon.”
Zach stood when she did. “I’d better get going, too.” He called out to Mia, who ran over to give him a hug.
Kelsey walked over to Morgan and wrapped her arms around her niece. “Are you going to be okay?” she whispered close to Morgan’s ear.
Morgan nodded and pointed. “Mia’s my friend.”
She was more than a friend, it seemed. Kelsey knew she was going to have to get some questions answered. But in this moment, she reveled in the blessing of Morgan talking. Holding back more tears, Kelsey said, “Yes, she is. She’ll be in your group, so you can show her around so she knows what to do.”
Morgan straightened and nodded with solemnity. Zach held open the door for Kelsey, and when she walked out the office, her heart was light and filled with hope. And, if she were honest, disbelief.
*
Zach scurried after Kelsey. She had raced out of the center with the speed of a cougar chasing a rabbit. But she was no match for his longer strides. His brain and heart were on overload, and she was the one person who could understand what he was going through. This morning’s curveball had whacked him in the chest and disrupted his peace. He felt like he had left one tumultuous situation at his past church in Philadelphia and moved right into another. The quicker he got things settled, the better.
He caught up to Kelsey just before she got into her car.
“Are you free to talk?” he asked. “This morning’s events have thrown me off-kilter. I could use a processing partner, and we can get some questions answered.” He had gotten a phone call that Sandy’s car wouldn’t arrive until sometime after noon, so he had more than enough time to eat.
She chewed on her lower lip before giving a hesitant nod. “That’s fine. I know we live down the block from each other, but I’m not comfortable having you into my home or going into yours.”
“I get it. I just need to talk. How about we meet at Mr. MacGrady’s on US 13? That is, if you’re available?” Zach had seen the mom-and-pop diner and had decided he would check it out. This was the perfect opportunity.
“That sounds like a plan. I didn’t eat this morning, and Mr. Mac’s is the best breakfast spot in town.” She smiled, and he was caught by how that transformed her already beautiful face.
“All right. You take the lead.”
She bobbed her head. “I’ll show you a shortcut. I didn’t use it this morning because there was a fender-bender, but it should be all cleared up by now.”
Twenty minutes later, they entered Mr. MacGrady’s. Zach loved the hanging metal sign on a distressed wooden post. He held the door so Kelsey could enter first. The restaurant was small and cozy, and a huge chalkboard covered one wall. The rest of the walls were lined with license plates. Light gospel music sounded in the background. He liked the relaxed vibe and easygoing atmosphere.
“Welcome to Mr. MacGrady’s,” a small, wiry man called out as he bustled by carrying a stack of oversize pancakes.
Zach’s mouth watered at the smell of fresh-brewed coffee and pancakes. Kelsey waved a hand before putting her fingers between her lips and letting out a shrill whistle.
“Heyyyy,” the staff called out.
A couple diners punched their tables.
“That’s how we do it here,” she said. “Before we leave, you’ve got to sign the chalkboard. All newbies got to make it known that they wuz here.”
Zach grinned. “All right, bet. I’ll do that.”
“You going to your usual spot?” one of the ladies on staff asked.
“Yup. You know what I want,” Kelsey said, waltzing through the place like her name was on the deed. She made her way around some of the smaller wooden tables to a spot in the back. The tables were all dressed with checkered tablecloths and small vases holding plastic flowers. Once they were seated and had ordered, the waitress brought them two mugs of fresh-squeezed orange juice.
Zach excused himself to wash his hands. When he returned, he noticed her fingers traced a place in the wood that had her name etched on the edge.
“I see you marked your territory,” he said in a tone meant to put her at ease. He didn’t want to tackle the heavy conversation on an empty stomach. She followed his lead.
“I sure did,” she said. “My sister and I claimed this table. Every Wednesday evening, we would come here with our parents and order burgers and huge milkshakes. Mr. Mac would get on the mic, and the entire diner would play bingo. I’m telling you, I have the best memories in this place at this very table.”
“I can only imagine. I would have loved to have your childhood. I’ve got to remember Wednesday is bingo night.”
“Sadly, they haven’t done that in a while. Mr. Mac died about five years back. His son, Matt, took over.” She drummed her fingers on the table. “There has been so much death these last few years…”
Her face took on a faraway look, and she lost her smile. Zach found himself wanting to revive it. “Are your parents still here in town?” he asked.
She shook her head. “My father and stepmother—well, my mom. She’s the only mother I have ever known. My father married her when I was eight months old. Anyways, they sold their house and bought an RV to travel across the country. But that adventure got old really fast. They made it all the way to Florida, then sold the RV and moved to an assisted living facility. Swallow’s Creek had too many memories of Kennedy and they were suffocating under them. I stayed. I like the memories,” she said, her eyes glistening.
Her voice held pain. Old pain. Fresh pain.
Zach curled his fingers to keep from putting his hand on hers to offer comfort. He had only met her a couple hours ago, if that. Making physical contact might offend her. Instead, he made his face reflect his sympathy. Then he surprised himself by bringing up Sandy. “I’m sorry for your loss. When my wife died a couple years ago, I thought I would drown under my grief. But I had a daughter who needed me. So, I kept going. One second, one minute, one hour at a time.”
She put a hand to her mouth. “Your wife is… Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
Zach felt the usual discomfort at talking about Sandy in the past tense. “Turns out you can get cancer more than once” was all he could say.
Fortunately, their food order arrived, sparing him the need to continue. He had selected a waffle with coffee, and Kelsey had ordered scrambled eggs and wheat toast with peppermint tea.
Kelsey excused herself to wash her hands, then they blessed their food and dug in.
After a few minutes, Kelsey said, “So, what are the odds both girls would have names that start with M?”
“We didn’t name her,” Zach rushed to explain, glad she hadn’t pried for more details about Sandy. “The adoption agency told us that Mia’s birth mother requested we keep her name, so we honored her wishes.” He smiled. He could see Sandy’s face like it was yesterday, holding the squirmy little bundle in her arms. Mia had been swaddled in a Winnie the Pooh receiving blanket. Zach had taken one look at the tiny little fingers and toes and had fallen in love.
Kelsey took a sip of her tea and wiped her brow. “Kennedy said the same thing when she adopted Morgan.”
“I think I know the answer, but I’ll ask anyway. When’s Morgan’s birthday? Mia’s is September 26. She’ll be six.”
“Same.”
Kelsey lifted her shoulders before shaking her head. “I’d pinch myself, but I know I’d bruise my arm. This day has been unreal so far.”
“How do you think the girls are doing?” Zach asked, eating his waffle.
She tapped her smart watch to look at the time. “They are probably on the playground having a ball.” She gasped before yelling out to the waitress for a kid’s burger and fries to go.
A rosy hue spread across her cheeks. “I hope you don’t mind cutting this short. I promised Morgan I’d drop off her lunch.” Pulling out a business card from her satchel, she asked, “I don’t know your schedule, but can we meet tomorrow morning at my office sometime to continue this discussion? The address is on my business card.”
Zach agreed. “I can head there after I take Mia to camp.”
They exchanged contact information, and he settled the tab, insisting on paying for both their meals. Kelsey only relented when he said she could pay next time, then she rushed out the door.
Zach pondered his morning as he drove home. As he strolled up the driveway, the trucker arrived with Sandy’s car. Seeing the royal blue Outback glisten in the sun made him miss her more. Once it was off the lift, Zach signed the papers, then opened the garage door and parked her car inside. He touched the steering wheel. Sandy had loved this car, which was why he hadn’t wanted to part with it.
Zach exited the vehicle and headed into the house, sauntering through the laundry room and making his way down the hallway to the staircase. The movers had unpacked everything according to his specifications. Then the cleaners he had hired made sure the house smelled fresh. A lemon scent teased the air, and he sniffed. Good. That meant the freshener on the air filter was working.
He slipped out of his oxfords, leaving them on the large mat. So much had changed since he had stepped outside that morning.
Zach moved into the kitchen and looked around. Everything gleamed. He loved the calming grays on the walls and floors with splashes of blue on the backsplash to accent the room. Heading over to the stainless steel refrigerator, Zach eyed the printed schedule for the week.
He had a thin magnetic cup on the fridge where he kept his colored pens. Choosing a red one, Zach wrote, “Twin?” under today’s date in cursive.
Rocking back on his heels, he mulled over the implications that came from that one word in red. He rubbed the area between his eyes as thoughts whirled through his mind. If Morgan was Mia’s twin, that would require life adjustments. A reconfiguring of the order he had painstakingly established in his life. Lifting a hand, he touched the small photo of Sandy on the refrigerator. If she were here, she would have rattled off a brilliant game plan.
He would have pulled her into a joint prayer session, asking God’s guidance. He banged a fist on the metal and shook the scene out of his mind.
That wasn’t his life. Not anymore. God had taken his wife, and no amount of praying, faith and fasting had changed that. Zach still loved God; he just didn’t trust Him the same. But he did trust science. And if the DNA testing confirmed what his eyes and heart were telling him, he would find a way to handle it. To cope. His way.
Excerpt From The Adoption Surprise by Zoey Marie Jackson This material is protected by copyright.
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