Finding Rowena Read online

  Chapter 4

  This was it. She was going to meet her sister.

  Ro was sitting in a high backed, wooden chair as she glared at the man next to her. He had picked this café on purpose, knowing the few sore spots remaining from last night's spanking would never be far from her mind. He knew her too well.

  She looked around the small mom and pop business. It was off the beaten path, a hidden treasure that Ro loved to frequent. There was only one other person in the establishment. Her hood was pulled over her head, her hands wrapped around the mug she held, earbuds providing her with the beat she was bobbing her head to.

  "You have to sit somewhere else."

  "Excuse me?"

  "You aren't exactly a small man, bear. You can by scary, especially to a woman coming to an already sketchy meeting with a woman who is claiming to be her sister. No, her twin."

  He sighed and picked up his mug. "I'll be right over there."

  As Ro chewed her lip and her belly churned, she let her mind wander. The woman she was waiting on had all the power. She could crush her with rejection or lift her up with the love she dreamed of having.

  "Listen, bitch, I don't know what kind of Photoshop voodoo you pulled, but it ends now."

  Rowena looked to the other table. Standing next to the hooded woman, was Evelyn Berkshire. "Um, excuse me, but I'm the 'bitch' you're looking for." She ignored the growl that sounded from her husband's table.

  Without looking, the other woman replied, "No, I'm pretty sure I have the scummy doppelganger right here."

  "Actually," the hooded woman said as she removed her cover and stood from the table. "What you have is a pissed off detective about to kick your fucking ass. Possible sister or not."

  "Oh, my God!" Rowena bounced in her seat excitedly. "Oh, my God! Two!"

  "Lady, this really has gone far enough." That was all the further Evelyn got when she turned her head toward Rowena. As soon as she saw the second woman who looked just like her, she quit talking, her face going slightly pale. "There can't be two of you. Or three of me."

  "Fuck." Octavius stepped up to the set of women now staring speechlessly at each other. "Ladies, I think we need to take this someplace more private. It was hard enough with two of you. If someone walks by and sees three Evelyn Berkshires, we may have an issue."

  "Okay, I'll go first." Ro smiled broadly at the women who stood as far away from each other as they could while still staying in the same room. "My name is—"

  "Rowena Gypsy Erikson, adopted daughter to Jean and Mark Rosenbloom, born June 13. Wife to Octavius Erikson. She…" the still nameless of the three nodded to Evelyn, "…is Evelyn Marie Berkshire, adopted daughter to Roland and Margaret Berkshire. Engaged to Branson Montgomery, the governor-elect of our great state, born June 13. I'm Teagan Anne Smith, born June 13."

  "Of course, you get to know and spill all of our personal information, and we get nothing on you." Evelyn crossed her arms, her pout clear for only a second before she turned it to a scowl.

  "Raised by the State of Oregon. Let me tell you, she was a shitty mom. That's all the information I have, unless you want my social security or badge number." At the other woman's brow raise, she started to recite the list of numbers.

  "Parents?" Ro interrupted. She had a feeling she already knew the answer, but she forced herself to ask anyways.

  "Left me at a fire station when I was six days old."

  "Oh, Tea." She had the other woman gathered in her arms in an instant.

  Teagan stood stiffly in the circle of her arms. "What the fuck are you doing?"

  "For the first time ever, I'm hugging my sister."

  "It's a good thing I can't reach my gun, right now."

  "Hey." The deep warning sounded from the corner of the room.

  As she released Teagan, she waved off her husband. "It's okay, bear; she didn't mean it."

  "Like hell, I didn't."

  Before anyone could respond, Evelyn quietly spoke. "Did you say adopted daughter?" She shook her head, her face losing a bit of its color. "That can't be right. You have it wrong."

  "We were all left at a fire station when we were babies," Teagan reiterated.

  "No."

  A sad smile crossed Ro's face. "Evie, we look exactly like you."

  "My name is Evelyn. Evelyn Berkshire, daughter to Roland and Margaret Berkshire. Just daughter. Not adopted, just daughter." She looked at the delicate watch wrapped around her wrist as she stood from the table. "I have to go. Don't contact me again."

  "Wait! Please."

  Evelyn paused in the doorway, her eyes trained on the floor in front of her.

  "Sunshine, we talked about this." He grabbed her forearm, preventing her from chasing the other woman. "You have to let her make her own choice."

  Ro didn't even look at her husband; her eyes were trained on the woman before her. "You can't just leave. We have so much to talk about."

  Evelyn walked out the door with a word.

  "You can't force her, baby."

  When she turned to the other woman, her eyes fell to the hand that rested at her waist. "Tea?"

  Tea looked between the two, then she pulled her hand away from her holster as she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I thought. Never mind."

  Realization softened O's eyes. "She's my wife; I would never hurt her. Hell, I would lay down my life for her."

  Teagan squared her shoulders and stood her ground. "Life has taught me that isn't always the case."

  Ro gave the man at her side a squeeze before grabbing the other woman's hand and pulling her from the room. "Come on; I'll show you around."

  "So, this is the infamous S.E.A.L.?"

  "I'm not sure about infamous, but we call it home. Oh," Ro hopped on the balls of her feet. "Lorenzo! Come meet my sister."

  He held his hand out to the woman in question. "Luca, nice to meet you."

  "And this is Toothpaste. He's not working now, so you can pet him." She fell to her knees. Ro gave the dog a rubdown as she buried her smile in the dog's fur.

  "Trident," Luca and Teagan corrected together.

  "Ignore her. She's just a brat trying to get a reaction out of me. I'm Luca, and this is Trident."

  "I know. I've done my research. Lorenzo DeLuca, former Navy SEAL, co-owner of S.E.A.L.; Trident was a bomb sniffing dog until a blast forced him into early retirement."

  "The only one around here who calls me Lorenzo is the brat." He gave the woman still on the floor with the dog a scowl. "Call me Luca."

  "I'm not a brat." The pout Ro wore did nothing to help her argument.

  "It's nice to meet you, Teagan."

  One of the brows of the woman in question rose toward her hairline. "Seems that I am not the only one who has done my research."

  Luca crossed his arms over his chest and let a cocky smile take over his handsome face. "The second you removed your hood in the coffee shop, we were running your name and the plates of your car. Next time you're trying to be stealthy, park your car a bit further from your location."

  "Thanks for the tip." Mimicking his stance, she crossed her arms as well "But the day I take police advice from a civilian, is the day I turn in my badge."

  "This civilian has a lot of experience in the stealth department."

  A hand wrapped around Ro's, pulling her to her feet and giving a short whistle for the furry beast next to her to follow. "Come on, sunshine. This pissing match is going to take a while."

  While looking over her shoulder, Ro allowed him to lead her away. "Wait, I want to see what happens. Is this how they flirt?" Her husband chuckled and smacked her ass he pulled her into his office, closing the door behind them. "Wait! I've never seen the mating call of two bad asses before."

  Chapter 5

  She walked up the steps to the huge house. Octavius would have her butt if he knew she was doing this. She scoffed. It wasn't like she would be able to keep it a secret, but she was willing to face the consequences if it meant having these two people at her side.
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  As soon as she lifted her hand to knock, the door swung open and a visibly panicked Evelyn stepped out, pushing her away from the door. "What are you doing here?"

  "I came to invite you to supper at our house tonight. Nothing fancy, just tacos, but my tacos are the bomb!"

  "You can't do stuff like this! He would—" She stopped and took a breath, then clasped her hands in front of her. "You can't show up to someone's home unannounced, Rowena."

  The feeling of rejection swelled within her chest. "I understand. I'm sorry, I just thought it would be nice to share a meal." She looked at the toes of her teal sneakers. "Anyway, I just wanted to invite you and Branson to supper tonight. I hope you can make it." When she turned to walk away, she stopped at the sound of her name, hope blooming in her chest. The second she turned back, the hope died.

  "Don't come back here. It's not…" The other woman pressed her lips into a thin line. "I don't want you here."

  The sound of the lock engaging on the other side of the closed door had Ro's breath caught in her throat. The finality of the act brought tears to her eyes. On numb legs, she walked to her car, her mind going a million miles a minute. Was this it? Had she pushed her too hard? Was Evelyn ready to walk away?

  She didn't remember leaving the driveway, but when the tears forced her to pull over, she realized she had driven a few blocks. After putting the car in park, she let the tears flow.

  Yes, she had a loving family. A mom and dad who loved her, but this was her sister, her real, honest to God, blood sister, and there was a chance that she wanted nothing to do with her.

  The phone rang on the seat next to her. She knew without looking who it was. "Hey, bear."

  "Rowena, baby, what are you doing?"

  "I-I should have never come here. You told me to give her time, and I didn't listen." She looked at the upscale neighborhood. "I don't belong here." The tears started anew.

  "Sunshine, come home."

  As she wiped at her wet face, she took a deep breath. "I will; I just have one more stop to make."

  She took a deep breath as she pulled to the curb. According to the address she had swiped from Jay's office, Tea lived in a standalone townhouse a block down. It only took stepping out of her car into the cold, early October day for her to rethink the whole thing.

  "I'm guessing you didn't just happen across my neighborhood."

  Startled, Ro spun to face the woman. In doing so, she tripped over her own feet and landed hard on her ass on the wet cement. "Holy fork."

  "Did you just bless a fork?"

  "No." She accepted the outstretched hand. Once back on her feet, she brushed at the seat of her pants. "I was avoiding swearing. Octavius doesn't like it."

  "Do you do everything he tells you? Did you just snort?"

  "Yes, I snorted. It happens a lot when I laugh. No, I don't do everything he tells me." She looked at her mud-covered hands. "Can I borrow your sink? If I get the car all muddy again, he'll have my butt."

  Tea's eyes narrowed slightly as she turned her head to the side. "Um."

  "You know what, never mind." She wiped her hand on her jeans before going to the trunk of her car and pulling out a towel.

  "No, I'm sorry. I just… Some of the things that come out of your mouth confuse me."

  "Now you sound like Luca."

  "But, really. I don't understand the dynamic the two of you have."

  "I'll tell you what, if you come to supper tonight and promise not to jump to conclusions, I'll tell you all about our dynamic."

  "What are we having?"

  "My absolutely scrumdiddlyumptious tacos. I can pick up some ice cream on the way home and have Octavius make us some of his ice cream sandwiches. He makes the best ice cream sandwiches. Then, we can eat and talk and watch movies. Oh, don't roll your eyes like that around the guys. You'll end up being lectured about respect for the next hour."

  "Do you ever stop talking?"

  "Usually, that's what the ball gag is for."

  "How in the hell did I end up here?" Teagan questioned as she was pulled to the sofa.

  "It's her magic. She stuffs you full of food, and next thing you know, you're watching Thumbelina." O rubbed his flat abs. "The food gets me every time."

  "I draw the line at Thumbelina."

  At the sound of the doorbell, Ro was moving. "She came!"

  "Ro, you don't know—"

  Ignoring O's warning, she ran to the front door and threw it open. "I knew you would change your mind. I even saved some food for you!"

  "I didn't come for tacos. I came for answers. That's the only reason I'm here." Evelyn stood stiffly on the front porch, her hands clasped so tightly, her knuckles had turned white.

  "We have ice cream."

  Evelyn shook her head, frowning slightly. "Ice cream has far too many carbs. It's not allowed."

  "Allowed?"

  Evelyn turned to Teagan. "I'm watching my weight."

  Ro scoffed. "That's ridiculous. You lose any more weight, and you'll fly away in a stiff breeze."

  "Ro."

  She looked to her husband for just a second, then she apologized. "I'm sorry. That wasn't very sisterly of me.

  A harsh laugh sounded from Teagan. "Sorry, but compared to what some of my foster siblings did to me, that's a compliment."

  A small pout contorted Ro's face. "You always make me want to hug you and never let go."

  Tea took a step back. "Don't."

  "Are you going to let me in, or is my punishment for being late having to stand out here in the cold?"

  Ro stepped to the side, allowing her sister in. "If you want information, I will give you all I have. Come on."

  She led them to the second floor, walked into the bedroom, and picked up her well-loved and patched blanket, holding it to her chest as if she needed to protect it from them until she was able to get everything she wanted to say out in the open. "This is my blanket. The agency told my mom that I was wrapped in it when I was abandoned." She gave it a squeeze before turning it so they could see the embroidered design that filled one corner. A simple three-leaf clover with the letter 'R' in the middle and a hand-written note that read, 'Love, Mom' to the side. "Patches are holding it together now, thanks to my mom, but it still means so much to me. It means she wanted me, possibly was even excited for me, us, at one point."

  Evelyn covered her mouth, muffling the soft cry that escaped.

  "At least, you had a mom to fix it for you. Mine is merely a scrap of fabric." Before she thought better of it, Ro had Teagan wrapped in a hug, slightly rocking her back and forth.

  Her arms were untangled from the other woman's waist a second before she was pushed away and Teagan's finger appeared in front of her face. "There is such a thing as personal space. You need to learn what that is, and quickly."

  "Mine was hidden in a chest. I found it once." Evelyn ran a finger along the edges of the leaves, her tone wistful. "She took it away when I asked her about it. She claimed she'd spent too much money on it for me to ruin it. Looking back, I think she must have hated it." Then, she pulled her hand back and gave her head a little shake, and the perfect, elegant facade snapped back into place.

  "Do they know you're here?"

  "God, no. They wouldn't understand." She huffed out a laugh. "I haven't even told them I know about the adoption."

  "At least, you have Branson to help you through this." Teagan eyed the other woman.

  "And us," Ro added as she smiled brightly at her siblings. "From now on, you will always have us."

  "And what if I don't want you?" Evelyn twisted her fingers together, her expression somewhere between panic and anger. "What if I want to go back to my old life and pretend I never met either of you? I have a good life. The perfect life." Her voice pitched higher. "I'm going to be the First Lady of Oregon, for Christ's sake. I can't just turn my back on all of that because two women who happen to look a little bit like me suddenly want to be a family.""

  "Are you always a bitch?" Teagan sneered. r />
  "Excuse me?"

  "Nothing, it's not worth it." Teagan spun on her heels and headed back downstairs.

  As she took her remaining sister into her arms, Ro smiled as she felt Evie's arms, however hesitant, return the gesture. "She'll come around to the hugs."

  Teagan's voice rang through the house. "No, I won't!"

  Chapter 6

  "How was lunch with your sisters?"

  "You mean the people who happen to look like me? Fine."

  "What happened?"

  "The same thing that always happens, Luca, another meal in another dark restaurant. Evelyn doesn't want to be seen with us. Teagan is her same growly self who freaks out every time I hug her. I just want a normal sisterly relationship."

  "They need time."

  Ro stomped her foot. "It's been a month!"

  The man reared back as his brow inched toward his hairline and Octavius joined them. "Since when do you yell at people?"

  "I'm sorry, Luca. It's just been hard. Forgive me?"

  "Of course, but let's not make it a habit." Luca waited for her nod before he let his brow return to where it belonged.

  "We are actually going to the movies later. Want to come?"

  O took pity on the man when their eyes met. "Sunshine, what did I tell you about bothering the help? He has toilets to scrub." He took a punch to the shoulder without flinching. Ro's laugh had a smile tipping up the corners of his mouth. "God, I love that sound."

  "Don't start sucking up to me now, bear. I'm not rubbing your shoulder for you later when you're whining about how much it hurts."

  "You wound me, woman." He pinched her ass as the other man disappeared around the corner. "What time is your movie?"

  "Evelyn demanded we go to the early show, something about less people. I don't know, but we are going to the theater clear on the other side of town, so they should be here any minute."

  "Be careful. If you need anything, you call me."

  She rested her hand on the side of his face. "If I'm any more careful, I will literally be doing nothing."