looked at Russ. “Mr. Telford’s teaching me the piano.”
Alexis held her breath while she waited for Russ to answer. Finally he said, “You’re a lucky little girl; Telford’s a good teacher.”
“Who’s that at the back door, Henry?”
Henry went to the door and returned to the breakfast room, where they waited for Drake before beginning supper.
“Rosen, one of the construction workers, wanted me to put his supper in the microwave.”
“Well, did you do it?” Russ asked him.
“Sure, I done it. But he ain’t fooling me. They been working down there for two months, and all of a sudden they wants their lunch heated and their supper warmed. It ain’t their stomach they concerned with, it’s the rise in their testosterone.”
Telford’s head snapped up, and Russ laughed aloud. “Be careful you don’t get a riot on your hands, brother,” Russ said.
“Well, I’ll be…” Telford said. “You can actually laugh. Don’t get too happy, though, pal. Tomorrow evening, they’ll have their own microwave oven, and they can stay the he—” He looked at Tara, who drank in his every word. “They can stay away from this house.”
Laughter poured from Russ until he got up from the table in a fit of hiccups. “I told you to put a microwave oven in there. Add a coffee urn while you’re at it. Threaten the king’s comforts and you’re lucky you don’t lose your head.”
Telford narrowed his eyes, and his face wrinkled into a frown. “Lay off, will you, Russ? It’s best to talk what you know, and you’re way off in left field.”
“Mummy, doesn’t Mr. Russ like… Eeee,” she squealed. “Mr. Drake.”
“Hey, there. At least somebody around here’s glad to see me.” He picked Tara up and swung her around. “How’s my best girl?”
“We waited for you so we could eat.”
He opened his briefcase and gave her a harmonica. “Just don’t play it when I’m around.” She hugged him and ran to her seat.
“How’d it go?” Telford asked him.
“Great. Couldn’t have asked for better. I’d better wash my hands, or Alexis won’t let me eat.” He flashed her a charismatic grin. “Just teasing.”
Alexis watched as Drake greeted his brothers with the now familiar embrace and warmth, and had to stop herself from wishing she were truly a part of the love between them, so strong that she felt it.
“Who says grace?” Tara asked with the surety of one who belongs and knows it. “Want me to—”
“Dear Lord…” Russ began so quickly that Alexis couldn’t restrain the laughter. He wasn’t willing to suffer through another of Tara’s long, rambling supplications.
After Russ finished, Telford rested his elbows on the table and shook with laughter. “I didn’t even know Russ knew how to say grace.”
His laughter commenced again, nearly uncontrollable. How she loved to see him laugh! When he looked at her, bright lights danced in his eyes, mesmerizing her. Transfixed, she gazed at his face, beautiful in his fit of hilarity, and wanted to round the table and squeeze him to her breast. Suddenly, he stopped laughing and, in the deafening silence, she looked from Russ to Drake and found their gazes glued to their older brother. Unaware of their attention; the hot fire of passion blazed in his eyes as he reciprocated the ardor she must have shown seconds earlier.
When she could think of a way to divert the brothers’ attention from Telford, she said, “Henry, do you mind checking on Tara after Telford brings her home tomorrow? It’s my day off, and I need to go to Frederick.”
“Just leave her with me.” He looked at Tara. “How’d you like for us to make cookies?”
Tara showed her delight by running over to Henry, hugging him and slapping her hands together. “Oooh, Mr. Henry, I love cookies.”
“Then we’ll make two or three kinds.”
Russ looked at Henry and winked. “Better watch it. Telford may put a kitchen in the basement and install a dumbwaiter. That way you can
Alexis held her breath while she waited for Russ to answer. Finally he said, “You’re a lucky little girl; Telford’s a good teacher.”
“Who’s that at the back door, Henry?”
Henry went to the door and returned to the breakfast room, where they waited for Drake before beginning supper.
“Rosen, one of the construction workers, wanted me to put his supper in the microwave.”
“Well, did you do it?” Russ asked him.
“Sure, I done it. But he ain’t fooling me. They been working down there for two months, and all of a sudden they wants their lunch heated and their supper warmed. It ain’t their stomach they concerned with, it’s the rise in their testosterone.”
Telford’s head snapped up, and Russ laughed aloud. “Be careful you don’t get a riot on your hands, brother,” Russ said.
“Well, I’ll be…” Telford said. “You can actually laugh. Don’t get too happy, though, pal. Tomorrow evening, they’ll have their own microwave oven, and they can stay the he—” He looked at Tara, who drank in his every word. “They can stay away from this house.”
Laughter poured from Russ until he got up from the table in a fit of hiccups. “I told you to put a microwave oven in there. Add a coffee urn while you’re at it. Threaten the king’s comforts and you’re lucky you don’t lose your head.”
Telford narrowed his eyes, and his face wrinkled into a frown. “Lay off, will you, Russ? It’s best to talk what you know, and you’re way off in left field.”
“Mummy, doesn’t Mr. Russ like… Eeee,” she squealed. “Mr. Drake.”
“Hey, there. At least somebody around here’s glad to see me.” He picked Tara up and swung her around. “How’s my best girl?”
“We waited for you so we could eat.”
He opened his briefcase and gave her a harmonica. “Just don’t play it when I’m around.” She hugged him and ran to her seat.
“How’d it go?” Telford asked him.
“Great. Couldn’t have asked for better. I’d better wash my hands, or Alexis won’t let me eat.” He flashed her a charismatic grin. “Just teasing.”
Alexis watched as Drake greeted his brothers with the now familiar embrace and warmth, and had to stop herself from wishing she were truly a part of the love between them, so strong that she felt it.
“Who says grace?” Tara asked with the surety of one who belongs and knows it. “Want me to—”
“Dear Lord…” Russ began so quickly that Alexis couldn’t restrain the laughter. He wasn’t willing to suffer through another of Tara’s long, rambling supplications.
After Russ finished, Telford rested his elbows on the table and shook with laughter. “I didn’t even know Russ knew how to say grace.”
His laughter commenced again, nearly uncontrollable. How she loved to see him laugh! When he looked at her, bright lights danced in his eyes, mesmerizing her. Transfixed, she gazed at his face, beautiful in his fit of hilarity, and wanted to round the table and squeeze him to her breast. Suddenly, he stopped laughing and, in the deafening silence, she looked from Russ to Drake and found their gazes glued to their older brother. Unaware of their attention; the hot fire of passion blazed in his eyes as he reciprocated the ardor she must have shown seconds earlier.
When she could think of a way to divert the brothers’ attention from Telford, she said, “Henry, do you mind checking on Tara after Telford brings her home tomorrow? It’s my day off, and I need to go to Frederick.”
“Just leave her with me.” He looked at Tara. “How’d you like for us to make cookies?”
Tara showed her delight by running over to Henry, hugging him and slapping her hands together. “Oooh, Mr. Henry, I love cookies.”
“Then we’ll make two or three kinds.”
Russ looked at Henry and winked. “Better watch it. Telford may put a kitchen in the basement and install a dumbwaiter. That way you can
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