Page 68 of Keepsake
“Ah!” Ruth said. “That’s right up his alley.”
I was saved from more of this conversation by the sound of the kitchen door flying open. A moment later, Lark’s flushed face appeared in the doorway. “So sorry,” she said. “I fell back to sleep after my alarm went off.”
Kieran smirked and Kyle snickered. “Tired?”
My blood pressure shot up, and I turned to level Kyle with a glare.
The smile slid off his face, and he went back to his eggs.
“What?” May asked, looking from me to Kyle, and then to the other buried smiles on Jude and Kieran.
Lark’s gaze found mine, and there was amusement in it. Her smile told me not to worry. That a comment from Kyle wasn’t the end of the world.
I pushed my chair back. “Have a seat,” I said to her, as if nobody else was in the room. “I’ll get you a plate.” Then I left the dining room without touching her, even though I wanted to. There were too many curious eyes. So my hug could wait.
In the kitchen I used Ruth’s spatula to lift bacon and the last portion of scrambled eggs onto Lark’s waiting plate.
May followed me into the kitchen. “Is everything okay?” she asked, clearly puzzled about the weird vibe in the dining room.
“Sure,” I said, grabbing a fork for Lark.
May poured another mug of coffee and then tipped some milk into it, the way Lark liked. “What did I miss?”
“Well…” I gave a nervous chuckle. “Nothing bad,” I said, passing her without further comment. Back in the dining room, I set the plate down in front of Lark, also without comment. But I ran a hand down the back of her head, allowing myself a single glancing contact with her silky hair.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Anytime.” Then I sat down and finished my breakfast.
18
Lark
Istayedto clean up after breakfast. I was still kicking myself for sleeping late. It was almost more embarrassing to let the Shipleys cook me so many meals than it was to have a screaming orgasm in earshot of the men.
Modesty had never been all that important to me. But pulling my weight really was.
While we washed dishes, May kept sneaking looks at me. But she didn’t say anything because her mother was working with us.
Finally, Ruth went outside to collect eggs in the chicken coop. As soon as the door closed behind her, May tossed the dish towel onto a hook. “Okay, spill. What the heck did I miss?”
“Why?”
“What do you mean,why?Because I want to know! And why do the guys get to know something I don’t?”
Oh, boy. “They, uh, heard it happening.”
May’s eyes got huge. “You fooled around with someone?”
“Yeah.”
“Wait… Oh my God! It wasn’t Kyle, was it? That’s why you’re not telling me.” May shuddered. “That’s just gross.”
I gave her an evil grin.
“Oh my God! Nooooo!”
I laughed. “It wasn’t your cousin. Jeez. But you’re funny when you’re freaking out.”
