Page 18 of Kaede
“You gonna wait in here?” Kaede asks.
“Yes. I am.” Boone always cuts to the chase, but today he sounds like the sharp edges of a diamond.
“Then do me a solid and make some coffee and don’t look behind you while you’re doing it.”
“Fine.”
I shiver at how Boone says that one word. It’s not fine. I didn’t want to cause a problem with Daisy and BooneorKaede and BooneorDaisy and me! I love my friend like a sister. She understands me. She never gives me crap for how I am. I just wonder what she’ll think about this choice.
Kaede slips into the bedroom and closes the door. “I suppose you heard that?”
“I did.” I nod.
He meets me at the side of the bed as I swing my legs out. “What do you want to do, sweetheart?”
I freeze. Everything I ever wanted is right in front of me. Everything I dreamed about. Everything I desire, but there are only two potential hurdles: my job and probably myself.
“I’ll talk to Daisy.” I need to talk to her. She’s been in my spot. She’s protective of those she loves and she might not like what’s happening, but this is bigger than her mama-bear instincts. This is so much bigger.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Kaede, she’s my sister without blood. She’s very protective. She knows me.”
“Then I’ll go help Boone chop some wood.”
He’s going to come along no matter what and part of me wants him with me, so I decide that fighting isn’t worth it. Someday there will be a fight that will be worth inserting my attitude.
He hands me a fluffy grey robe from his closet. “Want to shower together?”
I thought you’d never ask…
14
KAEDE
Boone holds up a hand to stop us outside of the front door to their cabin. “Willow, you do the talking. Kaede, you need to just stand there.”
We step inside and I feel like I’m in a different world. Boone had prepared me for what it would look like, but it’s like Christmas threw up everywhere. I carry Willow’s bag of gifts over to the tree and set them out for her. I see something with my name on it from Boone and Daisy and I have to look away. My chest burns.
“Willow!” Daisy crosses the room with a blue blanketed burrito in her hands.
Kids. Even though I was one, I still don’t understand them. And babies, I feel like they’ll break in my hands. How hard can you squeeze them? Not squeeze but hold. See, I don’t even know the right words to say, so I’ll just stay away.
They hug and Daisy’s puzzled face turns to me. “Kaede, this is a nice surprise. Hope you’re hungry.”
“Always.”
“Babe, you want me to take Mav?” Boone holds out his hands.
“Not a chance.” Willow steps forward and swoops him from Daisy. “He’s mine for the rest of the day.”
“Well, he’ll have to be hers, for parts of the day. Because I’m pretty sure you can’t give him what he wants on the hour.” Boone’s eyes fall to his wife’s chest and she rolls her eyes. “Everyhour.”
“And are you jealous, hubby?”
Boone chuckles. “Not at all. If anything, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” He kisses her temple.
Daisy moves into the kitchen while Willow sits at the kitchen table, adjusting the blanket to see the baby.
