Earth Bound by Christine Feehan Page B

I’ll be the diver.”
    â€œAs if.” Rikki sniffed disdainfully. “I’m captain
always
.”
    â€œYou’re a pretty cute captain, so I guess I’ll follow you around,” Levi said, putting her back on her feet. He kept his arm around her. “I would love to learn how to make pasta noodles, Lucia, if you’ll have me in your kitchen.” He gave her a courtly bow, ignoring his brothers and Benito as they laughed wildly.
    For the first time, Lucia gave a small, brief smile. She gave Levi a little curtsy. “You are most welcome in my kitchen, Levi. Benito, you and your two friends can eat out of a box tonight. No fresh pasta for you three,” she scolded.
    Instantly all three males sobered. “Whoa, now,” Thomas said. “We need to rethink this. I look pretty darn good in an apron.”
    â€œIs that true, Judith?” Airiana asked. “I can’t picture Thomas in the kitchen let alone with an apron on.”
    Judith raised her eyebrow at her husband. “You’ve never actually worn an apron that I’ve ever seen.”
    â€œBut I’m in the kitchen
all
the time,” Thomas pointed out. “It’s one of my favorite places.”
    â€œLucia!” Benito burst into a spate of Italian, talking rapidly, trying to get himself out of trouble. He was at his most charming when he spoke his native language. He had no problem using his eyes and good looks to get his way.
    â€œAdvocate for both of us,” Max reminded.
    Lucia threw her hands into the air. “Fine. But stop picking on Levi. He’s a brave man to come to my cooking class.”
    â€œYes. Yes, very brave,” Benito agreed.
    â€œWhat time are you giving everyone the lesson?” Blythe asked. “I’m just going to take some lunch to Lexi and talk to her for a few minutes. I’d like to come if I have time.”
    â€œWe thought we’d start the lesson around one,” Airiana answered, glancing at her watch. “I still have to feed the children lunch and then we’ll be ready.”
    â€œI’ll definitely be there,” Blythe said.
    As Blythe turned to walk away, Lucia stepped forward. Her fingers clutched at Airiana’s hand. “You can invite Lexi to join us as well,” Lucia managed to get out, her voice painfully shy.
    â€œI’ll be happy to, thank you, Lucia,” Blythe said. “It’s kind of you to include her. Lexi stays too much to herself.”
    It would be natural for Lucia to recognize Lexi had gone through a similar experience. She had to have noticed how they all checked on Lexi often.
    Blythe waved to the others and set out briskly to walk to Lexi’s home. She ran several miles every day and the distance wasn’t far enough to bother her. She needed the time to think. Gavriil Prakenskii was family. There was no getting around that. His brothers would be upset if he was asked to leave the farm, yet clearly, in some way, they recognized that he was different from them. That worried her.
    Without conscious thought she ran her palm down her thigh. Doing the kind of work the brothers had done for so many years would take its toll. Men could go either way. Levi had wanted a different life, and he’d grabbed it with both hands when he’d met Rikki. Thomas had done the same. She hadn’t known Max long enough to tell which way he’d gone. He seemed rougher than both Thomas and Levi, but no one could observe him with the children and Airiana and think anything but that he was a family man.
    So what was different about Gavriil that had his brothers tense and anxious for Lexi? Had they believed her life was in danger, Blythe was certain they never would have left her alone with the man. She’d been a little shocked that Lexi had insisted Gavriil stay with her. As far as Blythecould remember, Lexi was never alone with any of the men, not even the ones she’d come to consider her