Page 29 of Morning's Light

“I’m an only child. My parents decided they could only handle one of me. Apparently, I was a terror. I didn’t sleep for more than three hours at a time.”

He adored the look of her in any light. The muted golds of the candles did wonders for her complexion, put little flecks of light in those interesting eyes. He tried not to stare too often, although lately he could not help himself.

“I was never one for the kitchen. No, I wanted to be an explorer.” He smiled at the memory. “I was always outside, skinning my knees, breaking things.” He rolled up his sleeve to show her a long, crooked scar running from his elbow to mid-bicep. “Here I was crossing a grapevine between trees and I landed on a rock. Hard.”

“That looks like it was painful.”

“Yeah, no shit.” He yanked his sleeve back down. “I was always into something. Even the broken bone didn’t stop me. I was back at it within a week of getting my cast.”

“You should have seen some of the things my sisters and brother got into,” she started.

“But not you?”

“I’m the oldest. I was not supposed to do those sorts of things.” She leaned in close for a conspirator’s whisper. “Although I’ll admit to you, I did. I threw rolls of toilet paper at my neighbor’s trees on Halloween, and eggs at their windows.”

His smile was quick to come. “You little devil, you.”

“And I sold marijuana in college for about a week. Then the guilt had me straightening out.” The admission brought a blush to her cheeks. She could conjure plants, could she not? It was simple to produce a few buds and use the extra spending money for textbooks. It sure beat asking her parents for a loan.

“Wow. A devil and a rebel. I would never have guessed.”

“There’s more to me than meets the eye.” Aisanna tapped a finger to her chest. “I was a revolutionary.”

“Yeah? Not me. I did get into a pack of my father’s cigarettes when I was five. I ended up eating one instead of smoking it and being so sick I didn’t think I would recover.” Elon stood back and surveyed their work. “You think it’s good enough for the wedding?”

“Yes. We’re on the right track.”

While they continued, he poured two glasses of water and set them down on the counter.

“I can picture you as a little boy. You still have the touch of youth on your face…” Aisanna trailed off when Elon picked up his glass and downed the whole thing. He used the inside of his elbow to wipe his mouth, leaving his lips pink.

“You’re trying to tell me I’m too young?” he asked wetly.

She scowled against a rush of feeling. “That’s not what I said. Stop putting words in my mouth. I’m saying you have nice round cheeks.”

“You like my cheeks. Good to know.” Elon fluffed up and pretended to preen.

“Oh, hush. You’re young, that’s the end of it.”

“Not too young to love.”

She didn’t like how the conversation suddenly veered away from safe territory. “Love for some things, not for others.”

“I suppose that’s true. You really love your family,” he responded.

Aisanna deliberately kept her gaze on the arrangement, swiveling around for the last of her freesias. “For all their faults and failures—my own as well—I do. I…I don’t want anything to happen to them. I’m the oldest. I’m supposed to make sure of it.”

“That’s a lot of pressure to put on your shoulders.”

Her laugh was bitter. “You have no idea.”

She charmed him. Elon could listen to her speak for hours on end, her voice like a soft melody. There was no accent, no exotic lilt to set it apart from others. When she spoke she did so clearly, with a hint of a trill, as if on the verge of song.

She glanced around. “I need more baby’s breath.”

“I’ll go.”

“No.” She waved him down before he rose. “I’ve got it. It will only take me a minute.” She glanced over as she rose. “Stop sniffing the flowers and keep working.”

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