Shifting Calder Wind (Calder Saga 7)

“Hi, Mom.” He gave her a look of straight-faced innocence. “I woked up.”

“I see that.” She also saw that he had on a pair of Chase’s cowboy boots, the tops of them reaching above his knees. She fought down a smile at the comical picture he made. “What are you doing with Grampa’s boots?”

“I was tryin’ ’em on.” He glanced down at them. “Grampa’s got big feet.”

“Definitely a lot bigger than yours.” Jessy lifted him out of the boots, set him down, then picked up the boots and returned them to the closet.

Trey watched from the doorway. “Somebody took Grampa’s razor.”

“Is that right?” She pretended not to know what he was talking about. “You don’t suppose somebody might have put it up so you wouldn’t accidentally cut yourself with it, do you?”

“I looked in all the drawers.”

“Don’t you be snooping anymore in your grampa’s things. It’s very wrong to do that.” She planted a hand on his head and turned him away from the door, pointing him down the hall while she pulled the door shut behind her.

A yawning Laura emerged from the bedroom, saw Jessy and broke into a run. “I’m glad you’re home,

Mom.” She wrapped herself around Jessy’s legs.

“So am I.” Smiling, she smoothed a hand over Laura’s blond curls.

Laura tipped her head way back to look up at her. “I want’a go see Aunt Tara, but Beth wouldn’t take me.” Her lower lip protruded in a sulky pout.

“That’s because Beth isn’t old enough to drive.”

In a flash, Laura switched tactics and bestowed her most beguiling smile on Jessy. “But you are, Mommy.”

“Sorry, I can’t today. I have too many things to do.”

Angrily Laura pulled away from her and buried her chin in her neck. “You always say that.”

“We’ll do something together real soon.” It was a promise Jessy made as much to herself as to Laura. “In the meantime, let’s go down to the kitchen. Sally is fixing me a sandwich and I’ll bet we can rustle up some milk and cookies for you two. How does that sound?”

“Yippee!” Trey spun around in his stockinged feet, slipped on the hardwood floor and fell with a thud. Laura was considerably less enthusiastic, already aware of the value of emotional blackmail.

Jessy helped Trey to his feet, verified that the damage was mostly to his pride, and ordered, “You go get your boots on and meet us downstairs.”

“Ah, Mom.” With a disgruntled fling of the arms, he turned toward the bedroom. As usual, his despair didn’t last long, and he broke into a run and slid the last few feet to the door.

With a mild shake of her head at Trey, Jessy started down the stairs. Truthfully, she was much more comfortable with Trey’s sometimes wild antics than she was with the poise and dainty femininity of her daughter. She glanced back at Laura following her down the steps, looking like a little princess in training. Rather than outdistance Laura, Jessy slowed her own descent.

By the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, Trey was clumping down the steps at a reckless pace behind them. Two treads from the bottom, he jumped and landed at a run.

When the front door opened, Trey screeched to a halt and turned toward it with an air of expectancy that told Jessy he was expecting to see Chase walk through. But it was Monte Markham who stepped into the foyer.

“Ah, there you are,” he said when he saw Jessy. His easy smile widened at the sight of the twins. “How perfect, the twins are here, too.”

“We were on our way to the kitchen for a snack,” Jessy explained. “Why don’t you join us?”

“Later. First I want you all to come outside and see the surprise I brought.” He motioned them toward the door, an enigmatic sparkle in his brown eyes.

“A surprise,” Trey repeated with burgeoning interest. “What kind of surprise?”

“Come and see,” Monte replied, deepening the mystery.

The possibility of a present was all it took to make Laura forget that she had been giving her mother the silent treatment. She looked up with bright-eyed eagerness. “Can we, Mommy?”

“Of course.” She nodded her permission.