Marika felt an old pain again at the mention of their father, but she forced it back, not wanting to ruin this moment. "I take it Bryce isn't musical?"
The girl snorted. "Huh! If it's not on a computer screen, that weenie doesn't know it exists."
The lawyer smiled at the description of her brother. "I play piano myself, but I've never been in a band."
Britt dropped her head and studied her hands. "Um, yeah, I knew that." Troubled eyes rose and met Marika's questioning ones. "A few years ago, Bryce and I found a bunch of pictures of you in Dad's desk. There were some of you when you were little, playing the piano. We didn't even know who you were, but there was a bunch of you with Dad and a woman I didn't know, so I kinda thought you were related." She paused and studied the older version of herself. "We look alike," she stated objectively.
"We do," Marika agreed. Hesitant, she queried, "May I ask how you found me?"
A distressed look crossed the girl's thin face. "Well, Bryce and I asked Mom about the pictures. I don't think she knew Dad had them in his desk, because she got pretty angry. They had a big fight about it when he got home that night, but anyway, she told us that you were Dad's daughter from a previous marriage but that you'd died in your teens."
Marika couldn't help a rueful murmur. For all intents and purposes, she had 'died' to her family when she was 16. She'd seen her father a few times over the years, but always well away from his wife and children. He'd paid her way through law school and given her a generous allowance until she was on her feet, but had made it clear that was the extent of their relationship. She realized keen young eyes were searching her face, and she tried to conceal the hurt that she'd never fully vanquished.
Rhi entered just then with two cold bottles of orange juice and two paper wrapped straws. Marika smiled at her gratefully as she accepted the drinks and passed one to her sister. Rhi held her gaze for a long moment, and the lawyer saw both sympathy and support there, then the assistant left the office, quietly closing the door behind her.
"So if you thought I was dead, how did you find me?" Marika sipped her juice, watching as the girl drained half her bottle in one drink.
Britt smiled sheepishly. "Uh, pretty thirsty."
"No problem, there's lots more if you want it."
"Nah, this should be good," Britt assured her, sipping more slowly now. "Well, Bryce and I would talk about the sister we'd never known now and then, and one day we even went back into Dad's study to see the pictures again, but they were gone. It wasn't until last year that I was looking for something in his files, and I saw a file labeled Calgary. We'd just found out that our band had been invited to the Stampede, so I was curious to see what he had on the city. Was I ever surprised when I saw all the old pictures of you, plus some newer things, a newspaper article, a graduation program from Osgoode Hall with your name highlighted, things like that."
"That's how you knew I was in Calgary?"
"Not exactly. I mean Dad might have had some other reason for labeling the file that way, but the key was the grad program. If you'd graduated from Dad's alma mater, then odds were that you'd be listed in their review for that year. It was a simple matter to call that up in their archives and confirm that you were alive and you were a lawyer somewhere. Since the file was labeled Calgary, that's where I started my search. It didn't take long to find that you were an associate with McGregor, Cohen and Kurst."
The girl beamed with her own cleverness and Marika couldn't help smiling in response.
"So my little sister is a detective, is she?" the lawyer teased gently.
Britt nodded happily and then sobered. "The one thing I don't know is why my parents lied to us, and why you're not part of our family." She looked seriously at her older sister. "What did you do that was so bad?"
Marika drew a deep breath. Do I tell her the truth? What if she rejects me too? She gave her head a tiny shake. What do I have to lose? It's not like she was in my life before, so if she vanishes again, why should I care? But she did care, and she didn't want to be dishonest with this girl who was looking at her so earnestly.
"Can I ask you something first?"
Britt nodded.
"I know how you found me...but why did you look for me?"
The girl cocked her head as she considered her answer. After a long moment, she said, "I guess a lot of it was curiosity. I mean you didn't seem like some big criminal or anything, and you obviously meant enough to Dad that he kept all his mementos even though Mom clearly didn't want him to. It was the whole thing about having a sister I didn't know." She paused and looked at Marika intensely. "I wanted to know her...fill in some of the blanks, I suppose."
Marika let her gaze drift away from her sister and out the windows of her office to where Rhiannon sat working at her desk. Absently she noted the small furrow in her brow that Rhi always got when she was pondering something deeply. For some reason the sight soothed her, and she turned back to Britt.
"Your parents didn't approve of who I am, and they didn't want me around to...influence you and Bryce."
"Who you are? Why? Who are you really?" A hint of edginess had crept back into the girl's voice and Marika sighed.
"I'm gay." She almost smiled at the way one pale eyebrow shot up. It really was like looking in a mirror.
"That's it? Just because you're gay?" Britt asked with growing indignation. "For crying out loud, this is the 21st century. I can't believe they'd banish you for that!"
The lawyer chuckled wryly. "Well, it was only the 20th century when it happened, and I sort of got caught in a compromising position in their house when I was 16." She shrugged. "They decided it was better for all concerned if I was educated outside of the country."
"That sucks!"
Marika was warmed by her sister's anger at the injustice, but didn't want to cause problems between Britt and her parents. "They did what they felt they had to, to protect their children."
Britt glared, but the lawyer knew it wasn't really directed at her. "Well, you were Dad's child too, and he sure didn't do much to protect you!"
She had no defence for that, and her eyes closed as she desperately fought back the tears. The anguish of abandonment swept over her again, and for one frightening moment she was the lonely, bewildered girl being put on a plane by her beloved father, the only anchor she'd had in her life. Swallowing hard, she tried to suppress the onslaught of emotions. She was startled to feel a warm hand slide over hers and take it in a tight grip. Opening her eyes, she saw her sister regarding her with a look of compassion oddly profound for such a young face. Neither said anything as Marika struggled to regain control.
Finally, she forced herself to relax and ask, "Do you by any chance have any pictures of your family?"
Britt smiled triumphantly. "I thought you might want to see them, so I brought along a bunch of photos." She dug into her purse and extracted an envelope. Sliding over next to her sister, she pulled the first picture out and laid it on Marika's lap.
"That's Bryce the weenie."
Marika studied the picture of her little brother. He was cut from the same cloth as his sisters, tall and lean, with a shock of pale blonde hair falling over a narrow face. He'd been snapped sticking his tongue out at his sister, and she couldn't help laughing at the image.
"This is Dad when we went out to the lake about a month ago."
Britt passed another photo over, and Marika studied her father closely. She hadn't seen him in five years, but he hadn't changed much. Even squatting beside the sailboat moored at the landing, she could tell he was still the lean, fit man she remembered. A baseball cap covered his blonde head, and she wondered idly if his hair was thinning or graying now.
Britt let her study that picture for long moments before Marika held out her hand for the next. It was a picture of her father with Britt's mother, and she gazed at the woman she knew was largely responsible for her familial estrangement. She still felt the vestiges of bitterness, but murmured noncommittally. They went through
the rest of the photos and when they were done, Marika looked at her sister gratefully.
"Thank you. I really appreciate that." She made to hand back the stack, but Britt shook her head.
"No, you keep them. They're only doubles anyway."
Marika felt her throat catch at the girl's kindness, and she tried to smile as tears welled up in her eyes. She nodded without speaking, but she could tell Britt understood. Her sister smiled gently at her, then glanced at her wristwatch.
"Darn! I have to go. I only got an hour's dispensation from Madam Gorgon, and then I have to meet everyone back at the school we're bunking in."
The lawyer couldn't help laughing. "Madam Gorgon?"
Britt rolled her expressive eyes. "Oh yeah, it's actually Mrs. Gordon, but that's what all the kids call her. She's the wife of the band director, and she takes personal responsibility for keeping us all in line when we're on trips. Believe me, we don't get away with ANYTHING!"
Marika stood with her sister, still chuckling at Britt's aggrieved tone. She suspected that her sister and her band mates made Mrs. Gordon's job as tough as they could. Walking her to the door, she asked, "Are you here long? Do you think we could get together again?"
Britt sighed. "I wish we could, but the next couple of days are booked solid with activities and competitions. This was pretty much the only time I could get free before we fly home again."
Saddened, Marika chastised herself inwardly for hoping this might have been the start of something more. Her sister regarded her closely, then slowly suggested, "Would you like my e-mail address? We could maybe write now and then if you'd like?"
The lawyer brightened. "I'd like that. Here, I'll give you mine too." She sobered then. "But won't your folks be upset if we correspond?"
Britt stiffened, a resolute look on her youthful features. "I have no intention of telling them. Do you?"
Marika felt slightly uneasy at deceiving her father and Britt's mother, not for herself, but concerned about the repercussions for her sister. Britt seemed to read her mind.
"What they did wasn't right, Marika. I can't do anything about the past, but I can reclaim my sister...if she'll let me back in her life."
Awed at the girl's resolve, Marika nodded and said simply, "I'd really like that." She crossed to Rhi's desk and borrowed a pen. Jotting her e-mail, street address and phone number on a piece of paper, she offered it to her sister. Britt accepted it and then took the pen and wrote the same information down for the lawyer.
The formalities taken care of, they faced each other, the initial awkwardness returning until Marika opened her arms in invitation, and Britt slid into her sister's embrace, hugging her fiercely. They stayed that way for long moments before Britt broke away, mumbled good-bye and turned away. The lawyer watched her walk away, hearing a distinct sniffle as the girl wiped her eyes.
Rhi had been watching the scene and now she fixed concerned eyes on her boss. "Everything okay, Rika?"
Marika stared after the girl, then turned to her assistant and with a brilliant smile answered, "Oh yeah, Rhi. Definitely okay."
* * *
Hemmed in by Lee and Dana on one side and Marika on the other, Rhi leaned on the railing and stared down the track, awed by the thunder of hooves she felt through her feet as much as heard. Four brightly coloured chuckwagons were careening around the turn into the homestretch, their outriders racing close beside and behind them. She watched the drivers stand and whip their teams into a frenzy, striving for every last bit of speed out of the horses as they pounded towards the finish line.
Gaping at the spectacle as they roared by her, she shook her head in amazement, wondering how four large wagons and sixteen outriders managed to circle the track without colliding. In fact, there had been an accident earlier in the meet, and one horse had to be put down, but tonight's races had gone off cleanly. Having seen the chucks now though, she fully understood the description of the races as 'half a mile of hell', and she marveled at the nerve of drivers and riders racing full out in that tumult of horseflesh and wagons. They'd watched the rodeo earlier in the afternoon and she'd been convinced that nothing could top the bull riding for sheer excitement, but she'd been wrong. This...was exhilarating.
Rhi sighed in happiness as the four women made their way back to their seats. The whole day had been one of the best of her life. Starting the day early, they'd ridden most of the rides on the midway, checked out all the barn exhibits and animals, listened to the bands in the Nashville North tent, watched the rodeo, and eaten more food than she could ever remember putting away in one day. Lee had won Dana a large stuffed tiger that the nurse had been carrying around faithfully all day. Rhi had tried her hand at the hoop toss, her unspoken wish to win something for Marika, but had come up empty much to her disappointment.
Once they were back in their seats, Lee said, "Well that was the last race of the night. They're going to set up for the Grandstand show now. D'you guys want to stay for that?" She looked at her companions, and Marika said, "Well, I've seen it before so I'm okay, but maybe Rhi would like to see it."
They all looked at the small woman and she shrugged with a grin. "Hey, I don't think this day could be improved on, but whatever you want is fine with me."
"What did you have in mind, hon?" Dana asked her partner with a fond smile.
"I was thinking we could maybe drop over to the Arc. They've got it set up like a barn dance, with a live band, and I think it would be a lot of fun," Lee said, and then grinned at her mate. "Besides, I'd like to dance with my best girl, and they've got the biggest floor in town."
Marika frowned and glanced at Rhi before saying slowly, "Um, Lee? Maybe that's not such a good idea."
Puzzled, Lee asked, "Why not?" Then she looked at Rhi. "Oh, right, never thought of that."
"Thought of what? What are you two talking about?" Rhi questioned curiously.
Dana answered for them. "Unlike Oly's, which is a mixed bar, the Arc en Ciel is a strictly lesbian club, and they're worried that you might not be comfortable there."
Rhi laughed and shrugged. "Doesn't bother me. If you guys haven't corrupted me after today, I'm probably immune. Besides, it sounds like fun."
Lee grinned and leaned close. "Lady Mouse, I haven't even started trying to corrupt you."
The small woman grinned right back. "Oh, I dunno. Who was it that insisted that we eat corndogs and cotton candy right before we went on the Skyscraper? If that's not trying to corrupt me, what is?"
Marika groaned. "Yeah, she has a point there, Lee. I don't think my stomach has recovered yet!"
"Wuss," Lee scoffed good-naturedly. "Well, let's go then. The night is young and my boots are ready to dance."
They followed the big woman down the aisle and out of the grandstands. Ambling back through the Stampede grounds, Rhi happily absorbed the atmosphere of carnival noises, country music, bright flashing lights, the smells of fried food and beer, and the rowdy ambience of throngs of people out for the city's annual party.
Parking around the Stampede grounds was a nightmare. Hettie rented out her yard as an ersatz parking lot, as did so many Victoria Park residents, charging a flat ten dollars per vehicle. The city deliberately overlooked the bylaw infractions for the ten-day party, reasoning that if Victoria Park had to put up with the noise and crowds flocking to the neighbouring Stampede, there was no harm to them making a quick dollar out of it.
Rhi had considered offering her yard to her friends for parking, but couldn't stand the thought of them running into her aunt. Instead, they'd found a parking spot close to David's church, only ten blocks away from the grounds.
The jovial bunch set out for the car, Lee and Dana walking ahead as Marika and Rhi followed.
"You're sure you're okay with this, Rhi?" Marika asked softly, watching the other woman closely. "It's really okay if you're not. We can always go over to Oly's or something."
Rhi shook her head emphatically. "Nope, I'm perfectly fine. Besides, would you deny Lee a chance to da
nce with her best girl?"
The two glanced ahead to where Lee had her arm around her partner's shoulders and they were playfully wrestling over the stuffed tiger. Marika grinned.
"No, I wouldn't want to do that." More seriously she said, "If you DO feel at all uncomfortable, you'll let me know, right?"
The smaller woman looked up at her friend warmly, deeply appreciative of Rika's concern. "I will, but really, what could make me uncomfortable?"
The lawyer wryly looked her assistant up and down. "Well, you might want to decide how you're going to handle all the invitations to dance, for one thing."
Startled, Rhi looked down at herself. She'd splurged on a new pair of jeans and a stonewashed denim shirt that currently had the sleeves rolled half way up her forearms, but she didn't think it was anything fancy, especially when compared to what the others had on. She wasn't even wearing boots, just her old runners, while Lee and Dana had flashy cowboy shirts--pearl buttons and all--with jeans, cowboy boots and hats. She could tell they had a great time playing dress-up. But her boss...
Marika had almost taken Rhi's breath away when they'd met that morning. In a butter-coloured silk blouse tucked into tan pants that had to have been tailored precisely for her, with short, dark brown boots and gold dangling earrings, the woman was hands down the best looking female at the Stampede, according to Rhi's unbiased opinion.
Looking back at the gray eyes regarding her so affectionately, she shrugged. "Heck, I'll just stand behind you, and then I won't have to worry about anyone asking me to dance."
There was a moment of silence, and then with a touch of unusual shyness, Marika asked, "What if I were to ask you to dance...just to save you from all the inevitable suitors of course?"
For a split second, Rhi imagined herself in Rika's arms and felt almost dizzy at the prospect, then she recalled herself to reality. "Uh, not that I'd mind or anything, but I don't know how to dance and I wouldn't want to embarrass you."
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