Chapter 1

Banff and Vancouver were huge towns to Wendy. She had graduated with all top scores in her 'A' levels and continued them through Uni.

Canada held very little for her though. Sure the clubs wanted her, they always wanted a pretty face. Several punters had suggested she join them, but that was not what she wanted.

It became an easy decision to leave home when her father told her he was getting married, again. Her future step-mother was 4 years younger than she was and wore clothes Wendy would not be caught dead in.

Getting a 'green card' for the US was not to difficult. It was good for a minimum of 90 days and if she got a job for three years. What to do she thought. Seattle and Tacoma were high on her list of places she might want to settle in. Without much thought as to the future, she packed her things, kissed 'Daddy' and her future step-mum goodbye and was able to book a train South.

Her cheque account was pretty good for a 22 yr-old, she thought. $15,000 US should see her through, at least until she found work. Or so she thought. When she arrived in Seattle, she went to the taxi stop and asked to be taken to a good hotel. The Ritz-Carlton was a good Hotel. The valet opened her door, took her bags(She had 2) and escorted her to the front desk after asking her if she was already registered.

The front desk was staffed with only one person when another clerk appeared and called her up to her position. Wendy smiled and calmly asked if she might get a room. After a quick check the clerk told her they were quite full but several basic rooms were still available. "Great" Wendy told her, "may I please have one?"

"Is this your first time with us Miss?"

"Yes, first time even in the US, I just graduated from Uni and wanted to start my new life here, Canada was wonderful but there is nothing there for me."

"I'll be able to include a breakfast and place you on a floor where food and drinks are complimentary. How long will you be staying with us?"

"I'm not certain, I've just arrived and not familiar what might be available?"

"Well, good luck to you Miss Canada, just remember, if you ever doubt yourself just bat your eyes, swish your hair and some 'Prince Charming' will come to your rescue. I'll need your credit card and you can tell the desk how long you'll be staying, it is normally $2,000 but I'll give you it for $1,500."

"But I'm not sure how long I need to stay!"

"That's OK Hon, if you stay longer than a week, I'll give you the weekly rate, instead of the daily."

At this point Wendy began to feel faint. When she woke up, she was lying on a couch in the hotel lobby, her head in the lap of a beautiful young girl who was wiping her face with a damp cloth. Covering her was a small blanket and her feet were bare.

"Just lie back. You gave us a bit of a fright you know? I was just checking out when you started to fall. My brother caught you and he is finishing up at the desk. I'm Miranda, Miranda White and my brother and I just moved here from Miami."

"I'm so sorry Miranda, my name is Wendy Darling, and I feel like such a fool." She began to give Miranda some of the details of her life and the fright she had upon discovering her 'nest egg' would be gone in a week or two. Tears started down her cheeks.

A gentle hand wiped those tears away. When she looked up a very tall man was smiling down at her. "A Princess never sheds any tears. She may cause them, but never shows them to us 'common folk'.

"Ha, my brother Mark. Always a knight in shining armour for a damsel in distress. Well we were headed out to our new place here and a bite of food, so unless you have a better offer your highness, come along. I think my brother has fallen under your spell and don't think will mind a another guest in the castle."

Actually princess was not a bad description of Wendy. She was tall, blonde and had a figure more like a Norse Goddess. Although going with a unknown couple was not something she would ever consider, after one look in the eyes of the 16 yr-old Miranda, the honesty and sincerity one found there was enough to ally any fears or concerns. The look on Mark's face had reminded Wendy of a 'lost puppy'. The gentle touch of his hand and soft voice belied his giant stature. That meeting was to start a chain of events that would change all their lives, forever.

It started as they were waiting in front of the hotel for Mark's car. The doorman seemed to be ignoring them and was holding open the door of a new White BMW 742 L.

Wendy remarked that "RHIP(Rank Has Its Privileges) I guess."

"Ahh, Wendy, he is waiting for you and Miranda to get in. The bugger hopes your dresses will ride up too." He laughed, as the girls climbed in, careful not to bare too much.

He tipped the man, smiled and drove off. "Will seafood be OK for both of you?"

"That's fine he heard in stereo.

"When I was up here to interview there was a very nice place near the house I bought. We can go there and I'll explain a bit about Miranda and me."

Miranda handed Wendy her cell phone. "Call home, tell them your here and will be starting a new adventure with us. The phones at home are not installed yet, so keep the cell and tell them you will update everything shortly. Tell them you have met a new little sister and she would be lost without you. Not to mention she has a 'really big brother', a single, one. He, he!"

Wendy began to blush. She dialed home. She got a recoding. "Dad, I'm in Seattle. Everything is so different here. So expensive. I met a friend, two actually, and her name is Miranda. She and her brother say they are taking me on an adventure. If the last few hours are any indication, I believe her

They crossed a long bridge when they left Seattle proper. A short while later they pulled into the parking area for a place called Anthony's Star of the Sea Grotto. "We're in Kent' Mark said, not too far from the house. We came here to celebrate when I signed on and I fell in love with the area. Seeing Mt. Rainer whenever I go to work will be great," the big man said.

They were shortly seated, by a window overlooking the water. Miranda reached over and took Wendy's hand in hers. "I am sorry that we seemed to just drag you along. Mark will take you wherever you want to go, but please hear me out?" Tears were streaming from the little girl and her brother had a napkin to his face, his eyes misting.

"Mark is all I have in this world. He was away at school when Mom and Dad were killed and I was, I was... , I was attacked while we were home. Oh, I can't go on!"

"What Miranda is saying that we are Orphans. Miranda has been fighting the terror of losing everything that night. Not easy for a 15 year-old. I came home as soon as I heard. She was in Hospital and then home for about 6 months. When I got a offer here I was not going to accept. My little sister started to beat me up saying I would be a fool to give up everything I had worked for since I was 12 years old. She the told me she would go with me, to keep me out of trouble."

Miranda was drying her red eyes some, blowing her nose and said, "Yeah, sure 90 lbs vs. 220 lbs, no contest."

"Wendy she has given up everything she has ever known for me, for me to have my dream. When she helped you, I saw something in her that made her reach out to another human in pain. I would do anything for her. I can do most anything now too. My work often takes me away. We knew that when we came here. Until we met you, I was the only friend she had in the world. Will you be her friend too?"

The waitress had brought us some rolls and water. I took a bite of one as tears rolled down. I looked away to the water, then at Mark with his head in his hands. When I looked at Miranda, she was looking down, folding her napkin open and closed. It was not rocket science, I slipped my hand in hers and said, "Gee Sis, I'm hungry. is that big lug going to get us more than bread and water?"

The look on her face was priceless. "Mark, food or Sis and I are going to beat you up."

We girls excused ourselves to go 'freshen up'. As we were leaving Mark reached for my hand. I told Miranda I would be right there.

"Wendy, from the bottom of my heart you will never want for anything. You are my Sister too and have a home for the rest of your life."

I followed Miranda. Those words would take on a new meaning, I just did not realize it.

In the powder room, a little 90 lb pixie launched herself into my arms hugging and kissing until I almost fell down. She started jumping and dancing around. "I have a sister, I have a sister." She kept this up until, I took her hand and said. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry, you're getting to be as bad as Mark.

We went back to the booth. "I took the liberty, my ladies, to order us some food."

MMMM, I ate and ate and ate. Mark just sat back and watched as Miranda and I ate everything brought out.

We left Anthony's. Miranda and I lay back in the soft and wonderful seats as Mark began the short drive to his new house.

We pulled off Highway 5, onto a winding gravel road. Up ahead one could see water all around. As we rode up the rise a medieval looking castle loomed into view. A silver convertible was parked at the entrance, a tall, older blond near it. This was going to be a day of surprises. As we got out of the car, the blond walked up to Mark and held out her hand, in it were a set of keys.

"Welcome to your castle Mr. White." The look she gave Mark was that of a wolf before dining on a lamb.

"Thank you very much Miss Davis. Let me have you meet my sister Miranda", she offered her hand, "and my fiancée', Wendy." Either I did not hear properly, or this was still part of my dream. The blond's face fell a mile.

She tried to recover and wanted to show Mark around. I may have been dreaming, but after my experiences with a future 18 year-old step-mom I was not about to let this hussy charm Mark away. I ran up to him and threw my arms around his neck giving him hugs and kisses. I said,, "Darling, I love it, our children will be in heaven here."

Miranda, laughing, told the blond that she thought Wendy wanted Mark to show her around a very important room in the house. The blond left them in a bit of a huff.

When she left, the three of us could not stop laughing. Mark later said it was the first time he had seen Miranda laugh since that night their parents had been killed. Not to let it take hold, I took their hands in mine and said, "Now dear, show your sister and fiancée their new home." I got two strange looks, then two hugs and kisses. It was a feeling of a family I never had. I later found out it was a feeling that Mark and Miranda had lost when their parents had been killed.