Page 173 of Hidden Nature

Took the brunt, Drea said the night before. She’d never had to do that for her younger sister because there hadn’t been a brunt to take.

Discipline, sure. Time-outs, groundings, restrictions. And plenty of those she felt were enormously unfair at the time. But she’d never had to stand in front of her sister and take an emotional lashing.

She wondered if he’d ever tell her what it had been like, what scars he carried.

And wanted him to, because it meant he felt able to lean on her.

She walked into the kitchen to find Tic chowing down his breakfast. He gave her a tail wag but kept chowing.

Theo, in Spider-Man flannel pants she found adorable and a faded Columbia sweatshirt, gulped coffee.

“Morning.” He gestured with his mug. “You want?”

“Yes, please.”

“Got you covered. Tic decided time to get up, and I guess it was, since we’ve got shopwork. Drea’ll be down in a minute. She wanted a quick shower before she put her makeup on. Not that she needs it—the makeup. She’s just beautiful.”

He turned back with the coffee and a smile. “You, too. Since she made dinner, I’m taking care of breakfast. I’m making waffles.”

“You’re making waffles?”

“Sure.”

He went to the enormous fridge and took a jumbo pack of Eggos out of the freezer. “How many do you want?”

In that moment, she tripped over the line of like and into love. Setting the coffee down, she walked over, put her arms around him.

“You’re a lucky man, Theo.”

“Man, do I know that.”

“My sister’s a lucky woman. I know that.” She kissed his cheek, then the other, then stepped back. “I’ll take two.”

Before she went home, she ate waffles at the same folding table, then walked out to the shop to see the table, the built-ins.

And found herself pleased and impressed with the systematic organization of tools, benches, lumber, supplies.

She might have drooled, just a little, over the table with its chunky trestle base. They’d stripped it down to its natural cherrywood.

“Don’t tell me you’re using a stain on this.”

“Why would we?” Nash countered. “Look at that grain, that color. It needs one more sanding, cleaning, then three coats of clear poly.”

“Good to know, otherwise I’d have been forced to come back and steal it in the night. I have to go. Thanks for the waffles.”

She turned to Nash, took his face, rose on her toes, and kissed him.

“See you at dinner.”

“I’m leaving in a minute, Sloan. I can drop you off.”

“I need the walk. Tell Mom I’m making brownies.”

“Really?”

“I’m in the mood to make brownies. Keep Tic in here so he doesn’t try to follow me.”

“Sloan makes awesome brownies,” Drea said when she left. “And only makes them when she’s in a really bad mood or a really good one. I’d say these are good-mood brownies.”

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