To her surprise, Cash Landry threw back his head and laughed. The bright, infectious sound of it filled the room and had her anger fading. In fact, she barely kept herself from smiling. “What’s so funny?”
“Us. This situation. And the fact that you’re absolutely right. It’s hard to picture you as a victim of anything.”
“I don’t think Maddie will see the humor in this.”
Cash’s expression sobered. “I told you, there’s nothing but friendship between Maddie and me. I’ve never touched her, never even thought about touching her the way I touched you last night.”
The words and the way he looked at her when he said them had little thrills rippling over her skin. And her concentration was fading. No man had ever affected her this way. He only had to be in the same room with her to make her want.
“And I don’t think you have to explain anything to your sister. What happened between us can remain just that—between us. No one has to know.”
Jordan ruthlessly refocused. She couldn’t deny that the idea of not having to confess to Maddie appealed to her. “But what about the fact that you want to get engaged to her?”
“I’ll explain that. But first things first.” His eyes never left hers as he set his cup down on the counter and straightened.
For a moment, Jordan was sure that he was going close the distance between them. If he did…Her hand trembled and coffee sloshed over the rim of her mug.
Then he asked, “Do you cook?”
“No.”
He sent her a slow smile. “It’s a good thing that I do. While I rustle us up some breakfast, you can tell me all about how you and Maddie discovered that you’re twins and why you’re here and Maddie’s in New York City. Deal?”
Jordan let out a breath she hadn’t been aware of holding as he moved to the refrigerator and began unloading bacon and eggs. “Deal.”
CASH WATCHED HER scoop the last forkful of food into her mouth. She’d only wanted toast at first, but he’d ignored her request and filled a plate with bacon and eggs, as well. She’d made a second pot of coffee, poured orange juice and set places for them on the granite island.
The pull between them hadn’t lessened as far as Cash could tell, but they’d been able to work in harmony as they’d prepared the meal.Jordan had told the story of the last few weeks of her life in a straightforward manner with no trace of emotion in her voice. He’d promised himself that he wasn’t going to touch her, but when she’d spoken about the visit she’d received from the two policemen telling her that her mother was dead, he’d reached over to cover her hand with his, and she’d immediately linked their fingers.
She still hadn’t pulled her hand away. Cash glanced down at their joined hands. Hers was delicate-looking, her skin paler than his. Maddie had calluses on her fingers. Jordan didn’t. Holding her hand felt…right.
Shifting his gaze to her face, he studied her as she took another sip of coffee.
From what he could gather, she’d been going nonstop ever since she’d received the news of the tragic hit-and-run. He knew something about the success of Eva Ware Designs because Maddie had talked about the famed Madison Avenue designer. So on top of absorbing the shock of losing her mother, she’d arranged a funeral for a celebrity, taken over the reins of a business and then had to make sure her newly discovered sister was prepared to step into her shoes.
His admiration for her had grown with each new detail that she added to the story. But Cash was also worried. To his mind, the terms of her mother’s will and the decision she and Maddie had made to fulfill them could be a recipe for disaster. What had possessed their mother to put them in this position? If something happened to either of them—or if either of them backed out of the switch before the three weeks had elapsed—three of Jordan’s relatives stood to profit. A lot.
He knew that Maddie wouldn’t have thought of that. He wondered if the possible danger had occurred to Jordan.
“So Maddie is alone in your New York City apartment?”
“As far as I know. I haven’t been able to reach my apartment mate, Jase, because of the hostage rescue job he’s on in South America. He doesn’t even know that my mother died, let alone the terms of her will. If he comes home, he’s going to have a big surprise in store for him.”
Cash could sympathize fully with that. Jordan had been quite a surprise for him. “What’s this Jase like?”
Jordan smiled. “He’s great. He’s a good listener, and he lets me use him not only to vent, but as a sounding board for new ideas that I want to try out at Eva Ware Designs. I couldn’t ask for a better roommate.”
Hearing her sing the praises of Jase Campbell was leaving a bad taste in Cash’s mouth. Was he jealous? That was ridiculous. In spite of that, he wished that the man was there in the apartment with Maddie.
“So Maddie’s on her own?”
Jordan frowned. “She won’t be once she gets to Eva Ware Designs. My mother’s assistant, Cho Li, and Michelle Tan, our receptionist, will take good care of her. And I printed up all these files to fill her in. I even included photos.”
“How about the rest of the family? How do they feel about Eva’s other daughter suddenly showing up?”
A little frown appeared on Jordan’s forehead. “Not so good, I suppose. Uncle Carleton was civil, as always. My cousin, Adam, may give Maddie some problems at work. He was obnoxious at the reading of the will. He’s a brilliant jewelry designer, and my mother admired his work. I think that’s why he always thought he had a clear shot at stepping into her shoes one day and running the business.”
“And he’s lost that because in her will, your mother suddenly produced a daughter who’s also a brilliant jewelry designer and left her half of the business.”
Jordan frowned. “Yes. If we both live up to the terms of the will.”
“Depending on how ambitious he is, he could pose a real threat to Maddie.”
Her frown deepened. “Adam? I don’t think so. Basically, my cousin is a wimp. After the will was read, he followed Maddie and me to the door and grabbed my arm. Maddie unfastened his hand and gave him a shove that nearly had him bouncing off the wall. I have no doubt that she’ll figure out a way to handle him.”
She tilted her head to one side. “She’s smart, and she’s not the pushover she seems at first. I had to really do some fast talking to persuade her to switch places. She thinks I should have all the money and Eva’s design business.”
“You don’t agree.”
“No. We’re sisters. The fact that Eva Ware and Mike Farrell split us up and kept us apart all these years doesn’t change that.”
If he hadn’t already decided that he liked Jordan, her statement sealed the deal. “Maddie’s lucky to have you for a sister.”
“The luck is mutual.” She set down her mug. Then, as if realizing for the first time that her other hand was still linked with his, she withdrew it and crossed her arms on the counter. “Now I think it’s your turn to answer my question. Why did you propose to Maddie this morning?”
Cash ran a hand through his hair. “I knew we’d get back to that. There’ve been some incidents of vandalism on the ranch lately.”
“Maddie told me about them. Cut fences and someone doctored the feed in her stable.”
“Maybe she didn’t give you a clear enough picture. The poisoned feed in her stable nearly killed her horse, Brutus.”
“Brutus? That’s her horse’s name?”
Cash nodded. “Your father gave him to her for her twelfth birthday.”
When Jordan simply stared at him, Cash asked, “What is it?”
“I keep a horse just outside of the city. His name is Julius Caesar. What are the chances?”
“You’re twins. You may have been separated since you were babies, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a lot in common.”
“I suppose.” Then she frowned. “What else should I know about the vandalism?”
“The last cut fence was timed so a hundred head of her cattle strayed just before her foreman and I were going to drive them to market. We didn’t have time to round them all up and that’s going to cost her money. Money that she can’t afford to lose.”
She studied him for a moment. “You don’t think the incidents are random, do you?”
“Maddie’s problems have all occurred in the past six months, and during that time, there’s a local real estate agent, Daniel Pearson, who’s been urging her to sell the ranch. I don’t like his timing.”
Jordan wasn’t sure that she did, either. “Maddie told me that she was having trouble filling her father’s shoes. I can understand that. I can’t step into my mother’s, either. But she doesn’t want to sell the ranch. I promised her I’d try to help with that.”
Cash’s eyes narrowed. “How?”
Jordan’s smile was wry. “Good question. How does a Yankee tenderfoot think she can solve her sister’s ranching problem? But I am a business major. And I want to help. I’ll need to see the ranch first. Take a look at the books.”