Chapter 7
Angelle smiled to herself as she happily made her way to Maverik’s house. She almost hopped up the steps and fidgeted nervously after she knocked on his door and waited for someone to answer.
At the sound of the knock on his door, Maverik released a little snarl and turned over. “You expecting somebody?” Maverik asked sleepily, lying in bed refusing to open his eyes.
“No. It’s for you,” Valerie grumbled, pulling the covers over her head.
“No. It’s for you. My people do not get up at dawn.”
“It’s past dawn; the sun’s up.”
“I’m not getting up,” Maverik said, settling in nicely again.
“Maybe Boon will,” Valerie said.
“Mmhmm,” he answered.
A minute or so later whoever was at their door knocked again.
“I’m asleep,” Maverik said.
“Fine. But I’m not getting dressed to go answer the door. I’m going just like this,” Valerie said, throwing back the covers and sitting up.
Maverik just barely raised one eyelid enough to allow himself to see his mate. “No! Hell, no! You gotta put something on,” he said as soon as he realized she was completed naked.
“Nope. Because I’m coming right back to get back in bed.”
“Damn it, woman, you’re nekkid!” Maverik said.
“Yep.” She braced her hands on the mattress to push herself up.
“Get back in the damn bed,” Maverik snapped.
“I’ll get it. And whoever it is better have a good damn reason for waking me up this early.
” He grabbed up a loose pair of pajama bottoms as he walked past the chair near their bedroom door and managed to get them on before he made it to the living room.
He went straight to the door, but instead of yanking it open, he looked through the peephole. “It’s Angelle,” he called out.
Valerie did not answer.
Maverik opened the door and made sure he softened his attitude and his tone. “Mornin’, Angelle.”
“Good morning, Uncle Maverik,” she said happily.
“Well, aren’t you all gloriously happy and shit today,” he said, wearing his own grin at her exuberance.
He didn’t think it was possible, but she smiled even bigger.
“I came to take Boon to breakfast at my house this morning.”
“Oh, yeah? You know he’ll marry you after that, right? He gets a taste of your momma’s cooking, and he’ll ask if she taught you how to cook like her, and when you say yes, that’ll be it. He’ll get on one knee and promise forever.”
“Mom can cook,” Angelle said, still grinning.
“Yeah, she can. But I’m pretty sure that’s not all he’s after.”
Angelle nodded and glanced into the living room behind him.
“I guess you’re wanting me to go get him?”
“Yes, please,” Angelle said, clasping her hands together in anticipation while still smiling at Maverik.
“Alright, I’ll go get him. But just ‘cause it’s you,” he teased.
“Thank you!”
Maverik walked back down the hallway to the bedroom Boon was sleeping in. He tapped on the door and waited, but there was no answer.
He tapped on the door again. “Boon! Angelle is waiting for you at the front door.”
Canting his head slightly when Boon still didn’t answer, he opened the door just slightly to peek inside. “Boon?” he said.
Opening the door fully he stepped into the bedroom and looked around.
“The hell?” he mumbled to himself. He opened the closet door and looked inside, checking for Boon’s clothes.
They were still there, but there was no sign of Boon.
Maverik left that room and as he walked down the hallway, he opened each door and looked inside before stepping into his own bedroom.
“Baby, did Boon say anything to you about leaving?”
“No,” she answered, yawning. “Maybe he went to Tempest’s and didn’t want to wake us up late last night.”
“Yeah. Maybe.”
Maverik made his way back to the living room and Angelle. “Baby, he’s not here,” Maverik said.
“He’s not here?” Angelle asked, surprised that he wasn’t where she’d thought he’d be.
“Nope. Not here. Not even a note. Didn’t say anything to me or Valerie.”
“When did he leave?”
“He was here when we went to bed, isn’t now. So, during the night some time.”
“Oh. Okay. Well, it’s okay. I just won’t make as much food,” she said, pretending that it wasn’t a big deal to her.
“He’s probably with Tempest.”
“Oh. Yeah. That’s probably it.”
“Go on and give her a call.”
“No, I don’t want to wake her or the baby if she’s been up all night. I’ll just make him breakfast another time.”
“Hell, I’ll call her,” Maverik said, when he saw how disappointed Angelle was.
“No, please don’t. It’s not a big deal. I should have asked him before I started planning.”
“Why? He didn’t ask you.”
“Yes, but I never have anything planned. He does.”
“He’s a Gargoyle, baby. He don’t have nothing planned.”
She smiled at Maverik, but this time her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s okay. I’ll do something for him another time.”
“Alright. I’ll send him your way when he shows up.”
“Thanks,” Angelle said, smiling, then walking away without looking back.
Maverik watched her go, then went and got back in bed. He snuggled in against Valerie’s back.
“Hey,” he whispered, kissing her shoulder.
“I’m sleeping,” she grumbled.
“I’m not!”
“Go away,” she mumbled from beneath the covers she’d pulled over her head again.
“You did that on purpose to make me go answer the door, didn’t you?”
Valerie forced a loud, fake snore.
“You ain’t right for that,” he said.
She snored again.
“I’m getting up, and I’m cooking, and you can’t have any,” he grumbled, getting out of the bed again and stomping to the kitchen. “I’m making good shit, too!” he called from the kitchen.
Valerie snored again, knowing he’d hear her.
“I know you ain’t sleeping!” he called as he started rattling pots and pans as much as he possibly could.
~~~
Angelle went home and put away most of the ingredients she’d gotten out to prepare a big, overly indulgent breakfast for herself, her parents, and Boon.
She left out only the fresh peaches and heavy whipping cream.
Her loaves of vanilla pound cake were already in the oven so instead of a heavy breakfast, she decided to slice the peaches, and make some fresh whipped cream, to serve beside the warm pound cake.
Avaleigh walked into the kitchen right behind her. “That smells heavenly. I don’t care who you are, fresh vanilla pound cake baking will pull you out of the bed.”
“Yes, the smell always makes me feel like home,” Angelle said.
“Where’s everything else you had out?” Avaleigh asked.
“I put most of it back. Boon won’t be coming this morning. I decided to just keep it light.”
“Sounds good to me, the pound cake is the best part.”
“I’m going to slice some peaches and make some whipped cream to top the pound cake slices, and call it good.”
“Throw in some coffee and I’d call it fantastic,” Daniel said.
Angelle glanced their way quickly before looking back at the peaches she was slicing.
Daniel and Avaleigh saw her face when she glanced at them and knew something was wrong.
“Everything okay?” Daniel asked.
“Oh, yeah. No big deal. I’m just adjusting my plans for breakfast.”
“You said Boon can’t make it?”
“Yes. It’s fine, though.”
“Why can’t he come?” Daniel asked.
“He’s gone,” Angelle said.
“He what?” Daniel asked.
“He’s not at Maverik’s. Uncle Maverik said that Aunt Valerie said that he’s probably with Tempest, but he didn’t say anything to either of them so they aren’t sure.”
“That’s a lot of people saying things with no real information,” Avaleigh said. “Why don’t you just call Tempest and ask if he’s there so you can invite him like you planned?”
Angelle shook her head as she tossed another peach pit into a bowl that she’d later clean and prepare for planting.
Daniel’s voice cut through the few moments of silence in the kitchen. “Hey, Brandt. It’s Daniel. Boon over there? We wanted to invite him to breakfast.”
Angelle spun around in time to see her father speaking into his cell phone. “Daddy!” she exclaimed.
“Sorry,” he said, shrugging. “I’d already called.” Then Daniel’s gaze looked away from her as he focused on the voice on the other end of the phone. “Really? About when was that?”
Daniel listened for a few moments before he spoke again. “Two in the morning? Well, he must have needed to get home pretty quick.”
Daniel nodded like he thought Brandt could see him. “Alright. Thanks for the information. You need help with Elijah, come on over.”
Daniel ended the call and first met Avaleigh’s questioning gaze, then Angelle’s. “He showed up about two A.M. and asked Tempest to take him home. Tempest tucked Elijah in bed with Brandt and said she’d be back. So far, she’s still gone.”
“Did he say why?” Avaleigh asked, her voice clearly conveying her irritation at the situation.
“He didn’t talk to Boon, just to Tempest.”
“It’s okay, really,” Angelle said. “He didn’t know I was planning breakfast. And he didn’t have to tell me he was leaving.”
“He could have still let you know,” Avaleigh said.
“It’s not a big deal, Mom. We just spent one day together.”
“It is a big deal. I could tell you were excited and feeling hopeful. Whatever you two talked about yesterday made you feel hopeful. He could have at least let you know he was leaving.”
“It’s alright. It’s about what I expected anyway.”
“What does that mean?” Daniel demanded.
“It means that I’m just not cut out for a relationship.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Avaleigh said.
“The right person will see that you’re one of a kind,” Daniel said.
Angelle laughed, though it was clearly not a happy laugh.
“I’m sure anyone that gets to know me will see exactly what Boon did.
That I’m a little strange, and more of a loner.
And that’s okay. I’ve always been that way.
” She tapped the paring knife on the side of the metal bowl she was filling with sliced peaches. “Do you think this is enough?”
Avaleigh and Daniel shared a look and Daniel lifted his lip to show her he was irritated, but did manage to withhold the snarl he really wanted to release.