âHave you come looking for safety, Daphne?â
She met his gaze, and then hers fell to his mouth. Wanting her was crazy. A woman had never confused Patrick this way before.
âWeâre getting too personal.â She leaned back and stood.
âWait.â He caught her arm. Though she tried to be tough, she couldnât hide her fragility. âDo you want me to call Raina?â
Softness returned to Daphneâs eyes. âI really donât need you to take my first step with my sister.â
âIâd like to help.â
âYou might as well know Iâm not used to having someone take care of me.â
âTaking care is what small towns do best.â
âThank you,â she said. âI know youâre trying to make me feel welcome. I appreciate that you care.â
Care? Patrick was trying not to care too much.
âI CAN HARDLY LOOK at you. You have my face. And seeing you reminds me that my parents lied to me.â
Those werenât exactly the words she wanted to hear. Daphne Soder had expected surprise, maybe even shock from her long-lost sister. Instead, the stranger who was also her twin seemed one second away from leaping out the closest window.
Ignoring a strong urge to stop her, Daphne kept still, trying not to frighten Raina Abernathy any further.
Raina sat beside her lawyer, barricaded behind a long maple conference table in the office of Delaney, Brock, Sheffield and Gannon. Her body language screamed, âstay away,â as she moved closer to the dark-haired man whom she clearly considered her protector.
His name was Patrick Gannon, and his glacial expression pierced Daphne as if he expected her to reach across the table and murder Raina in front of him.
So much for a happy reunion. Daphne had arrived at this meeting filled with the crazy hope that she and her sister could finally become a family, that theyâd learn to love each other. But Raina obviously didnât want that, and her rejection hurt.
âIâm sorry. I had no idea you didnât know about the adoption,â Daphne said. âStill, that doesnât change why Iâm here.â
Patrick turned toward her, his mouth a thin line, his glare raising goose bumps that made her hug herself. He stared at her arms, then looked into her eyes, his own filling with suspicion.
âI donât have any ulterior motives,â she said. âBut I hope you arenât thinking like Mr. Gannon, Raina.â She met his gaze full on. It took more than a man with the ability to launch an ice age at a glance to scare her these days. âOr are you assuming the worst because my sister does?â
Neither Patrick nor Raina answered.
âIâd hoped youâd welcome the chance to meet your twin sister,â Daphne continued. âI understand youâre reluctant because you donât know me, but canât you try?â She studied Rainaâa polished, expensive yet timid version of herself.
Raina looked away, but not before Daphne saw her obvious sadness. She reminded herself that sheâd had months to get accustomed to the idea that she had a twin sister. And because her family had been anything but stable, the news had been welcome. The same was not true for Raina, who probably was struggling to accept such a radical change to her world. That realization nudged aside Daphneâs disappointment, allowing her to feel Rainaâs pain.
Almost against her will, Daphne slid her hand across the table toward Raina. Reaching out to strangers was difficult, but she and Raina shared a bond that Daphne longed to build on. Offering physical support was a monumental step she had to take.
Patrick shifted, positioning his body to protect Raina. The rejection and hostility in the move, along with Rainaâs acquiescence made Daphne snatch back her hand.
He glanced at Raina, and the look they exchanged appeared intimate, as if they carried out a silent conversation. Certainly their closeness exceeded the bounds of a typical lawyer-client relationship. He seemed ready to vanquish dragonsâor in this case, a pesky, lowbrow twin who didnât have the sense to stay hiddenâat the merest gesture from Raina. Daphne knew a moment of envy. A woman who had Patrick Gannon in her corner would never need a pit bull or an electric fence to keep her safe. Did Raina appreciate having someone so willing to support her? Did she know the value of not having to fight battles alone?