Silver Fox (Silver Shifters 2)

“Oh, it’s farther than that. You have to go on a boat or a plane.”

Lon stared at his qilin. “Did he fly here? Or swim?”

“It’s too far to swim, unless you’re a kraken,” Joey said.

Lon pointed at the silver drawing. It looked much like the horse, with the same tube body and four straight legs. But he’d drawn a pointy face, and a fan of plumed tails. “Is that a krackle?”

Joey smiled. “That’s a nine-tail fox.”

“Is he from China, too?” Lon asked.

“They’re most commonly found there,” Joey said. “But they can turn up all over the world.”

Lon looked puzzled, and Doris said to him, “What do you think they’re doing here?”

“Pim-im,” Pink chimed in.

Lon corrected, “Purim. Granny Z said it’s Purrr-eeem. They came for Purim.”

“Pim-im,” Pink repeated, and pointed to her own paper, on which she’d chalked a gray creature that looked kind of like an octopus. Joey realized this was her version of his portrait as she said, “Woof.”

“She liked all those tails,” Lon said.

Footsteps coming up the stairs interrupted them. In came a tall, thin man with the same thoughtful gaze as Lon, followed by another young man as handsome as an ancient Greek statue. “This is Brad, Pink and Lon’s father,” Doris said. “And his friend, Isidor.”

“Hi!” Brad smiled at Joey, then bent to look at the drawings. “Cool. Listen, kids. Isidor made you a tent out of blankets. But if you’d rather color—”

“Tent!” Pink banged her crayon down. “Tent!”

Lon looked from his sister to his father.

“As soon as you put away your crayons,” Brad said. “We’ll wait.”

As Lon began meticulously slotting the crayons back into their box, Pink launched herself off her chair. Her solid little body smacked into Isidor’s leg. “Unca Sdor. Tent!” she announced, dancing on her toes and reaching up.

Isidor bent and with the ease of much practice, hauled her up one-armed and set her on his shoulder.

“Tent,” Pink stated with satisfaction.

“All done,” Lon said, putting the crayons back on their shelf.

“I saw Nicola got hijacked into lunch prep.” Brad smiled at Doris and Joey. “Thanks for watching them while I took a shower.”

“It was only a few minutes,” Doris replied. “They’re great kids. I’m happy to do kid-wrangling any time.”

The four trooped back down the stairs, leaving Doris and Joey alone.

She looked like she was torn between following them and staying, so he said, “A moment?” And when she turned back, “I hope I didn’t cross the line last night.”

Her gaze shifted away, then back. Eyes met eyes. She blushed a rosy color and her lips curved into a smile that was close to a grin.

His heart ignited in his chest and his fox leaped inside him for joy, simple creature!

“You didn’t,” Doris said. “Or if you did, then I did, too. I was a willing participant. Ugh. That sounds so . . . PE-teacherish. The truth is . . .” Her gaze shifted away. “I don’t even know how to have this kind of conversation. Kinda laughable, isn’t it? Sixty-two, being pushed toward retirement, and I’m as awkward as a freshman in high school.”

“I don’t see anything laughable here,” Joey said. “All I see is you.” He took a step closer.

She caught her breath, her gaze moving around the room full of toys from three generations. It was a room for children—another safe space, he realized.