“Hasn’t he?” Amber asked. “I didn’t know.”
“Maybe if Mom let him go outside more, his breathing would get better for good,” Lauren suggested.
“Elliot’s been sick since he was little,” Amber replied. She didn’t want to shoot down the idea that Elliot might one day get better, but it wasn’t something they could risk taking for granted. They’d need to see how Elliot responded over the next few days. Abandoning his inhaler might put his life at risk. “I’m sure Shawn will keep an eye on him and make sure he’s getting the correct dose of meds.”
“Do you think if Elliot gets better here, we might be able to stay?” Lauren asked hopefully.
“Honey, these are all things your mom and dad have to agree on. It doesn’t have a lot to do with me.” Amber glanced at Kelos. He’d been keeping out of the conversation since it had even less to do with him.
“One thing I’ve learned,” Kelos began, “is that you have to take one day at a time. And one step at a time. Only then can you see where the road is taking you.”
“I thought if Aunt Amber spoke to Mom, she might at least think about it.” Lauren’s hopeful expression was enough to break his heart.
“Once the court case is over, your mom and dad can start making those kind of decisions.” Amber poured the tea, her eyes locking with Kelos’s for a moment. She pressed her lips together and raised her eyebrows as if asking for help.
The only help he could give was to change the subject. “After we’ve had tea, I have some work to do on the house. Do you want to give me a hand?”
“Me?” Lauren asked, her cheeks flushed pink with excitement. “I’d love to.”
“Why don’t you go out to your mom and we’ll bring the refreshments?” Amber watched Lauren skip out of the kitchen. “She’s a good kid.”
“They’re both good kids from what I’ve seen so far,” Kelos replied. “They must remind you of you and your brother.”
“They do.” Amber smiled to herself as she picked up the tea tray.
“Why don’t I take that?” Kelos’s fingers curled around the edge of the tray.
“I can manage,” Amber insisted.
“I know you can, but I thought if I carried this, you could bring out the sodas and also grab the cookies. It might sweeten Margie’s mood.” Kelos shrugged. “Do you think that’ll work?”
“Are you the kind of guy who thinks that all you need to do to get a woman to be in a better mood is feed her chocolate?” Amber asked bluntly.
“No.” His eyes widened as he shook his head.
“Then you still have a lot to learn.” Amber winked at him as she relinquished her hold on the tea tray. Swinging around to face the cupboards, she asked, “Which one?”
“The one on your left.” Kelos chuckled as he waited for his mate to retrieve the cookies then he left the kitchen with Amber following behind. He paused and scanned the back yard and the surrounding area.
Beyond the perimeter of the house, he could not sense anything other than small animals and birds. His attention shifted to the immediate area where Shawn was quietly talking to Margie. They were seated side by side while Elliot, Lauren, and Jane explored the back yard. With its wide grassy lawn, which needed a good mow around its overgrown borders, the area was a wonderful place for children to run and explore in relative safety.
However, Margie watched her children like a hawk, not taking her eyes off them for more than a moment as she talked to Shawn.
“I think the only way Margie is ever going to be happy again is when Fabian is safely home.” Amber glanced sideways at Kelos. “Wherever their home might be.”
He nodded. “No wonder she is so protective of the children.”
“She’s always been a little overprotective, but since this started, I think the need to keep her family safe has weighed heavy on her. Particularly now that she’s on her own.” Amber gave a small smile. “Despite her faults, Margie loves her family with a passion that would put even a shifter to shame.”
“Is that a challenge?” Kelos asked.
“What if it was?” Amber teased then inclined her head toward the others. “Come on, they will wonder what we are talking about.”
Kelos followed his mate across the back yard to where Shawn and Margie were seated in the sun. Margie glanced up quickly before obsessively switching her gaze back to the children. “Here, tea and cookies.” He placed the tray down and handed out the mugs of tea. “They are safe here, Margie.”
Margie blinked rapidly as if she hadn’t heard what he’d said. “I just worry what might be out there.” She nodded toward the mountain as if expecting a monster to rear its head out of the trees and throw boulders at them. Or worse.
There are no such things as monsters, his dragon reminded him.
Margie and Amber thought there were no such things as dragons until they met us, Kelos reminded him.
Does Margie know we are a dragon? his other side asked. If she did, I would expect her to be more nervous around us.
Yes, she would likely be more concerned that we might bite their heads off if they made too much noise, Kelos agreed. Amber must be keeping us a secret.
“You don’t have to worry about the children when you have two shifters here,” Shawn consoled Margie. “We can sense if anyone is around and there is no one else for miles.” The doctor glanced at Kelos. “That’s why you chose the house, isn’t it, Kelos?”
“One of the reasons,” Kelos replied.
“The other is because it was cheap.” The doctor chuckled to himself as he sipped his tea.
“Why is that an issue?” Amber cut in sharply.
“It’s okay.” Kelos felt a surge of pride that his mate was so willing
