She stepped back and gestured. “Irene outdid herself. Have you met her yet?” She beckoned Irene closer and said, “Irene, this is Ken Dixon. Ken, my brilliant fundraiser, Irene Clark.”
Daisy watched as Irene’s features softened, and a smile came to her eyes. “So nice to meet you, Mr. Dixon. I have met your brother, Brad. When you came in, I wasn’t sure if that was you.”
“Common problem.” He shook her hand. “This really looks great. I’ve eaten here several times. I can see the work you’ve put into it.”
With a smile, Irene said, “Thank you.” She looked at Daisy. “I’m going to make a quick phone call. I’ll see you later.”
As she walked away, Daisy faced Ken. “I’m excited you’re here. I’ll show you around.”
They walked the length of the silent auction tables and talked about the different items. While they talked, Calla supervised the setup of the buffet line and the drink table. Daisy excused herself from Ken and approached Calla.
“I’m sorry about earlier.”
Calla shifted her glasses on her face and smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I could tell you weren’t part of it. I just tend to react to people who try to manipulate situations. I’m sorry. I had someone handling me for a few years, and it makes me kind of defensive.”
She pressed her lips together and thought about how to word what she wanted to say so as not to gossip but rather to affirm. “Irene bends over backward to facilitate potential donors. Sometimes, that means those of us in the mix get stepped on, but it’s not necessarily malicious. I think for a moment she forgot how much you’re giving by doing everything you’re doing.”
She waved her hand. “I don’t want or need recognition for that. I just expect my facility and my people to be respected. So long as we agree on that, you and I are good.”
“Thank you.”
Calla smiled over her shoulder. “Hello, Dixon Brother.”
Ken chuckled. “Ken.”
“Sorry. At work, I could almost always tell by the way you guys dress. In this situation, though, there’s no way.”
“Good to see you, Calla. Really looking forward to tonight. Valerie brought some of your food over with her today.”
“I’m so glad she shared. She told me you guys were painting her kitchen while she played with tablecloths and lights.” She looked at her watch and tapped it. “Sorry. I need to go see a sous chef about a sauce. You two have fun tonight.”
Ken put a hand on the small of Daisy’s back, and she leaned into him and looked up at him. “Does that ever get old?”
“What? Calla’s food? No way.” She could tell by his expression that he teased her.
“You know what I mean.”
He shrugged. “No. It’s normal. People have mixed us up since birth. That is if I’m actually Ken. What if some maternity nurse put me in the wrong bed.”
Daisy rolled her eyes and smirked. “I’m sure that’s what those little identity bracelets were for.”
He tapped the side of his temple. “Yep. My parents left those on us for weeks. Every picture during infancy, we had hospital bracelets on. Eventually, our personalities came through, and they could tell us apart at a glance.”
“What do you think about the fact that I can tell who you are?”
“I think if either of my brothers ever tried to kiss you, we might have words.” She studied his face. His little half-grin didn’t hide the fact that he sincerely felt protective of her.
He ran a hand from her shoulder to her elbow. His skin felt warm, but his fingers felt rough. “Valerie can pick Brad out of the crowd. I think when God knows something is meant to be, He makes a way.”
The idea that God might have made her especially for Ken flooded her with warmth. It also made the decision she’d made in the past harder to bear.
“I like that.” She placed her hand on his cheek and stood on her toes to kiss him. “You worded that well.”
She started to say something else, but the phone in her pocket vibrated. She glanced at the screen. An unregistered guest had come to the door. “They need me up front. There’s an issue with someone’s reservation.”
“Do what you do. I’m good.”
Hourslater, Daisy sat at an empty table and munched on a piece of ice from her glass. Guests had long gone, many carrying the baskets they won in the auction. The auction tally had exceeded Daisy’s projections by seventeen percent. Calla’s food had completely blown her away. She didn’t think she’d ever eaten anything so good in her life as that meal.
