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“Yes,” Aiden hissed.
Shaking her head, Cal gave him a gentle bounce. “We’re having a late lunch. Family's planning the service.” Her gaze fell on the roses. “No pelt?”
“No, and sorry I couldn’t make dinner. Too much to rearrange on short notice.”
Her smile was warm. “Lunch will do.”
“I couldn’t.”
“You must. We’ve got more food than Aiden and I could eat in a year. Put those flowers down and come inside. I want you to meet everyone.”
I set the roses beside a wicker chair. “Your pack?”
“My most trusted family.” She raised her hand to block me as I entered. “Woah. Hate to say it, but, sugar, you’ve gone sour. What have you been rolling in?”
I hadn’t arrived home in time to shower, so the poor contractor, security guy and I had been chatting in the driveway when my sleep-deprived brain had decided to swing by.
“Thought you weren't a bloodhound.”
“Hun, a whale could smell you ten miles off shore.” Her nose wrinkled. “A literal stinking human! I can hear Mina now . . . How about this: your home is in shambles. Hop in my shower and wash the grime out of your rat's nest. We’ll make a spot for you at the table.”
Embarrassed, I backed off the porch. “No, I’ll come back.”
“You’ll work yourself into a sweat on the walk,” she said.
“My house is right there,” I said. “It’s not even that hot.”
She shook her head. “It’s my neighborly duty to help, and my responsibility as your friend to ensure you leave a sparkling impression on the pack. Think of it as a small token of my appreciation for Aaju and the rest. Marcy, darling, I insist.” She set the boy on the ground. “Run out to the patio, Aiden. Ask Aunt Mina to please prep one more burger. We have a special guest.”
Once he’d stormed off, she draped her arm around me and whispered, “He's at that age where getting him in the tub is like trying to soak a full grown man in acid. I'm begging you, save me the tantrum and use my shower.”
I considered the state of my house and Caelan’s comments about being used as a meat shield, then leaned against her to pull off my sneakers. This was a rare opportunity to gain insight and knowledge of werewolf life.
“Thank you,” she said, dumping my shoes outside. “Don’t worry about a thing. Pippin Manor is the pack estate; we’ve more bottles of shampoo than wine in our cellars.” She trotted up the curved staircase. I followed more slowly, drawn to the painting of cheerful sunflowers surrounded by family portraits.
Her hand touched mine on the rail.
“Oh, right,” she said against my hair. “You’re one of my kind.”
“Where’d you get this?”
“Stephen had it commissioned as a gift for my thirtieth. Sunflowers, the color yellow—thought to evoke gratitude, devotion, loyalty, happiness…Everything he wished me to find.”
Weighing my chances of disappearing versus confirming my suspicions, I asked to view the painting closer. Calico obliged with a tight-lipped smile. When I’d finished my examination, I turned to her. “I was lucky enough to view the original on exhibit in Amsterdam a few months before it was stolen. The oil paint used in the creation of the piece discolors over time, more so in the presence of improper lighting. Given the circumstances of your entryway, your artist has done a remarkable job in imitating what the current paint may resemble. Who are they?”
“Never met him,” she said serenely, linking arms. “But if you love this imitation, you’ll never want to leave upon seeing my original Manet. Now, what’s brought this raggedy kitten to my doorstep?”
“I’ve got a couple questions for you.”
“What a coincidence. So do I.”
She led me to the first of two master suites. Stephen’s was located on the left wing of the home, overlooking the street. Cal kept to the right, with a view of the orchard’s rolling hills.
Paintings lined the upstairs halls. I kept quiet in my observations, but as we entered the bathroom found myself saying, “Haven’t been caught since Gram, have you?”
“I promised myself I’d never fuck up again.” Calico, who had leaned into the glass shower to start the water, now sprawled along the tiled length of a Jacuzzi, fussing with her robe. “Let’s chat while the water warms.”
The foggy glass suggested it was plenty warm already. Nevertheless, I sat beside her. “You must’ve noticed I’ve got cats.”
