mean much when parents enter the picture,” Billy said bitterly.
Cherry turned in his embrace and put her arms around him to hug him, laying her cheek against his shoulder. “I’ll try to be a good wife, Billy.” She raised her face to his, only to find herself unexpectedly kissed.
There was as much desperation as there was hunger in Billy’s kiss. Something inside Cherry responded to both emotions, and she found herself kissing Billy back.
“Hey! What are you doing to my dad?”
Cherry pulled free of Billy’s grasp and turned to the child who had spoken. Behind her stood the other twin, her face less belligerent, more perplexed.
“Uh…” Cherry began. She had no idea where to go from there. She expected Billy to make some sort of explanation, but he gave her a helpless one-shouldered shrug. Cherry turned back to the twins and said to theone who had spoken, “Your dad and I were kissing, Raejean. That’s what married people do.”
“I’m Annie,” Raejean said.
“I’m Raejean,” Annie dutifully added.
“Hey, you two,” Billy said. “What’s the big idea trying to fool Cherry?”
Raejean’s chin jutted. “I don’t know why you’re so mad, Daddy. She isn’t fooled at all.” She turned to Cherry, her brow furrowed. “How do you do that, anyway? No one but Mommy and Daddy has ever been able to tell us apart.”
Cherry said, “There’s nothing magic about it. You’re as different from your sister as night from day.”
“We’re twins,” Raejean protested. “We’re exactly alike.”
“You look alike on the outside,” Cherry conceded, “but inside here—” Cherry touched her head. “And here—” She touched her heart. “You’re very different.”
“I’m glad you can tell us apart,” Annie said. “I don’t like fooling people.”
“I don’t care if you can tell us apart,” Raejean said. “I’m not going to like you.”
“Isn’t it a little soon to make up your mind about that?” Cherry asked. “You hardly know me.”
“I know you want to be my mother. I don’t want another mother. My mother’s in heaven!” Raejean turned and headed for the stairs. She hadn’t gone very far before she realized Annie hadn’t automatically followed her. She turned and said, “Come on, Annie.”
Annie hesitated briefly before she turned and followed her sister.
Cherry whirled on Billy the instant they were gone.“I can’t do this all by myself, Billy. You’re going to have to help.”
“You can’t blame them for being confused, Cherry. After all, the only woman they’ve ever seen me kissing is their mother.”
“Then maybe we shouldn’t let the girls see us kissing. Maybe you should keep your distance when they’re around.”
Billy thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t want to do that for two reasons. Penelope would be sure to notice if we never touched each other. It would be a dead giveaway that there’s something fishy about our marriage.”
“And the second reason?”
“I don’t want my daughters to see me ignoring the woman they believe is my wife. It would give them the wrong impression of what marriage is all about.”
“I see.” What she saw was that Billy had all sorts of reasons for kissing and hugging her that had nothing whatsoever to do with actually loving her. But loving hadn’t been a part of their bargain. She had to remind herself of the rules of this game. Help each other out. Don’t get involved. Don’t start to care. That way lay heartache.
“All right, Billy,” Cherry said. “I’ll play along with you where the kissing and touching is concerned. So long as we both know it’s only an act, I suppose neither of us can be hurt. Now that we have that settled, I believe you need to get to town for those supplies, and I’d better get some lunch started.”
Cherry turned her back on Billy, but she hadn’t taken two steps toward the sink before his arms slid around herfrom behind again, circling her
Cherry turned in his embrace and put her arms around him to hug him, laying her cheek against his shoulder. “I’ll try to be a good wife, Billy.” She raised her face to his, only to find herself unexpectedly kissed.
There was as much desperation as there was hunger in Billy’s kiss. Something inside Cherry responded to both emotions, and she found herself kissing Billy back.
“Hey! What are you doing to my dad?”
Cherry pulled free of Billy’s grasp and turned to the child who had spoken. Behind her stood the other twin, her face less belligerent, more perplexed.
“Uh…” Cherry began. She had no idea where to go from there. She expected Billy to make some sort of explanation, but he gave her a helpless one-shouldered shrug. Cherry turned back to the twins and said to theone who had spoken, “Your dad and I were kissing, Raejean. That’s what married people do.”
“I’m Annie,” Raejean said.
“I’m Raejean,” Annie dutifully added.
“Hey, you two,” Billy said. “What’s the big idea trying to fool Cherry?”
Raejean’s chin jutted. “I don’t know why you’re so mad, Daddy. She isn’t fooled at all.” She turned to Cherry, her brow furrowed. “How do you do that, anyway? No one but Mommy and Daddy has ever been able to tell us apart.”
Cherry said, “There’s nothing magic about it. You’re as different from your sister as night from day.”
“We’re twins,” Raejean protested. “We’re exactly alike.”
“You look alike on the outside,” Cherry conceded, “but inside here—” Cherry touched her head. “And here—” She touched her heart. “You’re very different.”
“I’m glad you can tell us apart,” Annie said. “I don’t like fooling people.”
“I don’t care if you can tell us apart,” Raejean said. “I’m not going to like you.”
“Isn’t it a little soon to make up your mind about that?” Cherry asked. “You hardly know me.”
“I know you want to be my mother. I don’t want another mother. My mother’s in heaven!” Raejean turned and headed for the stairs. She hadn’t gone very far before she realized Annie hadn’t automatically followed her. She turned and said, “Come on, Annie.”
Annie hesitated briefly before she turned and followed her sister.
Cherry whirled on Billy the instant they were gone.“I can’t do this all by myself, Billy. You’re going to have to help.”
“You can’t blame them for being confused, Cherry. After all, the only woman they’ve ever seen me kissing is their mother.”
“Then maybe we shouldn’t let the girls see us kissing. Maybe you should keep your distance when they’re around.”
Billy thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t want to do that for two reasons. Penelope would be sure to notice if we never touched each other. It would be a dead giveaway that there’s something fishy about our marriage.”
“And the second reason?”
“I don’t want my daughters to see me ignoring the woman they believe is my wife. It would give them the wrong impression of what marriage is all about.”
“I see.” What she saw was that Billy had all sorts of reasons for kissing and hugging her that had nothing whatsoever to do with actually loving her. But loving hadn’t been a part of their bargain. She had to remind herself of the rules of this game. Help each other out. Don’t get involved. Don’t start to care. That way lay heartache.
“All right, Billy,” Cherry said. “I’ll play along with you where the kissing and touching is concerned. So long as we both know it’s only an act, I suppose neither of us can be hurt. Now that we have that settled, I believe you need to get to town for those supplies, and I’d better get some lunch started.”
Cherry turned her back on Billy, but she hadn’t taken two steps toward the sink before his arms slid around herfrom behind again, circling her
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