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Maybe we could build on that. It was possible we’d both changed enough that what he was asking was possible. Wasn’t it worth a shot? If I wanted Erin in my life, Donal would have to be part of it as well. As long as we were stuck with each other, we could at least make an effort to get along.
“Since when are you so emotionally mature?” I asked him, feeling uncomfortably out of my depth. Being around him made me feel like an insecure kid again, so desperate to be the best at everything and afraid to show any imperfections or weakness.
“People grow up, Tess.” There was a sharp edge to his voice—regret but also a touch of hurt.
“Apparently they do,” I said more gently.
He accepted my mea culpa by inclining his head, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. “Does that mean you’re on board?”
“Sure. Fine.” I rolled my eyes, following it up with a smile to let him know it was meant in good humor. “I’ll try if you will.”
“Deal.” Donal’s dimples came out as he offered his hand to seal our verbal contract.
I accepted, fitting my palm against his to shake on it. When his fingers tightened around mine, the room swooped as if I’d drunk too much whiskey.
“I’m holding you to it.” His eyes twinkled as he kept his grasp on my hand. “Teammate.”
Oh no. It wasn’t the whiskey making my stomach lurch and my heart race. It was Donal.
If I couldn’t get these wayward feelings in check, I was in for a world of trouble.
CHAPTEREIGHT
DONAL
I received an email from Erin the day after her meeting with Tess. I wrote back right away, attaching a recent photo of myself as well as one from high school. We exchanged several emails over the course of that week, and Erin agreed to meet me for lunch the following Saturday.
The first thing she said to me when we saw each other for the first time was, “Wow, we really do look alike.”
I’d thought I was prepared for it, but the way my heart lurched at the sight of her said otherwise. Seeing a photograph couldn’t compare to looking someone in the eye for the first time. No wonder Tess had been such a wreck after their meeting.
“There’s definitely no doubt we’re related.” I experienced a moment of uncertainty as I stood to greet Erin. Should we hug? Or would that be presumptuous?
She settled the question for me by extending her hand. Her smile was wide, but her fingers trembled a little as they grasped mine, which made me wish I’d taken the initiative and hugged her like I’d wanted to.
We sat down and traded small talk for a few minutes as we perused our menus. It should have been awkward, but instead it felt strangely comfortable to be talking to her. More like talking to an old friend I’d lost touch with than a total stranger.
I congratulated her on the pregnancy, and she told me about the morning sickness that troubled her early on but thankfully passed. She asked me about my job, I asked about hers, and that carried us through until the waiter came back to take our orders.
“Sorry if I stare at you,” Erin said after the waiter had departed. “I’ve never met anyone I looked like before.”
“Stare away. I’ll probably be doing some staring myself.”
“Do your kids—your real kids—er, your other kids—” She winced, and we shared a smile over the bizarreness of the situation. “Do they look like you?”
“No, they both take after their mother. Here…” I pulled up the lock screen photo on my phone and handed it across the table. “That’s Maddy and Jack.”
Erin examined it closely. While she studied them, I studied her. She did look a hell of a lot like me, but I noted subtle differences between us. Her nose was rounder and less prominent than mine, her face slightly more heart-shaped. It was her eyes that struck me the most, however. Instead of my deep-set gray-blue, Erin’s eyes were wide and greenish brown. Exactly like Tess’s.
“Would you like to meet them sometime?” I asked, trying not to sound overeager.
Erin looked at the photo for another second before handing my phone back with an uncertain frown. “Do you think they’d want to meet me?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Do they know about me?”
“Not yet, but I’m going to tell them next week.” We were supposed to have dinner on Monday, and I’d decided to tell them about Erin then.
