Falling for the Wrong Twin by Kathy Lyons Page A

don’t?”
    “Actually, I do. I didn’t for the first decade, of course. But now it feels…”
    “Right?”
    “Yeah. Like things might be settling down again.”
    They slowed as they looked at the back porch. It wasn’t a large area because the new owners were repairing the walkway on the third floor. This place wouldn’t be safe at all if it weren’t both covered and cordoned off about midway through. But he’d checked the work yesterday. Everything was safe provided the toddlers didn’t get out here.
    So he gestured to a seat and helped her set her plate and coffee down. He settled too. They’d picked the side by side rocking chairs just as if they were an old married couple on their back veranda. It was weird doing this, especially with what he had to say to her, but it was the most privacy they were going to get.
    “What happened?” she asked, startling him out of his thoughts.
    “What?”
    “You said it feels like things are setting down again. What happened to unsettle them?”
    “Oh.” He looked out at the storm-drenched landscape. The rain was coming down in sheets and he could feel the wet in the air. But their seats were protected and things felt almost cozy. “Billy died. My sister’s husband. He was in the Army Rangers. Jeep ran over an IED.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “Yeah. Me too. He was a good guy. That was four months ago, but then three weeks later my father passed. He’d been sick for a while, but…”
    “But the strain of losing Billy took its toll,” she finished for him. “I see why you need a reunion. A little kick back to reconnect with your family.”
    He nodded. They did. And that brought him to her. He turned to look at her, the words on his lips, but she beat him to it.
    “Look, I know you don’t want me here. I’m not a stalker, but even so, I can see that this is a family time. I’m an intruder. One with mad toddler skills, I might add, but an interloper nonetheless. And I’m so, so sorry about that photo.”
    He sighed, realizing this was going to be harder than he thought. “I talked with Bethany. She said you’re stuck here. At least until the roads clear.”
    She didn’t answer. Instead, she cradled her cup of coffee close. She didn’t drink, just held it tight as if it were a shield against the world.
    Okay, confession time. He might as well get it over with now. “I know you’re not a stalker. And I believe you that the photo was a mistake. You weren’t the one who got paid for the picture.”
    Her eyebrows shot up. “That was a quick turn around.”
    “Yeah, well, mom and Aunt Tidle spent all that breakfast time reading me your blog.”
    “And you didn’t find any three-for-alls or salacious fatherless children?”
    He nodded, twisting in his seat as he girded himself to tell the full truth. “Well, that and I had you checked out. Kansas City PD says you’re legit.”
    She blinked. Twice. Then she set down her mug with a hard click. “You called the police on me?”
    He tried not to feel guilty about that. “I called Carlos. He’s the head of security for Rick’s soccer team. After certain other incidents, Carlos told me if I ever felt uncomfortable, if anything seemed odd, to just call him. He’d check into it, just in case.”
    She looked at him a moment, then released a low chuckle. It was embarrassing that the sound of her laugh went straight to his groin. Meanwhile, she was clearly amused. “You called Nico. About me.”
    “What? No, I called Carlos. Head of security for Rick’s team. He texted me about twenty minutes ago that you were legit and that someone else lifted that photo from you and sold it to the site pretending it was Rick.” He showed her his phone but she barely even looked.
    “I get it. Nico is head of security for the Hawks.”
    “The what?”
    “It’s a tv show- -Necessary Roughness --it doesn’t matter. I just think it’s funny that there really is a Nico--Carlos--and he checked me out.”
    He frowned at her a