Widower, Blake meets a woman twelve months after the death of his spouse. Annie is a beautiful woman who looks exactly like his wife.
Searching or her twin sister for many years, Annie is attempting to fulfill a promise made when they were children. She eventually learns that her sister is in fact dead, leaving behind a husband and daughter.
Excerpt:
In Loving Memory Of Anna Euston King; Wife, Mother, and Friend 1984-2009
Blake ran his hand over the lettering, it had been a year since Ann's death, and he was still grieving.
"Why'd you leave me?" Blake had been at the office the day of the crash, he still remembered it, though it still felt surreal.
"I miss you," Blake ran his hand through his wavy black hair;
"Kelly misses you too." Kelly was his three-year-old daughter, and the spitting image of her late mother, she also had Anna's spunk.
Placing the flowers down Blake stood. Walking back to his car, Kelly sat in her booster seat, "Daddy?"
Getting into the car Blake turned to his daughter smiling, "Hey there, you want to get some ice-cream?"
Kelly started bouncing in her seat, "Ice-cream!" She began shaking her head yes, Blake smiled, as he pulled out of the cemetery onto the main road.
Annie stood at the cash register, wiping her brow, sighing, it was rather hot in the building for an ice-cream shop. Looking out the window she saw a car pull up, standing straight and smiling she waited as a man got out of the car, heading to the passenger seat door he opened it, when he moved she saw a little girl.
Grabbing Kelly's had Blake walked into the ice-cream shop.
Pausing he looked at the woman at the counter, with a sharp intake Blake just stared at the woman, she looked just like...
No.
Blake gave himself a mental shake, replacing the look of shock with a smile.
"Hello, and welcome to Ice-Cream Emporium."
"Hey, I'd like a Double Fudge Sunday, and what do you want Kell?" Blake said turning to his daughter.
"Um, Vanilla Fudge, please."
"Ok, one Double Fudge Sunday and Vanilla Fudge coming right up."
Blake watched as the counter woman prepared there order, when she finished he was able to get a good look at her, the only thing that was different from Ann was her ocean blue eyes.
"Well that will be twelve dollars and fifty-nine cents." She said with a smile.
Handing her the money Blake turned to leave just as another customer walked in, pausing the woman's eyes lit with recognition,
"Your Blake King!" She fanned herself as she walked closer to him.
With a smile that dripped syrup, "So mister King I heard you were looking for a new secretary."
Blake groaned, but before he could reply the counter woman did.
"Leave the man alone Cindy."
Cindy waved a hand to dismiss the other woman's statement, "You just don't know who this is Ann."
Blake froze; first she looked like Anna now she had the same name this was really starting to get weird.
Kelly just stood there happily licking her ice-cream, not paying any attention to what was going on.
"Here's my number." She handed him a piece of paper.
"You know if you don't stop flirting with every young male customer I get I'll be out of a job for lack of business." Blake turned to look at the woman whose name was Ann, she had her hands on her hip, and was staring down the other woman with a fierce look.
"Oh come on, guess what brings them in." Cindy said with an exaggerated toss of her copper brown hair.
Annie couldn't believe this, not only was Cindy flirting with a customer but she obviously wasn't paying attention to the fact that he was hand in hand with a little girl, which meant that he was probably married.
Staring Cindy straight in the eyes Annie tilted her head down then turned her gave to the little girl who was still happily licking her ice-cream.
Following her gaze Cindy paused, "Oh I'm so sorry Mr. King I had no idea your daughter was with you." Cindy sputtered the apologue.
"No harm done, but I should get going, thank you for the ice-cream."
"Hey you paid for it." Blake walked out of the shop, after buckling Kelly in, he got into his seat. He could see the Cindy woman was now at the front counter but she was staring out of the main window at him, while Ann just turned and went into the back room.
Blake's mind wondered back to the time when he and Ann had been together, it had been the best time of his life.
---
After closing up the shop Annie headed home, the day hadn't been too eventful, though it had been busy during rush hour. Pulling up to her apartment Annie headed up the stairs, entering she flicked the light switch placing her purse on the couch she walked into the kitchen. Pausing to look at the picture on the wall, it was of her and her twin Anna; it had been years since they had seen each other, ever since they had been sent to different orphanages.
Sighing Annie walked to the refrigerator, they had promised that they would find each other someday, and Annie planed to keep that promise. The last thing she was able to find was and address, which she planned on checking out the next day, till then she would just have to hope that Anna was there.
---
Waking up at five on a Saturday morning was not a usual for Blake, but after waking he couldn't fall back asleep so he decided to make himself a cup of coffee. After pouring his coffee into a mug and taking a sip Blake headed back to his room just as his phone started ringing, picking it up he answered, "Hello, this is Blake King."
"Blake, you don't call you don't write what's a girl supposed to do?" Frowning Blake answered, "Delilah it's five in the morning and Saturday, what's so important that you couldn't wait till a more sensible time?"
Blake heard the indignant huff on the other end, "Really Blakey, we've know each other for how long? I shouldn't have to wait to call you." Before Blake could say anything she went on, "Now what I was calling to say is we should go to the Westwood Fundraiser together, and you could bring Kelly as well." Pinching the bridge of his nose Blake sighed.
"Sorry Delilah but I can't." Though he really just didn't want to, he sighed again, what was it that she didn't understand?
"Oh...Well then we could meet there, either way is fine with me."
"Sure by Delilah."
"By Blake." With that the other end went dead. Placing the phone down Blake sat at the edge of his bed looking at the clock it was five minutes till six, so he decided to take a shower than fix Kelly something to eat before she awakened.
Getting out of bed and taking a shower Annie went into the kitchen to see that it was eight twenty, after eating a quick breakfast Annie got her keys, purse, and the piece of paper she had wrote the address down on and headed to the car hoping that she would Anna.
Kelly leaned her head on Blake's shoulder, as they sat in front of the TV watching cartoons, when he heard the doorbell ring, getting up he headed for the door unlatching.
