Isabelle laughed as she pushed lightly against his shoulder.“I don’t think this nest will ever be empty.”
Ethan grinned back at her, his bright eyes twinkling merrily.“Not with the two of us here. She was that upset about Kathleen?”
“Yeah, she was,” Isabelle replied sadly. “She’s been talking about her a lot since then, reminiscing and stuff.”
Ethan frowned thoughtfully as he bit into his bottom lip. “I know Kathleen really seemed to miss her.”
“Mom feels the same way. Every time she mentions her name she gets this pained, distant look in her eyes. It’s sad.”
“Well, there’s nothing that we can do about it.”
“I know,” Isabelle whispered.
“Hey don’t get all glum on me now!”
Isabelle grinned at him as she shoved his arm. He smiled as he pushed her playfully back. Out of all of her siblings, Ethan was the most like her, and the one that she was closest too. Neither of them had much use for the human race, other than food, and Isabelle didn’t even bother with them for that. The idea of actually going out in the world, and living amongst people, had never appealed toeither ofthem.Unlike the two of them though,Ian was already attending the University of Oregon, andhe loved it.Aiden was thrilled about going away to schoolin the fall, and although Victoria and Abigail were only fifteen, they were alreadyflipping throughcollege brochures.
However, she and Ethan were content to stay here, and simply enjoy themselves. Isabelle rarely went out into the world, rarely even left her yard. Ethan went out more than she did, butnot nearly as often as the stooges(as they had come to refer to Mike, Doug, Jack, and David),or Ian, Aiden, Vicky, and Abby. Isabellewasn’t particularly fond of humans as it was, and the idea of actually living amongst them was not something thatappealed to her.
She liked her life here, the peace of it, and the security that it offered her. She supposed it was cowardly of her to stay hidden away when there was a huge world that she could easily explore. However, she harbored a secret fear, and thepossibility of her fear actually coming true was enough to make her want to never leave.
She glanced over at Ethan to find him smiling softly, his hands in his pockets, and his black head bowed. She knew that smile, and she knew that look. “What are you thinking about?” she asked lightly.
Ethan instantly wiped thegrinfrom his face. “Nothing.”
She cocked an eleganteyebrow as she smiled slyly at him. “Girls?”
He snorted in disgust.“Hardly.”
She laughed happily as she tossed back her hair. “Don’t lie Ethan, I know you.”
He scowled at her as they stepped out of the woods. She grinned back, bumping him playfully on the hip. “And what about you?” he demanded.
She frowned as she looked at him. “What about me?” sheretorted.
He grinned at her as he slung his arm around her shoulders. “Boys?” he taunted.
Isabelle laughed as she leaned against his side. “I wouldn’t waste my time, or my energy,” she retorted.
“Speaking of time and energy,” Ethan groaned as a pickup laden with wood pulled into the driveway. Another followed up the hill and parked next to it. Isabelle started to laugh as she slipped free of his arm.
“It’s forourhouse,” she reminded him.
“Does that mean you’re going to help?”he inquired with a bright grin, and a quirkedeyebrow.
“Yeah, right,”she replied laughingly.
She was still laughing as she skipped away with Ethan muttering miserably behind her.
CHAPTER 2
Isabelle handed out bottles of water to Ethan, Aiden, Ian, and Jack. They eagerly accepted them, twisting the tops off as they tossed their tools aside. She looked quickly around the large frame structure they had been working on. The house was going to be two stories, with four bedrooms, a finished basement, dining room, living room, kitchen, three full baths and one half bath,but for now it was just an empty skeleton. When completed, it would be mostly hers and Ethan’s, but when Aiden and Ian came home from schoolthey wouldalsobe stayinghere.
“It’s coming along nicely,” she said softly.
“If you would helpit would come along even faster,” Ethan said, flashing abrightgrinat her.
“She’d have us cleaning up the sawdust as we went,” Jack retorted.
