Page 99 of Already Home

The very pregnant woman lunged at her, gripping her in asurprisingly strong embrace.

“I’m so happy we’re finally really sisters,” Jasminewhispered.

“Ah, me, too.”

“All right, break it up,” Dragon said. “It’s too much likegirl-on-girl porn. Seeing as you’re both relatives, that’s just gross.”

Jenna stepped back. “You’re all making me feel so welcome.Thank you.”

“It’s what we’ve always wanted,” Serenity told her, then linkedarms with her. “Please. Come inside.”

Jenna let herself be led into the house.

The foyer was open to the second floor, with a catwalkstretching between each side of the house. She could see all the way through tothe back of the living room where floor-to-ceiling windows seemed to draw theoutdoors in.

The furniture was more rustic than contemporary—big piecesframed in wood with brightly colored fabrics. To the left was a dining room withbeautiful arched windows accented with stained glass.

“Dragon, you take Jenna’s bag up to her room,” Serenity said.“We’re going to go into the kitchen and have a little girl time.”

Jenna would rather have gone with her bag and freshened up, butshe followed Serenity to the other end of the house.

They passed the formal dining room with a table big enough toseat twenty, then went into a huge kitchen. There was an eight-burner stove,triple ovens, two warming drawers, more cabinet space than in a showroom and abig butcher block table that easily seated ten.

“The cabinets are from an old hotel,” Serenity said, touchingthe one closest to her. “We had them refinished. The countertop is a mixture ofmaterials.”

Jenna turned around and saw granite on the island, a fewsections of wood, some stainless and what looked like poured concrete. Whatshould have been a mess looked comfortable and perfectly at home in the hugespace.

Windows looked out onto a massive garden. She could see acouple of goats in the distance, along with something that looked like a llamaor an alpaca.

Serenity followed her gaze. “We use the goats for their milkand the alpaca fibers for knitting. In the barn, I make cheese.” She smiled. “Tosell. We don’t really eat it. Well, maybe every now and then.”

“I’m shocked.”

Serenity laughed. “Everyone gets to be bad occasionally. Comeon.”

They went out the back door to where a couple of golf cartswere plugged into charging stations. Jenna slipped into the passenger side ofthe one Serenity pointed to. Serenity unplugged it, then got behind thewheel.

“I thought we’d take a quick tour of the place before we startdinner,” Serenity said as they took off down a dirt path toward thevineyards.

“Tom and I bought this place when we were still in ourtwenties. We had a clear vision for what we wanted. Land was still relativelycheap, so we added on when we could.” She smiled as they bounced along.“However, making wine is an art form we’ve never truly mastered. We bottle abouteight or nine hundred cases a year, but most of the grapes are bought by severalof the big wineries in the area. It makes what we do more profitable.”

She drove around the merlot grapes, then turned left to headpast the old house that had been converted to the tasting room.

“We’ll go there tomorrow,” Serenity said. “They do a very nicelunch at the tasting room. And some of the new releases are impressive. Wolfseems to have more ability when it comes to making wine than either Tom or Ido.” She sighed. “I wish Dragon had been interested in being a part ofthis.”

Jenna thought about all her brother had told her. “I think hiscourse was set a while ago.”

“You’re probably right. He was his own person, even before hewas born. I could tell.”

Jenna pressed her lips together to keep from asking how. She’dgrown used to Serenity’s unusual ways and could even appreciate some of them.Instead she focused on the clear blue sky, the warm breeze and the beauty of thelandscape around them.

“We’re working on new labels for the winery,” Serenity told heras they parked in the shade and stared out at the rolling hills covered ingrapevines. “We’re going to be looking at designs while you’re here. I’d loveyour input.”

“It’s not for me to say,” Jenna protested automatically.

“You’re family.”

She smiled rather than answer that. Technically, she wasfamily. A biological member—full sibling to Wolf and Dragon. But DNA aside, shedidn’t exactly feel that she belonged.

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