The Twin. Jan Hudson

cell phone rang and his thoughts switched to business.

      SUNNY STOOD AT THE DOOR and watched Ben talking on his phone. He was one fine-looking man.

      “Fine-looking man,” the Senator said.

      She glared at the Senator and strode to bar. Grabbing a pitcher of iced tea, she made the rounds refilling glasses. What she didn’t need in her life was a man. Fine-looking or not.

      When the lunch-hour crowd died down, she went into the kitchen and started filling a dozen plastic containers with chili, labeling the mild and medium lids. She saved the “hotter than hell” stuff for the café’s few adventurous paying customers. These were for some of Austin’s homeless. By the time the bowls were boxed up with spoons, napkins and crackers, Marge was there to pick them up.

      The plump, gray-haired woman was all smiles as usual and wagging the insulated box from the previous day. “Thank you so much, Sunny. This means more than you know.”

      “You always say that, Marge, and it is I who should be thanking you for all your work. A few cups of chili is nothing.”

      “Oh, but it is. Chili is one of our favorite items. We have to make the guys take turns.”

      “Need any salad today?”

      Marge shook her head. “We have plenty from the restaurant next door, but thanks anyway.”

      Sunny insisted on carrying the box outside to the mission’s vehicle. A myriad of good food smells flowed from the van when Marge opened the door.

      “Looks like you hit the jackpot today,” Sunny said. “Reminds me that I haven’t eaten.”

      “The restaurants in Austin are very kind to us. I collected all this in only half an hour. If you’re not in the mood for chili, the catfish at Hooks looked very good today,” Marge said, winking.

      “Sounds like a winner to me.”

      Marge waved as she roared off to serve the hungry folks who would be waiting for what might be their one decent meal of the day.

      On cue, Sunny’s stomach growled, reminding her again that she hadn’t eaten anything since the cup of yogurt she had for breakfast many hours ago. She decided to take Marge’s suggestion and headed for Hooks, the seafood restaurant next door to Chili Witches. She and Cass often traded meals with Sid and Foster, the owners who’d also been tenants of the building for years.

      Sid, a slightly plump man with thinning rusty hair, bustled over when she opened the door. “Hello, baby doll,” he said, giving her an air kiss. “Where have you been keeping yourself? Your sister just dropped in a few minutes ago. Want to join her or do you have a yen for some privacy?”

      Sunny glanced around the room and spotted Cass, who grinned and waved her over. “I’ll join my sister. What’s good today?”

      “Oh, my dear, we have some pecan-crusted catfish that’s to die for. Foster has outdone himself.”

      “I’ll have that. Tell Foster hi for me.”

      “I will,” Sid said as he held out her chair. After she was seated, Sid bustled off to get her drink. Sid bustled everywhere.

      “Hey, sis,” Cass said. “How’s it going? I haven’t seen you in a couple of days. Avoiding me?”

      She almost laughed off the question, but a funny little hitch in her breath stopped her. Had she been avoiding Cass? Not consciously, of course, but maybe she had. Why?

      “You have,” Cass said, leaning forward. “Why? Is it a man?” She grinned. “Give, sis.”

      “Don’t do your lawyer bit with me. You know that I don’t respond well to grilling.”

      Cass laughed. “Look who’s talking. The grill queen. You’re like a pit bull, but don’t sidestep the question. What’s been going on with you? You know we always tell each other everything.”

      Sunny thought for a moment. What was she avoiding? Not wanting to stir up old feelings, she deliberately hadn’t mentioned Sam Outlaw’s visit to the café. “Oh, I had to run a million errands yesterday, and the band practiced last night.”

      Cass lifted one eyebrow and waited.

      “Something sort of interesting happened Wednesday. A guy, a Texas Ranger to be exact, dropped in for lunch. His name was Sam Outlaw.”

      Both of Cass’s brows went up. “Sam Bass Outlaw?”

      “Yep.” She took a sip of the iced mint tea that Sid had left for her. “The very one.” Leaving out anything but a general mention of Sam’s being with another Ranger, she related the entire conversation with their relative.

      “Interesting,” Cass said.

      “I thought so.”

      “Do you think he knew about us before he came in?” Cass asked.

      “I don’t think he had a clue. It was pure coincidence.”

      “I don’t believe in coincidences.”

      “Well, whether you believe in them or not, I can assure you that this was,” Sunny said. “He seemed genuinely surprised. How could he have known about us to come looking? And why would he care about his illegitimate cousins? Trust me, it was a coincidence.”

      Cass narrowed her eyes and peered into Sunny’s. “Is there something you left out?”

      Sunny put on her best innocent face. “I’ve told you everything that I can remember about my conversation with Sam.” No way was she going to mention Ben. Cass would blow it all out of proportion and start to nag her. She was worse than the Senator. Sometimes being a twin with those special connections could be a real pain.

      “Why don’t I believe you?”

      “You must miss being a lawyer. There you go again with the grilling. I feel like I’m in the witness box.”

      “Sunny, sweetie, I can’t hold a candle to you when it comes to interrogation. Must be all those years as a detective that honed your skills. You were great at it. Do you miss being a cop?”

      Sunny hesitated. A year ago she wouldn’t have hesitated a beat in saying no, but now and again she wondered if she didn’t miss some things—not that she would admit it to Cass. “No. Not at all.”

      “Are you sure?”

      “Positive.”

      Cass studied her for a minute; Sunny resisted squirming. “Running Chili Witches isn’t much of a challenge after being one of Austin’s finest.”

      “Maybe not, but it suits me fine. Besides, I wouldn’t be much of a cop without a gun, and I never want to pick up one again.”

      Cass obviously sensed Sunny’s discomfort and changed the subject. “Tell me about the other Ranger with Sam.”

      Sunny squirmed, but only a hair. A hair was enough. Cass let out a hoot of laughter.

      “I knew it,” Cass said. “I knew it. Tell me about him.”

      “There’s nothing to tell.”

      Cass rolled her eyes. “Come on, sis. This is me. What’s his name? What does he look like?”

      “I think his name was Ben.”

      “You think?”

      “Okay. His name was Ben. I don’t even remember his last name. McSomething, I think. He was tall and kind of nice-looking. I didn’t pay much attention. I doubt that I’ll ever see him again.”

      “You’re lying. Did he ask you out?”

      “Of course not. I mostly talked to Sam, and we were busy in the café.”

      Cass waited, that look on her face that said she wasn’t letting it go.

      “And