Page 15 of Valley of the Shadow
Bordering the open yard on the far side of the house were various outbuildings. Bunkhouses, storage rooms, and offices ran down one side. Mudrooms, bathrooms, and a large ranch kitchen bordered the other. The two branches of the house reached out to the yard and the narrow valley, as if embracing it.
Beatrice saw smoke rising around the compound from various wood-burning stoves inside the dwellings, and the large bonfire in the middle of the yard was surrounded by chairs and log benches where all the guests and their hosts were beginning to gather.
They sat, and a tray of steaming mugs came around. Tea for the adults and cocoa for the children. The air was cold enough that their breath steamed in the night, though Beatrice knew it would be dramatically warmer for the humans during the day.
Isabel, Carwyn’s daughter and owner of the ranch, stood up once everyone had gathered around. “Welcome to all our guests. We’re so glad you were able to make it to the valley for Christmas this year. Though we don’t have snow, we do have lots of Christmas trees!” She smiled and a few people laughed. “I hope the children are excited about decorating them.”
Carina was nearly bouncing in her seat. “I like decorating trees.”
“Excellent.”
In short order, everyone was sorted into rooms and cabins. Beatrice and Giovanni’s cabin was up in the foothills above the valley, miles from the main ranch, so until Natalie and Baojia needed it, their whole party would remain in the valley, occupying rooms in the guest wing of the house and the many small, wood-shingled cabins scattered around the ranch. All were fitted with locks and shutters so they were vampire-safe, and they were within walking distance of the ranch house and kitchen.
Giovanni put his arm around Beatrice and kissed the top of Sadia’s head. “This is going to be the strangest summer camp ever.”
Brigid Connor,fire vampire, security specialist for Patrick Murphy of Dublin and wife of Carwyn ap Bryn nearly ran into her bedroom at the ranch and locked the door behind her, leaning against it and heaving a long sigh of relief.
Carwyn looked up from the book he was reading on the bed. “Done socializing, are we?”
“Jaysus, there’s so many people here.” Brigid shook her head. She walked to the bed and crawled across it so her husband could pet her. “I’m sure every last one of them is a fecking delight on their own, but the lot of them all at once…”
“More than a bit overwhelming.” Carwyn ran his fingers through Brigid’s pixie-cut hair. “Even for me. And I like people.”
“I like people,” Brigid protested. “In small groups. Even in medium groups. But that was a herd, my fine man.”
Carwyn smiled and scooped her up and into his arms, depositing Brigid on his lap so he could snuggle her properly. She’d been on the continent, seeing to a few things for Murphy before she caught a boat to join him in Cochamó for the Christmas holiday, so he was making up for lost time.
He caught her mouth in a kiss. Then another one. Soon enough, he was stealthily inching his hand up her shirt.
“You know,” she murmured against his lips. “I can take everything off if that’s what you’re aiming for.”
“But it’s so much more fun when I feel like we’re sneaking around.”
Brigid smiled and tilted her head to the side to allow Carwyn to nibble her neck. He was a man who thrived on affection, so separations were never ideal. The side benefit was feeling adored when they were reunited.
“You know,” Brigid said as the nibbles turned to long, laving kisses, “I was down there, looking at all those couples with young children and thinking—”
Carwyn’s head popped up. “What? You were thinking of what?” His eyes were wide, and he looked slightly terrified.
Brigid began to laugh. “Calm down, Father. I was just thinking that I was relieved we hadn’t adopted any little ones of our own. They’re nice to visit, but feck, they’re so much work.”
“Oh, thank the Lord.” Carwyn leaned his forehead against her shoulder. “You gave me a fright.”
“I was half-afraid you were going to be enthusiastic about the idea.” Brigid shifted her legs so she could straddle his lap.
Carwyn took her mouth again. “I just have”—kisses on her mouth and across her cheek—“so many children”—his hands inching up her sides, teasing her skin with delicious, tingling amnis—“already.”
Brigid sank into his kiss and rested her arms on his massive shoulders. When she was in a teasing mood, she called himcarnín. Her little mountain. It was a ridiculous nickname, so of course her husband loved it.
“Never fear,” Brigid said. “I don’t want any babies, thank you very much.” She rocked her hips into Carwyn’s, enjoying the rise of the other mountain in the room. “I am not in favor of sharing you any more than I already do.”
“I’m yours.” He flipped her over and settled between her legs. “Completely. Snap your fingers and I’m there, darling girl.”
She began unbuttoning his pants. “Snap my fingers?”
He reached down and slid a hand down the back of her pants. “Unless you’d rather do something else with them.”
Brigid grinned and reached into his pants. “I think I have a few ideas.”
