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“Tom's out getting us some lunch,” Serenity said. “I was resting. Travel exhausts me.” She turned to Jenna. “It's nice to see you again.”

“You, too,” Jenna said, sounding more grudging than pleased. “I have to admit, I don't know what to say to you. I wasn't prepared to meet you.”

Serenity sat on the square footrest, leaving the two wing chairs for Jenna and Beth.

“Perhaps we should have called,” Serenity murmured, looking concerned as she studied Jenna. “Tom mentioned it. I never wanted to hurt you or frighten you, but the idea to finally come and find you was so strong.”

“From the universe,” Jenna told her mother, then pressed her lips together.

“I've been waiting,” Serenity admitted to Beth. “For her to come to us. I started to think she never would, but then the universe let me know I needed to go to her.”

Beth wasn't usually critical of people, but this time she had to agree with her daughter. Serenity definitely fell in the crazy category. Although this kind of crazy was often harmless.

“How long are you in town?” she asked.

“We're not sure. A few weeks.” Serenity smiled at Jenna. “We wanted to give you the chance to get to know us, to ask any questions.”

“That would be nice,” Beth said, before Jenna could respond. “Jenna's busy with her store, but I'm sure there will be time for you to discover each other. Where do you live?”

“Napa Valley. We have a family winery. It's beautiful there.”

While Serenity answered Beth's questions, she looked only at Jenna. The hunger in her eyes made Beth a little uncomfortable. But she was determined to do the right thing.

“Any other children?”

Serenity finally turned to her. “Two boys. Despite our parents' refusal to believe Tom and I were in love, we stayed together all this time. We married out of high school. I got pregnant almost right away. I did love being pregnant.”

She would have loved it, too, Beth thought grimly. If she'd been able to carry a baby to term.

“What do your boys do?”

“Wolf, our youngest, runs the winery. Dragon—” The smile returned. “Dragon is a lawyer. We can barely believe it ourselves, but he swears he loves it. I'm not sure how he can exist in a city, away from the land and the sun. He's not one with the earth, but he never has been.”

“Children will go their own way,” Beth said, refusing to look at her daughter. The last thing she needed was to see Jenna right now. Odds were they would both break out into hysterical laughter.
One with the earth?

Then her humor faded. Serenity had been blessed with two more children. Beth would have liked that.

“Would you like some tea?” Serenity asked. “Dandelion root. I dried it myself.”

“No, thank you,” Beth murmured. “Two boys. That's so nice.”

“But you're my only daughter.” Serenity turned back to Jenna. “You would have loved growing up with us.”

“I'm happy with the life that I had,” Jenna said. She cleared her throat. “Although you do paint a vivid picture.”

Serenity swayed slightly on the sofa. “We would have called you Butterfly. If we'd kept you. Tom wrote a song about you. You'll have to ask him to play it when he gets back.”

 

Jenna did her best not to choke or run for the door. Butterfly?

“The boys got to be animals and I'm a bug?” she asked before she could stop herself. Only to slam into the realization that the “boys” in question were not only adults, but her brothers. As in
brothers.
She'd been an only child her whole life and now she had brothers.

“Technically Dragon is short for Dragonfly, but he's asked us not to call him that.”

Jenna looked at her mother, only to see Beth mouthing the words “Be nice.”

“Dragonfly?” Jenna asked, then wished she hadn't.

Serenity laughed. “He wasn't happy about it, but I kept seeing dragonflies when I was pregnant.”

Jenna thought about saying that it was good that Serenity hadn't been near a farm with really big pigs, but kept her mouth shut.

Everything about this felt completely surreal. How could people she'd never known show up and expect to have a connection with her?

“Do your boys look like you or Tom?” Beth asked.

“Mostly Tom.”

“Jenna looks like you.”

Jenna had to consciously keep from scowling.

“I think she's much prettier,” Serenity said.

“You won't have to worry about your weight as you get older,” Beth said to Jenna. She turned back to Serenity. “That's nice. I'm a lifetime member of Weight Watchers. Show me a food and I can tell you the points value. I just love their program.”

Jenna wanted to tell her mother to stop talking about her weight. She was beautiful, and Jenna wanted to be just like
her. Shorter and curvy and lush. And while she was at it, she wanted to walk away from this apartment and never talk to Serenity again.

She was angry with her birth parents for bursting into her life and really pissed at Beth for not being upset. Which probably didn't make sense, but at this point, she didn't care.

“Have you tried avoiding meat?” Serenity asked. “It's very healthy, and many people I know have lost weight with a vegetarian lifestyle.”

Jenna wanted to stand up and scream. Was Serenity implying her mother was fat?

Instead of getting upset, Beth laughed. “We're in Texas. Eating meat is practically a religion. Speaking of eating, I think we should all get together. You and Tom, Marshall and me and, of course, Jenna.”

“Jenna who brought us together,” Serenity said. “That would be very nice.”

Beth dug a piece of paper out of her purse and wrote on it. When she handed it to Serenity, she said, “Here's my home number and our address. How about brunch on Sunday?” She drew her eyebrows together. “Do you eat eggs?”

“We can,” Serenity said in a tone that implied she would rather not. “I'll bring a dish, as well.”

“That would be good.” Beth smiled. “I'll have to warn you, I'm not half the cook my daughter is.”

Without wanting to, Jenna looked at Serenity and knew in that second the other woman was thinking, “No,
my
daughter.” But she didn't say the words, which meant Jenna didn't have to scream. Probably best for all of them.

The need to attach herself to Beth, to proclaim their relationship, unnerved her. She and her mother didn't have anything to prove. Yet somehow Serenity's arrival had changed everything.

“How about eleven?” Beth asked.

“That would be lovely.”

Jenna stood. “I need to get back to work. It was, um, nice to see you again.”

Serenity rose, looking oddly elegant in her hippy dress. Her long hair should have made her look old, but it didn't. Somehow it suited her face.

“I guess I'll see you Sunday,” Jenna added, then fought unexpected guilt for not wanting to spend more time with them while they were here.

Screw that, she told herself. She hadn't asked for this visit, and they sure hadn't given her any warning. Sunday was plenty of time.

She'd barely spent a moment thinking about her birth parents. Now they were here. Just as strange, her mother was only about fifteen years older than she was.

“Lovely to meet you,” Beth said as they walked to the door. “Call if you need anything.”

“I'm sure the universe will provide,” Jenna muttered, when they were back outside.

She thought Beth would snap at her, but instead her mother laughed. “Serenity has a distinctive charm.”

“How can you say that?” It was practically a betrayal.

“Because she's unique and there aren't enough unique people in the world.”

Jenna shook her head. “There's something seriously wrong with you, Mom. You know that, right?”

Beth linked arms with her. “I've known it for years.”

T
here was nothing like the unexpected arrival of birth parents to put something as inconsequential as a blind date out of one's mind, Jenna thought as she studied herself in her bathroom mirror.

She'd spent most of Thursday and today trying to forget Serenity and Tom had ever shown up in her life, which proved impossible. Even work hadn't been enough of a distraction. But considering she was about to go on a date with a strange man who had a reputation for being a god in bed, getting her birth parents out of her mind should be relatively easy.

She studied the ruffled dress that Violet had rejected and decided it suited her just fine. She wasn't trying to be sexy or sophisticated. She simply wanted to get through the evening without embarrassing herself.

After slipping on high-heeled sandals, she grabbed her small purse, a pashmina wrap and headed for the door.

Fifteen minutes later she'd arrived in Old Town, parked her car and was standing in front of the restaurant where she was to meet Dr. Mark of the gifted penis. She eyed the bar and wondered how dangerous it was to get completely drunk. After all, the restaurant would call a cab to get her home and she could phone Violet and get a ride to work with her. Not that getting plastered would do much for her first impression in the dating department.

She walked into the Mexican restaurant and found a tall, good-looking blond guy chatting with the hostess. Judging from the way they were looking at each other, they were obviously enjoying getting to know each other.

Player, Jenna thought in disgust, and felt a flash of pity for the guy's date. Then her mind hiccupped as she recalled Violet's description of Dr. Mark and realized he very well might be
her
date.

She cleared her throat, and they both looked up. The hostess looked annoyed while the guy gave Jenna a not-very-subtle once-over. He moved toward her and smiled, showing dimples that only enhanced his looks.

“Please tell me you're Jenna,” he said in a low sexy voice. “If not, will you pretend to be?”

She wasn't sure if she should be flattered or insulted.

“I'm Jenna,” she said, figuring the truth was always a good fallback position.

“I'm Mark.” He took her hand, then brought it to his mouth where he lightly kissed her fingers. “I owe Violet big time.” He led her to the hostess.

“Table for two, somewhere private.”

The girl he'd been flirting with flashed him the hate stare, but he didn't notice. Jenna got the message, though.

Note to self, she thought. Violet wasn't kidding about this
guy being a player. Absolutely no emotional engagement was allowed.

As they were shown to a quiet table in back, Jenna tried to figure out if she could really have sex with a stranger. Mark was handsome enough and obviously practiced, but her body had never been one to perform on command. The theory of rebound sex was interesting, but she wasn't sure it was for her.

When they were seated, Mark moved his chair closer to hers. “Hello, Violet's friend. I understand you're new in town.”

“I've been back a couple of months.”

“Back from where?”

“Los Angeles.”

He studied her appraisingly. “I can see you on the beach.”

“I'm not really a beach kind of person. But I did go a few times.”

“I love the beach.”

She stared into his blue eyes. “You love the girls in bikinis.”

His smile was unrepentant. “God gave us beautiful women for a reason.”

“So you could admire them?”

“Something like that.”

The waiter appeared. Jenna risked ordering a margarita. Mark got a beer on tap.

She waited until they were alone before angling toward him. “Tell me about yourself.”

“I'm a doctor.” He paused, as if waiting for appropriate oohs and ahs.

“Violet mentioned that. What kind?”

“Orthopedic surgeon. Show me a broken bone and I'll heal it.”

“Just like Jesus.”

“Almost.” He flashed her a grin, then shifted his chair a little closer and took one of her hands in both of his. “I'm very good with bodies.”

He was close enough that she could inhale the scent of his skin. The smell was pleasant enough, but he was invading her personal space, which she didn't like.

“Do you handle any of the local sports teams?” she asked as a way to distract him.

“Mostly the Longhorns. I've fixed up several of their players. They have a team doctor but I'm called in for the difficult cases. Teams in other cities fly me in for consults.”

He got into his story, telling her about private jets, operating rooms in different cities and what it was like to watch a game on Sunday morning, knowing if someone got injured, he could get the call.

Their drinks arrived. She used the moment to inch her chair back and slide her glass away from him so he wouldn't hold her hand as much.

From his work, Mark segued to his personal travel. Jenna found herself thinking about Serenity and Tom and wondering what they were doing, alone in a strange city. While she didn't want to spend time with them, she also felt a little guilty for ignoring them. Telling herself they would be at brunch on Sunday wasn't enough.

This was all Beth's fault, she told herself. If her mother hadn't raised her to have good manners, she could cheerfully ignore her birth parents.

“Jenna?”

She looked at Mark.

“That was funny,” he said. “You're supposed to laugh.”

“Oh, I'm sorry.” She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened
them. “I'm distracted. You're great and this is fun, but I've had the weirdest week.”

“I know how that goes.” His smile was back, and interest danced through his deep, blue eyes.

“This is different from work issues though. Wednesday morning two strangers walked into my store. They seemed nice enough—maybe a little hippy. They announced they were my birth parents. I always knew I'd been adopted, but I never had any contact with them before. And there they were, in my store.”

He stared into her eyes and nodded. “That's rough.”

“Tell me about it. I totally freaked. I'm not looking for more parents. I love the ones I have. I just want the new ones to go home. Worse, they're hippies. Serenity and Atomic, if you can believe it. They would have called me Butterfly. Who does that to an innocent kid?”

He sipped his beer and nodded.

“But they're my blood relations, and they have two sons, who are my
brothers.
So there's this whole other part of my life I don't know about. It's confusing and kind of scary. I don't know what to do. My mom—my real mom—is having them over for brunch on Sunday. So I'll see them then. Part of me thinks that's plenty of getting-to-know-you-time while another part of me feels guilty about not hanging out with my biological parents more. Still, it's not like I asked them to show up.”

She sucked in a breath, then let it out slowly. “And I've just done the emotional dump thing, haven't I? Sorry.”

“It's fine.”

He captured her hand before she could pull it away and lightly kissed her knuckles. The contact was the most erotic thing to happen to her in close to six months, so she waited for the tingle or a whisper of heat. All that surfaced was the
realization she was going to have to wash her hands before she was comfortable diving into the chips and salsa.

“What's the plan?” Mark asked, running the tip of his tongue across the pads of her fingers.

“Plan?” Weren't they having dinner? This was a restaurant, right? Those sheets of paper in the corner of the table really looked like menus.

“Did you want to eat, or should we go somewhere private?”

Now she felt stupid. “Private?”

He leaned in close and pressed his mouth to her ear. “You're beautiful, Jenna. Soft and feminine.” His hand dropped to her knee, slipped under her dress and started a purposeful journey up her thigh.

She jumped and scooted the chair back about a foot. “What are you talking about?”

Mark looked more puzzled than annoyed. “Violet said you were looking for a rebound guy and I'm good with that.”

Jenna's mouth dropped open. She closed it only to have it fall open again.

“I thought this was a date,” she said at last. “I don't think I can have sex with a stranger.”

“That's because you've never tried.” He winked at her. “If you're worried it won't be good for you, there isn't a woman alive I can't please. I'm up for anything.” He grinned. “If you'll excuse the pun.”

She collected her purse and stood. “Mark, you're really, um, unexpected. I appreciate the offer, but I can't right now.”

“Want to go make out in my car? I bet I could change your mind.”

“Flattering, but no. I guess I'm not ready for a rebound guy.”

He stood. “I understand.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card. After writing on it, he handed it to her. “I've given you my cell phone number. When you change your mind, give me a call.”

He moved toward her, put one hand on her shoulder and bent to kiss her. While her instinct was to turn her head, she stayed where she was as his mouth brushed against hers.

The contact was soft and exploring. And she felt nothing. Yup—a hasty retreat was exactly right.

He straightened enough to whisper, “I make house calls.”

“Good to know.” She turned to leave, then looked back at him. “You going after the hostess?”

He chuckled. “Sure. Did you get a look at her ass?”

“No.”

“It's impressive,” he said with a wink.

“Okay, then.” Jenna couldn't find it in her heart to be angry. Violet had promised a player who was good in bed and that's who Mark was. There was an ick factor she couldn't overcome, but he was probably exactly what some other woman was looking for.

Once she got to her car, she grabbed her cell.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Mom. Are you and Dad up for some company?”

“Of course. Have you eaten?”

“No. Are there leftovers?”

“Yes, although I doubt they're up to your standards.”

“They'll be perfect. See you in a bit.”

She hung up, then started her car and drove the familiar route to her parents' house. Beth was waiting and opened the front door before Jenna could ring the bell.

Her mother took in the dress, the fluffy hair and extra makeup. “You look pretty. Were you on a date?”

“If that's what you want to call it.”

Beth grinned. “Really? That's wonderful. Tell me everything.” Her smile faded. “Wait. If you're done already, it didn't go well, did it?”

“Not exactly.”

“Come on, honey. We'll go in the kitchen and you can talk about it. I warned your father there might be girl talk, so he found a baseball game to watch.”

Jenna loved everything about being in the house. It was warm and welcoming, happy and familiar. Her mother settled on a bar stool in the kitchen while Jenna pulled containers of leftovers from the stainless steel refrigerator.

As she turned on the oven and reviewed the leftover potential, she explained Violet's theory of rebound guy.

“Makes sense,” her mother said. “You don't want to get serious too quickly.”

“I guess.” Jenna checked the vegetable drawer for herbs and pulled out some fresh basil. “But Dr. Mark was a pro.”

She detailed her date as she got out a premade single serving pizza crust from the pantry, then smoothed on the leftovers. After topping it with grated mozzarella, she added fresh basil, then put the whole thing in the oven.

Maybe she should do a pizza class, she thought absently. How pizza could be made with just about anything. It was a fun way to use up leftovers, and the mothers might appreciate it as a way to get their kids to eat all kinds of things.

Beth was laughing by the end of her story. “He actually said he could please any woman? There's a claim. You should have taken him up on it.”

“I'm not sure sex with a stranger is a stress I need right now.”

“It might make you feel better. Clear out the pipes, so to speak.”

“Mom!” Jenna was shocked. “I'm your daughter.”

“You're an adult. It could be fun. Dr. Mark sounds intriguing.”

“Then you go out with him.”

“I'm married.”

“I'm not sure that would bother him at all.”

Jenna moved toward her mother, who hugged her tight.

“You doing all right?” Beth asked.

Jenna knew they weren't talking about her date anymore. “I'm dealing. They haven't been in the store again, which is good. I'll see them Sunday.”

“Yes, you will. It will be fine, you'll see. We'll all get along.” Beth touched Jenna's cheek. “Want to spend the night?”

Jenna thought about her familiar room upstairs. The bed she'd had since she was a teenager. Not that she'd used it much, once she'd left for college. The attached bathroom was probably still stocked with her old perfumes and acne treatments.

“You should clean it out and make it a guest room.”

“We have a guest room.”

“Then take up a hobby. Scrapbooking or knitting. Only Ewe has classes.”

“I like that it's your room. It makes me happy.”

Jenna held on to her mother and kissed the top of her head. “I would love to stay the night.”

 

Violet was waiting when Jenna arrived at work the next morning.

“Now it's my turn to want details,” her friend said. “Tell me everything.”

Jenna laughed. “Mark was exactly as you promised. Handsome and more than willing to take care of my personal plumbing.”

Violet's dark eyebrows drew together. “Why don't I like the sound of that? It didn't go well, did it?”

“Not exactly. Mark was thinking that sex was a sure thing, while I wasn't sure I was ready to date.”