of…occupied.”
“We’ve noticed. You both should come to dinner tonight.”
“Dinner?”
He nodded. “I think it’s important we get to know the man you’ve been spending time with.”
“Wow.”
“What?”
“I have a family.”
Armand grinned. “Whether you want us or not.”
“I do want you,” I said, not at all surprised to find my eyes burning with emotion. “It’s nice to be cared for.”
“Not cared for, Sage. Loved.”
•••
“This isn’t ‘meet the parents’,” I explained.
“It feels that way,” Kai said.
“I don’t have parents, remember? But Celia and Armand have become family to me.”
“And what am I?”
“Too soon to tell,” I lied.
We walked into the kitchen; Celia covered a pot of water with a lid, and Armand sat at the table with a glass of wine.
“Do you ever cook?” I asked Armand, who grinned at the question.
“Not if I can help it.” He stood and went to shake Kai’s hand. “Get you a glass, Kai?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
Celia watched Kai with an unnerving stare, and I had a brief glimpse of what it would have been like if my mother had met him. Mom had barely been able to tolerate Connor. Would she have accepted Kai? Would she have liked him?
The tension grew insurmountable until Celia said, “Kai, how are you at making salads?”
“Can’t hurt to give it a try.” He went to the sink and washed his hands.
“Stuff’s on the counter.” Celia’s gaze slid to the doorway. “What are you doing here?”
“I live here.” Luc sauntered into the kitchen and looked at Kai. After a moment he glanced in my direction and asked, “Can we talk?”
Impeccable timing.
“Please?” he pleaded.
Kai’s face was unreadable. Shrugging, I followed Luc into the courtyard. The sun had set and it was cold, so I wrapped my arms around myself and bounced from one foot to the other.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been an ass.”
“Yes, you have been,” I agreed, “and you’ve been avoiding me.”
“You’re happy with him, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’m glad for you.”
“ Really? ”
He shrugged. “Not yet, but I’ll get there.”
“How long do you expect that to take? Kai’s in your kitchen.”
“So he is.”
“I don’t need you to like him, but what about us? Can we be friends?”
His eyes were hopeful. “I didn’t blow it?”
“Of course not. We were well on our way. I emoted all over you when I first got here, if you recall. That makes us friends, right?”
He laughed in relief. “Do you mean it?”
“I do. Let’s just forget everything, okay?”
“You can do that?”
“Why not? What is there between us, Luc, except friendship? In time, you’ll realize I wasn’t right for you.”
“Don’t patronize me.”
“I’m not trying to.”
We stared at each other, and Luc’s shoulders lost their tension.
“Let’s go eat. Maybe pretend you like Kai?”
We went back inside to a quiet kitchen. Kai diced vegetables, and the only sound in the room was of the knife hitting the cutting board. Celia enjoyed a glass of wine while Armand rubbed her shoulder.
Luc and Kai stared at one another, not saying a word. My eyes dodged back and forth between the two of them, wondering how things were going to play out. Luc inclined his head, and Kai did the same. I didn’t know what it meant, but they seemed to have come to an understanding.
“How long have you been traveling?” Celia asked Kai.
“Couple of years.”
“And you’ve been in France how long?” Armand pried.
Somehow I’d acquired surrogate parents. I smiled into my wine.
“Close to two months now.”
“Plan to stick around?” Luc wondered.
Kai glared.
“I’m asking as a friend,” Luc defended. “Sage has had a rough go of it. I don’t want her hurt.”
I raised my eyebrows and looked at Kai inquisitively.
Kai took my hand and grinned. “Just try and get rid of me.”
•••
“Have time for a quick chat?” Celia asked me the
“We’ve noticed. You both should come to dinner tonight.”
“Dinner?”
He nodded. “I think it’s important we get to know the man you’ve been spending time with.”
“Wow.”
“What?”
“I have a family.”
Armand grinned. “Whether you want us or not.”
“I do want you,” I said, not at all surprised to find my eyes burning with emotion. “It’s nice to be cared for.”
“Not cared for, Sage. Loved.”
•••
“This isn’t ‘meet the parents’,” I explained.
“It feels that way,” Kai said.
“I don’t have parents, remember? But Celia and Armand have become family to me.”
“And what am I?”
“Too soon to tell,” I lied.
We walked into the kitchen; Celia covered a pot of water with a lid, and Armand sat at the table with a glass of wine.
“Do you ever cook?” I asked Armand, who grinned at the question.
“Not if I can help it.” He stood and went to shake Kai’s hand. “Get you a glass, Kai?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
Celia watched Kai with an unnerving stare, and I had a brief glimpse of what it would have been like if my mother had met him. Mom had barely been able to tolerate Connor. Would she have accepted Kai? Would she have liked him?
The tension grew insurmountable until Celia said, “Kai, how are you at making salads?”
“Can’t hurt to give it a try.” He went to the sink and washed his hands.
“Stuff’s on the counter.” Celia’s gaze slid to the doorway. “What are you doing here?”
“I live here.” Luc sauntered into the kitchen and looked at Kai. After a moment he glanced in my direction and asked, “Can we talk?”
Impeccable timing.
“Please?” he pleaded.
Kai’s face was unreadable. Shrugging, I followed Luc into the courtyard. The sun had set and it was cold, so I wrapped my arms around myself and bounced from one foot to the other.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been an ass.”
“Yes, you have been,” I agreed, “and you’ve been avoiding me.”
“You’re happy with him, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’m glad for you.”
“ Really? ”
He shrugged. “Not yet, but I’ll get there.”
“How long do you expect that to take? Kai’s in your kitchen.”
“So he is.”
“I don’t need you to like him, but what about us? Can we be friends?”
His eyes were hopeful. “I didn’t blow it?”
“Of course not. We were well on our way. I emoted all over you when I first got here, if you recall. That makes us friends, right?”
He laughed in relief. “Do you mean it?”
“I do. Let’s just forget everything, okay?”
“You can do that?”
“Why not? What is there between us, Luc, except friendship? In time, you’ll realize I wasn’t right for you.”
“Don’t patronize me.”
“I’m not trying to.”
We stared at each other, and Luc’s shoulders lost their tension.
“Let’s go eat. Maybe pretend you like Kai?”
We went back inside to a quiet kitchen. Kai diced vegetables, and the only sound in the room was of the knife hitting the cutting board. Celia enjoyed a glass of wine while Armand rubbed her shoulder.
Luc and Kai stared at one another, not saying a word. My eyes dodged back and forth between the two of them, wondering how things were going to play out. Luc inclined his head, and Kai did the same. I didn’t know what it meant, but they seemed to have come to an understanding.
“How long have you been traveling?” Celia asked Kai.
“Couple of years.”
“And you’ve been in France how long?” Armand pried.
Somehow I’d acquired surrogate parents. I smiled into my wine.
“Close to two months now.”
“Plan to stick around?” Luc wondered.
Kai glared.
“I’m asking as a friend,” Luc defended. “Sage has had a rough go of it. I don’t want her hurt.”
I raised my eyebrows and looked at Kai inquisitively.
Kai took my hand and grinned. “Just try and get rid of me.”
•••
“Have time for a quick chat?” Celia asked me the
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