Harte and Soul by Natalie J. Damschroder

Author:Natalie J. Damschroder [Natalie J. Damschroder]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Natalie J. Damschroder
Published: 2021-11-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

When Brook left the den, she found everyone in the living room, surrounding an older woman in a muumuu. Shopping bags cluttered the floor at their feet. There was so much commotion, with hugs and chatter filling the air, that it took her a moment to realize two more people had shown up, too.

Paul spotted her hovering in the doorway and motioned her over. “Hey, everyone, shut up!” They all quieted and turned at his booming voice. “Brook, let me help you out with this mob.” He pointed to the older woman. “My sister, Ethel.”

Brook nodded. “Kiena talks about you all the time. How was the cruise? Is everything okay?” She wasn’t supposed to be home until tomorrow night.

“Oh, wonderful. But Liza’s daughter went into labor a couple of weeks early, so we bailed at the final port and headed home. I missed everyone so much, I had to come right over when Paul told me you were all here. Especially this munchkin.” She bent and pinched Kiena’s cheeks. The little girl barely noticed, she was so busy digging into one of the bags.

Paul continued the introductions. “This is Alexa and Peter’s cousin, Samantha.”

The dark-haired woman smiled. “We’ve met, Uncle Paul. Hi, Brook. You know my husband, Rock, too.”

Brook was glad Peter already knew who she was, or this moment would have been beyond awkward. His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t comment.

“I do. It’s nice to see you both again.”

Paul looked between them, then at his daughter. “You didn’t tell me she was part of all that.” He sounded disappointed.

“She works for ARPEP, Dad. I called her in to evaluate Kiena.”

He frowned. “ARPEP. Oh, yeah.” He snapped his fingers and pointed at Samantha. “You do stuff for them sometimes.” When she nodded, he did, too. “So the animal thing. But that’s not a high-value ability. So why are you still here? It doesn’t take a week to figure out.”

Her mouth dropped open. “I—” A wry laugh escaped. “It actually did take me a week to get what I needed.”

“Why?”

Everyone was staring at her. She didn’t want to put the blame on Alexa, but she hated appearing incompetent.

Alexa apparently had no worries about her family’s opinions. “It’s my fault. I made her come undercover. But that’s really not what’s important right now, Dad.”

He grumbled, but refrained from pursuing the subject. Brook doubted that was the last of it, but if she was leaving soon, it wasn’t her problem.

Funny how much that bothered her.

“Is this for me?” Kiena stood from her crouch, hefting a bottle of rum in a gift box.

“No no, sweetie.” Ethel retrieved it quickly and herded her grand-niece away from the bags. “I do have presents for all of you, though. Sit, sit!”

Half the adults looked disgruntled, half resigned, but apparently no one wanted to talk in front of Aunt Ethel any more than they wanted to talk in front of Kiena. Ethel handed gaily wrapped packages to Kiena, who tore into them with enthusiasm. While she exclaimed

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