Page 66 of The Misfits of Copper County
“Could you repeat—” Tam began.
Delaney blew out a breath. “I said,Tamed by the Kraken Warlord. Okay? It’s a profound emotional journey about a headstrong young man who accidentally finds himself imprisoned on a planet ruled by Krakenpeople. It’s a metaphor for our society, Tamsen, illuminating the challenges of?—”
“Oh, Laney.” Tam’s eyes danced. “Does the young man have sex with the kraken warlord?”
Though his cheeks were still pink, Delaney raised his chin once again. “Irrelevant. You can’t dismiss a book simply because?—”
KAK-WEEEE!
Delaney’s ridiculous doorbell sounded again, making me and Tam jump and Tierney start to fuss.
“Delaney, what is that sound?” Tam demanded. “It sounds like someone’s strangling a muppet.”
“I was thinkingderanged cuckoo,” Delaney said. “But I dunno. It’s kind of growing on me.”
“If you could keep the parade of visitors out of the kitchen while I’m sanding, that’d be helpful,” I called, only half-serious, as he headed for the front hall.
Delaney turned in the doorway. Our eyes met, and for a moment, I was back on the living room floor, his body under mine, his plaster handprints all over me.
“Okay.” His voice was rough, like he’d gotten caught in the same memory. “Yeah.”
The doorbell rang again, and Delaney turned back to answer it.
“Well,” Tam said, inspecting the cabinet sketches I’d taped to the wall. “I’m glad to see you and my brother are getting along better.”
“Of course.” I shrugged, feeling my face heat. “We had some differences of opinion in the beginning, but I think we’ve realized we’re on the same side now.”
She laughed. “That’s huge. Delaney’s the most stubborn person I know, but that means he’s also the most loyal. If Delaney’s on your side?—”
She broke off as a man’s voice came floating down the hall.
“This isjustlike Season 2, Episode 9 ofJohn Ruffian: Pretender!” Chris Sunday said excitedly. “You know the one where John pretends to be an art authenticator to expose a gallery owner who’s selling forgeries, only to discover the cache of real paintings in the secret compartment behind the bookcase?”
“Chris… I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Delaney said. “I’ve never seenJohn Ruffian.”
Tam snickered. “Oh, he’s in for it now,” she said under her breath.
“Ohmigosh, Delaney! Okay, as soon as I set down this tray, I’m emailing you an episode order because if you watch the episodes chronologically, you’ll miss the—oh!” Chris paused in the hallway, a small platter in his hands. When he caught sight of me and Tam, he grinned brightly. “Hey, guys!” He glanced down at Tierney, who was blinking sleepy blue eyes, and his whole face softened. “Hey, sweet girl.”
“Hey, Chris,” Tam said warmly. “You wanna hold her for a bit?”
“Heck yes!” He glanced down at the platter and then looked around at the utter lack of flat surfaces on which to set it. “Er… trade you?”
“Is that one of your winter charcuteries with the honeycomb?” Tam demanded. “Because if so, that’s a fair trade.”
Chris laughed. He handed Delaney the plate, practically ran to the bathroom to wash his hands, then took the baby and settled her against his chest with a murmured “Theeere we go, sweet potato. You’re okay.”
Delaney and I exchanged an amused glance… then he bit his lip and looked away.
“The, um… the paintings are in the living room,” Delaney said. “If you wanted to look.”
“I do! But… I’m really interested in the jam cupboard, to be honest.” Chris pushed up his glasses, which were a little larger than Delaney’s. He peered into the opening Delaney and I had created and took a deep breath. “Oh, man! It smells like cedar and lavender from a hundred years ago, doesn’t it?”
“I thought the same thing,” Delaney agreed.
“Reed and I haven’t found anything this cool during our renovation yet. But maybe you’ll be our lucky charm when you do the kitchen, huh, Brewer?” He turned his guileless blue eyes on me. “Still thinking you can get started in a few weeks?”
“Around that,” I agreed easily, though the reminder that this project would be over soon made me uneasy.
