Chapter 1

Josephine O'Bannon loves her twin sister JoAnne. Really, she does. Still watching her happily ever after stings.

[1]

　

My sister didn’t marry a prince but she did get married in a castle. Okay, technically it may not have been a castle. We didn’t have castles in America, at least nothing other countries classified as castles. American Castles were called Estates and Jo’s wedding had taken place on one of the country’s most prestigious.

 

The Baker Estate was America’s second largest private residence, and the Baker family, one of the country’s oldest and most stuffy privileged bunch of 1%’ers, had graciously opened their doors for the wedding. The estate was grand, a one hundred square foot chateau that boasted a hundred and twenty seven rooms, forty seven of which were bedrooms, seven of THEM suites, and a grand ballroom large enough to seat three hundred guests, all on five hundred acres of private family owned land.

 

Of course the Bakers didn’t open up their flagship family residence out of the kindness of their hearts. The estate may have been Baker family owned but it was virtually uninhabited. None of the family lived on site and from what I recall the Baker clan only set foot in the place for holiday’s and special occasions. The home was the only place big enough, and fancy enough, to drag them all back to New York without the usual petty squabbling over WHERE everyone would rest their heads. The estate had been in the family for nearly a hundred years and nobody doubted it’s opulence and appropriateness for a family get together.

 

My sister’s new sister-in-law had managed to talk the Baker family into opening up the Estate for the wedding through a series of bribes. The Lucas clan, a group that dwarfed the Bakers in fortune, power, and influence, had previously been snubbed by the old money establishment. They were considered ‘new money’ by all of the good old boys and had been virtually ignored since Grandpa Lucas had made the family fortune in Petroleum in the nineteen forties and fifties.

 

Lucas Petroleum had cemented the family into the billionaire stratosphere but it wasn’t until the family started Lucas Technologies that they’d really cemented their status as powerful and elite. Of course Lucas Tech wasn’t technically owned by the family. The corporation was owned by Doyle Lucas, a genius with an eidetic memory who graduated from MIT at twelve and started the worlds most profitable company when he was fourteen. He also happened to be my new brother-in-law. The family had given him generous financial backing to start the company and that financial backing, repaid with Lucas Tech shares, was now worth nearly triple the family’s previous family fortune. Nobody was exactly sure how much that was but rumor had it the family assets totaled nearly a hundred billion dollars. This seemed a generous estimate to me but who was I to protest it?

 

When the Lucas family approached the Bakers about using their family estate for the wedding, the Bakers generously accepted. With a few stipulations. The Bakers were to be given seats of prominence throughout the festivities. This included having my sister make Robin Baker, the Baker family high profile fashionista and tabloid darling, a bridesmaid. And having Clint Baker, a local political power broker in training, as a groomsman. Clint Baker was also to be taken to Washington DC and given first hand knowledge on making politics his career of choice. The Lucas family were clearly the Go-to family to achieve this goal, Harvey Lucas, family patriarch since Grandpa Lucas’ death, was currently Vice President of the United States and President-Elect. The most powerful man in the world who sat at the head of the most powerful family in the country was to be Clint‘s mentor. The Baker’s snobby ignoring of the Lucas clan had ended with the first election that put Harvey Lucas in the VP office. The Lucas Anti-crime bill, a program that had brought law and order to the internet and had resulted in the rounding up of over a thousand hardcore child pornographers world wide, had gotten the whole country onboard and won Harvey the White House.

 

Of course all of this went on around me, floating in space above my head like a cloud of smoke. I hadn’t taken an interest in any of it yet here I was front and center surrounded by a former President, a sitting President, and a future president. Not to mention a host of foreign dignitaries and two foreign heads of state. Two governors, three senators, a group of Hollywood celebrities and enough Media to make William and Kate’s wedding look like a small family gathering. I’d been photographed more today than I had been in my whole life and despite my ‘normal girl’ status I was being treated like a VIP.

 

Of course the fact that it was MY sister’s wedding, my TWIN sister’s wedding at that, made that a bit understandable. Not to mention everybody in the World knew my sister’s face and therefore they all knew MY face. Not just because her husband was the second richest man on the planet but because she was technically a hero. A world famous celebrity who with her husband had found a way to police the on line labyrinth of crime and smut known as the internet. It was her plan that led to the world wide rounding up of over a thousand perverts. May 12, D-Day.

 

Adoration aside she didn’t walk away from the situation totally unscathed. A week after having her photograph plastered on every newspaper around the world she was shot in her drive-way by a pervert out on bail for kiddie porn distribution. The shooting had left her husband Doyle with a gunshot wound to the shoulder and had left Jo with severe spinal damage. As if things couldn’t get any worse a hospital source leaked to the press that she was six weeks pregnant at the time of the shooting and she had not only lost the baby she was carrying but had also lost ability to have a baby in the future. The shooting also happened to be at the precise moment her prince charming to-be was down on his knee popping the question.

 

She spent nearly a month in the hospital with a throng of reporters documenting the whole thing. With the twenty four hour news cycle every aspect of her life was explored and even her screw ups had somehow become admirable. Taking time off after high school to get a job stocking shelves at a supermarket became romantic because it was there that she met her future husband. Lying to everyone and bribing your way into a prestigious university was okay too because she’d used the education to do something good.

 

It was total crap. She spends a whole year playing around with her new boy toy and she’s praised for it. Meanwhile I toil away at my back up school then work my butt off at one of the countries most prestigious Medical schools and nothing. I’m the less impressive sister.

 

“Thirsty?” The bartender asked as I sat down at the bar. He was a handsome guy with chubby round cheeks and friendly green eyes. His hair was thinning into a widows peak but he somehow made it work for him. In another life he could have been a B-list movie star, or at least a FORMER print model. Still it was a stupid question and I reacted accordingly.

 

“No. I’m just going to sit here and stare at myself in the mirror.” It was a bitchy thing to do but I was entitled. My sister just married a handsome, sexy, genius, billionaire and I hadn‘t had sex in over a year. I was allowed to be a bit bitchy.

 

The bartender didn’t bother getting offended. Instead he smiled at me pleasantly, shrugged his broad shoulders, and began to walk away.

 

“Hey. I was joking.” I said, surprised at his reaction.

 

He snorted at me letting on that he knew what I was doing and was getting a subtle yet totally appropriate revenge. “Oh, I’m sorry I must have misunderstood. What can I get for you?” He was still smiling at me, no hint of frustration on his face and I let my bitchiness pass.

 

I ordered a scotch and soda, a heavy drink for such a stuffy occasion, and he returned with it in record time. I slid him a ten dollar bill despite the open bar as an apology for my behavior and he finally stopped smiling. I got the impression smiling was his go to response for dealing with snobby b*****s.

 

“Nice service?” He asked. I didn’t get the impression he actually cared but asking was the polite thing to do and upscale bartenders were nothing if not polite. Even when they were showing me up for misbehaving.

 

The service WAS nice. Expectantly beautiful and perfect. Jo had even surprised her husband to-be by getting out of her wheelchair and walking down the aisle. True my father held her tightly and led the way but seeing her up and out of her chair was enough to bring the whole room to near tears. Cinder-Freaking-rella.

 

Jo’s spinal damage had made walking difficult for her. Her spinal surgeon had said with physical therapy she MAY be able to get around on crutches, one day. As a doctor I knew that meant tough luck, get used to the chair, but said nothing to her about this second opinion. Yet somehow Jo had managed to make it work, defying the odds once again to climb out of her wheelchair and walk to her future husband. Even I was shocked to see her on her feet, she hadn‘t mentioned anything about walking to me.

 

“It was lovely.” I couldn’t keep playing the b***h, somebody would notice. My mother had already ordered me to stop frowning so much earlier today and I realized I wasn’t doing a good job of holding my emotions.

 

“Good. I heard your sister walked down the aisle. You must have been blown away. That had to be one hell of a surprise.”

 

I smiled this time. “It was lovely,” I said before downing my drink and pushing myself away from the bar.

 

I felt the hand snake around my wrist and felt the tug. “Josie, Jo’s looking for you. It’s almost time to do the toast.”

 

Rachel Rafferty was my sister’s ex partner on the Memphis police force. Jo and Doyle were employed there for a few years while they worked on their plan to save the online world from crime and smut. Rachel was a tall and pretty freckle faced girl with red hair and muscles that should have been gross but somehow managed to make her look sexy. She rarely left Jo’s side and had served as the unofficial Maid of Honor this weekend. She’d practically planned the whole weekend’s activities, despite that technically being MY duty, and had offered to handle the details after the wedding so I could enjoy myself. I got the feeling that she thought I was a slacker and wouldn’t put forth the effort, or worse figured I’d screw it up. Of course this I decided to overlook, if she wanted to do the dirty work and give me all the credit who was I to argue with her?

 

Rachel was with my sister everyday now. Luke, actually Doyle but Jo insisted on calling him by his incognito name, even now that the cat was out of the bag. Luke, had hired her to be Jo’s personal head of security. It was Rachel’s job to get Jo to and fro safely. I actually thought it was a bullshit job, Jo had a team of ex-military bodyguards who traveled everywhere with her these days, not to mention a personal assistant/nurse who was always a few feet away. Rachel I was sure was just a buddy. Somebody familiar who Jo trusted implicitly who would always be around to look out for her. Rachel surely fit the bill. Despite being an EX-cop she still carried her gun in a shoulder holster and I was positive she’d use the thing on a stalker without thinking twice about it. Rachel had a hero worship thing going on with Jo that I didn’t really understand. It was common, everybody seemed to adore Jo these days, but Rachel knew Jo before all the hoopla, they’d rode together and solved crimes together as police officers. It didn’t make sense to me that she’d suddenly be star struck by her.

 

“Okay.” Was all I could say. Rachel and I were friendly to one another but I got the feeling she didn’t like me and I didn’t care much for her either. There was no animosity but I was positive Rachel was intent on besting me for my sister’s affection

.

“Is your speech close by?”

 

The speech. She’d been bugging me about this speech for weeks. I would have told her to shut up and mind her own business if I wasn’t positive she’d beat the crap out of me. Rachel’s muscles had muscles and I was sure she could use them to beat me within an inch of my life without breaking a sweat if she were so inclined.

 

“I’m okay.” I said taking off towards the ball room. I got a few steps when the drink the semi-cute bartender poured me hit my system. It felt like I’d been doused with gasoline and had swallowed a razor blade.

 

“Oh, here she is ladies and gentlemen, the Maid of honor.” The guy with the stick said. The family had hired a string quartet to perform the music, complete with stick waver to direct the whole thing. Somehow he’d fancied himself in charge of the whole affair and had commandeered the microphone several times throughout the evening to make announcements.

 

“Ladies and Gentlemen, our maid of honor, sister of the bride. Dr. Josephine O’Bannon.”

 

Here we go, I told myself still a bit woozy from the alcohol I’d downed like a drunken sailor in a seaside port bar.

 

I steadied myself and walked my best dignified walk to the front of the room and grabbed the microphone from stick man. Reality hit me faster than my whiskey. Why the hell hadn’t I written a speech. Half the UN was in attendance and I was about to make a complete fool of myself. I cleared my throat nervously and gave my sister a look. She looked so happy, so proud. Damnit, I was going to have to wing it.

 

“Well, as I look around the room I see the most powerful men in the world are in attendance. Daddy, Grandpa, love you both.”

 

The room erupted in a chorus of laughter and I loosened up a bit. Okay, I can do this.

 

“Growing up nobody explains the rules to you about having a twin sister. On one hand there is an unbreakable bond between you, the type of thing nobody understands. I stub my toe, she says ouch, that sort of thing. Okay that’s just a myth but you guys get it.”

 

More chuckles.

 

“The bond is real though. It’s stronger than anything I can explain. It makes me do crazy things. It made me hop on a plane at four in the morning without packing a bag after buying a one way ticket to a major metropolitan city. It’s a bond that made my three security checks and two pat downs seem insignificant because my sister was in the hospital. It’s a bond that will turn me into a total maniac dictator, ordering around doctors and nurses like a mad woman and threatening the Governor of Tennessee with physical violence when he offers to buy me a cup of coffee.” I looked across the room to the governor who was laughing with his wife. “Sorry Governor.” Half the room laughed nervously wondering if this had actually happened while the other half started whispering. The governor gave me a thumbs up and yelled ‘no sweat kid’ and the room finally broke down and laughed freely. “It’s a bond that can make everything else in the world seem insignificant.”

 

“On the other hand the normal stuff is still there. Fights over who was going to get to marry Justin Timberlake.” I looked over at Jo who had turned a bit red. “Lot of good those dibs are going to do you now sis.” I teased. She covered her face with her hand shyly fighting off laughter. “Arguments over who was prettier.” I looked out into the crowd with exaggerated relaxation and comfort. “It’s a twin thing we did growing up to try to prove to ourselves we didn’t look exactly alike. And thanks mom for always settling it with a coin toss.”

 

More laughter.

 

“Yet as we got older and grew apart I started to see my sister differently. She was and still is fiercely independent and strong. She’s kind and open to new things. And she’s done all the cool stuff we all say we’ll try one day but know we won’t. Base jumping, sky diving, rock climbing. She’s basically Indiana Jones in a Sun Dress.”

 

I saw Jo was still beet red and realized even Rachel was smiling.

 

“When she told me on our high school graduation day that she was taking a year off before college to find herself and see the world I admired her for it. Still like any sister I secretly hoped she’d fall flat on her face and come crawling back to me for advice on how to fix her life.” I looked at Jo who seemed genuinely amused by this if not completely shocked. “Sorry sis, it was done with love so don‘t sweat it.” The room continued to laugh and Jo, good sport that she was, blew me a playful kiss.

 

“When she called me and told me she met a boy, while working at her job as a cashier and stock girl at a supermarket by the way, and told me they were going to travel the country together I flipped out. And as per our custom, I hopped in my car and drove up from Auburn to meet him and make sure he wasn’t some weirdo with a Scooby Doo van. After an hour of listening to her tell me how great he was she finally made me go to lunch with him to see for myself. After about twenty minutes I realized Doyle was a good guy. And between friends I briefly entertained the idea of trying to steal him.”

 

Doyle laughed at this. Our meeting was friendly but I’d threatened him several times throughout the afternoon. Stealing him was the last thing on my mind.

 

“You did not, you threatened to hunt me down if I didn‘t bring her back in one piece.” He said with a smile.

 

“I don’t remember it that way at all. Who’s giving this speech anyway, me or you? Quiet down Richie Rich, I‘m trying to do something up here.” I teased causing the room to laugh even harder.

 

“But after a trip around this beautiful country of ours, college, and changing the world together these two are still inseparable. They still look at one another the same way they did over ten years ago. They’re still laughing at each other’s lame jokes and playing scrabble on Saturday nights like a couple of ninety year olds. And seeing this I admit in front of witnesses that the sibling rivalry is officially over and I concede the crown to my sister Jo, the only person on Earth I‘d ever consider trading places with. To my new brother in law I officially task you with the duty of taking care of my better half. My twin and best friend, my only sister and my hero. You couldn’t ask for a better wife and partner. And as long as you keep looking at her the way you do when you think nobody’s paying attention I know she’ll be loved and cherished for the rest of her life. I’m trusting you with the thing most precious to me and I know I can trust you because when you found out she may never walk again you looked her in the eyes and told her you’d carry her in your arms if you had to. If I find a man as half as dashing, and smart and kind as you I’ll consider myself lucky. Still, know that I have no problem hopping on an airplane in the middle of the night, or driving across country on a whim so your officially on notice. And Jo the rivalry may be over but don’t worry about me because you probably have the most famous face in the world and I’m a dead ringer for you so I plan on riding your coattails off into the sunset. So to my sister and her husband, Jo and Doyle, I love you both and may today be the first day of the happiest time of your lives. To the bride and groom.”

Author's Note

Give me some honest constructive feedback, please. Not great with punctuation but I'm working on it. Tell me what you think.