Vanessa's Match Read Online Free PDF

private moment in the library.
    “Why?” he asked.
    “Because I would like to talk to you about your half sister.”
    “Look, I arranged with Jeff and Bill to handle everything. They’ll give you the money for whatever you need to buy her. I don’t think you’ll be unhappy.”
    “This is not about the money!” she protested in a low voice. “Can we go to the library, please?”
    “Fine!” He turned around, holding the door open for her.
    After another quick look at Lindy, still playing with Jamie, Vanessa walked past him to the library across the hall.
    She waited by the door until he entered and then shut it. “Please sit down.” It was an order, even though she said please.
    “Look, Vanessa, I’ve taken care of everything. If you’ll talk to Jeff, you’ll see.”
    “Jeff can’t handle this problem.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because he’s not Lindy’s big brother! For some reason, she craves approval from you.”
    “Fine. I approve of her. Will that do?”
    “You just don’t get it, do you. Your stepmother didn’t only deprive Lindy of clothes and furniture. She deprived her of love. The child is an emotional wreck, and only someone in her family can make that go away. Since you’re the only one she has, it has to be you!”
    “What do you expect me to do? I don’t even know her.”
    Vanessa drew a deep breath. She needed to stay calm and focused. “Why do you think your father made you Lindy’s guardian if anything happened to her mother?”
    Rick glowered at her.
    Good, she thought. He needed to think about what he was doing.
    “He didn’t have anyone else to take care of her,” Rick said, his voice low.
    “That’s what I would assume. Wouldn’t he expect you to do what you could for her? To heal the hurts her mother inflicted?”
    “ He married her. Not me!”
    The bitterness in his voice told Vanessa she still had some work to do.
    “How about I make a suggestion, and we’ll discuss whether or not you can handle it,” she said softly.
    “What?” he barked.
    “Instead of telling Lindy she can go see the house when you’re not going to be there, why not invite her to dinner and welcome her?”
    “She said she wanted to see the house. I said she could.”
    “I didn’t know Lindy’s mother or her father. But I know which one she loved the most. Remember your emotions when your father died? Well, Lindy felt at least that bad. You were old enough to take care of yourself. She was left to a mean, hateful woman who gave her no love at all. Would it be so hard to let Lindy into your heart just a little bit?”
    “Her mother—”
    Vanessa put up a hand to stop him. “I know her mother was impossible. But Lindy’s not. She’s sweet and lovable. And she needs your approval. Please?”
    “Fine! I can be home for dinner on Wednesday. I’ll tell Mrs. Abby the two of you will be there.”
    “I don’t have to come. You two—”
    “No. You’re the expert about all those emotions. You need to be there.”
    He’d trapped her, and there was no way out. “All right, I’ll come. Wednesday night at seven?”
    “Yes.”
    “You won’t forget?”
    “No, I won’t. Now, if you have no objection, I’ll be on my way.”
    “Wait! You need to invite Lindy yourself. And then tell her goodbye.”
    “Damn it! I told you you were invited!”
    She stared at him.
    “Fine!” He rose and headed for the door.
    She’d won the round, so why wasn’t she happy?
    Because spending another night with Rick Austin was the last thing she wanted to do. For many reasons she thought it best to keep her distance from him—not least of which was the fact that the man was too attractive for his own good.
    Or for hers.
     
    R ICK ENTERED THE OTHER ROOM , trying to put a smile on his face. It was what his father would’ve wanted, he told himself. He hated to think that he’d failed the man. He knew his father had loved Lindy, his cute, precocious little girl.
    But now she was a child-woman and reminded