“Non, Cherie. I do not.”
He seemed so relaxed this morning. Nights spent in his arms, talking about stupid stuff like which superhero movie was better (he’d seen every Spiderman and Superman, and so far thought the superhero customs much too girlie for him-- but she’d promised he’d love Iron Man), or how to make the perfect soufflé without causing the top to sink in, had only made her feel closer to him. Apart from the first night, they’d not discussed the fairies, the pendant, or any other part of his past. It was the elephant in the room both refused to broach. She wasn’t stupid, eventually they’d have to talk about what happened after the month, but not now.
Now was a time of discovery.
Each day was a new surprise. Like finding he was a closet metro. Though, that wasn’t really all that surprising. Even now, just to go fishing, he had his dark brown hair slicked back, he’d chosen the pair of jeans with cross stitched pockets and a dark burgundy shirt. In no way did he look comfortable, unlike her in a pair of cut off blue jeans and ribbed tank top. Then again, she was wearing makeup… bit of a pot/kettle moment there.
But there were other things, cool things she bet only she knew now. Like the fact that he loved to have the shell of his ear rubbed right before bed. That his favorite color was gray-- though not the dreary gray of a cloudy morning, but the lavender gray of twilight. If he’d been born on Earth he’d have been a master chef, that apart from sex, the man also had a true passion for cooking and was damn good at it.
In turn he put up with her Manga obsession, watching one episode of Dragon Love Spell after another, long into the night. Discussing why overly dramatized facial expressions conveyed a truer sense of emotion as opposed to the Americanized drawings, and how Xena could have kicked any gladiator’s butt. A point he hotly denied.
“I’m going to have to introduce you to my brother,” she said.
He brushed the pad of his thumb against her neck and the touch was electric, snapping her nerves to life and making her every cell hyperaware of his proximity. She breathed, tasting the scent of his woodsy cologne on her tongue.
“I was beginning to wonder if you’d let anyone else know I existed.” His tone was teasing, and the deep tenor of his accent made her roll down a window, suddenly hot and shaky.
The cool breeze caressed her flesh, helping her to think clearer.
“He’ll want to meet you because of Briley.” She nibbled her lip. “Have you ever been around someone with down syndrome, Gerard?”
“What is that?” he asked, cocking his head.
Spying Kelly’s white farmhouse in the distance, she slowed down to twenty miles per hour so she could finish their talk.
“It’s a chromosomal disorder. Makes kids slower to learn and develop. But they’re smart as a whip.” She jerked to look at him, nodding hard. “So don’t you dare treat him bad, or be mean. I’m serious, Gerard. I’m very careful who I let around my nephew, so if you’ve got a problem now, you tell me.”
His eyes widened, and he held up his hands. “Peace, Cherie. I’ll not harm the boy. I confess I know nothing of that disorder, but I’ll be on my best behavior.” He crossed his heart and she was pretty sure hers melted.
“Okay, well come on then.” She pulled into the gravel driveway and parked the car. The moment she stopped, the red door flew open and an adorable blond headed child waved at her.
She smiled.
“Is that Briley?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Aunt Betty,” Briley was halfway down the steps and running full tilt toward her, his arms open and wearing his hunter’s green fishing jacket. A tan piece of fabric bulged from his hand. “I’m ready. I’m ready. I’m gonna catch lots of largemouth bass.”
Then he slammed into her with the joyful exuberance unique to him. She hugged him tight, squeezing hard and peppering his forehead with kisses. “Missed you, monkey butt. Golly, it’s been a long time. Well let me look at you.”
She pushed him back to arms length, putting on a show of studying him. His warm brown eyes glowed, the exact shade of melted chocolate, they always sparkled with life. He giggled. “You saw me three weeks ago.”
“No way,” she shook her head, “because I swear you grew an inch. No five!”
“Aunt Betty,” Briley giggled and hugged her again.
She ruffled his hair. Kelly clapped her on the shoulder, his other hand full of fishing rod, tackle box, and a Spiderman book bag. Betty looked up. “Oh jeez, K, you’ve looked better.”
The man didn’t just sport a five o’clock shadow, more like a ten, and his brown hair had been finger brushed, if that. His blue scrubs though were sharp and wrinkle free as always. “Too many shifts, not enough sleep, and now Jennifer drops him off late last night...”