The Twin Birthright

by Catherine Mann

  Her heart stuttered with a hint of anxiety over feeling helpless, and the memories that brought up. “Thank you for all you’ve done.”

  “It’s nothing,” he said. “I just heated up what your sister sent.”

  “All the same, I still have problems with hospitals and being sick. It reminds me of the cancer treatments.”

  Royce skimmed his hand along her damp, braided hair. “Naomi...”

  The images of days spent in hospitals vanished, replaced by other memories. Days with Royce, his touch. The way his mouth felt pressed into hers.

  “It’s okay. In the past.” She leaned into the magic of his touch, which was intense. Too much so... She angled back and attempted to lighten the moment. “Maybe it was a blessing, after all, to have the babies in a car.”

  They shared a soft laugh, eyes connecting, the bond of that experience echoing between them. Then his dark eyes shifted, serious again. “The thought of what you went through as a teenager...”

  “Hey, I’m okay now.” She pulled her gaze away from his in case her eyes might betray the fear that sometimes still gripped her. She reached for a wheat roll and slathered it with butter. “I’m not even sure why I brought it up.”

  “I didn’t mean to shut you down.”

  She waited for a moment, picking at the yeasty roll while Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” piped softly. Naomi wished she could eat, but having Royce this close to her without the distraction of the babies brought to mind all she’d been missing these last months. “Thank you for being there with me at the ER.”

  “Of course I was there. I was worried about them, too. Why would you doubt that?”

  Of course he was worried about the girls. She felt small for the resentful feeling that thought brought. She shifted to a safer discussion. “Because of the problems at work. With the numbers not coming together for your project.” A problem that, if unsolved, could end his connection to her, and she wouldn’t have an excuse to see him at all.

  Her stomach knotted tighter.

  “That’s business.” He shrugged off her comment. “This is personal.”

  “But we were working on the personal in order to deal with being in the same work world.” A task that was growing harder by the day with all the reminders of why she’d been drawn to him in the first place.

  His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Are you saying you have a reason to keep my work out of the company?”

  “No!” she exclaimed without hesitation. “God, no. I want your safety improvements on the pipeline to be implemented. I haven’t given up. It’s just going to be tougher than we first anticipated.”

  “Hey, it’s okay, don’t get wrought up. You should be taking it easy.” He moved aside the dishes and adjusted the blanket on her lap, his hand lingering to palm her hip. “How about we put a pin in that conversation until we’ve both had a good night’s sleep?”

  She swallowed hard before continuing, “It’s tough to think about anything other than the babies right now.”

  “Understandable. But they will be okay.”

  “I keep thinking if I hadn’t taken them outside...”

  “The doctor assured you their illness has nothing to do with our walk.” He squeezed her hip lightly. “A virus just...happens. I’m more surprised that they both caught it at the same time.”

  She shifted back, tugging at the blanket until he got the message and pulled his hand away.

  With an arrogant smile on his face.

  She sat up straighter. “About Mary and Anna... I’ve learned not to question the twin connection. Brea and I even had our own twin language until we went to elementary school.”

  “And no one could understand what you were saying?”

  She laughed softly. “Not a clue.”

  “The science of that is mind-boggling. The creation of a new language.” His voice rumbled in the quiet room. “Watching them grow will be an adventure.”

  One he wouldn’t be a part of. Her eyes stung. She blinked fast before looking up at him. “I’m sorry I didn’t get things right when we were first together. I should have known it wasn’t fair to let things move so fast, especially with kids involved. I never wanted to hurt you.”

  “We hurt each other.” He stroked her face, then let his fingers continue down her throat to her collarbone. “Let’s declare a truce for tonight.”

  She was tempted. So very tempted to take him up on that offer. Words dried up for a moment.

  He tucked a knuckle under her chin and tipped her face to his until only a whisper of space separated them. If she swayed toward him even a hint...

  Then she would be right back in the middle of a sea of desire that would lead to heartache, lead to losing herself in the kind of kiss between lovers who knew each other well and connected even when sex was out of the question.

  The most dangerous kind of temptation of all.

  * * *

  For Naomi, the last two weeks were filled with forward motion. And yet she felt her emotional state slide back. Go to the past. To dangerous thoughts of Royce. Unarticulated futures. She was going through the motions, all right, and not making a damn bit of progress.

  And yeah, the twins were fine. They’d made full recoveries. Their personalities continued to deepen and blossom.

  But Naomi couldn’t deny the pressure in the air between her and Royce. Knowing her struggle—and apparently determined to play meddling matchmaker—Delaney had encouraged Royce and Naomi to head out. Together. Alone. Under the guise of shopping for the girls, even though the very next day there’d be a baby shower at the Steele headquarters. Naomi had noticed that mischievous gleam in Delaney’s dark brown eyes. Understood her sister’s silent encouragement.

  Yet here she was, enjoying an afternoon outing with him and the girls in a stroller at the Anchorage Museum. Playing with fire. Her chest tight with residual awareness and undeniable chemistry that she didn’t know what to do with.

  Right now, she and Royce were at a wary détente that only served to make willpower all the more difficult. Every day the desire to indulge in the mind-blowing attraction was damn near irresistible. Even a simple museum tour had her tied up in knots.

  She couldn’t stop herself from taking in the strong line of his jaw, the stubble as they moved through the Anchorage Museum.

  A cluster of children holding museum maps sauntered by, being corralled by an overwhelmed looking young mother. She placed a hand on her hip, calling out to her group, attempting to draw the triplets’ attention to the rotating cultural history exhibit. Naomi glanced at her babies sleeping in the stroller. She couldn’t help but think of one day guiding her girls through here when they were older, seeing the wonder in their eyes as they took it all in.

  “But, Mo-o-om, I want to go to the Earth and life science exhibit.” One girl’s bottom lip jutted out as she held up her hands in a state of total exasperation.

  “We will, I promise. After this part,” the mother cooed, steering her daughter toward the exhibit’s entrance.

  Naomi watched the scene, her smile deepening. She leaned against Royce, felt the slight heat radiating from his body as she whispered, “I can envision you as a kid with one of those little science kits, mixing chemicals and making an overflowing volcano.”

  “Actually, I wanted to be a football star.”

  His deadpan delivery caught her off guard. Lowered her defenses. She couldn’t stop herself from drinking in the sight of him in well-worn jeans and a cable knit sweater. He wore his wealth so casually, a man comfortable in his skin with no need to flaunt his success.

  She pulled her attention back to the conversation. “A football player? Really?” she asked, surprised that Royce would have ever considered such a career path.

  “Hell, no. Too many people.”

  Laughing, she pulled him toward the rotating art exhibit, passing by
the windowpanes that showcased glimpses of the city. Of her fair state. “So you built volcanoes, after all.”

  “Actually, I wanted to be either an astronaut or a zookeeper.”

  “Wow, that’s a surprise. A fun one, though. I can see it, and it’s endearing.”

  Royce grimaced. “Endearing? That’s not what I was going for.”

  “You do just fine giving off the brooding vibe. It’s okay to let people have a peek inside every now and again.”

  “I don’t want to argue with you.” He took her hand in his.

  “Okay then.” She linked their fingers. “I want to hear more about Royce the Zookeeper. What derailed you from your path?”

  “I realized I couldn’t take them all with me out into the woods.”

  “Valid point. And the astronaut dream?”

  He quirked an eyebrow at her. “I might not have come back?”

  She squeezed his hand while staring into his eyes, the crowd around them fading so that all she saw was this man. “How did we never talk about this before?”

  “We didn’t do a lot of talking back then. Remember?”

  Heat washed over her at the shared memory. Especially knowing he was thinking about the same things she was. Tearing off each other’s clothes. Tasting and touching. Feasting.

  She swallowed hard. Maybe she looked as breathless as she felt, because Royce smiled with just a hint of male satisfaction before he guided her to sit on a bench by a display of Inuit art that made Naomi think of her grandmother. Nights spent by a fire as a child enthralled by the oral history of half her soul.

  “And what about you, Madame Lawyer?” Royce asked. “Childhood career dreams?”

  She was grateful for the redirection. They didn’t need to wander down those old paths again, as tempting as it might be to simply lose herself in his touch. Drawing a deep breath, she reached back in her memories.

  “I wanted to start a glacier wedding business, complete with all the plane rides out to the remote location to say their vows.”

  “For real?” He leaned back on the bench, his arms spread wide so that one lay close to her back. Almost touching.

  With an effort, she forced her thoughts back to the conversation.

  “Absolutely. Uncle Conrad got married in a glacier wedding when I was in elementary school. I thought it was the most romantic thing ever.” She could picture the perfect crispness even now. Feel the icy wind on her cheek. Remembered the way the Milky Way had provided a backdrop even princesses in a fairy tale would envy.

  “What stopped you?”

  “He got divorced and I decided glacier weddings were like a Titanic jinx.”

  Royce winced. “Ouch.”

  “I had a lot of fun with the idea for a while, though. I dressed up my siblings for the occasion.”

  Hoisting herself up from the bench, Naomi pushed the stroller as she circled around one of the installations, taking in the details of the painting of a fishing village. Remembering the way her grandmother had supplied all sorts of clothes for her business.

  “My grandmother was on board. Anything to make me happy. She had a chest full of clothes I was allowed to use. Delaney always enjoyed playing dress-up and performing the ceremonies. Broderick says he hated it, but to be honest, that’s not how I remember it. I’d make us all walk into the wood’s edge for the ceremony. Dad never liked us being by the water. Always afraid something would happen to us.”

  A lump filled her throat. The memory of her sister ached in her bones. Even now, placing Breanna in memories felt like a private act. Something that would recede if Naomi shared too much. Selfishly, she kept her deceased sibling’s role to herself.

  “That’s quite a memory,” he said.

  “There are photos. I’ve used them to shut up a big-mouth sibling on more than one occasion.”

  “And then you turned your back on romance.”

  “Not romance. Just weddings.” Suddenly she became very aware of her pulse. The touch of his fingertips to hers. And the silence. “I even did some freelance work last year helping people edit their online dating profiles.”

  “The romance dream lives on. Perhaps your glacier wedding dream can come back to life, too.”

  The wry tone in his voice gave her pause. Was it just a dream that they were rediscovering something between them here? Something romantic? Something more than explosive chemistry and opposing views of the world? He had losses and deep feelings, and so did she. She’d grieved for her sister and her mother. She’d blamed Royce for not moving on, but maybe she’d had a hard time moving on and trusting, too.

  Could they forge a true connection? One that would allow them to grieve for their pasts together? One that would last?

  * * *

  Outside the Steele boardroom, Royce braced himself for a killer confrontation.

  Hordes of family and friends were throwing a baby shower.

  He took a deep breath, steadying himself. Thankfully, the great windowpanes bathed the room in natural light. Made the space feel more open and encompassing.

  He stood next to the tall, suave Birch Montoya. The man reminded him of old Hollywood films, bourbon and cigars. They stood in the reception area near the glass wall that separated the entry from the boardroom. Muffled noises ensued, punctuated by shrieks of women’s laughter.

  Apparently, the party was already under way.

  Beer in hand, he stayed by Chuck, Broderick and Birch. Half paying attention to the conversation, half taking in the scene.

  The men flocked around the small table covered with food. Chuck tossed shrimp onto his plate. With a Viking-like build and complexion, he exuded a sense of power.

  Royce leaned back, peering through the doorway to where the women were gathered. The blue chairs that normally flanked the table had been rearranged into scattered semicircles. Perfect for small group chats.

  There was no denying the elegance of this event. Pink and white balloons were clustered here and there. And although it was winter, spring seemed to have exploded in the room. So many flowers. He recognized roses and lilies, but not the other blooms poking through the central arrangement.

  A time capsule in the shape of a baby bottle had been placed at the entrance for attendees to write to the twins. They’d crack that sucker open on their eighteenth birthday. A nice idea, really.

  Would he be a distant memory to them then? Even a memory at all?

  He couldn’t help the way his eyes trailed after Naomi. Taking in her curves in that short pink dress with brown tights. The way her fringed boots seemed to deepen her mystique, accentuating her knack for bringing eclectic textures and threads together.

  He watched the way she straightened the ceiling-high stack of presents. Careful, he realized, to keep them from falling on the elaborate cake. And what a cake it was—an icing creation of twin polar bear cubs in mittens and hats. Extravagant.

  He was thankful she felt well enough to celebrate. Even knowing she was healthy now, he couldn’t help but think about time closing in on them to end this togetherness experiment. He needed to accept that she knew her limits. Naomi had always been a workaholic. Her dynamo personality was only one of the many things that drew him to her. He’d been so determined to find closure, and somehow this time with her and the girls had only made the prospect of losing her all the worse.

  Breaking his stare, he placed a chicken salad croissant on his plate. Passed over the chocolate fondue fountain, nuts and shish kebab fruit.

  Jack stood at the wet bar, his still jet-black mustache making his white teeth seem even brighter. Wiggling his fingers, Jack paused indecisively, hand oscillating over a mimosa and a beer, avoiding the sparkling water altogether. “Great shindig to celebrate the twins.”

  “A nice way to celebrate everyone getting over that virus.” Royce took a swig of his beer—the Steele-Mikkelson brand, Ice
cap Brews—letting the hoppy flavor linger on his tongue. If only the merger of the two oil businesses could be as easy as the new joint ownership of their two merged small breweries. “It’s good to have you back.”

  The timing of the shower had been scheduled to accommodate Jack and Jeannie’s return.

  Jack nodded, his eyebrows expressive. He crossed his hands over his chest, compressing the flannel fabric as he continued, “Good to see those babies again. FaceTime didn’t do them justice.”

  “And your honeymoon?”

  Jack paused once more, looking up at the material that covered the ceiling. For a moment, Royce wondered what it was. Chiffon? Tulle? Was there a difference?

  “Well...” Naomi’s dad scooped up some peanuts and shifted them in his fist. “Jeannie and I are family people. That’s part of what drew us to each other. But the time away was good for us. No work. A rarity for me, but I’m a convert.”

  “You’re really going to retire?”

  “Semiretire. Jeannie and I will both be on the Alaska Oil Barons board through the transition. After that, we’ll see.” The older man pinned Royce with a contemplative stare. “How are you and Naomi?”

  He wanted to stay present. Not think about their budding connection that went beyond the physical, or how much he would give for one last time with her in his bed, or how nothing had really changed.

  Or worst of all, their looming goodbye.

  But still, Naomi kept crossing his mind. His eyes kept searching for her.

  Angling more to the left, Royce kept her in his line of vision. Naomi stood with some of the employees. The new assistant, Milla, laughed as baby songs were played and excited participants shouted out the name of the mystery tune.

  All the men watched the commotion from afar. These baby songs were not nearly as inventive or creative as Royce’s periodic table lullaby. But whatever. Time to focus again.

  And stop avoiding Jack’s question about Royce’s relationship with Naomi. “We’re taking care of the girls.”

  Not untrue. The answer betrayed nothing of his feelings. Or her feelings, the ones he couldn’t read.