Twin Seduction

At least Jordan had a theory about that. In addition to being a brilliant designer, her mother had been astute about people. And she would have known that Jordan would have been very tempted by the idea of living on a ranch for three weeks. Not to mention curious about the life her sister had been living all these years. And visiting the ranch would be the only way that she would get to know the father she’d been separated from.

But how could Eva Ware have been equally sure about Maddie, the daughter she’d cut herself off from all of these years? Had she kept track of the little girl she’d left in Santa Fe? Had her father kept track of her? Mixed in with the unending loop of questions was a keen sense of loss. In a way she’d lost two parents in the space of a week.

“Why did you and Mike Farrell get married and then break up? And why did you split Maddie and me up?”

Anger moved through her as she thought of the most important question—a question she wanted desperately to find the answer to.

“Why did you keep us apart all these years?”

It was unfathomable to her that her mother, a woman she’d thought the world of, could have kept her sister Maddie a secret all these years. And now there was no one to demand the answer from. Both Mike Farrell and her mother were gone.

Absently, Jordan rubbed at the little twinge of pain near her heart. Then rising, she moved to the foot of the bed and placed the items she’d previously stacked there into her briefcase: a guide to Santa Fe and the surrounding areas and a manila folder containing Maddie’s notes on the people she might run into on the ranch and in Santa Fe.

Jordan had provided the same information to Maddie, but she’d organized it into separate files with photos. Her sister, like their mother, took notes on whatever came to hand—napkins, some pages from her sketchbook, the stationary from the bed-and-breakfast they’d stayed at after the reading of the will…

Last but not least, she bent down and grabbed a few well-worn paperbacks from her bookshelves. The books were all westerns by her favorite authors—Zane Grey, Louis L’Amour, Luke Short and Larry McMurtry. Guilt rippled through her. She was going to Santa Fe to make sure Eva Ware Designs went on to thrive. But she hadn’t shared with her sister her lifelong obsession with ranches and cowboys.

She wasn’t sure how it had begun, but there’d been a surprise Christmas gift from Santa when she’d been six. A miniature ranch, complete with buildings, fences, horses and, of course, cattle. She’d ignored the dollhouse her mother had given her and set up her ranch in a corner of her bedroom. How many hours had she spent reconfiguring those buildings and weaving stories in her mind about what life would be like on the range? And it wasn’t long after that her mother had given into her pleas to take riding lessons.

Only Eva had known that she’d always fantasized about living on a ranch one day. It was a dream she’d never expected to come true.

But now it was.

When her cell rang, she reached for it and flipped it open. “Yes?”

“Hi. It’s Maddie.”

Panic bubbled up. Her sister should be en route to New York. “You’ve changed your mind? Look, I know I bullied you into this.”

“You didn’t bully me,” Maddie said. “Maybe you plied me with some wine…”

At the humor in her sister’s voice, some of Jordan’s tension eased.

“I was late getting out of Santa Fe, and thanks to bad weather, my connecting flight to JFK is delayed here in Chicago.”

“It’s good to hear your voice.” And it was, Jordan realized. Hadn’t she wanted someone to talk to?

“Same goes. What about you? Having any second thoughts?”

“Not a chance. I’m packed and the limo is due in half an hour.”

“We’re really going through with this.”

It wasn’t a question. Jordan smiled and felt more of her worries and guilt fade. “Yes, we are.”

“You remember where the key to the ranch house is?”

“Underneath the terra-cotta planter on the porch.”

“And my latest designs for the jewelry show are—”

“In the safe.”

“Sorry. Are you as nervous about me forgetting something?”

“No. All you have to do is consult the notes I gave you. And if you have questions, you can call me.”

“Right. I’ve been thinking. Maybe Eva knew what she was doing. This is a good chance for me to get to know Eva and for you to get to know our father.”

“It’s our only chance.” Something tightened around her heart. But Jordan knew that in business as in life, sometimes you had to play the cards you were dealt. And she was looking forward to learning what she could about her father.

“Would you believe it if I told you I’m looking forward to walking around in your shoes?” Maddie asked.

Jordan smiled. “Absolutely. Same goes for me.”

It was the truth. And for the first time, Jordan believed that everything was going to work out.

2

EXCITEMENT WARRED with curiosity as Jordan drove the SUV into the small lean-to on the side of the ranch house. Thanks to the GPS system on her rented vehicle, she’d arrived safely at the Farrell Ranch in just under the hour predicted by the rental agent at the airport. So this was Maddie’s home for the last twenty-six years.

It could have been her home.The words had formed a chant in her mind ever since she’d stepped off the plane in Santa Fe. She could have been raised here instead of in Manhattan. Living in the wide-open spaces that she’d been driving through for the past hour wouldn’t have been just a fantasy, it would have been her life. And she would have grown up knowing her father.

Although Eva had tolerated Jordan’s love of horses, she’d never shared it. And now she’d lost out on knowing someone who would have. Why?

Jordan pushed down the surge of grief. This wasn’t the time to indulge in it. While she was here, she would find answers.

So far, what she’d discovered was that everything—the landscape, the sky, even the air—was so different. On her drive from the airport, the rocks and sand had stretched away for miles on either side of the road. Unfiltered by even a trace of a cloud, the unrelenting light had bounced off her windshield and shimmered upward in a glimmering haze. Sunglasses had offered little protection against the blinding brilliance.

The hills in the distance had seemed so far away. But eventually, she’d reached them and begun the climb. The road had wound upward for several miles in a corkscrew. To her right had been the brownish rock of the hillside. To her left, the land fell away sharply at times into deep gulleys.

The vastness of the landscape awed her. She’d never seen anything like it except in her favorite movies.

Once past the hills, the road had flattened again, and as she drew closer, she caught glimpses of the ranch. The only building she’d been able to identify clearly was the house—a one-story sprawling expanse of stone, glass and wood. Now, thanks to the little bit of shade provided by the lean-to, she could finally get a closer look at the outbuildings.

To her far right was a long building, painted red with white trim. The stables, she guessed. Maddie must have a horse. It was one of many subjects that had never come up in the short time they’d spent together. She’d neglected to tell her sister that she kept a horse in a stable just north of the city. Jordan made a mental note to tell her the next time they talked. Julius Caesar would love it if Maddie paid him a visit.

Next to the stable sat a two-story structure that she supposed served as a bunkhouse. To her left and closer to the house was a smaller building—one story high and fashioned out of the same building materials as the main house. It had to be Maddie’s design studio.

Then she let her gaze move to the land beyond the buildings. It stretched far into the distance, flat for a while, then gradually lifting into more hills. Something moved through her then. Was it envy that her sister could call this place home and she couldn’t?

Ridiculous. She loved her life in New York. It had to be curiosity. And while she was here, she was going to satisfy it thoroughly by exploring every aspect of Maddie’s life, starting tonight with the house.

A glance at her watch told her that she was right on time—8:00 p.m.

And she was stalling.

What in the world was she waiting for? Drawing in a deep breath, Jordan opened the door of the SUV and slid to the ground. The heat hit her like a punch, and she lost her balance as her heels sank into the sand. Slapping a hand on the side of the car, she steadied herself, slipped out of her shoes and tossed them into the car. Thank heavens she and Maddie had decided to share each other’s wardrobes because her city clothes weren’t going to serve her well in this new environment.

After grabbing her briefcase, she turned and stopped short. In the distance, the hills she’d just driven over were a stunning shade of orange as the sun dipped closer to their peaks.

She made her way, barefoot, to the trunk, muscled out her suitcase and circled to the front of the house. The ground felt hot and gritty beneath her feet, but at least she could walk. A wide porch with a railing stretched the length of the building. Before climbing the short flight of steps, she paused to study the house more closely. The intricately carved entrance door was framed by huge floor-to-ceiling windows that extended the length of the porch on either side. Whoever had designed the place had loved the land, Jordan decided.