“Maybe the others will be brunettes.”
Her cheeks crinkled as she smiled. “I thought he had red hair when he was an infant, but it was just the cradle-cap.”
That made me chuckle. I could picture younger Elena peering over infant Niko, concerned about the hair sprouting from his little scalp. “I don’t think we’ll have any gingers.”
The plate Elena had made up for me was covered in food. It was obvious she’d made the plates before breakfast. If she had made them herself, after, it would be an array of all the ugly and burnt foods that no one touched and always ended up in the dogs’ bowls.
Nikolai had caught sight of the food, his attention narrowing.
“How about we give Basil a break and you can eat your breakfast?”
His belly rumbled, sending Niko into a spiral of giggles. “Another ride after?”
“If you’re feeling up to it, of course.”
We ate breakfast stretched out over the grass, bathing in the sun and morning breeze. Niko soon discovered he could lure the large Caucasian Shepherds closer with bits off his plate, even if his mother and I warned him against it.
“The dogs have plenty of food,” I told him. “You don’t need to share yours.”
Niko crouched in place, sucking on a piece of melon. The juice ran over his fingers and shirt. “Okay, Dad.”
Elena froze in place.
I grabbed her hand and sent her a soft smile. She animated back to life, sending me a heart stopping grin.
Niko spotted something in the distance and darted off.
“Dad?” Elena said when he was gone. “When did that happen?”
“This morning.”
Her eyes danced over my face, seeing more than I wanted to show. “You look worried.” She tilted her head to the side. “Why?”
“What makes you think I’m worried?”
She pressed her fingers to my forehead, tracing the signs of aging. “I can see it.”
I grabbed her wrist, pressing my lips to her hand. “I don’t want to be a terrible father,” I said honestly. “My father was not a good man and I killed him with my bare hands to punish him for it.”
“Nikolai’s hands are too small to hurt you.”
I sent her a loaded look.
Elena’s lips quirked and she pressed her nose to mine. I leaned into her touch. “Don’t worry, Kon. Our fathers cared only for themselves and their own pleasures. Since the moment you met Nikolai, you’ve been dedicated to his happiness and comfort.” Her gaze was deep and alluring, trapping me in her orbit. “I wouldn’t have let you anywhere near him if I thought you were going to be a threat to his growth.”
I didn’t doubt that for a second. Elena was fiercely protective of Nikolai’s well-being, and though she could be a bit lax when it came to stunts and treating the world like a jungle gym, she wouldn’t let any harm come to her son. No matter what she had to do.
Niko came running back over, daisy clutched in palm. “For you, Mama.”
“For me?” She made a show of smelling the flower. “It’s gorgeous. Thank you, baby. Kiss?”
He stuck his cheek out for her, and she showered him with kisses.
I spent the day with Elena and my son. We brushed the horses and Niko helped the stable hands make up their feeds. We picked flowers and sunbathed in the mellow sunlight, before heading back to the house for lunch. My heart was full as I tended to my future wife and my son, making them laugh and relax.
The dark cloud of Tatiana cast shadows over our happiness but no one dared mentioned her name. Even that night, while Elena and I were alone in the dark, entangled beneath the sheets, we avoided the topic, less her name ruin the entire day.
Elena’s plan sat in the back of my mind. I was opposed to it, against Elena putting herself in harm’s way. But if I looked past my instincts, rationally, I knew this was one of the better plans we had. Tatiana had outsmarted us at every corner. The only person who had a history of catching her lies was Elena.
During the night, I pressed my lips to Elena’s head, breathing deeply. She wasn’t asleep yet, but she didn’t move when I ran my fingers down her arm, tracing the words that curled over the olive skin.
Mud, garden, shielded.
Between her thumb and forefinger, the word family stood out. She had traced over it a few times in different colored pens. I traced the loops and lines until the movement was subconscious.
Plans and reality held my mind captive. I wanted Tatiana dead but how was I going to wrap my hands around her neck when she had disappeared with the wind? In the three years since she had left, she hadn’t made a peep. It wasn’t until Elena returned to me, that she too, had made herself known once more.
“Go to sleep, Kon,” Elena whispered, interrupting my thoughts. “Think about her tomorrow.”
I obeyed.
28
Konstantin Tarkhanov
Nikolai made a face, tongue out and nose scrunched up.
“Is it gross?”
My son had decided the shaving cream looked enough like cotton candy to try and eat it. I had caught him just as he had stuck the finger in his mouth, face instantly warping as the taste overwhelmed his senses.
He was sitting on the bathroom bench and watching me shave. I had given him a blunt razor to copy me with but his stomach had spoken louder and he had decided to try and eat the white foam.
“Have some water,” I coaxed when he started spitting. I scooped what foam was left out of his mouth then cupped my hands under the sink and brought it to his mouth. He gulped it quickly, still making faces.
“Ewww,” he whined.
“You’re not meant to eat it,” I mused. “It’s to shave your beard with.”
Niko rubbed his bare chin. “It tastes bad.”
“I bet.”
I cleaned off my face. “Are you excited for the wedding?”
He nodded. “Mmhmm. Mama said lights and food and loshadi and Baba.”
“I don’t think the horses are coming,” I mused. “They won’t fit in the seats.”
“Mama said.”
“Oh, okay. My mistake.” I ruffled his hair and he giggled. “Your mother specifically said she wants this hair brushed for the ceremony. What do you think?”
“No brush.”
“No?” I laughed. “Very well. It’s your hair.”
Voices sounded outside the bathroom, mainly Roman’s annoyed tone. “I don’t see why we have to wear these stupid fucking outfits,” he was saying. “Elena’s probably going to show up in a sweater and barefoot. Yet I have to wear a tux.”
To Nikolai, I asked, “Have you brushed your teeth?”
He grinned. “Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
He hesitated. “Yes.”
“If I feel your toothbrush, it will be wet?”
Niko sighed. “Do it now.”
I helped him down to his feet, watching him brush his teeth to make sure he was doing it. He got mad when I added more toothpaste to his brush, since he had barely put an inch of it on.
“Your teeth will fall out of your head if you don’t use lots of toothpaste,” I reminded him.
“It’s gross.”