Page 71 of Nothing to Fear

“Then maybe you’ll earn yourself a kiss at the breakfast table too.”

“Oh, yeah?” he said, leaning in to press a brief kiss to her lips as he took the picture. “You were right, Dad.” Darroch swept her hair from her face to admire her. “Keep the wife happy.”

“Told you, son,” Benedict said absently, swiping again.

Tearing her eyes from Darroch, the others at the table didn’t want to see them mooning. “How was your tea party, Buoy?”

“I had a cookie and two cakes with chocolate candy.”

“Wow!”

“You know…” Caber noted, finishing his croissant. “Buoy usually doesn’t speak to strangers.”

“Sav-Na is my friend.”

“Yes, she is,” Alice said. “I’d like to add, Buoy wasn’t just eating cakes all day. He drank his fresh squeezed juice and rode his favorite pony too.”

His favorite? She’d never ridden a horse in her life much less had a favorite.

“This his favorite at the Boldwind Stable?” Caber asked. “Why don’t you move him here?”

“He has pony friends,” Buoy said, trying to make a bigger space for his pictures. She moved the crockery and cutlery from his reach, providing more room. “Which you want to color, Sav-Na?”

“Uh…” She took her time checking out each one. “Which one are you going to color?”

“Bring his pony friends here,” Caber said.

“There’s nothing wrong with where he is,” Alice said. “Buoy enjoys going to the stable.”

“One of the few places he does enjoy going,” one of the new brothers said.

She leaned back against Darroch, craning her neck around to murmur. “Which one’s Troy and which is Ward?”

He kissed her hair as he dipped his lips to her ear. “Troy then Ward,” he answered and switched angle. “Troy, tell Sav where you got your eyebrow scar.”

“No, we do not want those stories at the breakfast table,” Alice said, though she was smiling as she delicately covered Buoy’s ears. “How many times must I remind you boys that you’re role models.”

“Shit, that’s a terrifying thought,” Brant said.

“Language.”

“Someone thinks he’s back in his frat house,” Caber said, spreading something on a bagel.

“You have four brothers in college?” she asked Darroch.

“Yep. That’s where they’re supposed to be at any rate. Not sure they’re learning anything,” he said. “There’s a lot of talk of beer pong and co-eds.”

“And you, I suppose, were a saint at college. Does your mom know about your brownie days?”

Caber laughed. “More stories she won’t appreciate from the role models at the breakfast table.”

“Have you eaten, Cherry?” Darroch asked. “Everything you see’s on offer. Bet there’s some steak in the kitchen, quail eggs? Caviar?”

“I’m not hungry.” Raising her cup, she sipped the coffee. “This is all I need.”

“She was asking about Tripp,” Troy said.

“Be careful asking for the Breckenridge boys together,” Caber said. “You’ll meet everyone at Christmas.”

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