Page 12 of Feverburn

She looked up from her phone.“It’s an open invite. They want to welcome you to Pine Bluff.”Kaylee told the Kouris crew about the affair when she moved here out of nowhere, but I didn’tlovehow they knew my business. Gauging my apprehension, she continued,“I promise it won’t be weird. And Dane is coming because he’s an orphan, so you don’t have toworryabout being a lone wolf.”

The idea of a good meal after working all day wastempting. However, the promise of seeing Carson filled me with a weird mix of curiosity and dread. Kaylee looked at me expectantly.“In that case, I’dloveto come.”

She clapped her hands with a little squeal.“Perfect! I will drive!”

Later that night, I white-knuckled the oh-shit handle in her Jeep as I bounced around in my seat. A well-trained Border Collie could drive better than Kaylee. She did everything butdrivewhile driving. She put on lip gloss, changed the song three times, hit a curb, twisted in her seat searching for a crystal, then pulled a knife out of her bra like a fucking pirate, throwing the blade blindly in the back seat before rubbing her boob. It was terrifying.

Pulling up to agorgeouscabin nestled in a loop of other homes, I couldn’t help but smile. It was a home, not a house. It had that welcoming energy about it. The porch had rocking chairs and hanging floral baskets. Solar lights lit the walkway, and mature trees surrounded the property.

After knocking, she turned to look at me.“Oh, by the way, Harley’s mom is asextherapist, so get ready to see lots of dick art.”

“What?”I squeaked right when the front door opened. A tall man with salt and pepper hair and a nice beard hugged Kaylee. Crow’s feet crinkled around his eyes as he smiled at me over her shoulder.

“Rosie, this is Markos,”Kaylee broke the hug, gesturing towards me.

He shook my hand while ushering us inside.“Nice to meet you, Rosie.”

I could see where the sons got their brawn and bone structure. Markos had to be in his early 60s and was still handsome.

“Is that Rosie?”A woman yelled, making her way to us.

Markos moved to let her by. Her shaggy bangs rested on top of funky oversized glasses, with gray hair framing her face mixed in withwildrusty curls. Pinkish round cheeks and smile lines proved her lifelong warmth. She wore flowy purple pants and a white gauzy shirt with bell sleeves. Stacks of bangles clicked and clacked when she moved her arms.

“And this is Maxine,”Kaylee said while the woman gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

“Oh, my heavens! You’re just asgorgeousas Kaylee! What are they putting in the water in Boston?”She looked me up and down before pulling me into a jasmine-scentedembrace. It was one of those hugs only a mama can give that feels like soft safety, if only for a second.

“You’re so sweet! Thank you for having me,” I said, handing her the fancy loaf of bread we snagged before coming.

Thesmell ofyummyfood mixed with something woodsy filled the air. Shelves of books lined the walls, along with plants in every corner and on windowsills. The furniture was nice but unpretentious, with cozy quilts folded on armrests. A hound dog pooled on a recliner, his ears waterfalling over the edge. His name was Mr. Mustard.

Kaylee wasn’t kidding when she said there would be lots ofsensualart. Right by the front door was a watercolor iris flower that looked suspiciously like lady parts. A phallic sculpture served as an umbrella holder. On the kitchen island was a tan butt vase with flowers, one of Kaylee’s creations, I’m sure. And I swore I saw a vulva pillow nestled in a reading chair.

I wanted to spend hours looking at all the art, but I was whisked to the dining room instead. Dane was laughing with Frankie, and Carson was setting the table. He didn’t even look up or greet us, but Kiszka ran up to me with a howl, telling me about his day. As I pet him, I caught Markos staring at me and Carson with a look on his face I couldn’t decipher.

Maxine counted the place settings.“We’re waiting on Harley and Meg, right?”

“Who’s Meg?”I whispered to Kaylee.

“Frankie’s girlfriend. She works with Harley as a ranger. They’re coming straight from the station.”

Once Harley arrived, he stood next to Carson, finally coaxing a few words out of him. Together, they werestriking. Both were handsome, with dark beards connected to their hairline. Hazel eyes pierced below dark eyebrows, Carson’s greener, Harley’s moregolden. Harley’s cheekbones cut higher, almost hawkish, while Carson’s fuller lips were more sensual to me. Harley always held his mouth on the verge of smirking, whereas Carson’s was a borderline scowl.

Inch by inch,poundbypound, they were stacked with similar height and build, broad and solid, with long limbs and a confident swagger. Yet Carson wasn’t quite as relaxed as Harley. An edge of alertness frayed his aura.

Witnessing them together intimidated me. They were quiet but somehow powerful. The way they walked and stood by each other, you could tell, even without knowing they were brothers, they’d spent alifetimealongside each other.

We all sat down to eat. Carson muttered something to Kiszka, which prompted him to huff, prancing away to join Mr. Mustard in the other room.

I noticed twouniquethings I liked about the Kouris bunch. The men helped out as much as the women. And they valued a communal vibe. They even had a giant, round dining table instead of the typical rectangular shape, so no one sat at the end in an unnecessary power dynamic. It made talking to everyone easier because you weren’t shouting down a row of people.

I sat between Kaylee on my left and Dane on my right. Carson took a seat across from me, damn near mute. He had impeccable table manners. It was fascinating watching his huge hands politely maneuver his utensils. The conversations broke off into different pairings, and Dane put his arm around the back of my chair as he leaned in to talk. Carson’s gaze burned into my skin. I glanced, catching him sawing into his steak with a murderous stare aimed at Dane.

“Rosie! Will you be coming to my class next week?”Maxine asked, startling me.

“I’m sorry, what class?”I looked between her and Kaylee in confusion.

“It’s called Tantra Tuesday. We talk about connecting to sexual energy and the healing power of orgasm.”Maxine smiled and chomped a piece of steak off her fork.

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