Page 35 of Heartless
“You’re welcome to call me Lis, sweetheart.” Her warmth felt genuine, filling the ache I felt over missing my own mother.
“You have a beautiful home, Lis,” I said. “And you raised amazing people. Reap—uh, Rory and Noelle have been wonderful to me.”
“Well, I certainly can’t take credit for the last decade,” she laughed, the sound a little forced. “But my goodness, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see two of my children alive and well, and even in love!”
“What are the odds?” I smiled back, the pang of longing returning in my chest for a moment before I shoved it down.
“Finn, honey?” Lis looked at her husband. “Will you pour some coffee for Mari and the boys?”
“Mari, yes. Theboyscan get their own,” he smirked, turning to the coffee bar. “How do you take yours, Mari?”
“Black, thank you.”
“A woman after my own heart,” he said, pouring from the French press into a clean cup.
Lis swatted his arm. “Oh stop flirting, she’s married.”
“So am I.” He smacked a kiss on his wife’s cheek before handing over my cup.
“Thank you. Habits of being a combat medic die hard,” I said, cradling the drink in my hands.
“The Air Force was similar, I imagine. Always had to guzzle the caffeine, then get up and go.” Finn squeezed the sides of Lis’ waist, gently steering her toward the hallway. “Should we head to the table? I’m starvin, hon.”
“Yes, but I’ll need your help plating up the food.” She kissed him quickly over her shoulder and let him guide her down the hallway.
Their affection was heartwarming, especially after knowing what they’d been through, and how long they had been together.
“We brought eggs,” Jandro said, following them into the kitchen with Reaper, Noelle, and I trailing after. “Freshly laid from my girls.”
Lis opened the carton he handed to her and gasped softly. “Ooh, these are beautiful.” She ran her hands over the assorted colors of shells. “Thank you, Jandro. I didn’t take you for a farmer.”
“Me neither, but I guess a lot of unexpected stuff happened over the years.” His fingers twirled around mine, bringing my palm up to his lips for a brief kiss.
I smiled at him before shooting a glance at Reaper, who was simply beaming at us. While I knew logically his parents had no issues with me having other men, I still didn’t want to be inappropriate. Should I pay more attention to Reaper on principle? Or did the fact that they considered Jandro another son nullify that?
“Sit, everyone. Please,” Finn said. “Make yourselves at home.”
“Can I help with anything?” I asked, remembering my manners.
“Absolutely not.” Lis smiled at me from the counter as she chopped fragrant cilantro.
“Mari, do you prefer savory or sweet crepes?” Finn hovered over the small stove with a dish towel over his shoulder, carefully pouring batter into a pan.
“Savory, please.”
“Excellent choice,” he smiled.
I nursed my coffee at the table while our hosts prepared breakfast. Reaper and Jandro accepted bloody Marys from Noelle, who evidently was quite the mixologist. She and her mother both had cheery expressions on, but there was no mistaking how tired they looked. Lis had just learned of her youngest son Daren’s death, and Noelle, her father Carter’s.
The mood was light and easygoing while the family talked, so I chose not to bring up condolences. When Noelle sat next to me, I rubbed and squeezed her hand in sympathy. She met my eyes and mouthed, “Thank you.” Her lips wobbled only a little before taking another sip of her drink.
“So, Mari.” Finn washed his hands and dried them on a dish towel. “How did you have the misfortune of meeting my son?” He shoved Reaper’s head playfully, earning a grunt and a narrow-eyed glare.
I bit back my laugh with a smile. His playfulness reminded me more of Jandro than his birth son.
“We had stopped by the same service center in Old Phoenix,” I said. “I, uh, provided some medical services there. When my work was done, I didn’t have any specific destination in mind. So when his club was leaving, I went with them.”
It wasn’t acompletelie, just an omission of the killing and kidnapping details. Reaper seemed amused by my version of events, sending a lopsided smile my way.
