Light from Her Mirror (Mirrors Don't Lie Book 3) (5 page)

“So
you’re only in town for the one day?” she confirmed.

“And
this evening.”

“Hmm,”
she said thoughtfully, drumming fingers sticky with cinnamon bun against her
lips. “What to do, what to do… After all, you showed me your stomping grounds;
it’s only fair I return the favor.”

“I
was hoping you’d offer,” he grinned charmingly.

“We
can go to Fredericksburg tomorrow,” she decided.

“What
is this place you speak of?”

Even
as she answered, one corner of her mind was busy appreciating Craven’s humorous
inquiry and making the mental comparison between him and her oh-so-serious
Ranger; Craven’s personality was so much better suited to hers!

Why,
then, did her heart belong to the other man? 

“It’s
a really neat little German town in the Hill Country,” she told him, focusing
on his question. “It was one of the early settlements in Texas history and
named after Prince Frederick of Prussia. Nowadays it’s full of quaint shops and
eateries and Bed and Breakfasts, but it still has that old feeling, full of
old-world charm and lots of German culture. Many of the locals still have a
heavy German accent.” She brushed icing from her mouth as she pondered more
possibilities. “If that doesn’t suit you, there are tons of other things to do.
Being in politics, you might like to go to the Lyndon B. Johnson Ranch and his
birthplace in the tiny near-by town of Stonewall. They have wonderful peach
orchards there and the best peaches you have ever tasted. Scattered all around
the Hill Country are wineries and caves and lots of exotic ranches and
wildlife. And of course there are all the rivers, where you can tube and raft.
Or the Enchanted Rock, a humongous pink granite dome you can hike up.” More
ideas popped into her head and she spouted a few of them off before stopping to
ask, “Any of that sound fun to you?”

“You’ll
be my guide, right?”

“Of
course.”

“Then
they all sound perfect.” His voice was as warm as the blue gaze that slid over
her.

She
shifted uncomfortably in her seat, flattered in spite of herself. “So tonight,
we could go downtown. Watch the bats.”

“Excuse
me?”

“I
know it sounds a little weird, but it’s really quite entertaining. Every
evening around dusk, thousands and thousands of bats come swarming out from
under Congress Avenue Bridge. The sky turns totally black for a few minutes and
they seem to go on forever. People bring blankets and picnics and make an evening
of it. It’s really pretty cool.”

“I
come all this way, and you’re just going to take me to see a bunch of old
bats?”

“Not
‘just’. We’ll do the whole SoCo District thing and I’ll take you to the
infamous 6th Street.” She took another bite of her gooey confection, smearing
frosting on her face.

Distracted
by the sight of caramelized sugar smudged around her mouth, Craven tried to
stay in the conversation. “And that entails?”

“A
very fun evening,” she assured him. “There are a ton of interesting shops and
restaurants and cool art galleries, plus bars and clubs and ethnic food trucks.
Live music everywhere. Dancers and street shows and a crazy wild nightlife.
You’ll love it!” She tried to imagine Travis on 6th Street, but instinctively
knew he would only go there while on duty, handcuffs ready.

“So
when do we leave?”

“I’ll
have to get ready first.”

“You
look great to me.”

“Then
you’ll really like my clubbing outfit!” she said with a sassy grin, already off
the couch. “Help yourself to the TV. It’ll take me about twenty minutes to get
ready.”

“I’ll
wait for you.”

Yes
, she thought.
You
probably would. Too bad I’m still waiting on Travis.

Kenzie
avoided the censure in Makenna’s gaze when she came in from her errands and
found her twin getting dressed for a night out.

“I
see you have company,” Makenna said quietly, so that her voice did not carry
into the living room.

“He
surprised me. But I told you I’d see him in person before Travis even called.”
She could not resist the slight barb in her words as she rimmed her eyes with
kohl.

Makenna
eyed the short flared skirt, the low-cut blouse with shiny silver threads woven
throughout the clinging red silk. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” she said
softly.

“I’m
going out for a night of fun. Do you realize how long it has even been since
I’ve gone out? I used to go out all the time, I used to have a social life, I
used to have fun! And tonight I’m going to recapture some of that old me. The
person I used to be, before all this mess with our father started.”

“And
before Travis.”

“Don’t
sound so disapproving! I’m not doing anything wrong. It’s not like I’m cheating
on him or anything. We had one date, and I had to bully him into that one.” She
tried not to think of that magical night at the Cheyenne carnival. Her tone was
defensive. “And even though we shared a bed for all those nights, we never had
sex. Kisses, yes. Touching, yes. Promises, no. Words of love and loyalty, no.
I’m not doing anything wrong,” she insisted.

“It
sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself, not me.”

“You’ve
been watching too many episodes of Dr. Phil again,” Kenzie huffed. “Have you
seen my silver strappy heels?”

“I
think I see one peeking out from under your bed. If you put your shoes in the
closet, you might be able to keep track of them better.”

Even
though they were alike in many ways, there were distinct differences in the two
women. Makenna liked lists and order and neatly defined lines. Kenzie was more
haphazard, her world too busy and cluttered to keep within distinctive
boundaries.

Bending
to retrieve the shoe and dig under the messy bed for its mate, Kenzie wrinkled
her nose. “Be happy for me, Kenna. Craven is a great guy. You’d like him, if
you just gave him a chance.”

“I
have nothing against the man. And if he’s the one you want, I’ll support you in
every way.”

“He
tried to seduce me with a cinnamon roll,” Kenzie admitted, snagging the heel of
the elusive shoe and pulling it forth.

“And?”
Makenna was almost afraid to ask. Of course, she had to admit, she liked the man’s
method of choice.

“I
was tempted. Very tempted. You know how much I love cinnamon rolls.” Kenzie
plopped down on the edge of the bed and simply sat there, studying the shoes in
her hand.

“But?”

“But
I guess I love Travis more.” The words sounded strange when spoken aloud.

“Then
why are you going out tonight, Kenzie? Why are you wearing that outfit?”
Makenna asked softly.

Kenzie
lifted her sad green eyes to Makenna’s solemn ones. “Because Travis isn’t here,
Makenna. Craven is. Craven cared enough about me to come all this way just to
check on me, and he brought me flowers and cinnamon rolls. He wants me, Ken.
Not just my body, but
me
. Travis won’t even call me.”

“He’s
in the middle of something pretty big, Kenzie.”

“I
know that. But I want to be the something big in his life, Kenna. I want to be
the most important thing in his world. It may be selfish of me, but I spent my
entire childhood shoved into the background. I was never important enough to
take center stage.” Unshed tears glistened in her eyes. “I don’t know if Craven
would choose me over his career - and I would never ask him or Travis or any
man to ever do so - but at least Craven makes me
feel
like I’d be worth
choosing. Can you understand that?”

“Yes,”
her twin whispered.

“Don’t
worry, I’m not going to do anything stupid tonight. I just want to go out and
have a little fun. After all this, especially this new revelation about my
mother, I think I deserve one carefree night of no worries, no cares, no
strings. Just a night of fun with a friend.”

“You’re
right. Just be careful. Not only with your heart - and his, because he does
seem like a really nice guy - but with your person. Someone tampered with your
brake line, Kenzie. You’re still in danger.”

“I
know. I’ll be careful. And Craven will protect me. But I need this night,
Makenna. And I know it sounds kind of corny, but I need your blessing.”

Makenna
walked over to the bed and dropped a kiss onto the top of her sister’s ebony
curls. “You have it, Kenzie. Go out and have a good time tonight. But keep your
eyes open and don’t drink too much. Call Hardin if you see anything suspicious.
Enjoy yourself.”

“Thanks,
Sis. Hey, wanna come with us?”

Makenna
laughed. “I’m sure Craven would love that, me tagging along on your date.”

“It’s
not a date. I’m just showing him Austin nightlife. Hey, I could call Marci and
Linda to join us.”

“Are
you sure you trust yourself with this man? You sound like you’re calling in
reinforcements.”

Her
sister knew her too well. “He’s very good looking, Kenna. And a great kisser.
Part of me finds him incredibly sexy and hard to resist.”

Makenna
hesitated a second longer. “Can I borrow your green sweater?” she then asked
with a grin.

“You’re
coming?” Kenzie squealed in delight. “Perfect!”

“We’ll
let your friend Craven be the judge of that.”

Kenzie
hurried to the door, flung it open and called out, “Hey, Craven, you’re about
to have every man’s fantasy come true! A night out with twins! A brunette and a
redhead! If you want to add a blond, we have a neighbor named Marci.”

His
laugh was rich and immediate, endearing him to her heart even more. “Who am I
to tamper with every man’s fantasy? The more the merrier, I always say!”

Half
an hour later, the four of them piled into Craven’s rental. He opened the door
for Marci and Makenna to slide in the back seat, then came round to open the
front door for Kenzie. Taking her elbow and running his hand along her arm, his
voice was low and intimate near her ear. “Don’t trust yourself around me, huh?
Needed the safety of numbers. Good to know.”

Kenzie
ignored his sage observation. “Sharp looking car,” she said. “Very nice.” She
slipped into the leather seat, her eyes going over the state-of-the-art
dashboard. As he hurried around to get into the driver’s seat, she eyed more of
the features. “Heated and cooled seats, heated and cooled cup holders. Nice.
Killer sound system. Top-notch navigational system. Good quality leather.
Hands-free syncing for phone.”

“Brand
new car, too. Less than a hundred miles on it. And check out the retractable
back shade,” he grinned. As he put the car in reverse, the integrated shade
slid down for an unobstructed view.

“Now
that’s cool,” Makenna said, duly impressed. “Ken, maybe you should get this
kind of car next time. Meaning now, of course.”

“Very
funny, sister dear.”

“Ooh,
girl fight. This night just keeps getting better,” Craven grinned.

“Where
do you sisters come up with all these guys?” Marci pretended to groan. “I have
trouble finding one decent guy, and you two have an over-abundance of them!”
The moment the words were out, the blond haired woman realized what she had
said. “I-uh, I meant …”

Craven
merely laughed. “Don’t worry, I know all about my competition. But like I told
Kenzie the first night I kissed her, I like a good challenge.” He winked wickedly
while she blushed. She had not wanted his interest in her - or hers in him - to
be quite so obvious.

After
that, however, Craven put no pressure on Kenzie, and played no favoritism when
it came to showering all three women with praise and attention. The night
turned out to be carefree and happy, and exactly what Kenzie needed. She was
able to forget all about the birth mother she couldn’t remember, the miserable
years with her father and
that woman
, the people who were chasing her,
and the cars she had wrecked. She almost managed to forget the Ranger who had
not called, but every so often her eye would snag on a tall blond head or a
cowboy hat, and her heart would catch in her throat. By the time Craven walked
them to the door and said goodnight in the hall, no kisses involved, another
morning was well on its way.

“You’re
right,” Makenna said sleepily, taking out her large hoop earrings in Kenzie’s
bedroom doorway. “Your Craven Shaw is a great guy. And if he’s the man you
choose, you have my complete blessing.”

“I
may have to fight Marci for him!” Kenzie laughed. “Did you see the way she
looked at him?”

“Yeah,
she looks at Hardin the same way. We need to find her a man of her own. But
don’t worry, Craven looks at you about the same way Hardin looks at me. You
don’t have to worry about Marci. Or anyone other woman, I’d say.”

“I’m
not sure if that makes me happy or sad,” Kenzie said, kicking off her shoes and
letting them fall where they may.

Makenna
eyed the careless gesture with a frown, but she nodded, knowing what her twin
meant without her having to say it. “Because if things work out with you and
Travis, you want Craven to be happy with someone else.”

“This
love stuff is so confusing and highly over-rated,” Kenzie proclaimed before
yawning noisily. “Okay, I gotta hit the sack. We’re getting up early to squeeze
everything in. Sure you don’t want to come?”

“Sorry,
have to work.”

“Me,
too, but he was sweet enough to come all this way just to check up on me.
Taking a day off is the least I can do.”

“Yeah,
what a sacrifice. Taking a day off work to spend with a handsome hunk in the
Hill Country. What a chore!” Makenna teased.

“Go
call your own handsome hunk and let me get some sleep.” She playfully waved her
sister out the door.

As
Kenzie pulled back the covers and slid beneath them, she glanced furtively at
her phone. Travis still had not called.