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  In his estimation, he’d been as patient about all this as a man could be. But it couldn’t go on indefinitely. “Rosemary?”

  She had temporarily run out of steam and paused for a breath. “Yes?”

  He cupped his hand along her cheek. “Why don’t you give it up?’

  She stared at him, though her mouth was dry. What was he talking about? “Give it up? Give what up?”

  Just how far did she intend to take this? “The charade.”

  She realized that he was still touching her. Rosemary pulled away from his hand. She wanted to think clearly. “What charade?”

  Obviously, she intended to take this all the way. “You think I haven’t figured it out?” He shook his head. “C’mon, Rosemary, give me a little credit.”

  She was confused. He was accusing her of something and she didn’t like it. Defensively, Rosemary placed her hands on her hips. “Well, you can have all the credit you want, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  One brow arched in amused disbelief as he looked at her. “Mary Smith?” Chris prodded helpfully.

  She still didn’t understand his point. “What about her?”

  All right, he’d play along. If she wanted him to spell it out for her, he would. Although why she wanted it to go to these lengths was beyond him. “There is no Mary Smith.”

  What was he talking about? Did he actually think that she would have set him up with nobody?

  “Of course there’s a Mary Smith. I read her letter, I mean, her son’s letter.” Why did she feel as if she was tripping over her own tongue, as if she was lying? She knew she wasn’t. Why did he look as if he knew she was? She felt her honor challenged.

  Rosemary drew herself up. All five foot two of her. “Teri said she called the office. She talked to her. Just because Mary Smith didn’t show up doesn’t mean that she doesn’t exist.”

  As if a bolt of lightning had just streaked across the sky, lighting it up, Rosemary suddenly realized what Chris was getting at. And she didn’t like it one bit. She didn’t want to believe that Chris actually thought of her as being deceitful and underhanded. Or given to silly mind games the way some women were.

  This wasn’t a game, this was her work. Her career. It was supposed to be a good deed, damn it. How could it be turning out so badly for her?

  Maybe she needed a little time to let go, Chris thought. “Uh-huh.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “And what does that mean? ‘Uh-huh?’”

  Chris worded his feelings as tactfully as he could. They’d had a nice time tonight. He didn’t want to spoil it with a tissue of a lie any longer.

  “It means that I think it’s time you stopped pretending.”

  “Me?” Just what was it that he thought she was pretending about?

  “Yes, you.” Maybe she did think he was a dolt, and that she could continue this indefinitely. He felt somewhat insulted. “I had a feeling all along that there was no Mary Smith.”

  “What?” She knew that was what he had been insinuating, but hearing it said aloud made it somehow worse.

  He tried changing tactics. Maybe she didn’t understand why he had done this. If he had wanted companionship, it would have been a simple enough matter for him to arrange. His voice softened. “I only agreed to be fixed up because I hoped Mary Smith was you. That you were having trouble admitting that you were attracted to me.”

  She was staring at him as if he had two heads. Chris felt as if he was losing ground instead of gaining it. “That for some strange reason you needed this ‘familiar’ or whatever the hell you wanted to call it, to hide behind in order to make you feel safe. I mean, you did show up every time ‘she’ didn’t. What else was I supposed to think?”

  He had to be kidding. Did he actually believe what he was saying? “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Just what are you talking about?”

  Enough was enough. How long did she intend to hang on to this threadbare act? “I don’t know. I didn’t major in psychology. I’m just taking a stab at it here. All I do know is that I don’t want to pretend anymore that she exists.” It was like trying to go out with “Sybil” and having another personality pop up. Rosemary was warm, witty and funny, and he was tired of pretending that he was there to date someone else.

  Rosemary didn’t get angry, really angry, very often. She was angry now. “And you think I lied to you.”

  He saw the anger in her eyes and reined in his own. He didn’t like losing his temper. “Not lied, exactly. Pretended.”

  This was getting worse and worse. “Pretending is for children.” She raised her chin. “Are you saying you think I’m a child?”

  He didn’t want an argument. He just wanted to clear the air. It was turning out to be a great deal more difficult than he had imagined. “I don’t know what I think anymore.”

  “That’s obvious if you thought I’d make up someone to go out with you.” She strode toward the front door. “I already told you, I don’t date.” She saw the skepticism on his face. What was it with him? Did he have such a short memory? “I don’t feel like being subjected to the agony of defeat, all right?”

  Women should come with instruction books, he thought ruefully, even cute, sexy ones. Maybe especially cute sexy ones. “I didn’t see any agony going on tonight. Or last Sunday.”

  He did have a short memory. “That wasn’t a date. That was a substitution.”

  She was one step away from being infuriating. “I don’t care what you call it. You can call it Irving for all I care. But it was a date.” He saw the stubborn glint in her eyes and pressed on. “They both were.” Maybe he should have his head examined, but he still wanted to go out with her. Very much. “The first one we had was with your son and your dog. This one was with your son. Can we try it alone next time?”

  Next time? “No. I mean…”

  She wavered as temptation flickered through her. But he thought she had lied to him. That she was making all this up. How could he believe such a thing? She’d never do anything like that. He didn’t trust her. If that was the way he felt, she didn’t want anything to do with him.

  “No,” she said with a great deal more feeling. “Could you please just leave right now? I don’t like being thought of as a liar.” He opened his mouth to defend himself, but she cut him off. “I just have to get my head together, all right?”

  There was no arguing with her tonight. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so abrupt, but damn it, they both knew that he knew. Why did they have to go on with this? “All right. But while you’re reconstructing, I want you to think about this.”

  Before she could protest, or think to protest, Chris pulled her into his arms. In the next heartbeat his mouth was on hers. She felt as if she had tumbled down through a long tunnel.

  The next moment she was on that same spiraling roller-coaster ride that she had gotten on the first time. Suddenly she was strapped into a seat, hurtling upside down and backward at breakneck speed into a faraway galaxy.

  It was a warm and wonderful place. Frightening and exciting.

  His mouth hot on hers, Chris kissed her so hard, so thoroughly, Rosemary didn’t think that she would ever come up for air. And maybe that was a good thing. Because where she was was far better than anywhere she’d ever been before. Even if she was upside-down and hurtling backward.

  He made her feel like a woman, a woman ripe for loving.

  Shaken by what he felt, by what he detected simmering just beneath the surface in her, as well, Chris forced himself to pull back. This wasn’t the time to push, no matter what he felt. It was a time for her to reevaluate, to reflect, just as she said. He had to give Rosemary her space.

  And maybe get some of his own.

  Chris didn’t know exactly what was going on here. He did know that he was attracted to her. Damn attracted. And he had the feeling, a very strong feeling, that this could get better. That maybe, just maybe, this could go the distance and that Rosemary Gallagher was that unique, wonderful woman
he’d been watching the horizon for. The one with whom, perhaps, he could build his life, a solid life like the one his parents enjoyed.

  From the very beginning he’d seen that she wasn’t like the others. The women he had dated before Rosemary were all attracted to his looks and to his popularity. Rosemary wasn’t like that. She wasn’t attracted to superficial things.

  If anything, she was fighting her attraction to him. He could sense it, taste it when he kissed her. See it in her eyes.

  But it wasn’t enough that he felt they had a real chance at something good together. Rosemary had to know it, too.

  And it wouldn’t do him a damn bit of good to feel the way he did if she didn’t know, or wasn’t willing to admit the truth.

  Truth had to be the cornerstone of their relationship, and at the moment, hormones notwithstanding, it was all looking very shaky.

  Resigned for now, he retreated.

  “Good night,” Chris said as he pulled the door closed behind him.

  Rosemary would have said good-night to him if her lips had been in working order. But they weren’t. They were completely numb.

  And so was she.

  She was awake half the night. The other half she spent tossing and turning. Her head was filled with snippets of dreams, all of which ended badly. She was out with Chris, committing the same stupid errors she had on her other two dates. Feeling as if she couldn’t do anything right, couldn’t think of anything to say.

  Each dream ended the same way. With Chris walking out on her.

  The last one was so vivid, she woke up with a start. It was six o’clock. Giving up, not wanting to have the same dream again, she remained awake, staring at her digital clock. Waiting for seven and what she deemed was a reasonable hour to call Teri.

  Once Teri confirmed that she had spoken to Mary Smith, she could tell Chris to stuff his suspicions and accusations where the sun didn’t shine…

  When the number flipped to seven on her clock an eternity later, Rosemary pulled the telephone to her and was tapping out Teri’s number. She stuffed a pillow behind her, trying to get comfortable.

  The phone rang four times.

  “C’mon, c’mon, answer,” she muttered under her breath. She knew the phone was right by Teri’s bed and her cousin liked sleeping in. Jim, an early riser, was probably out jogging somewhere.

  Why wasn’t she answering?

  A sleepy voice mumbled something that sounded close to “Hello?”

  Finally! “Teri, it’s Rosemary.”

  “Hmm? Do you know what time it is?”

  Impatience drummed through her voice. She wanted to feel vindicated. Now. “It’s seven o’clock and if I wanted a confirmation, I would have called the time lady. You have to answer something for me.”

  “Can’t it wait?”

  Teri sounded as if she could fall asleep with the phone in her hand, given half a chance.

  “No, Teri,” Rosemary said urgently, trying to get her to wake up. “It can’t.”

  She only wanted to ask her if she had spoken to Mary Smith, but instead, the whole story came tumbling out, one word after the other.

  “So he thinks I made Mary up and I know you talked to her. All I want you to do is tell me exactly what she said and then I can get back to him and—and tell him to shove it.”

  There was a long pause and she thought that Teri had fallen asleep.

  “Teri? Answer me.”

  Teri sighed. “Are you sitting down?”

  She felt a very cool tingling along her spine. “I’m in bed.” But she rose to her knees. “Why?”

  “I didn’t talk to Mary Smith.”

  That didn’t make any sense. Why would Teri say she did when she didn’t? “But you said—”

  Teri sighed, fully awake now. “I lied.”

  Rosemary felt as if she was free-falling from an airplane and her chute refused to open. Earth was coming, spiraling up at her at a maddening speed.

  “But why would you say she called if she didn’t?” She had an awful feeling she knew the answer to her own question.

  “To make you feel a little more confident that she’d show up. Danny was going to take it from there.”

  “Danny?” She repeated her son’s name as if she was suddenly catapulted back into her dream. The name dripped from her lips in slow motion. What did her son have to do with all this?

  “Well, yeah.” Teri fumbled for words. “Actually, it was Danny’s idea.” And when he had suggested it, she thought it was wonderful. She still did.

  Rosemary felt as if she was locked in a room, trying to find the door in the dark. “You mean, the contest?” She had a feeling that they weren’t discussing that.

  “Yes, and the letter.”

  Rosemary’s voice dropped to a tense whisper. “What letter?”

  There was no use in attempting to keep any of this back. Teri was relieved to finally be able to talk about it. She loved secrets, but she loved telling them even more. Having one and keeping silent wasn’t any fun at all.

  “Tommy Smith’s letter to you. I hate to break it to you, kid, but your son is leading a dual life. He is Tommy Smith. He wrote the letter and I set up a P.O. box so you wouldn’t get suspicious. I filled out the form, putting in answers that I knew you would have written.”

  There was only silence on the other end of the line. Teri began to feel a little nervous. “Oh, c’mon, Rosie, you had to have suspected. We figured you were just playing along with us.”

  Damn, how stupid could she have been? It was right there in front of her, the perfect match. Tommy was a twin to Danny and Mary was her clone. And she had believed it all.

  “No,” she said very quietly. “I wasn’t.” She felt hurt at being duped this way. “I’ve never done anything underhanded to anyone, so I didn’t suspect that it was being done to me. Least of all by my own cousin and my son.” Hurt turned into anger. “Damn it, Teri, why would you do such a thing to me?” Chris was right in thinking she was stupid. She was.

  Defensiveness sprang to her lips, but then Teri thought better of it. This wasn’t about her protecting herself, this was about Rosemary and Rosemary’s life.

  “For the same reason you set Mary Smith up a second time with Chris.” She didn’t wait for Rosemary to make a response. “Because you thought she needed prodding. Well, we thought you needed prodding. And you did.”

  Teri sighed. “I couldn’t stand to see Chris Maverick wasted on some bimbo when there you were, absolutely perfect for him.”

  Rosemary wasn’t ready to forgive Teri yet, no matter how good her intentions were. “Why, because I’m breathing?”

  Teri gave a short laugh. She loved Rosemary dearly, even if she could be thickheaded at times. “That helps. But that’s not the only reason why. You saw it yourself. You have the same interests, and in case you haven’t noticed, he’s really good with Danny. I knew that would be your first priority in a man. I’m more shallow. Mine would have been drop-dead gorgeous. Mr. Terrific fills both those requirements.”

  She paused, waiting for Rosemary to say something. When she didn’t, some of her confidence faded a little. “Rosie, are you mad at me?”

  “Yes.” She was struggling hard to hold on to her anger. Teri had no right to meddle like this. But her reasons were good and her heart was in the right place. Rosemary couldn’t fault her for that.

  Teri was right; Chris did have the qualities she would have wanted in a man, but that wasn’t the problem. She was the problem.

  “I only did it because I love you. You deserve to be as happy as the people you’re trying so hard to match up.”

  Rosemary sighed, dragging a hand through her hair. “All right, I forgive you.” She frowned, not liking what she had to do next. “I still have to apologize to Chris. I got on my high horse when he accused me of orchestrating all this myself.”

  Teri winced, hoping that the damage wasn’t too extensive. “Well, you didn’t, so you’ve got a clear conscience.”

  Yeah,
right. “You, dear cousin, obviously have no knowledge of what a clear conscience actually means.” Hers was far from clear. “I might not have done this, but it was done because of me, so technically it is my responsibility.”

  Knowing Rosemary the way she did, Teri realized that she couldn’t have expected another reaction. But it could be so damn exasperating at times.

  “How many times did your mother take you to see Pinocchio as a kid? No, don’t answer, whatever it was, it was too much. You OD’d on conscience.” Her voice grew serious. “Everything isn’t your fault, Rosemary.” Teri hunted for an approach that would work for her cousin. “Think of yourself as a guiltless catalyst or something. Unchanged by what transpires around you, yet being the instrument of that transpiration.”

  “Transpiration?” Rosemary laughed and some of the intensity of her feelings faded. “That’s not a word, Teri.”

  “No, it’s not,” she agreed. “It’s a feeling. Right now, I feel that you and Chris should be together. So does Danny. So does Chris if I don’t miss my guess, since he went along with it, according to you, thinking that Mary Smith was a pseudonym for you. Three brilliant people can’t be wrong. Especially if one of those people looks great in a thong.”

  She knew Teri’s wardrobe as well as her own. “You don’t own one.”

  “No, but if you’re lucky, he does.”

  Rosemary could hear the wide grin in Teri’s voice. “I have to go now, Teri. Thanks to you and Danny, I have to eat humble pie.”

  It was a trade-off. “As long as you cleanse your palate with him.”

  According to Teri, the whole thing was a done deal. But she had said a lot of things last night, had been very self-righteously angry. She wasn’t so sure it would be a bridge she could reconstruct. And she suddenly knew she wanted to. Very much.

  “You’re impossible.”

  “Yeah, but I’m lovable. Go get him, Rosemary.” Her voice softened, filled with affection. “Don’t let all this be for naught.”