Page 39 of Shattered

She instantly intrigued me.Never mind the fact she was gorgeous.She reminded me of a Victoria’s Secret model with her lithe body, long blonde hair and stunning features.All she was missing were the runway angel wings.

“It’s great to meet you, as well, Adara.Alek has told me such nice things about you.”I turned toward Kael.“About both of you. Thank you so much for inviting me tonight.”

While I was chatting with Adara, Alek brushed past me and moved closer to the stove.Leaning over, he did his best to inspect our future meal.“Adara, I didn’t know you knew how to cook.”His brow cocked in amusement.

“Of course I do.Who do you think has been feeding your friend all these years?”

“It’s true, man.She keeps me fed.And fed well,” he joked as he patted his trim stomach.

After some quick chit-chat, they indulged us with a tour of their place.It was smaller than Alek’s, but the richness in character definitely made up for whatever they lacked in size.

The original woodwork was displayed throughout the home.Every fine detail and etching caught the eye as you walked from room to room.Beautiful artwork adorned the walls, enticing me to stop and stare for moments at a time.

Half an hour into our tour, Adara announced dinner would be ready in another twenty minutes.“Why don’t you guys go in the den and have a quick drink,” she encouraged as she lightly pushed both men toward the other room.She took hold of my arm and led me back toward the kitchen.“We’ll call you when it’s ready.”

Kael slapped his friend on the back, obviously reveling in the fact they were allowed some long-awaited guy-bonding minutes.“Sounds good to us, babe.Let us know if you need our assistance,” he shouted as they hurriedly walked away.

Alek looked back to catch me before I disappeared around the corner.“I won’t be long, babe.”He sounded as if our separation was causing him some sort of discomfort.

“Come on, lover boy.She’ll be fine without you hovering over her for a few minutes.”His friend drew him away before he could protest.

“Can I help?” I asked as we headed back into the kitchen.

“Sure. You can grab what we need for the salad.”She pointed to the refrigerator.“Everything should be on the second shelf.”While I busied myself with my new job assignment, Adara put the finishing touches on the casserole.As soon as the smell hit me, my stomach growled.It was then I realized it’d been hours since I’d last had anything to eat.

During mid-chop of the mushrooms, curiosity about my host suddenly became too much.I decided to dig a little. “Adara.Such a beautiful but unusual name.I’ve never heard anything like it before.”

“Thank you.Yes, it is unusual.It’s an old Irish name which means fire.Ask my husband and he’ll tell you I surely live up to the name.” She laughed and removed the dish from the oven before turning around to face me.“So, tell me, Sara, how long have you and Alek known each other?”

“Not long.Although, it feels like I’ve known him forever.”My mind drifted off to thoughts of my glorious man, even though we’d only parted ways fifteen minutes before.I had it bad and I knew it.I tried to play it cool, but I was sure I failed miserably.

“Well, when you’re meant to be together, it seems like you can’t imagine a time when they weren’t part of your life.Trust me, I speak from experience.”

“I know what you mean,” I replied, her comment surprisingly insightful.

Giving her masterpiece one more look, she announced, “Well, it’s time we call the men to the table.”

~~~~

After a scrumptious dinner, we relaxed with coffee and homemade apple pie.

Kael was the first to start revealing secrets of his dear friend.“Sara, I must say, I was pleasantly surprised when I ran in to the two of you the other day and saw how taken he was with you.But it’s a good thing.A great thing, in fact.”

Alek leaned over and kissed my temple, showing me he agreed with Kael’s sentiments.

“It sure is,” Adara chimed in.“It’s about time he settled down, and he couldn’t have picked a better woman.”They were both so sweet, but all of thesettling downtalk was making me a bit uneasy, mainly because our relationship was still a little fragile.Every day, we were making progress, but I was fearful the smallest thing could upset the balance we’d been able to build and maintain.

Trying to switch the subject, I turned the spotlight onto them.“How did you guys meet?” I asked, finishing off the rest of my delicious pie.

They lovingly glanced at each other before speaking.It was really quite sweet.Kael spoke first.“Do you want to tell the story, or should I?”

“I’ll tell it since you like to omit certain details every time you spew your side of it.”Adara smiled at her husband as he clasped her hand in his.

“How could I forget any detail about you, sweetheart?”

“All right, all right.Just tell us the story and stop being so mushy, you two.”Alek feigned annoyance, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.But I knew those two people meant the world to him.I saw it in the way he glanced at them, the deep connection they all shared evident in his eyes.And in his bright smile.

Taking the lead, Adara kissed her husband before she started speaking.“Well, I have to mention that the first time I laid eyes on Kael, I was immediately smitten.I only had the physical to go on, and heisgorgeous.”She leaned over and gave him another kiss before continuing.Something in her smirk told me the next part of her story was going to be good.“But if I’m being completely honest, I couldn’t stand him the first time I met him.”

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