Before any of them could answer, a lanky figure appeared in the doorway, hovering like a sparrow unsure whether to land. The boy was thin with dark curly hair cut close on the sides and enormous black eyes. He wore a kitchen apron that was far too large for him, and his fingers twisted one corner of it.
“Lady Serafina, this is my grandson, Addison. Addison, this is Lady Serafina.”
His eyes darted up to meet mine for just a moment before fixing on the floor again.
“Hello,” he whispered, a faint Spanish accent in his voice.
His posture, the way his shoulders curled inward to make himself smaller, reminded me of myself during those first terrible weeks after Papa died and Arabesque had locked me in the root cellar for “sniveling too loud.”
Fourteen going on ghost, I thought.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Addison. The food is always so wonderful. You and your grandmother are very talented.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” He didn’t look up.
And I knew something awful had happened to this boy. I could sense it like a bruise beneath the skin. It wasn’t only in his hesitant speech or the way he stood like he was ready to flee, but also in Mrs. Wentzel’s watchful eyes and the way she positioned herself slightly between him and the rest of us.
“I hope we’ll get to know each other better,” I said, meaning every word. “Maybe you could show me around the kitchen sometime? I love to bake, but I’m not very good at it yet.”
“If you want.” For just a second, Addison’s eyes met mine, a tiny spark of interest there before it was shuttered away.
“That would be lovely. For now, we should get back to work.” Mrs. Wentzel guided him to the doorway, where she spun, brandishing a finger at Koa as she hissed, “One scratchon my new cleaver, and I’ll julienne your spleen!”
As Zane teased Koa about a possible death by chef, a new resolve settled in my heart. I knew what it was like to be small, scared, and alone. Whatever Addison had been through, I would make sure he had at least one friend in this house.
Then Brumous, who had been quietly lying at my feet, shot out from under the table like he’d been launched from a cannon. He raced around the dining room, paws skittering on the hardwood floor, tail held high and tongue lolling from the side of his mouth.
“What in the world?” I gasped.
For the first time since rescuing him, he looked like an actual pup instead of a wounded shadow as he charged around the room, making tight circles around chair legs and diving under the sideboard before coming out on the other side in a blur of gray. Joy radiated from him in invisible waves, and tears pricked my eyes. This was healing,real healing, happening right before me!
“Look at him!” I pressed both hands to my mouth as he ricocheted off the furniture. “He’splaying!”
“Zoomies!” Zane crowed, leaping up from his chair. “He’s got the zoomies! Look at him go!”
“Chase him, Zoodle!” I laughed, clapping my hands.
He didn’t even object to the nickname this time. He just grinned wildly and launched himself into the game, running after Brummy while making exaggerated monster noises.
“I’m gonna get you, fur missile!”
Not to be outdone, Koa jumped up, too, circling the table in the opposite direction.
“Cut him off at the pass!”
Brummy yipped with delight as he dodged between their legs in wide figure eights.
FUN! RUN! PLAY!I could almost hear him shouting, and that made me laugh even harder.
Koa crashed into a chair, sending it skidding across the room, Zane knocked over a pitcher of orange juice, and Casimir, still seated, took an unhurried sip of coffee. The muscle in his jaw pulsed like a trapped heartbeat, though, and his broad thumb traced the gilded rim of the saucer once, twice, before it stilled.
Brummy chose that moment to slam into the sideboard.
The fruit bowl somersaulted through the air, red grapes bouncing off Casimir’s white shirt, and the growl that rumbled from his chest sent delicious shivers down my spine. Not fear,neverfear with him, but the electric thrill of watching a thunderstorm contained in skin.
I stood, still laughing as Brummy darted under the table with both Zane and Koa diving after him. As I walked over to Casimir, his gaze tracked me, eyebrows raised in question. I laid my palm on his shoulder to find his muscles pulled taut as a wire.
“Thank you, Simmy.” I brushed my lips against his cheek. Freshly shaved skin glided under my mouth as I breathed in his moonflower scent. “For not murdering them.”
