She covered her mouth.
“What is it?” Sunny asked. She walked over to take a look and then snapped her attention to Justus. “You painted this?”
He ran his hand over his bristly scalp and glanced up at the mirage of stars on the ceiling that held the kids spellbound.
Page tilted the frame for Sunny to grip and lurched to her feet. His heart hammered against his chest as she closed the distance between them and sat on his lap.
She cupped his cheek in her hand. “My beautiful man.” While her perfume was sweet, it wasn’t nearly as sweet as the kiss she delivered.
An overwhelming sense of protectiveness flooded through him. A reminder that he’d die for this woman.
She traced her fingers over a pattern in his tribal tattoo that was hers—the one he’d woven in with the others. “It fills me with such joy to know you’re painting again,” she said softly. “You shouldn’t hide that kind of talent. Maybe you think it belongs to the man you once were, but you’re still that man. Just a little older. Maybe a little wiser.”
He smirked. “Maybe?”
She curled up against him and chuckled softly. “A sumo tree ornament?”
“I’m glad the painting pleases you,” he whispered.
Page stroked his jaw and kissed him on the mouth. “You please me.”
Justus had learned over the years that Page couldn’t be wooed with expensive things, unlike the women he’d previously been with. She preferred a book of poetry over a diamond necklace, or him cooking dinner over going to a gourmet restaurant. When she’d given him an art studio, his feelings about it were mixed. Painting reminded him of the man he once was before immortality and wars had changed him. Yet having his past collide with his future wasn’t as catastrophic as he’d imagined it would be. It gave him quiet time to gather his thoughts and be present. Painting was once a respected profession, but now people thought such frivolities meant a man was too soft, and that’s not the impression Justus wanted people to have of him.
“What are your thoughts on a nude portrait?” he asked.
Page snorted. “I’d love one of you. Maybe lying on a shag rug or—”
She giggled when he tickled her side.
“Simon!” Finn shouted. “I’m taking the dog for a walk. He left you a present by your shoes.”
Chapter 13
Silver
Just before noon, everyone was ready to eat. Logan set up a virtual chat with Kane and Caroline, and Sunny gave them a tour around the room before we set the laptop on a table and chatted with them for a while.
When I went upstairs to heat up a few remaining side dishes, Logan followed behind to load up the cart Finn had brought up. He had to make several trips to get it all down, and Levi helped carry the rest of it from his kitchen, including a small ham, which he was happily in charge of slicing.
Candles and hurricane lamps on the table and buffet table flickered, casting a magical spell on the room. The light sparkled off the crystal glasses and fine china, and silverware was placed on the folded napkins, ready to slice into the bounty of food that awaited us. The ham glistened, and the delectable smells from turkey, dressing, and pies wafted through the room. Everyone gathered at the table except for Knox, who was fast asleep by the fire. I had a clear view of him from my seat near the left end of the table.
Logan stood up and raised his glass. “To Silver… for making this occasion one that will live in our memories forever. To my family, which I consider each person sitting at this table to be, may you have a prosperous year ahead. May you all be blessed by the fates, and may we have enough wisdom to see the joy in our lives no matter what destiny we’re given.”
“Cheers,” everyone said, their glasses clinking together.
Logan’s speech inspired Leo to say something, and the next thing we knew, everyone was making a toast. Even Rose, who said, “I like everybody here, and I want pie for dessert.”
An hour later, we had gone from serious conversation to laughter as we recounted funny stories, including the time a bunch of baby ducks followed Levi home, thinking he was their mother.
“Mmm, this is so good,” Page said, working on her second helping. “I’m going to need a long nap after all this.”
I laughed. “We haven’t even touched dessert. I thought maybe after everyone’s done eating we could clear the table and play games. Does anyone want me to put some coffee on?”
Lucian set down his glass. “I’ll take care of it when I clear my plate. I’ve also got some imported beer if anyone’s interested.”
“Interested,” Adam said, raising two fingers.
“Same,” Levi said, also raising his hand. “No offense, Simon, but wine knocks me out. I like to be lucid when I’m eating.”
