Chapter 32

Catherine stepped into the doorway between the two rooms with a smile on her face. She wasn't aware that Vincent had remained in the shadows of the bedroom as she began her introduction, "Jenny, I would like you to meet Vincent." When Jenny just looked at her oddly, Catherine turned to see that he was not standing next to her like she had thought.

Reaching out for his hand she drew him into the light. "Vincent this is my friend, Jenny Aaronson." Catherine watched as Jenny's mouth fell open in shock and was about to defend Vincent to her friend when she felt him try to blend back into the shadows of the bedroom.

Holding firmly to his hand so he couldn't move away she was about to take her friend to task for her rudeness when Jenny began to speak, "Oh my gosh Cath! No wonder you have been keeping him a secret! He's downright GEORGEOUS!" Turning her comments to Vincent where she had been staring even while talking to Cathy she added, "If my best friend in the world wasn't in love with you, you can sure bet I would try and steal you away from her!"

Jenny!" Catherine gasped.

"What? It's true! Oh and Vinnie dear, in case you were wondering, the part about her being in love with you is too…even if I don't think she is ready to admit it yet. But let's get down to the important stuff, like do you have a brother, handsome?"

"No, he doesn't," Catherine answered at the same time as Vincent said, "Yes, I do, Ms. Aaronson."

"You do?" both Jenny and Catherine gasped in unison.

"Yes," he answered them, but was looking at Catherine when he added, "Devin and I were raised as brothers even though we are not related by blood."

"Oh…" Jenny sighed sadly. "Then he doesn't look like you?"

"No, he does not," Vincent confirmed.

"I don't remember any Devin in the people you introduced me to, Vincent," Catherine stated.

"He does not live Below. In fact I have not seen him in about twenty years."

"You were just a boy then! How old was Devin?" asked Catherine.

"Devin is five years older than I am. Father raised us both, after Devin's mother died in childbirth, and then myself, when Anna found me in the trash behind St. Vincent's hospital."

"In the trash?" Jenny gasped.

"How awful that someone would do that to an innocent baby!" Catherine added.

"I had people that loved and cared for me in my new home, so everything turned out well."

"Hey, why don't we all sit down so we can get to know each other better?" Jenny suggested brightly.

Catherine was torn, she had been going to offer to make tea for them, but not knowing what might come out of Jenny's mouth while she was in the kitchen, she was afraid to leave her alone with Vincent.

Sensing her unrest at her friend's suggestion, Vincent turned to Catherine and asked, "Is there something wrong Catherine?"

"No, I was only worried about leaving you alone with Jenny while I made tea."

"Why is that? She seems to have accepted my unusual appearance in a unique manner."

"Just promise me that you will take anything she says with a grain of salt!" she begged.

"Should I also do that with things she has already said?" he asked softly.

"Maybe you could wait until you hear them from me?" she requested with pleading eyes.

"I will endeavor to do so Catherine," he promised as he squeezed her hand and then moved across the living room to join Jenny.

Before he could even settle on the couch, Jenny started in, "Cathy told me you offered to step up and claim her baby as yours. That is a very noble thing to do."

"I only wished to protect Catherine from any further pain," he told her.

"Wow! You love her too!" Jenny exclaimed.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Both of you say each other's name in the same way! It comes out like a caress! Hey don't get me wrong! I think it's cool that the two of you love each other. I only wish your absent brother looked like you! You could bet I would try and find him!"

To be continued….