Page 28 of Delicate Escape

Everyone handled the name thing differently. I’d never known Nora as anything butMom. But I’d also come into her care as an infant. While Trace had come to live with us at twelve, he had alsoquickly adopted the term. Rhodes, Arden, and Kye had all gone forNora. Mom never minded. She loved all of us the same.

“Finally,” Lolli huffed from her spot by the massive picture window. “I’ve been waiting for you to get here so I can unveil my latest piece.”

She stood, billowy dress swaying, and the dozens of necklaces looped around her neck tinkling against one another. Everyone looked her way. Fallon and Kye peered from their spots on the couch. Rhodes glanced up from where she was curled in Anson’s lap in an armchair. Trace looked on in a worried way.

Lolli quickly crossed to something leaning against the far wall, a towel covering it. She tugged off the covering and held it up for all of us to see. The canvas was covered in countless glittering gemstones—Lolli’s latest hobby. But she couldn’t simply do the normal paint-by-numbers sort of deal. She had to do her own thing—her own always inappropriate thing.

Kye started coughing, trying to cover his laugh.

Fallon gaped at the artwork, cheeks flaming red. “Is that? Are they naked? On horseback?”

“Pretty sure they’re having sex on horseback, Fal,” Kye said, lips twitching.

I couldn’t look away from Lolli’sart. The two people on the horse appeared human but had massive wings and definitely looked…joined.

“Don’t say the s-word,” Keely said matter-of-factly. “It makes Dad’s face get red.”

“Jesus,” Trace muttered, scrubbing a hand over said face. “Let’s pray my kid doesn’t talk about this at horseback-riding camp.”

Lolli’s gaze snapped to him. “If any camp has something against talking openly and honestly about sex, send them to me.”

Rhodes choked on a laugh. “I can just imagine that conversation, Lolli.”

She let out a huff. “Repression will kill you. You’ll die of a stroke or a heart attack. Life is for the living.”

“Preach it,” Kye agreed.

Fallon sent him a look I couldn’t quite read. Concern or annoyance, maybe?

Kye definitely lived life to the fullest. After he’d come to live with us at sixteen, he’d gotten in more trouble than any other foster Nora had taken care of. There were late-night police station visits and countless meetings with the principal. But he’d settled, finding different ways to let out whatever haunted him.

Training in mixed martial arts. Racing bikes. And his art. It was probably thanks to Lolli that he’d found his love for drawing, but I was sure no one had expected him to ink that art on his skin and others’. And now, folks came from all over the world to have him work on them.

“So,” Lolli said, glancing around the room, “who wants it for their house?”

Silence reigned around us. I swore I could hear crickets chirping. But I already had a half-naked elf man behind my office door. I couldn’t do this, too.

“You prudes,” Lolli grumbled.

Kye grinned. “I’ll take it for the shop. My piercer’s into all that fairy shit. She’ll love it.”

Mom glared at Kye. “Language, please.”

Kye’s lips twitched. “Sorry, Nora.”

She just shook her head. “I should’ve grounded you more in high school.”

Rhodes slid from Anson’s lap and crossed to me. He watched her as she went, never taking his eyes off her. All careful watchfulness, making sure she was okay. Safe.

“Do you have a minute?” Rhodes asked.

My muscles wound tight, bracing, but I nodded. “Sure.”

She motioned me back toward the entryway. The fact that she felt the conversation needed privacy only sent more tension threading through me. But still, I followed.

Rhodes glanced toward the living room as if to make sure no one was listening.

“Are you okay?” I asked, a whole new set of worries taking root.

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