Julianna Morris - The Right Twin For Him

“My real mother and father are in New Mexico,” Maddie said, automatically sticking out her hand. “I’m just looking for my birth parents.”

“I see.”

They stood awkwardly until Patrick intervened. “Why don’t you start with your birthdays?” he suggested.

“July twentieth,” they said simultaneously.

Maddie swallowed and took an involuntary step toward Patrick. She didn’t know what she’d thought she would find when she left Slapshot, but it wasn’t seeing a woman with her same birth date and eyes and face.

“That’s interesting,” said a voice from behind them. “You were both born on the same day.”

“Kane!” Beth turned, her face transformed at the sight of a tall, dark-haired man with a striking resemblance to Patrick. She threw herself into his open arms.

“That’s my brother,” Patrick murmured. “You’d think they hadn’t seen each other in years, instead of hours. Of course, they’ve only been married for six weeks, so I guess we can excuse them for getting carried away.”

The wry, humorous tone of his voice was lost on Maddie, and her restlessness deepened as the couple shared a lingering kiss. She didn’t begrudge them their happiness, but it was hard seeing them at the same time her own life had fallen apart and she didn’t know how to fix it. Besides, there was something so…luminous about Beth O’Rourke when she looked at her husband.

When was the last time she’d looked at Ted like that? Certainly not the morning she’d found him with the punch girl’s D-cup bra hanging from his pocket.

Darn him, anyway. She could accept they’d both been having second thoughts. She could even accept he’d never been unfaithful before. So why did he have to make that comment about neither of them doing any comparison shopping…then make it clear what part of the feminine anatomy he was interested in comparing?

Honestly. She didn’t understand why men were so hung up about the female body. It wouldn’t matter to her if Patrick was short or tall or anything in between.

All at once Maddie frowned.

Patrick?

No. That was wrong.

Patrick O’Rourke was a temporary acquaintance, even if he did have a nice smile. She didn’t have any interest in his body.

At least, not much.

Though she had to admit it was a great body. The kind that inspired fantasies.

“Are you okay?” a quiet voice murmured.

She glanced upward and saw a concerned expression on Patrick’s face. Beth and her husband still hadn’t come up for air, and a sigh rose from Maddie’s chest.

“They really seem to love each other,” she said, hating the forlorn tone in her voice.

“I should hope so,” he said humorously. “What with them having a baby, and all.”

“Yeah.”

Patrick groaned silently. He didn’t have a clue how to console an upset woman, particularly when he didn’t know why she was upset. All he knew was Maddie had that quivery look to her bottom lip again, and it made him feel awful. He came from a family accustomed to physical displays of comfort and affection, so his first thought was to give her a quick hug. On the other hand, his desire to hug Maddie wasn’t entirely altruistic; maybe it was smarter to keep his hugs to himself.

Another long moment passed before Beth and Kane could drag their attention away from each other.

“Did I hear right, you both have the same birth date?” Kane asked at last, his arm snugly planted around his wife’s waist.

“July twentieth,” Maddie said. “It could be just a coincidence.”

“But we look so much alike,” Beth protested. “I was born at the old Crockett General Hospital at 12:25 a.m. What about you?”

Maddie squirmed. “Uh, same hospital, at 12:35. My birth certificate doesn’t say anything about it being a multiple birth.”

“Neither does mine, but they reissue the certificate when you’re adopted to make it look like you were born to your new parents. Twelve thirty-five? That makes me the eldest. I’ll bet we’re twins.” Beth smiled.

“It’s too soon to know that,” Maddie said. Judging by the way she lifted her stubborn chin, it didn’t look as if she was eager to find a twin sister. “Maybe we’re cousins. Cousins can look alike and be born close to each other.”

Beth shook her head. “It’s too big a coincidence. There was talk when I was a kid, but you hear so many wild rumors when you live in foster homes, I stopped paying attention. Wouldn’t it have been wonderful to grow up together?”

Maddie didn’t say anything for a long moment, but her mouth was set stubbornly. “Twins usually aren’t separated when they’re adopted. Mom and Dad would have taken both of us, so we can’t be sisters.”

Realization dawned as Patrick remembered Maddie’s firm declaration that her real mother and father were in New Mexico. She obviously loved and respected her adoptive parents; to accept the possibility of a twin was to accept the Jacksons might have chosen to split them up.

“Hey,” he said, lightly tugging a lock of Maddie’s sun-streaked hair. “You mentioned it was a private adoption. Your birth mother could have decided she could make two childless families happy by separating you guys. I bet your parents didn’t even know there was another baby.”

“Tell us about yourself,” Beth urged. “What do you like to do? Are you married? Do you have children? Kane and I just got married and we’re already starting a family.”

Patrick groaned.

Married?

Children?

Both were topics destined to upset Maddie again. Things were going from bad to worse.

“I’m not married,” Maddie said, but her voice shook. “I was…that is, I was going to be, but it didn’t…Oh, dear.”

Sure enough, a fat tear rolled down her right cheek. If Patrick hadn’t been so fond of Beth, he would have glared at her. Never mind that his sister-in-law didn’t know that marriage and kids were sensitive subjects, she’d upset Maddie again and he was thoroughly put out about it.

Besides, the last thing he wanted to know were the details of Maddie’s broken romance. She’d probably talk about it with Beth at some point—if they actually turned out to be sisters—but he wanted to be miles away when it happened.

He liked Maddie, he just didn’t want to…like her. He’d learned years ago that he wasn’t some gallant knight on a snowy-white charger. Hell, he’d gotten into more trouble than the rest of his eight brothers and sisters combined.

“I’m sorry,” Beth said, looking equally distressed. “Is there anything I can do?”

Maddie shook her head, grateful for the warmth of Patrick’s fingers clasping her own. She wasn’t sure how their hands had met, but he had a strong, firm grip. It was comforting. A man ought to have hands that did hard work and had the calluses to prove it.

Boy, was she a dope.

“I’m through with men. That’s all,” she said hastily, trying to send her thoughts in another direction.

Patrick seemed like a good guy, but it didn’t change anything. She was through with both men and romance. She’d feel melancholy for a while, which was natural, then she’d get back to normal.

Beth opened her mouth, but whatever she’d planned to say was lost when the door of the shop opened and a woman walked inside, wrestling a baby carriage ahead of her. With an apologetic glance, Beth went to assist the customer, who was casting curious looks from Beth to Maddie and back again.

More customers came into the store, and Beth rushed over to Maddie. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I’ll put the Closed sign out and get rid of everyone.”

“No.” Maddie was secretly grateful for the interruption. Finding a sister was the last thing she’d thought would happen when she left New Mexico—not that it was certain they were sisters, she reminded herself. “Don’t do that. I’ll come back tomorrow…or call. I’m staying at the Puget Bed and Breakfast Inn just outside of town.”