Hope's Discovery (THE MATCHMAKER TRILOGY) (7 page)

His brows drew together as he studied her for a moment. He gave her a nod, set his napkin on the table, and gave her a noticeably forced smile. “Not at all.”

CHAPTER THREE

T
he waitress boxed up their dinners and the cream-
filled cannolis that Trevor ordered. He took Hope’s hand and escorted her back to the car.

The ride back was quiet and he began to wonder what he’d said to upset her. Anxiety fluttered in his chest. He hadn’t revealed himself to her as someone sent to find her. He would usually have done that by now if he were being on the up-and-up. Instead, he was wining and dining her on her birth father’s money. But that was the assignment, he reminded himself with a trickle of guilt; because he really would rather get to know her on his own.

He’d never had an assignment that had gotten so personal. They weren’t supposed to. By not backing away he was jeopardizing everything Donald Buchanan wanted from him, only Buchanan was the very man asking him to stay and to be quiet.

He turned his head to catch the glimpse of the angel seated beside him. Maybe she suspected. Maybe she didn’t trust him. He hadn’t lied to her. He’d only
not
told her his reason for coming to Kansas City was to find her. He indeed was an insurance investigator. And finding dead mistresses and illegitimate daughters was much more intriguing that hunting down the truth behind a hit-and-run in a parking lot.

Trevor stopped the car in front of her darkened shop. Only one car remained on the street, and it was hers.

Hope turned her head toward him. Her eyes danced in the darkness under the illumination of the street lamp. “Thank you. I had a wonderful time.”

“I hope so.” He covered her hand with his. “I hope you’re feeling better.”

“I’m sure I will be.”

“I’d like to see you again. Would you mind if I came by tomorrow?” He lifted her fingers to his lips and brushed a kiss over her knuckles. “To check the progress of my acquisition, that is.” He let a gentle smile settle on his lips, still lingering over the skin of her hand. He didn’t want to let go. The urge to lean forward, kiss her passionately on her rosebud lips, and forget about Donald Buchanan was too strong though. He slowly let go of her hand and she pulled it back to her lap.

“Of course.”

“And then if you’re not busy maybe we could get some coffee?”

“I can’t leave the store in the middle of the day,” she reminded him.

“Okay then, I’ll bring coffee.”

“I think that sounds lovely.” She reached for the handle of the door.

“Wait.” Trevor jumped from the car and ran to the other side. He opened the door, took her hand, and helped her out of the car. “My mother would never forgive me if I just dropped you and drove off. A gentleman makes sure to help a lady from the car, and he waits on the curb to make sure she’s gotten her keys in the door. In the case of her driving off, he must wait to see that the car starts and she has driven off.”

“I love your mother already.”

“She’d love you as well,” he said, without realizing how sentimental it would sound.

“Again, thank you. I’m sorry to call it such an early night.”

“No worries.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She smiled at him and walked toward her car. Once she’d opened the door she shot him back another smile. The door shut. The car started and Hope Kendal drove away.

Trevor sprawled out across the bed and reached for his messenger bag. Pulling out the folder that housed the documents he’d collected for the Mandy Marlow case, he eased back and sat against the pillows.

Trevor needed to see Hope’s face again. He needed to imagine that it was him she was smiling at when he went to sleep.

He opened it up past the only picture he had of Mandy and Donald and flipped through until he found her.

“I miss you already,” he said with a shake of his head. “This is going too far, too fast.” He ran his fingers over the picture and remembered how deep the blue of her eyes was. Her smile, her laugh, her voice all haunted him, just as they had in his dreams.

He tossed the folder on the nightstand and rearranged the pillows. He prayed Hope Kendal would be in his dreams again tonight.

Hope knocked on Carissa’s front door at half past seven the next morning. It took all she had not to laugh at her sister’s harried appearance.

“Oh my, Hope! What are you doing here? What happened? Are you all right?” Carissa assaulted her with questions as she pulled her though the door.

“I need to talk to you.”

“If you’re not injured and no one is dead, can it wait till I get to work? I’m getting breakfast ready. I have three half-naked kids running around and one completely naked one. Thomas had a meeting at the high school, and I have to get them on the bus.”

“I’ll help you. Give me a task.”

An hour later, the house was quieter and everyone was wearing clothes. Carissa set the little ones in front of the television with a movie and sat down with Hope at the table. Hope poured them each a cup of coffee, aware that Carissa was watching her every move.

“Okay, let’s talk. Is this about your date with some guy you met at the cemetery, and he walked into your school?”

“Thomas squealed?”

“Like a pig. What did he do?”

Hope laughed. She knew Carissa would never stop being the worrywart big sister.

“He was a perfect gentleman. He’s commissioned a painting,” she said, leaving out the fact that she’d already started it after having his face etched in her mind.

“Nice, at least he’s good for some money.”

“Yeah.” She let out a little laugh and sipped her coffee. “But that’s not what I wanted to talk about. I want to hire him.”

“Him? What does he do?”

“He’s an insurance investigator.”

“And someone hit your car?” Carissa’s forehead wrinkled up, causing Hope to smile.

“No. But he finds people.”

“And who did you lose?”

“Me.”

Carissa sat back and Hope chewed on her lip. Her sister was processing it. She just hoped that she’d see Hope’s side.

“You know who you are.”

“I’m a Kendal. Don’t think I don’t know that. My parents are your parents. Sophia is my mom. David my dad. You are my sister. I’m not confused.”

“But you’re not satisfied.”

She’d always thought she was, and it was that little part of doubt that twisted her insides in knots. “Don’t you ever want to know who she was?”

“I lived with her, remember? I was tossed around like an unwanted puppy. I had to find Dad myself and I was seven. Then she dumped me on him, thank goodness.”

Hope felt the bitterness in her sister’s words. They’d never talked about Mandy much, and when they did the conversation usually ended controversially like this one had begun. But Hope wanted more.

“Okay, but here’s what we don’t know, and what I want to know. Who was Mandy Marlow? Where did she grow up? Who are her parents? Do we have cousins? Do I have siblings? Other siblings,” she corrected.

“Don’t do this, Hope,” Carissa warned.

“Your biological father is David Kendal.”

“Hope…”

“I want to know where I came from, Carissa. I want to know who she was and I want to know who my father is.”

“How are you going to find that out? Dad doesn’t even know who he was. She just showed up here pregnant with you.”

“I know. But there has to be a trail.”

“A trail that is twenty-three years old.”

“Fine. I may not be able to find it on my own, but with Trevor’s help…”

“You just might find what you are looking for, and it just might hurt you.” Carissa stood and poured out her coffee into the sink. “Why can’t you just be happy with the way things are?”

“I am happy, and that’s why I know I can do this. I can take what is to be offered to me, process it, and still know I’m David and Sophia’s daughter. That will never change. But Carissa, I want to know.”

Carissa stared down at her, her arms crossed over her chest. The room was silent for a long moment, and then Hope stood.

“It affects you. That’s why I came to you.”

“You’re going to do it no matter what?”

“I am, but I want you on my side. I’m not sure I’ll tell Mom and Dad yet, but I want you to know because I think you can help us. You know so much more than I do.”

“So even if I say no?”

“I’m still going to ask, but I want you on my side.”

Carissa kept her eyes on her sister. As she considered it, Hope noticed the creases around them softened. “She’s no saint. I don’t want you to get your feelings hurt when you realize what she was.” Hope only nodded. Carissa dropped her shoulders and gave a thoughtful shake of her head. “But I once went searching for a parent too, and look what was at the other end.”

Hope smiled. “You won a lottery.”

“Jackpot,” Carissa said, enveloping Hope in her arms. “But I don’t want you to hurt them.”

“I won’t. I just want to know whose blood runs in my veins. I just have to know.”

“Then do it. But, Hope…” She pulled back. “Be careful.”

“I will.”

He hadn’t specified a time to stop by the store, but with every shadow that had passed outside the window, Hope looked up, anticipating it would be Trevor.

The portrait was coming along. Having his deep, dark eyes staring back at her wasn’t helping the fact that she was desperately awaiting his arrival.

Finally, the door opened and Trevor walked through with a tray of drinks and a large brown paper bag with the word
deli
printed on it.

“We only discussed having coffee, but I thought since I was late enough, I would bring lunch too. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I think that’s wonderful. Let me help you,” she offered as she crossed the store to take the tray of coffees from him. “We can eat at the table in the back.”

She set the cardboard cups on the table and he set the bag next to them.

“Would you like to see your
acquisition?
” She laughed as she turned toward the canvas.

Trevor walked to the easel. He stopped and stared. The artist in her picked up the flash of emotion that glossed over his eyes.

“Oh, Hope. This is amazing.”

“Thank you.”

“When I give it to her I want you to be there.” He turned to her. “I want you to see her face when she looks at it for the first time.”

Hope swallowed back the lump in her throat. “That’s thoughtful, but…”

“No buts. She’s just going to flip.”

“C’mon, let’s eat. I want to talk to you, but I think I’m going to need a substantial amount of food in me to get through it.”

“You’re still hungry because you didn’t finish your dinner last night. In fact, I had it for breakfast this morning. You left it in the car.”

“I’m sorry,” she said snorting out a laugh. “How thoughtless of me.”

“We’ll let it slide.” He pulled her chair out for her and then sat down next to her at the small table, pushed up against the wall. “You’re feeling better I take it?”

Hope raised her shoulders and let them fall as she unwrapped the sandwich he’d brought her. She seriously was going to need the fuel to make it though the conversation.

“I’m fine. It’s just… well, I need to talk to you.”

A sliver of a smile crossed his lips as he laid his hand atop of hers. “I know I didn’t get you pregnant, I haven’t even touched you.” He laughed with a wink of his eye and Hope lightened up.

“Sorry to be so dramatic.” She pulled back and took a bite of her sandwich. “It’s just what I’m about to ask you has the potential to give me the world, or ruin it.”

“Well I’d be up for running off to Vegas and getting married too, but do you really think it would ruin you?” He smiled again and she laughed.

“I don’t remember you being such a comedian last night.”

“I had on my good manners. Now you’re seeing me.”

“I like it.”

He set his sandwich down and settled his eyes into hers. Hope watched as he moved slowly toward her. As he neared, she closed her eyes and felt the warmth of his lips gently brush hers. When she opened her eyes, he was right there.

“You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

“Wow. This isn’t how I thought this would go,” she admitted.

“Wasn’t on my agenda either, but I don’t mind detours.”

“Good, then back to what I needed to ask.”

“I’m all ears.”

Hope gathered her nerves. Carissa had given her a green light to ask him, but she knew her sister wasn’t excited about the venture. The fear that she might hurt her parents by pursuing her past made her nauseated. Her stomach churned and the rate of her heart kicked up, but she took a breath and began.