Back “home”
1381 Words
*Lillian*
Trepidation slices through me as we near Chase's house. I see Blaise's brother standing by the corral, a young boy by his side. As Blaise brings the wagon to a halt in front of the house, they both turn and head toward us. I know beyond a doubt that the boy is Chase's son. He has his father's walk.
"Expected you to show up sooner," Chase says, an authoritative ring to his voice that makes me think the man always gets what he expects.
"I fell asleep," Blaise says as he helps me climb down from the wagon.
"During the day?" Chase asks.
"Yep, not everyone works from dawn till midnight building empires," Blaise says, giving me a wink.
"Nothing wrong with building empires," Chase informs him.
"Didn't say there was," Blaise says. "Only pointing out that not everybody does it."
Once I'm firmly on the ground, I glance around, feeling like a bush surrounded by mighty oak trees. Even Chase's son stands inches above me.
Chase sweeps his hat from his head. "Think I forgot to welcome you to the family yesterday."
Before I know what he is about, he had taken my hand, leaned forward, and kissed my cheek.
"It's a pleasure to have you here," he says as he releases my hand. "This is my son, Cooper."
The boy sweeps off his hat in much the same manner as his father had. "We're right pleased to have you here, Aunt Lillian."
He casts a furtive glance at his father who gives him a nod of approval, and I wonder how many times they have practiced his greeting.
Two-bits chooses that moment to make his presence known. He leaps up, places his paws on the side of the wagon, and begins barking.
A broad smile splits Cooper's face as he rushes to the wagon. "You got a dog?"
"Yep. Why don't you take him out?" Blaise suggests. "He is probably ready to do some running around."
Cooper lifts Two-bits into his arms. The dog squirms, snaking out his tongue to get a taste of Cooper's nose. Cooper sets Two-bits on the ground and drops to his knees to rub the dog's stomach as he rolls onto his back.
"What's his name?" Cooper asks.
"Two-bits," I tell him, an ache in my heart. The boy very much reminds me of my brother. I judge him to be near my brother's age before he died.
Cooper glances over his shoulder, his face skewed up. "Who named him that?"
"I did," Blaise says. "Why don't you take him around to the back? We will probably need to tie him up for the night so he won't run off," Blaise says.
"He can stay in my room," Cooper suggests.
"I don't think so," Chase says.
Cooper's face falls even as he gives his father a brusque nod. "Come on, Two-bits," he calls out as he begins running. The dog chases after him like he has found a new friend.
"Cooper!" Chase yells.
The boy stumbles to a stop and spins around.
"Yes, Alpha?"
"It's warm enough, you can bed down on the back porch tonight if you've a mind to." He tells him.
Cooper smiles brightly. "Thanks, Alpha C!"
I turn my attention back to Chase in time to catch a glimpse of a grimace before he wipes it from his face.
“Still can’t get him to call you ‘Pa’?” Blaise asks.
Chase shakes his head. “Nope, but it doesn’t matter. He is my son. I’ll find Callie. She’s bound to have an empty room or two where you can put your belongings,” Chase says.
I wait until Chase disappears into the house before asking, “Why doesn’t Cooper call him ‘Pa’?”
“Chase and Callie adopted him. He wasn’t treated too kindly before they took him under their wing. I think he still finds it difficult to trust men.” Blaise says.
“Did someone beat him?” I ask, feeling sorry for the boy.
“Among other things.” As though signaling an end to the conversation, Blaise takes my hand. “Come on. I will show you around the house.”
Had he not told me, I still would have known which bedroom had belonged to Blaise. Smiling, I pick his rumpled shirt and britches off the floor.
“Guess Callie hasn’t been in here since I left,” he says as he sets my suitcase on the bed.
I don’t think anyone has been in the room. It carries his lingering scent, faint because of his absences, but ingrained because of the years he has slept here.
He jerks the blankets on the bed up to cover his pillows and grins sheepishly. “Never saw much point in making a bed in the morning just to unmake it at night.”
He wipes his hands on his backside. “Let me talk to Callie about some clean sheets.”
He heads out the door, and I wander around the room. I imagine it to be a reflection of the man he had been before prison. It is sparsely furnished as though he had never planned to stay: a bed, a bureau, a dresser.
No portraits adorn the walls. Nothing hints at permanence, but it is his room, and on the dresser rests a violin. Reverently, I trail my finger over the dull varnish. A chip here, a scratch there does not diminish the beauty of the instrument. Still, it looks forlorn and lonely.
“Callie thought the maid had cleaned in here,” Blaise says as he comes back into the room. “She said she will send Maria in to take care of it for us.”
“I can change the bed.” I tell him.
He smiles, “Enjoy the luxury of being waited on because you will only get it while you’re here.”
“Your brother is very wealthy, isn’t he?” I ask.
“Yep, but I don’t envy him that. He worked hard for every penny.” He says.
I turn my attention back to his dresser. “Is this the violin your mother played for you?”
Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he slowly approaches me. “Yeah, it is.”
“My father played the violin. He thought music was important. He would take me into Blaise once a week so I could have a piano lesson. I had no natural talent, but I tried to learn. I could teach you what I know. You could play your mother’s violin.” I suggest.
“No.” He shakes his head.
I can’t help but push a bit, “But it would be a tribute to your mother, a way”
“No. I can’t play, and you can’t teach me.” He says.
“But how do you know if you don’t try?” I ask.
“Trust me. I know.” He mumbles.
Baffled, I watch him turn for the door. I don’t want the moment to end with disappointment. “Blaise?”
He glances over his shoulder. “I’m just going to get the rest of our things.”
I give him a hesitant smile. “Do you think you could draw me a map of the house so I don’t get lost when I wander through it?”
He grins. “It’s god-awful big, isn’t it? Chase doesn’t do anything in small measures.”
“I guess they are planning to have a large family,” I offer.
His grin eases away. “They were planning on it, but Callie had an accident a few years ago. She won’t be giving Chase any more children.”
I wrap my arms around myself. “I’m so sorry. Will my being here and having a baby upset her?”
Blaise shakes his head. “One thing about the Moonshadow men, they tend to marry generous women.”
He disappears through the door. I cross the room, open a double set of doors, and step onto the balcony. I’m glad we have left the town. It had stirred up memories that had kept me from sleeping the night before.
I hope that tonight Blaise’s presence will hold the nightmares at bay.
- Writer
