Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy, #1)(82)

Glancing over, Sonya saw Corrine studying the portrait. “You were friends.”

“We were. Trey told me you’d found her portrait. Seeing it? It’s like time stopped. They’d like that you put her in here. This was one of her favorite rooms, too.”

“It felt like the right place.”

“Because it is.” She surprised Sonya by linking their hands for a moment. “She’d never hurt you.”

“Do you … Do you think she’s here?”

“We’ll talk sometime. I’ll help with the coffee. I know how everyone likes it.”

Since she felt she had to leave it at that, Sonya sliced cake.

And considered the idea of post-dinner in the music room a perfect choice when Anna sat down to play and dragged a clearly reluctant Trey with her to add his voice.

Anna stopped abruptly, and with wide eyes, pressed a hand to her belly.

Seth had already shoved up from his chair when her face lit up like the sun. “I felt him move! I felt the baby move!” Though she gripped Seth’s hands, she looked at her mother. “Mom.”

“You’re okay?” Seth pressed his hand over hers. “I don’t feel anything.”

“Too early for you to feel,” Corrine told him as those steel-blue eyes went damp. “Right about on time for Anna.”

“It’s normal?” Trey gripped his sister’s free hand. “It’s a good thing?”

“It’s a normal, lovely thing.”

“When do I get to feel him?”

“A few more weeks, Daddy.”

Because it seemed like a family moment, Sonya slipped out. She’d give them a few minutes, and get the dishes started.

She walked into the kitchen and found it spotless. The dishwasher hummed, the sink sparkled, and when she checked the fridge, she found the leftovers—a fraction of what she’d feared and expected—efficiently tubbed.

“I—oh jeez—I appreciate it. You didn’t have to do all this.”

She still stood, at a loss, when Trey came in.

“No way you’re this fast on KP.”

“No, not me.”

“Well, okay. I think everyone’s going to head out. I was going to stay and give you a hand with all this. But no need for that.”

On cue, the tablet played “Stay.”

She heard the nerves in her own laughter. “Somebody likes having you around.”

Yoda came in, danced, whined.

“Oh, you want to go out. Of course you do. Give me one minute.”

“I’ve got him. Mookie’s going to want to go out with him. And when I say they’re about ready to head out, it always takes a while for them to actually get out.”

He wasn’t wrong.

“Seth, be a good boy and take the cart back to the kitchen for Sonya. Ace and I should take our old bones home. As Corrine said, we’ll leave the younger generation to help with the cleanup.”

“It seems someone from what must be a much older one already took care of that.”

“You’re not kidding?”

Anna patted Seth’s butt. “Come on. I’ll go with you. I’ll protect you and get my cake carrier.”

“I ain’t afraid of no ghosts,” he said as he wheeled the cart away.

“Myself, I wouldn’t mind an invisible maid. But,” Corrine added, “it must be disconcerting.”

“A time and energy saver, and yeah, disconcerting’s one word for it. I have, by my current count, the maid, a house disc jockey, a firewood hauler, the door slammer, the piano player. At least one of them likes dogs because they taught Yoda to shake. I need to write all that down, too.”

“When you do, if I could see it? With what I know of the family and house history,” Deuce told her, “I might be able to help identify some of the … occupants.”

“Sure. I’ll send it to you once I get it together.”

“You’re a sturdy young woman.” Paula offered a hand, then closed her other around Sonya’s. “And we had an absolutely wonderful evening. Thank you so much.”

Sonya got coats as Trey brought Yoda back. “I put Mook in the car. They wore each other out.”

He lingered in the foyer as his family left. “You’re okay?”

“Yes.”

“And if you’re not?”

“I’ll call.”

“This was great, and I think you’re what the house needs. I hope it’s what you need.”

She felt her heart flutter, just a little, as he stood close with his eyes direct on hers.

“It feels like it.”

“Good. I’ll see you soon.”

She closed the door behind him.

“He was thinking about it. I’m not wrong about that. He was thinking about making a move.” She looked down at the dog. “Should I have made the move? I’m gun-shy, that’s what it is. I have to get over it. But tonight, I’m pretty worn out, too.

“Let’s go to bed, Yoda.”



* * *



She dreamed someone played the piano, but not in the music room. In the front parlor Astrid played something lively and quick. An older woman sat by the fire, working with a needle and an embroidery hoop while she tapped her foot in time.