Page 26 of Fearless as an Eagle

“Mason’s a bit of a snob,” Bennett tells her.

“I am not. I just don’t see what the point is in not having the best if you can,” I huff. “Besides, with my contacts it’s not like it was expensive.”

“It’s a beautiful kitchen, Mason. The whole house is, really… Well, what I’ve seen so far anyway, but I’m sure the rest is going to be just as grand,” she assures me, wrapping her arms around one of mine and laying her head on my shoulder.

“Thank you, Little Bird. Come on, we’ve got one more room down here before we show you our bedrooms upstairs,” I tell her, leading her back down the hallway to the other side of the house.

“This is Bennett’s home gym. It was his one requirement for a house,” I explain, opening a door and letting her poke her head in to see all the exercise equipment.

“I prefer my exercise take place outdoors… or in the bedroom.” She winks at me.

“That can be arranged,” Riley chirps from behind me.

“Maybe after the tour,” she tells him with a grin.

We walk up the stairs and the first room we come to is the office. I open the door and show her inside. “This used to be Alex’s room before he moved. We converted it to a shared office.”

“I was so upset when he moved. I hated him being even farther away from me. But when he got that new job it was just too far of a commute everyday,” she sighs.

“It was a difficult transition that’s for sure. But he still comes over all the time. Maybe you’ll get to see him more often living here than you did living in the forest,” I say as we leave the office.

“Not sure if that’s a good thing or not yet,” she says with a laugh.

The next room is mine and I open the door for her once again. “This is my room.”

This time she walks in and takes her time exploring my room. Because of my OCD and my need to keep a clean space, I got the master bedroom. Mainly so I wouldn’t have to share a bathroom with anyone, but the room is bigger too. That meant I had enough room to put up my bookshelves and set up a reading nook. I watch as Mia runs her finger tips over the spines of my books as she checks out my collection before coming to one of two doors.

She opens it to reveal a huge walk-in closet that’s not even half way filled. Shaking her head, she closes the door and opens the next. This room gets a reaction out of her.

“Holy crap! This is your bathroom?!”

Bennett, Riley, and I share a knowing look as she wanders into the room, her amazement echoing off the walls as she squeals about the giant soaking tub. I can’t wait to get her in it. Finally, she reappears from the bathroom and grudgingly continues the tour.

“I hope you know I’m taking over that bathroom. I’m going to soak in that tub every night. The water bill is going to skyrocket!”

“Whatever you want, baby,” I agree as we walk to Riley’s room.

“Oh! Finally, my turn!” Riley says, taking the lead and opening his door for Mia. “The best room in the house… Well, except for Mason’s bathroom apparently.”

Mia follows the overly excited bunny into his room, Bennett joining to supervise and make sure Riley doesn’t try anything. Riley’s room is done in shades of green with a hidden corner set up for him to hang out in as his bunny. He takes full advantage of being a small animal, shifting whenever it strikes his fancy.

They come out of the room laughing and not for the first time, I’m glad we share a mate. Riley has this way about him that has people relaxing around him and constantly laughing. I’ve never been more thankful for his friendship as I am now that we have Mia to take care of.

The last room on the tour is Bennett’s. He opens the door and holds his hand out for her. I stay in the hall again as he shows off his room. It’s filled with all sorts of sports memorabilia. From his glory days, but also from the local teams he supports.

At the end of the tour, I leave Mia in my room looking through my book collection. She’s been told to make herself at home, so I hope she finds something she likes and curls up in my reading nook for the rest of the day. She’s had an eventful week. I’m glad I’m able to offer her a quiet place to relax while doing something she loves.

Bennett closes himself up in our shared office to do some paperwork and check in on his clients while Riley calls the shop in the living room. Since it’s been a while since we’ve been home, I spend my time cleaning out the fridge and making a list of things to buy from the store. Mia hasn’t said how long she plans on staying, but if I have my way, it’ll be a permanent move. Although, showing her around the house made it clear there’s not enough room for us all to stay here long term. We’re going to need a bigger house.

My mind is going crazy with ideas for our new house when the doorbell rings, followed by three loud knocks, and finally, the front door opens, the intruder making himself right at home. Closing the refrigerator door, I turn to see the trespasser walking toward me with a stupid grin on his face.

“What? You told me to knock next time. I did. It’s not my fault you don’t lock your door. You’re just asking for people to walk on in,” Alex scolds in his chipper voice.

Before I can say anything to the asshole, I hear footsteps coming down the stairs.

“Who’s here?” Mia calls on her way down. She turns the corner and stops when she sees her brother. “Oh, It’s just you.”

“Damn. Good to see you too, Sis,” Alex says, feigning hurt.

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