Trouble In Triplicate (5 page)

❧

Miranda cried when her sisters told her of Sophia Saxon's scheming. And then she panicked. "Grant will never forgive me!" she wailed. "I didn't trust him. I broke our engagement without even telling him why!"

"You thought he knew why, Randi," Olivia reminded her in a futile attempt to console her. "You thought he'd spent the weekend in Richmond with Darla. We all did."

"Sophia set it up so we would think exactly that," added Juliet. "You know, I haven't thought of high school or cheerleading in years, but right now I'm so glad we took up three places on the squad and kept Sophia off."

Olivia sniffed. "She wouldn't have made it if we'd been twins. She did the clumsiest cartwheel I'd ever seen."

Miranda was not diverted by her sisters' reminiscences. "What am I going to say to Grant? I—I still love him, you know. Even when I thought he'd cheated on me, I couldn't stop loving him. That's what's made it so painful, so—so unbearable!"

Olivia took Miranda's hand in hers. "And I'm sure he still loves you, too, Randi. I think that everything is going to work out just fine!"

Juliet wished she could share Liwy's optimism, but right now she felt more aligned with Randi's pessimism. Would Grant be able to forgive Randi's total lack of faith? If only she and Liwy had forced Randi to confront Grant about the alleged weekend in Richmond! Caine Saxon hadn't hesitated to confront his sister with his suspicions.

But it wasn't all Randi's fault, Juliet thought loyally. Why couldn't Grant Saxon have played a more active role in seeking the cause of his broken engagement, rather than passively accepting Randi's sudden seeming change of heart? Why hadn't he stormed over here and demanded an explanation from Randi? Why hadn't he made her listen to him?

That's what Caine would have done. The thought came instantly to Juliet's mind, and she felt her cheeks grow warm. If Caine Saxon wanted a woman, there was no way he would meekly allow her to keep him at bay.

What would it be like to be passionately sought by Caine Saxon? she mused dreamily. Unbidden came the memories of herself in his arms—of the strength and seduction of his large hands, of the exciting warmth of his mouth, the erotic caress of his tongue. A flash of heat rippled through her. The sensations she'd evoked were so real, she almost expected to find herself back in Caine's arms.

But she was with her sisters in Randi's small bedroom in the little frame house they'd grown up in. Their parents had turned it over to the triplets when they'd retired to Arizona four years before. Sniffling, Randi walked over to her small stereo and put on a stack of records. Olivia and Juliet exchanged glances. More music-to-commit-suicide-by. Juliet thought briefly of Caine and wondered if he was with his brother, listening to yet another replay of "Send in the Clowns."

"Please," Randi whispered as she lay down on her bed. "I want to be alone for a while."

Her sisters tiptoed obligingly from the room.

❧

Randi's pessimism was well founded, Juliet decided grimly as the three sisters filed into Mrs. Saxon's spotlessly tidy living room at five minutes before seven that evening. Bobby Lee had come along for moral support—which, by the looks of things, they were all going to need.

The four Saxons sat on one side of the room, their faces tense and implacable. Juliet scanned them briefly. Mrs. Saxon, a handsome, graying matron somewhere near sixty, had obviously been crying. Her eyes were red-rimmed and she held a handkerchief balled in her fist. Sophia, tall and attractive, sat in a chair and stared at the Posts with cold brown eyes. Sophia wasn't at all sorry she'd caused Randi trouble, Juliet thought indignantly, although she was probably sorry she'd been caught.

"I told you y'all should've dressed alike," Bobby Lee drawled in a whisper. "It would've been like a knife in that viper's gut."

The sisters had chosen not to follow Bobby Lee's method of revenge and had dressed unidentically. Juliet wore canary yellow slacks and a yellow cotton blouse, Olivia wore a similar outfit in bright green, and Miranda wore one in bright blue. All wore earrings and shoes in matching colors.

Juliet's eyes were drawn to Caine. He looked big and masculinely imposing in jeans and a black and gold football jersey. A Pittsburgh Steelers one, of course. Her gaze flicked to Grant Saxon. Surprisingly, Grant was formally dressed in a light gray suit. He resembled his brother, but his features were finer, and his eyes were an ordinary shade of brown, not the unique amber color of Caine's.

The Posts and Bobby Lee sat together on the long sofa on the opposite side of the room from the Saxons. For several moments everyone simply sat and stared at each other in awkward silence.

Sophia was the first to speak, and her voice was cool. Condescending too. "It was helpful of you Posts to come color-coded tonight, but could you let us in on the code? Tell us who is wearing what color?"

To Juliet's surprise, Caine spoke up. He was staring at her intently andliis voice was firm as he said, "Juliet is in yellow." He didn't sound as certain when he added, "Miranda is in green and Olivia in blue?"

How had he known her?
Juliet wondered. Her eyes were captured by his, and neither seemed able to break the gaze. Her heart began to beat a little faster.

How had he known which one was Juliet?
Caine wondered. He was astonished at his own perception. He'd had to guess at the identity of the other two Posts, but he'd known Juliet from the moment his eyes had connected with hers.

"Close, but no cigar, Caine," Bobby Lee said jovially. "Liwy is in green and Randi's wearing blue. But, hey, one out of three isn't—"

"If we can dispense with the triplet jokes," Sophia interrupted, "I'd like to get on with this. I have a date tonight. Grant, Miranda, I apologize." She stood up and swept from the room.

"That's it?" Bobby Lee asked incredulously. "We got all dressed up to come over here and that's all there is to it?"

"Sophia is terribly sorry for what she's done," Mrs. Saxon interjected quickly. "But she does have difficulty in expressing emotion."

"I don't think she's sorry at all," Olivia said darkly.

"Did you expect her to grovel at our feet?" Grant said. He stood up, his face hard. "What she did was reprehensible, but it needn't have been more than a bad joke if Miranda had the necessary faith and trust in me. But, put to the test, she failed miserably in those areas."

Miranda stood up as well. "Grant." She gazed at him, her deep blue eyes pleading. "I—I know it's inadequate, but I'm truly sorry. I made the worst mistake of my whole life by—by believing that ugly story. If you can only forgive me, I promise to—"

"You're right, Miranda. Your apology is inadequate," Grant said coldly.

Juliet watched Randi's face crumple. She sagged against Bobby Lee, who draped a supportive, brotherly arm around her shoulders. Was that a flicker of satisfaction in Grant's eyes? Juliet wondered. It was! An explosion of fireworks seemed to go off in her head.

"While you're on the subject of inadequate apologies, mister," she said, crossing the room to stand directly in front of Grant, "your sister Sophia's apology was far from adequate. It was downright insulting! And if you think you can lay the blame for this entire mess on Randi, you're sorely mistaken. You played a role in it yourself, you know! You avoided a confrontation too. You allowed yourself to be fobbed off by Liwy and me over the phone, you sent letters and flowers, but if you hadn't been such a wimp and had come over yourself—"

"Wimp?" roared Grant. His hands closed over Juliet's shoulders and he gave her a shake. "I was devastated—not to mention publicly humiliated—by having my fiancee break our engagement two weeks before the wedding. I tried to be patient with your sister, I tried to be understanding and sensitive, and you have the unmitigated gall to call me a wimp?"

"Take your hands off my sister, you big gorilla!" shrieked Miranda, charging across the room to seize Juliet's arm. For one who loathed scenes, Randi was certainly taking an active part in this one, Juliet thought with astonishment.

"Let go of my sister!" Miranda was crying and tugging at Juliet's arm. Grant seemed frozen to the spot. He continued to hold Juliet while he stared wide-eyed at the weeping, tugging Miranda.

Juliet felt like the rope in a tug-of-war. She tried to escape from her position between the warring couple to no avail. Finally, Grant seemed to recover himself. He dropped his hands from her shoulders and grabbed Miranda.

"Miranda, for heaven's sake, get hold of yourself!" he ordered.

"Let me go!" Miranda began to pummel him with her small, clenched fists.

Juliet quickly slipped from between them. She was on her way back to the Posts' side of the room when she was intercepted by Caine. He took her hand and led her into the adjoining dining room.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly. He smoothed her slightly tousled hair with his long fingers.

Juliet cast a glance into the living room in time to see Miranda break free from Grant's hold and flee to Olivia's comforting arms. Mrs. Saxon was fluttering about, looking extremely distressed. Grant muttered an oath and stormed from the room. They heard the front door slam shut.

"I'm okay," Juliet said glumly. "But Randi isn't. This didn't go at all like we'd planned, did it, Caine? I think things between them are worse than ever."

"It didn't occur to me that Grant would be nursing his wounded pride. With a group present, he naturally tried to get some of his own back." Caine looked thoughtful. "Next time we'll have to get them alone together, with no witnesses present."

"Next time?" Juliet stared at him. "Are you kidding? It's too dangerous! They were almost mauling each other this time!" She was tense with anxiety, and flexed her shoulders and rubbed her neck. "I was between them, remember?"

"Relax, Juliet, you're wound tight as a spring," he said huskily. His fingers tangled with her own as he began to massage the nape of her neck. She cast him a quick, darting glance and was caught by the hunger in his amber eyes. Her own eyes widened and darkened. It was impossible to look away. He moved his fingers over her nape in a rhythmic caress as their gazes clung. Once again Juliet experienced the odd sensation of having the background and everyone in it fade from view. Once again there was just she and Caine in their own private world.

He was looking at her mouth, and her lips parted in unconscious invitation. As his hot amber gaze lowered, she felt her nipples tingle, as if he had actually touched them. There was a warm heaviness throbbing deep in her abdomen, between her thighs. . . .

Juliet quickly and abruptly pulled away. What was happening to her? She felt weak and soft. Her whole body was aching for the masterful pressure of his. Despite the horrid scene that had just taken place, despite the fact that across the room her sister was sobbing over his brother, that his mother was nervously fluttering about—despite these impossible circumstances, he had made her want him.

His touch, his gaze had blocked out their surroundings, making her aware solely of him and what he was making her feel. What was this awesome power he had over her? She looked up at him, apprehensive and confused.

"I don't understand it either," he said. "But if it's any consolation, you have the same effect on me."

It was disconcerting that he'd read her so clearly. "Whatever do you mean?" she hedged.

"This is certainly the wrong time and the wrong place, but it does raise some interesting possibilities, doesn't it, Juliet?" He flashed a rakish smile that should have irritated her, but that made her smile instead.

"I could make your head spin in bed, Juliet," he said, his voice low. "Are you going to let me?"

She felt the hot color stain her cheeks even as she willed herself not to blush. She heard Caine chuckle softly and eyed him defiantly. "One word about blushing virgins and you've had it, Saxon!"

"Julie," Bobby Lee called, almost pleading. "Let's get out of here!" Juliet turned and saw he had one arm around a weeping Miranda and one around a quietly sniffling Olivia. Mrs. Saxon was hovering.

"I'll call you tomorrow and we can discuss the next strategic move," Caine said softly as she started to walk away.

"In getting me to bed? Forget it, Saxon!" she hissed.

"I was talking about getting Grant and Miranda back together," he shot back. "You seem quite preoccupied with going to bed with me, Juliet. Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

Juliet laughed. She certainly hadn't meant to, but she couldn't seem to help it. Then she glanced at her sisters and instantly sobered. "Caine. do you think they'll ever get things straightened out between them?"

Sophia Saxon chose that moment to waltz into the living room. "Did Grant leave yet?" she asked her mother.

"No, yes, I don't know." Poor Mrs. Saxon was distraught.

"He has a date tonight," Sophia continued with saccharine sweetness. "With Darla Ditmayer. I do hope he isn't late picking her up."

"Sophia!" Mrs. Saxon exclaimed in horror. Sophia sauntered out of the room.

"We're leaving!" Bobby Lee said decisively as Miranda and Olivia exchanged shocked, tearful glances. "Come on, Julie," he called over his shoulder as he hustled the other two Posts out the front door.

"Juliet, wait!" Caine's voice halted her in her tracks.

She whirled around, her eyes flashing with fury. "I could kill that horrid sister of yours!"

"You'll have to take a number," he said grimly. "Juliet, we can't let another month elapse before we take action. Then it really will be too late for Grant and Miranda."

"I don't want my sister to be hurt any more by your awful brother!"

"He's not awful. This is the first date he's had since Miranda broke up with him. And keep in mind that he didn't know Miranda would be here tonight. We just made the arrangements today, remember?"

"We should have stayed out of it! I am staying out of it from now on. Good-bye, Caine." She rushed from the house.