Page 100 of Already Home

“Are you all right?” her birth mother asked.

“Just a little tired from the travel.”

“I’ll take you back so you can rest before dinner.”

* * *

Jenna’s room was as beautiful as the rest of the house.Big, with high ceilings and east-facing windows with more views of vineyards.The only strange touch was the butterfly motif. There were butterflies on thebedspread and several carved butterflies on the dresser.

After showering in the attached private bath, she changed herclothes and made a brief call to Violet, who assured her all was well at thestore. She’d barely hung up when someone knocked on her door.

She opened it to find Dragon lounging against the doorframe.

“Are you my unofficial guide?” she asked, her voiceteasing.

He grinned. “I’m the closest this family has to normal, so yes.I’m here to introduce you to all the idiosyncrasies you can imagine and some youcan’t. Tonight, we’re having Mexican. Fajitas.”

“I love fajitas.”

“This is different.”

“How?”

He raised his eyebrows.

She ran through the list of traditional ingredients. “Oh.”

He guided her to the stairs. “Exactly. Tonight, the role ofmeat will be played by portabella mushrooms. The cheese is sadly absent.However, there are fresh ingredients, guacamole that will make you findreligion, and my very sweet, one hundred percent natural sister-in-law makes akiller margarita. I suggest we get drunk and count the hours until we can eatchicken again.”

She laughed. “Deal.”

“Good. Because I’ve already planned our route back to theairport, and there’s this great little place that makes Southern fried chickenand biscuits you’re not going to believe.”

They walked into the kitchen to find everyone was alreadythere.

“Feeling better?” Serenity asked.

“Yes, I am. Thanks.”

“Good. We saved you some peppers to chop.” Serenity turned toJasmine and Wolf. “Your sister is a master with a knife.”

“A good reason not to piss her off,” Dragon said, grabbing at atortilla and getting his hand slapped by his mother.

Jenna washed her hands and went to the cutting board whereseveral red, green and yellow peppers were waiting, along with serrano chilies.Tom stood over a big pot of beans, while Serenity doctored rice.

As Dragon had promised, Jasmine took control of aprofessional-size blender and began making margaritas while Wolf made guacamoleand Dragon set the table.

Fifties music played from hidden speakers. The sun sank lowerin the sky, sending streamers of light through the windows.

As everyone worked, they talked about their day, the winery,what was happening locally. Wolf brought them up-to-date on what had been goingon in the vineyards. Jenna didn’t understand all the technical terms aboutgrowing and thinning and production, but she was able to follow the mainconcepts.

Jasmine passed out large glasses rimmed with salt and filledwith slushy light green mix. She picked up a glass of lime juice over sparklingwater and held it up with everyone else.

“To Jenna,” Tom said, smiling at her. “Daughter and sister.Missing from our lives until now. Welcome home.”

Echoes of “welcome home” filled the kitchen.

Jenna smiled and accepted the toast, then took a drink. Workresumed on the dinner. She showed Jasmine how to safely cut chilies withoutgetting the juice on her hands and tasted Tom’s famous beans. Wolf caught her inan impromptu hug, and Serenity and Dragon danced to “Rock Around the Clock.”

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