Switched At Birth

by Christine Rimmer

  Once Sten had given her the tour, he had work to do.

  Madison left him to it and strolled around the property, keeping to herself. She found a nice spot on a little dock in sight of the hangar where she’d left Sten.

  For a while, she played games on her phone. Then she switched to the reading app and dug into a bestselling mystery she’d been meaning to read for months now and never had time for. It was peaceful on the dock, with the sound of the river lapping around her. When she got tired of reading, she just sat there in the mild sunlight, watching the giant boats out on the wide river.

  After a half hour of boat-watching, she almost nodded off. Time to get up and move around a bit. She texted Sten to let him know she was dropping in on Karin and headed for the office at the other end of the yard.

  A woman she didn’t remember seeing earlier stood behind the front counter. Madison introduced herself as the Larsons’ tenant and asked if Karin was anywhere around.

  The woman stapled a stack of papers and handed them to a guy in overalls and a tan cap. “There you go, Denny. You’re all set.” She pointed back over her shoulder. “Karin’s taking a break. Through that door there.”

  The door in question led to an empty employees’ lounge with a basic kitchen setup in an L-shape along two of the walls and a table in the center of the room, five molded plastic chairs around it. One of the chairs was pulled out. On the table in front of it sat a half-finished sandwich and a can of ginger ale. No sign of Karin.

  Directly across from the door to the office area, there was another door with a restroom sign on it. Karin was probably in there.

  Madison pulled out one of the chairs. But before she could sit down, she heard the sounds from the other side of the restroom door. Someone was being sick.

  Karin?

  Who else could it be? Madison almost rushed to her aid.

  But then, what if it wasn’t Karin? That could definitely be awkward. It could be awkward even if it was Karin. Sten’s sister might not appreciate a woman she really hardly knew knocking on the bathroom door when she thought she was alone.

  So Madison just stood there by the table, wanting to help and not knowing if she should.

  Finally, the heaving noises stopped. The toilet flushed. She heard water running.

  Karin emerged. Her cheeks were red and her eyes watery. She held a damp paper towel to her mouth. “Madison.” She lowered the towel and smiled in a wan sort of way.

  Madison met her midway between the table and the restroom door. “Are you sick?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  Madison wrapped an arm around her. Karin didn’t resist the attention. They went back to the table, where Karin dropped into the chair with the food in front of it.

  “Ugh,” said Sten’s sister as she glared at the leftover sandwich. “That’s enough of that.” She shoved it away and then drank from the can of ginger ale, setting it down with great care and bringing the wet towel back to her mouth.

  Madison hovered at her elbow. “Are you going to be sick again?”

  Karin shook her wild, dark hair and laughed—or at least, Madison thought it was a laugh. Sten’s sister still had the towel pressed to her face. Maybe she was gagging.

  “How can I help?” Madison cast a frantic glance around the room, seeking a wastebasket or some other appropriate receptacle in case Sten’s sister really was about to hurl.

  But then, Karin lowered the towel and took a few slow breaths through her nose. “I’m okay,” she said. “Really. I think it’s stopped for now.”

  Cautiously, ready to leap to Karin’s rescue at the first sign of heaving, Madison lowered herself into the next chair. She took off her hat and her sunglasses and set them on the table.

  Karin tossed the towel down and put her hands to her flushed cheeks as if to cool them. Slowly, her eyes lifted to lock with Madison’s. They stared at each other.

  And it was right then, as their gazes collided, that Madison knew.

  Chapter Ten

  “Liam’s?” Madison asked in a whisper, wondering what was the matter with her to ask such a thing. Not only was it no concern of hers, the question made no sense.

  Except it did make sense. To Karin. “Yep. You’re going to be an auntie.” Karin caught her trembling lower lip between her teeth. Her eyes gleamed with tears.

  But Karin didn’t cry. She grabbed Madison’s hand between both of hers. “Listen. You can’t tell anyone. Please. Not Sten. Definitely not Liam. I’ll do it. I will. Eventually.”

  “I promise you I won’t say a word.”

  “Thank you. I’m just not ready to get into it with anyone yet. I’m still dealing with the fact that it’s even happening, you know?”

  Madison nodded. “I totally get it. I mean it. No one is going to hear anything from me.”

  “Good.” Karin released her grip on Madison’s hand and grabbed the ginger ale. “It was just supposed to be a one-night thing, you know?” She drank. “But there was more than one night. There were several nights. I kept saying never again. I’m so full of crap. Because anytime I could get away, I would call him. And each time I would remind him—and myself—that it was the last time.” She glanced up at Madison again. “I’ve known him forever, since kindergarten, can you believe it? We’re the same age.”

  “I know. Aislinn told me you two were in the same grade in school and Sten mentioned that you and Liam dated in high school.”

  “High school.” Karin stared into the middle distance. “It seems like a million years ago. Sometimes I...” Right then, Madison’s phone buzzed with a text. Karin blinked. “You should check that. It could be Sten.”

  Madison pulled the phone from her pocket.

  Karin was right.

  Ready to go. I’m on my way to the office.

  “I hate to leave you.” Madison scooted closer to Karin and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. “I can put him off.”

  But Karin just shook her head. “No. You go on. Thanks for holding my hand. It helped. You’re a keeper.”

  Madison sighed. “Maybe tell your brother that.”

  “Believe me. I have.”

  A few minute later, Sten came through the door from the front office. “What have you two been up to?”

  “None of your business,” his sister said.

  * * *

  That night, Sten took Madison out to a nice restaurant on the river in Astoria. She wore a red wig and red-framed glasses—glasses she’d once used in a movie role. They had regular glass for the lenses. He said she looked hot and someone was bound to recognize her.

  She shrugged. “Whatever happens, I’ll live.”

  What happened was nothing. Nobody recognized her. Or if they did, they either respected her privacy or plain didn’t care.

  It was a great little restaurant, with windows framing a view of the river. Old pilings stuck up out of the water, seagulls perched on them contentedly. From their table, they could also see the Astoria-Megler Bridge arching over the wide Columbia all the way to the Washington side.

  They shared a nice bottle of wine and she snapped a lot of pictures of the river and the seagulls.

  “Just like a tourist,” he teased.

  She took pictures of him, too, so sexy and handsome in his gray fisherman’s sweater, his hair kind of windblown, looking back at her through her phone’s camera lens as though he wanted to eat her right up.

  And he did, too—but that was much later, in her bed at the cottage. They made love for hours. Past midnight, as she drifted off to sleep, she realized she had never felt this close to anyone.

  Or this happy.

  * * *

  Thursday first thing, she got a call from Percy. The DNA results were up online.

  “Oh, Percy.” She giggled like a nervous kid. “Just tell me.”

  “Well, all
right then. It’s official. You are my great-niece and you have a great-aunt, our dear Daffodil. You have five brothers and four sisters. Because of course, we count Aislinn, though the results show she is no blood relation to you or the others. And we include Finn, as well. He may have disappeared years ago, but we all have faith he will return to us in time.”

  She thanked Percy, hung up and grabbed Sten in a celebratory kiss.

  And then she called Aislinn.

  “Madison, hey!” said the sister of her heart.

  “I just... I needed to hear your voice. Percy called. The DNA results are in.”

  “Yeah. He called me, too. He’s such a sweetheart. I think he wanted to make certain I was okay with the news.”

  Madison wanted the same thing. “And, um, are you okay with it?”

  “It’s taken me a while to get there,” Aislinn admitted. “But yes. I am—and you?”

  “The same. Kind of jazzed, in fact. To have a whole family when I thought I had no one. It’s pretty spectacular.”

  “Excellent. And you know I have to ask. Things with Sten?”

  He’d disappeared into the master bath. She could hear the shower running in there. “Good,” she said. “Really good.”

  “So then, you two made up—as I predicted.”

  Madison groaned. “You think you know everything, don’t you?”

  “Just don’t you dare break the poor guy’s heart.”

  “You assume the heartbreaking will be done by me?”

  “What?” Aislinn put on a tough voice. “Is he giving you grief? And I always thought he was such a great guy. Just say the word. I’ll have a long talk with him.”

  “Um, we’re having a good time, that’s all.” Hey. It was the safest thing to say. Because they definitely were having a beautiful time and who knew what would happen in the future, anyway?

  “You are such a bad liar,” Aislinn chided.

  “And you, Aislinn Winter, are a hopeless romantic.”

  “Yes, I am and damn proud of it.”

  Madison no sooner hung up with Aislinn than Daniel called to welcome her to the family all over again and to remind her that she was invited to dinner on Sunday. She promised to be there.

  “Bring Sten,” he added.

  She didn’t even ask how he knew about her and Sten. The family seemed to have a very effective communication grapevine. “I’ll invite him,” she promised.

  As they said goodbye, Sten emerged from the bathroom in clean jeans and a fresh T-shirt, his hair still wet from the shower.

  “The DNA results are in,” she said. “I am officially a Bravo.”

  “Great news.” He grabbed her and spun her around.

  “It’s not really a surprise,” she said when he set her down. “But still. It feels good to know for sure.”

  He kissed her and then asked, “Breakfast at the other house?”

  “I’m in.”

  In Karin’s kitchen, Coco had set places at the table for them. “Madison, you sit by me.” She patted the chair beside her.

  Madison took the chair she offered as Sten grabbed the coffeepot and filled them each a cup. It was the usual, with the kids talking over each other and Otto smiling benevolently.

  Sten filled the empty mug at Karin’s place, too. But when his sister finished dishing out the eggs and sat down to eat, she left the full mug untouched and only had a few bites of the oatmeal she’d fixed for herself.

  Sten frowned at her. “You okay?”

  Karin waved a hand and said she was fine, after which Ben launched into a detailed description of his latest science project.

  Coco waited impatiently for her brother to finish, and then told Madison all about the birthday party she was attending that Saturday. “There will be face-painting and maybe even pony rides...”

  As Coco chattered away, Karin got up and carried her barely touched oatmeal and full mug of coffee to the sink. When she returned to the table, Madison managed to catch her eye. Karin smiled at her. I’m fine, that smile said. Don’t worry about me.

  Madison would worry. But she would keep the other woman’s confidence as she’d promised to do.

  Fifteen minutes later, Karin was herding the kids toward her SUV to drive them up to the bus stop for school. Otto left right after her. Sten had stuff to do at the flip house and then he would go on to the Boatworks, too.

  Back at the cottage on her own, Madison actually tried to read a couple of the scripts she’d brought with her from LA. Maybe one of them would thrill her and she’d suddenly realize she couldn’t give up acting, after all. And maybe she was feeling just a little guilty about Myra’s last call. The agent was only doing her job. Until recently Madison had been grateful to have someone like Myra making sure the best roles always came her way.

  Tried. That was the operative word when it came to reading those scripts. She just couldn’t get herself to focus. Her mind refused to cooperate. She yawned a lot as she read, though objectively she knew that the material was excellent.

  Around eleven she gave it up and went for a walk on the beach. After that, she called a cab, chose a wig and a hat and went to Safeway on her own. It was great. Nobody bothered her.

  Back at the cottage, she put her groceries away and considered calling Myra—and then wondered if maybe she was losing her mind. What good would calling Myra do? The woman was a shark and calling her now would just be leaving a trail of bloody chum on the water. Myra would be after her all over again to fly back to LA ASAP and sign on for the project Madison didn’t even want.

  It was just...

  Well, getting the DNA results somehow seemed to make everything so clear and final. She was a Bravo. Whatever lingering doubts she might have had were gone now. She really did have a whole family right here in Valentine Bay. She liked them. Over time, she wanted to get to know them better.

  But the real goal in coming here had been accomplished. She’d found her family. Sunday, at Daniel’s, they would celebrate that.

  And then...

  Well, then there was her life that she still wanted to change up completely.

  Her life—and Sten. He mattered to her. A lot. She wanted to talk with him about what they might have together going forward.

  Was it too soon to talk about that?

  Not to her.

  Sten, though? She had an uneasy feeling that he was a long way from ready to discuss the future with her.

  * * *

  Sten was in his office trying to come up with a workaround for an issue with the refit of the Lady Defiant when Karin stuck her head in the door.

  “You’ve got company,” his sister said. She seemed really pissed off. “It’s Ella Robson,” she added, and Sten understood the reason for that sneer on her face. “Happy to tell her to go pee up a rope.”

  Was he tempted to let Karin get rid of her? Absolutely. But it wasn’t her problem. “Thanks. Send her in.”

  A minute later, Ella strutted in dressed to kill in itty-bitty short-shorts and a silky top, her long sable hair loose on her shoulders. The look was a far cry from the low-key button-downs and dressy jeans she used to wear.

  She shut the door and kind of lounged back against it. “You blocked me.”

  “Because we’re through.”

  “I had to see you. Oh, Sten. I was afraid you would refuse to talk to me.”

  “I asked you never to contact me again before I blocked you. So yeah, I don’t want to talk to you.”

  She tipped her head to the side and gave him a flirty little smile. “But you are talking to me.”

  “It seemed unfair to leave my sister to deal with you. Please. Just stop with the head games and leave.”

  The flirty smile morphed into a sad frown and pleading eyes. “It’s over with Darrin. Really, truly over. Forever.”

  “I’m sorry to
hear that.” And he was. He supposed. For poor Joey, at least.

  “I’m trying to tell you I made a huge mistake breaking up with you. You’re the best man I ever—”

  “Ella. You need to put on your listening ears. I’m not interested.”

  “Oh, come on. If you would just—”

  “No. It’s time for you to go now. Please don’t come back.”

  “But, Sten, if only we could—”

  “There’s nothing more to say. Please go.”

  It went on like that, with her trying to convince him that he should give her another chance and him trying to figure out new and more emphatic ways to say no. The problem was, she wouldn’t go. Asking her to leave, telling her to leave—well, the words just weren’t working.

  And yet grabbing her and dragging her out of the building to get rid of her? That had to be an assault charge in the making.

  Finally, there was a tap on the door.

  “Don’t answer that.” Ella spread her arms wide, blocking the door. “Please.”

  “Open the door, Ella.”

  “Sten, I’m trying to talk to you.”

  Another knock. Karin called, “Sten? You okay in there?”

  “Ella, move away from the damn door.”

  “This is your last chance,” she said. “If you don’t talk to me now, you’ll never see me again.”

  “That’s what I want, Ella. Never. To. See. You. Again.” He made each word a sentence in hopes of finally getting through.

  And maybe he did. At least she peeled herself away from the door and came toward him. “You really mean that?”

  “I don’t know how to make it any clearer to you.” He dodged around her and opened the door.

  Karin was standing on the other side. “Whoa.” She blinked at him in surprise. “Need some help in here?”

  At that moment, he forgave his baby sister for every one of the million and one ways she could drive him crazy. “Thanks. Ella’s just leaving.”

  “Omigod,” Ella whispered, bringing her hand to her mouth in what looked like pure shock. “You really mean it. You...you don’t want another chance with me...”