Double Identity. Diane Burke

reached over and brushed a strand of hair from her face.

      When his fingertips slid across her skin, her heart pounded so hard she thought it would leap right out of her chest. She sat perfectly still, not daring to break the welcome contact or even to breathe.

      “This has been a tough day for you.” His eyes looked like pools of dark chocolate and all Sophie could think about was how much she liked desserts.

      “Coming through. Hot stuff here.” Holly slid two platters overflowing with food in front of them. “Let the girl get some food in her empty stomach, Romeo. Make your moves later.”

      Cain’s expression darkened like an incoming storm. “You can be a real pain. You know that?”

      Holly grinned. “What’s a kid sister for? Be back in a sec with your shakes.”

      Sophie blinked in surprise when Cain clasped her hand, bowed his head and offered a quiet blessing. When he looked up, he grinned and said, “Go ahead. Dig in. And tell me if you don’t think that’s the best burger you’ve ever tasted.”

      Sophie didn’t need a second invitation.

      They sat in companionable silence enjoying their meal.

      A short while later Sophie pushed back her empty platter and patted her stomach. “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing. I’m so stuffed I can hardly breathe.”

      “And?” he prompted.

      “And I have to admit it was the best burger I’ve ever eaten.”

      Cain laughed. “Told you so.”

      Holly cleared the dirty dishes and was back in a flash. She propped her elbows on the counter and said, “So, spill. I want to hear every nasty detail. Girl, what have you done to get someone mad enough to try and run you down?”

      Cain and Sophie took turns filling her in on the little information they had.

      “Wow,” Holly said when they’d finished bringing her up to date. “I don’t know what’s spookier—not knowing what happened to your dad—or waking up one morning not knowing who you are.”

      Sophie grimaced. Holly had honed in on exactly what was eating her up inside. It was bad enough she didn’t know what had happened to her father. But her father was strong, sensible. She had faith that he’d be able to take care of himself.

      But, as for the rest…

      How could she explain how it felt to have spent twenty-two years believing you were one person only to find out you were somebody else? Worse. Not knowing who that somebody else was? Was Sophie even her name? Maybe she was Carol or Jennifer or maybe Nancy. She played with the names in her mind. None of them felt like a fit.

      And what if her father wasn’t even her father? After all, his papers were fake. Maybe he was a fake. Maybe they weren’t related at all.

      A wave of pain washed over her. No. He was her father. He had to be her father. She wouldn’t be able to love him so deeply, miss him so terribly if he weren’t her father, would she?

      Where was he?

      Sophie agonized over the events of the past two weeks. Question after question and not one single answer. She felt like she was starring in a science fiction movie. And she hated science fiction. Any second now she expected to stand in front of a mirror and see a different face—a different woman—an image she’d never seen before.

      “Sophie?”

      The deep, resonant sound of Cain’s voice pulled her thoughts back to the present.

      “You okay?” Lines of concern creased his brow and drew deep frown lines at the edges of his mouth.

      “Sure.” She smiled at both Cain and Holly. “Lunch was great. Thanks.” Cain raised an eyebrow and Sophie laughed. “Okay, it was more than great. It was the best!” The three of them chuckled. “But I really should be getting home.”

      Before Sophie could rise someone jostled her elbow. “Hi, little lady.” Sophie turned her attention to the grizzled, disheveled man standing at her left elbow. “You must be new in town. I’ll admit I’m gettin’ up in years but these here eyes of mine still appreciate the sight of a pretty gal when I see one. And I’m seeing one now.”

      “Hey, Charlie,” Holly said

      “Charlie.” Cain nodded in the old man’s direction. His tone had been polite but Sophie couldn’t help but notice a subtle tensing of his posture. She sensed Cain wasn’t very fond of good old Charlie.

      Sophie looked into pale, watery-blue eyes peeking out from beneath bushy white brows. His skin, leathered from weather and age, looked almost reptilian. His teeth, what few he still had, were yellow and stained, from years of tobacco use, Sophie suspected—smoking or chewing she couldn’t be sure.

      “So introduce yourself, little lady. I know I haven’t seen you around town.”

      “My name’s Sophie.”

      “That right?” He swayed back and forth, rocking on the heels of old, worn boots. “Just passing through or planning to stay awhile?”

      The strong scent of alcohol wafted her way and Sophie began to feel uncomfortable.

      “I…I’m planning on staying…for a little while anyway.” Sophie smiled at the old man and tried to subtly move out of the line of alcohol breath.

      “Charlie, you met the young lady. Now why don’t you sit down over there and Holly will bring you a cup of coffee?”

      Charlie ignored Cain. “You wouldn’t be the gal I heard is staying in the old Weatherly place, would ya?”

      Sophie nodded. “Yes. The cottage belonged to my grandfather and I’ll be staying there for a little while.”

      Charlie’s whole demeanor changed. Instead of the overly friendly, tipsy man she’d been talking to just moments before, she found herself staring into cold, angry eyes.

      “You tellin’ me you’re Elizabeth Weatherly’s young’un?”

      Sophie, surprised by the abrupt and hostile change in the man’s demeanor, merely nodded.

      “Your grandfather was a friend of mine. My best friend. We used to go fishin’ out at the old pond all the time.” The man stepped closer.

      Cain sprang to his feet. “C’mon, Charlie. Go sit down and have some coffee. I’ll even throw in a slice of Holly’s apple pie…on me. What do you say?”

      Spittle ran down the man’s whiskered chin as he spat out his words. “Your mama broke my friend’s heart. He was never the same after she run off. Never.”

      Cain stepped between the two of them. “Charlie, don’t make me have to ask you to leave. Go sit down. Now.” His lowered voice and stern, no-nonsense tone brought chills up on her arms. She had a glimpse of what Cain must have been like when he was a cop, and she was glad she wasn’t a criminal on the receiving end of his wrath. Silence fell over the diner as the other patrons watched the scene unfolding before them.

      “Do you know who this is?” Charlie yelled, flailing his arms and looking around at the people in the surrounding booths. “This is George Weatherly’s no-good kin. The daughter of the brat who ran off and broke his heart.”

      “That’s it. You’re out of here.” Cain grabbed the man’s belt and heaved him toward the exit.

      “We don’t want your kind in this town, missy,” he yelled as Cain lifted him through the doorway. “You hear me? We don’t want you in our town.”

      Sophie couldn’t believe what had just happened. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she shot furtive glances around the room and saw people staring at her and whispering.

      “Don’t worry about old Charlie.” Holly patted her hand. “Every