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“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I should have...”
He stopped walking and looked at her. “It’s okay. I haven’t mentioned it because of your situation. She died when I was about ten.”
He put a hand on the small of her back, and they continued walking.
Charlotte blinked away the tears that threatened. It didn’t take much for her to remember her own mother.
“I always forget how impressive the mansions are,” he said in an obvious attempt to change the subject.
She nodded. “Such a romantic place to have a wedding.”
“If you’re into those things.”
She glanced sideways at him. “I take it you’re not?”
“Definitely not.” He grinned and then winked. “I’m not a good candidate for marriage, so a wedding is nowhere in my future plans.”
Before she could ask about his plans, they reached the mansion and were directed to the terrace for drinks and hors d’oeuvres.
There must have been more than two hundred people in attendance, mostly standing in groups under the large, striped awning, while a few others sat. There were small, round tables with floor-length tablecloths and six cushioned ladder-back chairs at each. Two bars were set up, one at each end of the terrace, and both had long lines.
“What would you like to drink?” He guided her in the direction of the closest bar.
“A soda would be fine for now.” She wasn’t used to drinking in the middle of the afternoon. The last thing she’d want to do was drink too much and make a fool of herself.
“Oh, there’s my cousin Frank and his wife.” Jack scrunched his face. “I can’t remember her name. Anyway, Frank’s a lot of fun. I’ll introduce you, and you can sit with them while I get us drinks.”
Charlotte wasn’t a “talk to strangers” kind of gal, but since Jack was the only one she knew in the room, she’d try her best to fake it. And it would give her an excuse to not have to stand in her high heels, which were already being troublesome.
* * *
JACK HATED LEAVING CHARLOTTE, but the whole idea of inviting her was to get her out amongst people. Ideally his cousin could engage her and keep her thoughts away from her grief better than Jack had. He should have known the subject of his parents would come up when they were attending a family wedding. At least Charlotte hadn’t asked about his dad, too.
After several minutes, he was nearly at the front of the line. The couples ahead of and behind him were strangers, so he quietly looked over the crowd for people he knew. The wedding party must still be taking pictures. He didn’t see the bride, groom or anyone associated with them on the terrace.
“I’d like two colas,” he told the older man who was bartending. He slipped a dollar into the tip jar and stepped away with the two glasses.
He was making his way back to the table where he’d left Charlotte when he saw her in line at the other bar. She had her back to him, her arms crossed.
A moment of worry hit him. What had happened? Had she gotten tired of waiting for her drink and decided to get her own? Had she not gotten along with Frank and his wife?
Jack hurried through the crowd. He came up behind her and said, “Charlotte?” When she didn’t react, he tapped her shoulder to get her attention.
“What’s the matter, too impatient to wait till I got back?” he asked.
As soon as the woman he thought was Charlotte turned around, he knew it wasn’t Charlotte, even though the resemblance was incredible. She wore a dress similar to Charlotte’s in color, and her hair was not only the same dark brown but also styled nearly identically.
“I’m so sorry. I thought you were someone else.” He couldn’t help staring into her gorgeous blue eyes. Uncanny. They were exactly like Charlotte’s, but somehow different.
Instead of seeing Charlotte’s grief in her eyes, he saw definite annoyance.
CHAPTER TWO (#ud2256947-4655-50ae-9eb5-537dad21d0bd)
ALL SHE WANTED was a drink. A glass of water would do—a shot of tequila would be better. “Did you want something?” Allie asked the man who was still staring at her.
He twisted his neck slightly and raised his chin as if his stiff white shirt collar was too tight. He held a glass of dark liquid with a cocktail straw in each hand.
“I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else.” He blinked.
“You said that already.”
“The resemblance is remarkable.”
“I’m sure it is.” Whatever that meant.
She glanced to her right and saw her very pregnant sister, Rachael, coming toward her. Uh-oh. Now what? Maybe she should have given in to her mother and found a date for this shindig instead of being everyone’s errand girl. She was beginning to think her mother was looking for things for her to do to punish her for refusing to bring a date.
She turned back to the guy who’d mistaken her for another woman, but he was gone. She probably should have been nicer to him. He was pretty hot in his well-tailored, dark suit that made his dark eyes look nearly black. His almost-black hair was neatly trimmed, shorter on the sides with a little height on top, but not too much. Yeah, definitely hot.
“What do you need me to do now?” Allie asked Rachael as soon as her sister was within hearing range.
“Dad left his inhaler back at the hotel, and he’s having trouble with all the blooming flowers around here.”
Allie rolled her eyes. They could have stopped at the hotel on their way from the church if he’d remembered sooner. “Okay, I’ll go get it.”
“I could go—”
Allie shook her head. “I’ll do it. You’ve got enough to worry about between Sophie and her little brother, who you’re cooking in there.” She pointed to Rachael’s expanding belly and then looked around the room. “Speaking of Sophie, where is she?” Allie’s three-year-old niece had developed a tendency to wander off since arriving in town, and the entire family was on constant lookout.
“Dan’s got her occupied,” Rachael said, referring to her husband. “If you’re sure, then I’ll go back to keep an eye on Dad.”
“I’m sure.” Maybe she could even stop for a big bottle of water while she was gone. She sure wasn’t going to get a drop of it in this slow line anytime soon.
* * *
JACK SET A glass of soda in front of Charlotte, who sat alone at the table. He took the seat next to her, anxious to share what he’d seen. “Guess what? You have a doppelgänger.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened. “Really?”
As someone adopted as a baby, did she search crowds to find other people with similar DNA? Or was he projecting his own thoughts on the situation? As an only child, he had often found himself wondering what it would be like to have a sibling. Especially during his teenage years.
“Yeah, she’s over there in line at the bar.” He stood up again and surveyed the room to find Charlotte’s look-alike. He squinted but didn’t see her in either line. He sat back down. “She’s gone. But I’ll point her out next time I see her. You can’t miss her. She’s even wearing a dress almost the same color as yours.”
He gestured to the plates and glasses left on the table across from Charlotte, where Frank and his wife had been sitting. “What happened to those two?” The last thing he wanted was for Charlotte to be by herself. She was supposed to be having some fun.
“They went to look at the collage of baby pictures of the bride and groom,” Charlotte said. “I told them I’d make sure no one cleared away their food and drinks. And, just so you know, Frank’s wife’s name is Julia.”
“That’s it.” He knew he’d recognize her name when he heard it. “Sorry it took me so long to get the drinks. The bartenders are in no hurry. Want some food?”
“I’m good with a soda right now, but go ahead and eat if you’re hungry.”
“I did skip lunch, what with Granddad’s episode.”
Charlotte grinned. “Then go get some food. I’m fine right here. I’ll even keep watch for my doppelgänger.”
“The resemblance is remarkable.” He shook his head. “Anyway, I promise not to take so long this time.” He spoke over his shoulder. “I’ll bring enough to share in case you change your mind.”
Jack kept a lookout for Charlotte’s double as he made his way through the throng of people toward the food. No sign of her, though. He filled a plate with different cheeses, crackers and fruit, grabbed two napkins and hightailed it back to Charlotte. He was supposed to be showing her a good time, and instead he’d spent more time away from her than with her.
He slipped a piece of cheese into his mouth and set the plate where both he and Charlotte could reach it. “Miss me?” He winked and was pleased to see her smile. He handed her a napkin and then pointed out people he knew while they emptied the plate of food.
“We’re back!” Frank and Julia appeared suddenly as the very tall glass French doors opened and everyone was invited into the ballroom.
Jack and Charlotte were seated at the cousin table. Frank and Julia were across from them, with Frank’s sister, Kate, and her husband on Charlotte’s side. Next to Jack was his cousin R.J. and R.J.’s girlfriend, whose name he didn’t catch.
The wedding party arrived a few minutes later, and they were introduced. Charlotte whispered to Jack, “Look how many attendants there are. I’ve never seen so many pink dresses.”
“I know. This could take all night,” Jack whispered back, still watching for Charlotte’s double.
After a stilted toast by the best man and a long, weepy and emotional tribute from the maid of honor, dinner was finally served. A Caesar salad and warm rolls were followed by a choice of salmon or vegetarian pasta primavera.
Without warning, Julia, who had excused herself a few minutes before, came up behind Charlotte and said loudly enough for Jack to hear, “Charlotte, I just saw someone in the ladies’ room who looks exactly like you!”
* * *
“I FEEL BAD for you,” Rachael told Allie at dinner. “You’ve missed so much of the day.”
Allie shook her head and chewed the bite of salad she’d stuffed in her mouth. She was starving. She hadn’t eaten since that protein shake she’d gulped down on her way to get her hair done that morning. “It’s okay. Weddings aren’t my thing anyway.”
Rachael looked at her askance. “You know, the day will come when you’ll change your mind about that.”
“I doubt it.” Allie buttered a roll, not caring that she’d been trying to avoid carbs now that it was swimsuit season. She’d make up for it by running an extra mile tomorrow.
If she could squeeze it in between attending the family brunch and completing her potential client’s presentation.
“You just haven’t found the right guy.” Rachael tilted her head at her husband, who was playing keep away with an asparagus spear he was trying to get Sophie to eat. She was giggling wildly as Dan attempted to feed it to her ear.
“You got the last good one,” Allie told her sister. “The guys I meet are interested only in what’s in it for them.”
“Jimmy was an idiot,” Rachael said, fully aware of his stupid extortion plan. “You can’t compare all men to him.”
Allie shrugged and took a bite of her salmon with dill sauce. It melted in her mouth, and she practically moaned aloud. “He was the last in a long line of users.”
“You mean losers,” her sister corrected her.
“Yeah, that, too.” Allie couldn’t argue with the truth. She pushed back her chair when they announced it was time to cut the cake. “I’m going to the bar. You want anything? Soda? Mineral water? Juice?”
Rachael shook her head. “Nothing for me, thanks.”
She looked to Dan. He held up his hand, and it was quickly grabbed by Sophie. “I’m good, thanks,” he said on a laugh.
No one else had shown up to sit at their table for her to entertain, so Allie hurried off to the bar.
“Hey,” the female bartender greeted her. “You must be thirsty from all your running around. I keep seeing you everywhere I look.”
“I doubt you saw me every time. They tell me I have a double here somewhere.”
The woman’s eyes widened. “Really? And you haven’t seen her yet?”
Allie shook her head. The idea of someone looking that much like her was crazy. “Hard to find anyone in this crowd.”
“Well, if I see her,” the bartender said, “I’ll tell her you’re looking for her.”
A lie, since Allie didn’t care about this other woman, but she gratefully accepted her white wine, kept her mouth shut and headed outside, where the sun had almost set.
* * *
THE BRIDE AND GROOM’S first dance was nearly over, and Jack was still searching for Charlotte’s double. Then the bride danced with her father while the groom danced with his mother.
Jack was sure he’d spy Charlotte’s double once the bride threw her bouquet. Unfortunately, the woman was nowhere to be found when that time came. Maybe she was married. Not that it mattered either way. But why was she was so hard to spot?
“I wonder what happened to her.” Jack craned his neck to look around the crowded room.
Charlotte laughed. “Stop worrying about some woman who looks like me. If we’re meant to see each other, we will.”
“How can you not be intrigued? I think it’s pretty cool.” Jack shrugged. He looked at her and smiled. “Want to dance?”
The “Chicken Dance” was starting, and people were forming a circle on the dance floor.
“Really? The ‘Chicken Dance’?” Charlotte laughed but rose from her chair. “Sure, why not? You probably just want to get out there to see if you can spot her.”
He grabbed her hand and gave her a pull. “You’re absolutely right!”
They were both laughing by the time they squeezed into the circle of participants. Charlotte’s laughter made him feel good. Even more so when the music got faster and faster and they messed up the motions because they were laughing hysterically.
“Do you see her anywhere?” Charlotte asked breathlessly after they finished the “Chicken Dance” and a just-as-much-fun attempt at doing the “Y.M.C.A.”
He pulled her in to slow dance to a Beatles favorite. “See, you are interested in finding her,” he teased.
She turned her face away, but not before he saw a corner of her mouth curl up. “Maybe I am a little curious.”
“I knew it.” He squeezed her hand in his and spun them around a hundred and eighty degrees.
“Whoa!” She laughed. A wonderful sound to hear.
* * *
ALLIE SAT ON the edge of the large fountain outside the mansion. Her wine was long gone, and the empty glass sat next to her. The outside lights were the only illumination. What time was it? Almost time to go home? Could she make a break for it, or would she need to help gather and transport things back to the hotel for the bride and groom? Did she really have to stay until after they were gone? Her brother wouldn’t care. He probably wouldn’t even miss her.
