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"That's no answer."
She looked at her brother and smiled at the curious twinkle in his dark eyes. Jewell knew she could hide nothing from him. Finally, she nodded. "I think I could."
"How does he feel?"
"We haven't talked about it."
"Have you been intimate?"
Her face burned hotter. Jewell folded her hands together and squeezed them between her knees. "No. Honestly, Garnett, just two or three kisses. He has been a complete gentleman."
"So, what are you going to do about it?"
"You're pushy this evening." Jewell jumped off the swing and stepped away across the lawn. Her leather boots scuffed on the damp grass. "You're not going to lecture me about getting involved with someone at work?"
"You mean your boss."
She kept her head down, shuffling her boots in the leaves.
"Kiddo, if the two of you fall in love, then that's it. Nothing is going to make him love you if he doesn't, or make you not love him if you do."
"Oh, that is so encouraging. Thank you."
Garnett stood and wrapped her in his arms. Jewell willingly gave in to the embrace and let her head fall on his shoulder. He smoothed and kissed her hair and rocked her gently. The back screen door opened and shut with a loud bang. They both looked to see Pearl running across the yard dressed in a fairy princess costume. Silver gossamer wings flapped behind her and taffeta petals in multiple pastel shades danced around her legs.
"Garnett! Jewell!" she called as she ran, magic wand high in the air. Her speech had improved so much in the last couple of years. She tucked the wand under her arm to sign. "Look at my costume. Mama just finished it."
They pulled their sister into their embrace, and she looked up with glowing cheeks and twinkling eyes. With a smile the size of Texas, Pearl showed them each little detail and nuance their mother lovingly put into the costume. She took Garnett's hands and tugged him toward the house.
"Come on," Pearl begged with a curl of her hand. "Mama just took some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. Let's get them while they're all hot and gooey."
They both chuckled and followed the fair-haired fairy into the house where the enticing aroma of cookies and gingerbread met them at the door. With autumn came her mother's need to bake, anything and everything. From now through Christmas, the house would be in a perpetual state of chaos and mouthwatering scents of cookies, pies, breads, and cakes. More than they could eat in a year, and many ended up going to the church for a homeless outreach program. Whether they ate them, or not, she welcomed the memories that came with each inhale.
She looked at her mother, who bent to take another sheet of cookies from the oven. Pearl stood nearby, a wide grin on her face with melted chocolate clumps on each cheek. The soft thud of boots sounded in the hall from the foyer and her father entered the kitchen, his pipe in one hand and a newspaper tucked under his other arm. He smiled and crossed the kitchen first to her mother, kissing her cheek as she slid the cookies off the sheet, and stole a fairly cooled cookie as he turned.
"Hey, Pipsqueak," her father said around the cookie in his mouth and kissed her forehead. The fresh aroma of his pipe wafted around her.
"I wonder what Benjamin's memories are like…" she mumbled, more to herself than anyone else.
Garnett looked at her, his cheek rounded with the pumpkin cookie he'd shoved in his mouth. "You say something?"
Jewell shook her head. "No, I was just thinking."
Her childhood memories were clouded and dark, and the warmth and love of this house—this kitchen—had washed them all away. Benjamin wasn't a child, but she wondered if maybe she could share some of the peace this family had brought to her. She was halfway down the hall to the front door before her father called after her.
Jewell stopped and swiveled back, smiling at her dad. "I'll be back soon."
* * *
Benjamin caught sight of his sister in the kitchen as he hit the bottom of the stairs into the front hallway. He was about to say her name when she spoke to someone on the other side of the kitchen, her lips spreading in a wide smile. He assumed Dillon had come by, so walked past the kitchen entryway, letting them have some time to themselves. Two steps from his study, small hands curled around his arm, stopping him.
He looked down at his sister, immediately returning her smile. She tugged on his arm, drawing him back toward the kitchen. "Come on. I was just going to go find you."
"Why?"
She just smiled wider and took his hand, pulling him to the kitchen. He didn't understand why until he rounded the corner and stopped short. Jewell stood on the other side of the kitchen, the center island between them, beautiful with her loose hair windblown and a soft blush in her cheeks.
She raised a hand in a small wave. "Hi."
