Cyclone was trying to wrestle, but he was no match for his older brother.
Quinn wore a fond expression, with a resigned patience there, too, as if this were a common occurrence.
It was then that I noticed that Seraphina had stepped farther out from behind her mother, more to the side. They were holding hands.
Seraphina looked almost exactly like her mother. Same cornflower-blue eyes, same honey-blond hair, but with a touch lighter streak to it. It couldn’t compare to her mother’s, but Seraphina’s hair was wispy, with a bit of natural volume and frizz to it. She had some flyaway strands that couldn’t be contained in the braid her hair had been put in. Similar high cheekbones and a heart-shaped face with a pert little chin. She could be a model. Long arms and legs that she was still growing into, but she didn’t have the teardrop eyes her brother and mother had. She must’ve taken after her father, like the rest of us.
The rest of us.
That was the first time I lumped myself in with them, as if I were one of them.
But I wasn’t. I was the outlier.
“I can see we weren’t the only ones up early this morning. I think we’re all a bit ‘feisty’ from the lack of sleep.” The same fondness, shot through with a frustration, too. Quinn raised her chin up as both her boys paused in their wrestling, which had taken them to the floor by then. “Matthew, perhaps you and…” Her eyes darted to mine. “Kash’s friend could join us for a late lunch later today? Seraphina has her lessons at three, remember?”
Matt scoffed, grabbing Cyclone and lifting him to his feet as he stood. “I did not, dear Mother, realize my being here may upset Seraphina’s precious lessons in how to be a lady.”
Quinn wasn’t amused. Her mouth pinched together.
Seraphina giggled, looking down at the floor.
Matt smirked, still holding his brother captive. Cyclone was trying to kick out of his hold, but not enough to actually be set free. “I’m surprised Victoria is coming today. Does she not realize that Kash isn’t here?” His smirk dropped to a meaner glint. “She’d be wasting her time.”
Cyclone stopped kicking.
I could see from the angle that Seraphina’s eyes had widened, but she kept her face pointed downward.
The only one who moved was Quinn herself, and it was when her eyes narrowed. “Be nice, Matthew, or I won’t be, either.” Her gaze slid my way and her threat was evident.
Cyclone watched her too, and his head popped up. “Why’d you be mean to Kash’s friend? She’s Kash’s friend.” He said it like it made the most perfect sense in the world, as if he had been asked if his name was Cyclone or not. The whole tone was a resounding “Duh.”
“Yes, well…”
Seraphina looked up now, watching her mother with those same big eyes. Her mouth opened, just a centimeter.
Quinn took in both of her children’s gazes and her face clouded over. She cast me a tight closed-mouth smile. “Seraphina’s been asking to meet Kash’s lady friend, and Cyclone has talked about you as well. Both are eager to get to know our mystery guest more. Would you like to sit with us for our lunch later today?”
I gazed at her.
She was really beautiful, and it took a second before I realized she was addressing me. And waiting for a response.
My gaze fell back to Seraphina and I saw the curiosity there. It was banked, hidden behind a few walls of her own, and some shyness, but I saw it. I felt it, too. Her and Cyclone. I wanted to get to know them both—and Matt.
“Yes.” My voice was hoarse for some reason. I cleared it, speaking clearer. “Yes. I’d love that, actually.”
Seraphina shyly grinned. Cyclone snorted.
Quinn said to Matt, “We’ll be in the family room at one then.” Her gaze fell. “Cyclone, let’s go and get you dressed for the day.”
He looked down at his outfit, a yellow polo shirt and khaki shorts. Mumbling, as Matt lowered him to the floor, he followed her out. “I thought I was dressed. This is what Marie put out.” Seraphina trailed behind, and all of them disappeared around the corner. “Do I really have to change? What’s wrong with these clothes?”
I couldn’t hear her response.
Matt walked to stand next to me, both of us watching where they had gone. “You ready for that?”
My response was automatic. “No.”
He looked at me.
“But those are my siblings.”
I wanted to know them. No Quinn, no Victoria (whoever she was) would deter me. “We have to dress for this thing?”
Matt snorted. “God no. That’s just Quinn. You scare her. You’re not like…” He was searching for the right word. “You’re not like the rest of us. You’re not scared of her. Maybe that’s the best way to say it?”
“She terrifies me.”
He laughed, starting ahead. “Don’t let her know that. Come on. We’ve not slept. I doubt Quinn did either, but we’ve a few hours of downtime before lunch. You want breakfast?”
I gave him a look
He laughed. “Right. Let’s watch a movie and see if we can not think, at least, until lunch then.”
We turned down another hallway.
Theresa was coming out of a room, took one look at me, and her eyebrows rose almost to her hairline. She made the sign of the cross over her forehead and chest.
I was thinking I’d need more than that sign, but okay then.
TWENTY
Matt had two drinks down before Quinn showed, with Cyclone coming ahead of her and Seraphina following at a more sedate pace.
The movie hadn’t helped.
I’d been restless the entire time.
Matt went from drinking coffee to now drinking alcohol. I couldn’t blame him.
I was used to my little cousins trying to act cool and subdued. There was none of that with Cyclone. He was just himself.
It was refreshing. And Seraphina just seemed kind, excruciatingly kind.
Cyclone launched himself into the chair next to Matt, panting slightly. He smiled at me before turning to his older brother. “When’d you get here, Matt? What was going on last night, with all the guards and Miss Bailey in Marie’s room? Is she going to die? Is everyone okay? Mom said everything was fine, Miss Bailey was cold and she just needed a hug to warm up? Is that because Kash isn’t here?” A breath. A pause, and he wasn’t done. He slid to his bottom on the chair and started with me. “How’d you and Kash meet? Why isn’t Kash here? Did you guys have a fight? Are you the kind of friends like Mom and Dad? Do you kiss, then walk away from each other? I thought Kash was with Dad?”
Oh, sweet Jesus.
The kid really was the Tasmanian Devil.
No one else seemed perturbed. A cool smile came to Quinn’s face as she lowered herself to the seat across from me and next to Matt. Nodding to one of the servers, who brought over a drink for her, she replied, “I don’t think Miss Bailey is that type of friend with Kash. I think she’s the kind like Victoria is with our family.”
He frowned.
Matt shook his head.
Cyclone said, “But Victoria is always hanging all over Kash.”
Matt coughed to cover up his laugh.
My eyebrows went up.
Seraphina was watching her little brother as if she’d been given sour lemonade to drink.