“After,” he murmured, his mouth already on mine.
Chapter3
Saturday morning dawned with a bright, beautiful sun sparkling across the calm and lovely snow. Even though the sun failed to warm the area, it was still a beautiful drive through the mountain pass to my hometown of Silverville.
Or maybe my mood was just excellent after a full night of Aiden Devlin in our bed. Yep. That could be it.
The drive took about fifty minutes with the ice on the roads, but it was nice to leave the somewhat bigger Timber City behind and arrive in the mountainous town.
After winding down the river road for a while, I soon pulled onto a long driveway leading to a two-story log home. Pink and white lights hung from every eave. That was the one thing about my Aunt Yara. She loved decorating for every holiday. It was a good thing my Uncle Buddy had always been an easygoing type of guy.
I exited the vehicle and walked up the steps, noting the myriad ceramic hearts and Cupids lining the side of the porch. How adorable. I knocked.
Aunt Yara opened the door. “Come in. It’s freezing out there.”
“Yes, but at least it stopped snowing.” I stepped inside and removed all my outerwear before hugging my aunt.
Yara had the deepest brown eyes I’d ever seen, light brown hair, and a cute, pert nose. She was even more petite than I was, and it sometimes shocked me that she’d birthed my six large and boisterous male cousins. It was a good thing she had an incredible sense of humor.
As I leaned back, a ball of fur barreled into me, and I bent down to pet Bowser, one of the cutest dogs ever created. He was a mutt of indeterminable lineage. “Hey, boy.” I gave him a hug. He licked my face, seeming to have settled right in to the Albertini family along with Violet.
“Come in,” Yara said, taking my hand and pulling me to the kitchen. “Would you like some tea?”
“I’d love some,” I said. “Where’s Violet?”
“She’s finishing her homework.” Yara frowned—a rare look for her.
My muscles stiffened. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. She seems off to me.” Violet had lived with my Aunt Yara and Uncle Buddy since around Christmastime, and I was here to discuss the planned adoption. They’d reached out to me just a couple of weeks ago, and I had already filed the paperwork. In fact, the hearing was Monday, and I wanted to make sure Violet understood all the proceedings.
“She’s probably nervous,” I said. “This is a big deal for her.”
The sixteen-year-old had been all alone in the world. We’d become friends during one of my cases, and I’d wanted to help her, so I’d brought her home to Yara and Buddy. They had instantly taken her in. With their six boys grown and out of the house, they’d been delighted to adopt her. “Has she said anything?”
Yara poured two fragrant cups of strawberry-scented herbal tea. “No. She’s doing that teenage thing and saying everything’s fine.” Yara rolled her pretty eyes. “I’m used to that after raising six boys, but…I don’t know. Girls seem to do it better.”
I chuckled. “Istillroll my eyes.”
“I know. I’ve seen it. How’s the table working out?” Yara asked.
“It’s perfect, and I love the old-fashioned chairs you found.” I patted her hand. “Don’t worry about Violet. I’m sure she’s just nervous.”
Yara sipped her tea. “Maybe you could speak with her. I’ve tried, and Buddy has tried, but she just isn’t talking much, which isn’t like her. I think something’s up.”
I had no doubt she was just nervous about being adopted. She’d been raised by a great-aunt. When she died, Violet had lived alone until I found her and brought her here. “I’ll talk to her now.” I took a big gulp of the tea and set the cup on the saucer. I knew better than to try to take it with me. Unfortunately, Aunt Yara was well aware of my penchant for spilling things and would’ve stopped me. “I’ll be right back.”
“Thanks, honey. I’ll get some cookies out.” Yara stood.
I paused. “Where’s Uncle Buddy?”
“He’s at the Elks Lodge. He should be home in an hour or so.”
“Oh, good.” I turned, headed down a wide hallway to the second bedroom on the right, and knocked.
“Come in,” Violet called.
I opened the door and walked inside, instantly hit by the color pink with some shades of purple. It was the most girlish room I had ever seen, and I had a feeling Violet had indulged my aunt in the decorating, considering Yara had lived with boys for so many years.
