Julianne watched as Luke leaned down and kissed his daughter’s forehead.
Julianne looked away and swallowed hard. She had to get out of here, out of this house soon, or she’d make a complete fool of herself by crying over things she couldn’t explain. Then she felt Luke’s hand touch her shoulder, and she raised her tear-filled eyes to meet his understanding gaze. He moved closer, easing her into his arms, where she let go of the sorrow as she buried her face against his chest and wept.
How long they’d stood there, Julianne wasn’t sure. But when she was finished crying, she raised her head and instantly missed the steady beating of his heart against her ear.
“I’m sorry, Luke. I didn’t mean to cry. I don’t even…I don’t even know you well enough to fall apart in front of you like that.” Julianne’s words were rambling, and she knew it. She was grateful when Luke raised a hand, touching his index finger to her lips.
“Julianne.” He whispered her lovely name in the stillness of the evening before his mouth brushed hers in a hesitant first kiss.
KATHRYN ALEXANDER
writes inspirational romance because, having been a Christian for many years, incorporating the element of faith in the Lord into a romantic story line seemed like a lovely and appropriate idea. After all, in a society where love for a lifetime is difficult to find, imagine discovering it, unexpectedly, as a gift sent from God.
Kathryn is married to Kelly, her own personal love of a lifetime. She and her husband have one son, John, who is the proud owner of the family’s two house pests, Herbie the cat and Copper the dog.
For nearly five years Kathryn and her family have been members of their church, where she co-teaches a Sunday school class of active two-year-olds. She is now a stay-at-home mom who writes between car pooling, baby-sitting and applying bandages when necessary.
Twin Wishes
Kathryn Alexander
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
—Psalms 46:10
To my father, Olan Tussing, who died New Year’s Day, 1999.
Dad, you are dearly loved and sadly missed.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
Letter to Reader
Chapter One
“Julianne I’d like you to meet two new students. This is Nora and this—” the woman speaking reached behind her to pull a young brown-haired, blue-eyed boy from his hiding place “—this is Todd.”
Julianne Quinn knelt down to eye-level with the children in the doorway of her classroom at the day-care center. “So, you must be four years old if you’re going to be in my class,” she said softly. With a gentle movement, she touched the pink cheek of little Nora.
“You smell good,” the girl commented, staring into the pretty brown eyes of her new teacher. Julianne smiled back and thanked her.
“We’re twins, Nora and me,” the boy stated as if giving official notice of something that was already quite obvious to Julianne.
“Well, you do look a lot alike,” she replied. “And you’re the same size and age. Yep, I’d have to agree with you. You must be twins.” Julianne tousled Todd’s light brown hair with a soft touch. “C’mon in and I’ll let you meet the other children.”
But before Julianne could stand up, Nora rushed toward her, throwing her arms around her neck and holding on as if for dear life. Julianne slipped her arms around the child in a firm hug while she watched Todd gravitate back toward the woman who had brought them into the center today—his aunt, Maggie Wren—the next person to speak.
“And this is my brother, Luke O’Hara,” she introduced the tall, dark-haired man standing next to her.
Julianne stood up, scooping Nora up into her arms as she did so and came face-to-face with the man she’d already heard so much about from her friend, Maggie. Julianne smiled and extended a slender hand to greet him. “Nice to meet you, Mr. O’Hara,” she offered.
Luke O’Hara responded, without smiling. “You, too, Miss Quinn.” He looked past Julianne into the brightly colored classroom, complete with chairs and desks in primary colors, cubbyholes and shelves, toys and puzzles, and dark blue mats for nap time, he assumed. It seemed to him like a friendly enough environment for his children; but, still, if his sister Maggie didn’t work at this day-care center, he would hesitate leaving them in an unfamiliar setting with a stranger for a teacher. Luke glanced at Nora and Todd. The protest he’d expected from the kids hadn’t started yet. That surprised him. Usually the mere mention of being left someplace, anyplace, while Luke went to work made them whine and plead so that he could barely leave the house. That was one reason he had made the decision to move here to live closer to his sister, the only real family he had left since his wife’s death last year. He needed Maggie’s help with the children.
“Luke, I think the children are going to be fine here, if you want to leave now,’ Maggie stated as she saw Todd turn from her and move back toward Julianne, who was still holding his sister. “I’ll be right down the hallway if they need me.”
Luke looked skeptical, Julianne surmised as she watched his eyebrows draw together in a doubtful frown. His face reminded her a little of his sister, with the same dark brown hair and striking blue eyes as Maggie; but Luke was much taller, broad-shouldered and quieter, sadder than his sunny-dispositioned sibling. And better looking than Maggie had indicated. Sisters sometimes embellish the truth at times in describing a brother they love. With three brothers of her own, Julianne knew that all too well. But, if anything, Maggie had understated the facts about Luke, except for his countenance. The look on his face revealed his melancholy feelings, and his mouth was straight and unyielding. Julianne thought briefly it would be nice to see that mouth smile. It could take years off his face, and might even lighten the load of grief he quietly carried.
She reached for Todd’s small hand, and he allowed her to clasp it warmly in her own. “Let’s go look at Noah’s ark, and then we’ll have a snack while you get to know the other kids.” She nodded at the four other children playing with a large toy ark in the middle of the room. Plastic animals were scattered around everywhere on the huge braided rug they were sitting on. Julianne hoped Luke would leave soon, before the twins decided they didn’t want him to go. She had a sinking feeling they could burst into teary-eyed protests at any moment.
“I need to go to Minneapolis this morning to look over a job site for a landscaping project I’ve accepted. I probably can’t be back here until around four-thirty.” Luke glanced from his sister back to Julianne Quinn. He hadn’t really looked at her when he had first entered the room. He’d been too concerned about the children’s reaction to their new surroundings, but now he noticed she was tall, blond and had friendly brown eyes. And he had a business to run. “Is four-thirty too late to pick them up?” he asked.
“No, that would be fine,” Julianne responded.