Page 4 of Wolves & Watercolors
Her familiar amber eyes blink at me.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” Slate says, extending his hand. It envelops mine, warm and secure. He smiles and I almost fall over. No wonder Hazel decided to stay here. He’s stunning with high cheekbones, a full mouth, and green eyes so bright I’m itching to paint them. Their baby is going to be gorgeous. Damn.
“You don’t need to camp out. But, Rory, I really wish you had told me you were coming.” My sister chews the inside of her cheeks, a nervous habit. The guilt piles on. How could I be so thoughtless?
“Where’s the fun in that?” I ask with a weak smile, my shoulders pulling up towards my ears. Hazel pinches the bridge of her nose, looking away. I scramble to appease her. “But look at you! You’re adorable!”
Hazel’s nose scrunches up, uncomfortable with compliments. “I’m sure you’ve had a long drive and I need to get back to work. Can we take you to Uncle Heath’s cabin? Our downstairs bedroom is a nursery now, so it makes sense for you to stay with him. He won’t mind.”
Slate looks to Lazuli and tips his chin down, signaling the other man. He jogs back into the trees and out of sight. Poor guy.
“I don’t care where I stay. I told you, I can just set up my tent. Well, it’s Jordan’s tent, but it’ll work just fine. I don’t want to impose.”
She sighs, falling into big sister mode easily. “Please don’t argue. You’re not staying in a tent when Heath has a spare bedroom.” I tense under her admonishment, and she notices. Her tone softens. “It’s where I stayed when I first visited. He’ll be thrilled to have you, and you’ll be really close to our cabin.”
“Whatever you say, Mama,” I chirp with a grin, hoping to lighten the mood. The dark circles under Hazel’s eyes and the pinch of her mouth worry me. The last thing I want to do is addstress on her shoulders if she’s already struggling. Maybe I can help.
She rolls her eyes. “It’s weird hearing that,” she says with a laugh.
“Better get used to it!” I say, relieved to see her relaxing.
“I haven’t seen you in ages.” She opens her arms wide. “Come here!”
I’m not a hugger, but my sister is the exception. It’s cumbersome with her huge belly between us, but she smells like a warm autumn night. A sense of homesickness hits me - not missing Los Angeles, but missing a childhood following my big sister around. I tighten my hold on her upper back and tuck my cheek against her shoulder, soaking in the feeling. I should have come sooner.
“You’ll have to show me what’s so special about this place,” I murmur. “Other than your boy toy.”
Scowling, she releases me. “You can call him Slate.” The man in question turns back toward us from his quiet discussion with Cassia.
“Or maybe brother?” I tease. “But I think I like referring to him as your baby daddy best.”
“You’re going to drive me crazy, aren’t you?” she asks, her exhale audible. “So how long will we be enjoying your presence?”
“I’ve got a whole month off work, but I’ll need to go back sooner if I want to pay my bills next month. But I couldn’t miss the arrival of my first niece or nephew!” Dropping my voice, I step closer to my sister. “And honestly, I need to work on some new paintings for an upcoming art show and I figured painting the woods here would be good, and it’ll keep me busy and out of your hair.”
Her smile is indulgent. “As long as you paint something for the nursery, I’m on board with that plan.”
“Did you bring art supplies with you?” Slate asks.
Nodding, I jerk my thumb back at my car. “Yeah, I’ve got everything I need.”
“I’ve got a pretty decent collection, so if you end up needing anything, let me know.”
Hazel gazes up at her partner like he hung the moon for her. There’s a contented glow I’ve never seen in her before. Pregnancy and life out in the middle of nowhere agree with her.
“Is that my Aurora Borealis?” Our uncle strides towards me. More silver threads his golden surfer hair since I last saw him and his gait is broken with a subtle limp.
“Uncle Heathie!” I grin, throwing my arms around his middle. “I missed you! I can’t believe you and Hazel are neighbors and I’m left out in the cold.”
“Don’t kid me. You love L.A. and the weather is gorgeous,” he teases, his tan skin marred with deep smile lines as he grins. “I wouldn’t consider that out in the cold.”
“You should see how freezing it is here in February,” Hazel says, rubbing her hands over her upper arms.
“So are you going to be my houseguest?” Heath asks.
“If you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. It’ll be good to catch up. Let’s get you settled and we can let Hazel get back to work. I think she’s got a few projects that need her attention today.”
