Chapter 11
“You turn this valve on the propane bottle,” Boon said, opening the cabinet beside the stove and reaching in while at the same time making room for Angelle to see.
“Clockwise or counter-clockwise?” she asked.
“Counter-clockwise. Propane fixtures are the opposite of regular fixtures.”
“So, no righty-tighty lefty-loosey.”
Boon chuckled. “Exactly. Do the opposite. Open it all the way, then close it down to about halfway.”
Angelle nodded, followed his directions, then stood back. “Okay. Done.”
“Turn on the burner, strike a match and light the flame.”
Angelle chose a long match from the box sitting on the kitchen island, then turned back to the stove.
She turned on the burner and listened for just a second until she heard the slight hiss of the propane feeding through it.
She struck the match and held it to the gas burner.
Immediately a flame jumped to life. “I did it!” she exclaimed happily.
“I knew you could,” he said. “And now you just adjust the flame however you want it.”
She filled a pot she found stacked neatly in one of the cabinets with water from the kitchen sink, then plopped a few tea bags in it. When she was done she turned around and grinned at Boon. “I got this.”
“No doubt,” he said, chuckling.
“I know we just ate, but do you want something to snack on?”
“I can always eat. You know that.”
“I saw a few cans of cinnamon rolls in the fridge.”
“Cans of cinnamon rolls?” he asked.
“Yes. You can buy them in a can, premade. You just open them and bake them. They come with a container of frosting, too. I guess Tempest likes them, because she included a few cans when she filled the fridge.”
“By all means. Let’s try these canned cinnamon rolls,” Boon said.
He sat at the kitchen table and watched Angelle as she happily dug through all the cabinets in her kitchen, taking stock of all the things one needs in their kitchen, before she chose a cookie sheet and greased it.
Then she took a can of cinnamon rolls out of the fridge.
“See?” she asked, walking over and showing it to him before she opened it.
“No more working for hours until the dough has risen so you can roll it out and fill it with cinnamon, sugar and butter.”
“Nope. Though I have no doubt they’d be better than these.
But for a quick snack, these are pretty good,” she said as she wandered back over to the kitchen and tore the wrapper off the can before banging it against the edge of the island.
The can popped and Angelle shouted triumphantly as she held the opened can in the air. “Hah!”
Boon sat quietly, a constant smile on his face as he watched her go through the process of placing the rolls on the baking sheet, then placing them in the oven.
She glanced his way after she closed the oven door and found him watching her with a goofy look on his face. “What’s that look for?”
He shook his head.
“Come on, tell me,” she said, fully facing him now with her hands on her hips.
He shook his head disbelievingly. “I’ve just never been this happy. I am peaceful. Completely at ease. All because you’re cooking in our kitchen. I had no idea happiness could be so simple.”
Angelle smiled at him and went directly to him and kissed him, taking her time to let all she felt for him bleed into him through her kiss. She pulled back and looked at him. “I have to admit, it is nice. Being here with you, in this home, and it’s so quiet. I feel like I belong.”
“You do,” he said, pulling her toward him. “We both do.”
She leaned forward to kiss him again, but he leaned away from her, his head turning slightly toward the front door. “What…” she started to ask, thinking maybe she was taking too many liberties without asking first, but he gently moved her back a few steps and stood up.
“We have company.”
“Oh! Who’s here?”
“Our families.”
“Okay, I’ll go check the tea.”
“Maybe put on some extra cinnamon rolls,” he said as he waited for them to knock on the door so he could answer it.
~~~
“Oh, my goodness! Look at this house!” Avaleigh exclaimed.
“It is beautiful,” Daniel agreed.
“I love the way the bayou curves around the land, actually framing it on two sides,” Brandt said.
“The house was me. The choice of land, that was Boon. He chose this spot when I was a little bitty thing.”
“You and Boon did a beautiful job, baby,” Lily said.
“Makes me kind of want a bayou near us,” Carrik said. “I really like the feel.”
“You’ve seen the land before,” Lily said. “In fact, you’ve been here multiple times to go hunting and fishing with Boon.”
“Yes, but I never imagined it with a nice house right in the middle of it,” Carrik said.
“Shall we go in?” Tempest asked, already setting foot on the first step.
“Lead on,” Lily said.
They each trudged up the steps to the porch and paused there to admire the view before Tempest tapped on the door.
Boon opened it almost right away. “I was wondering how long it would be until you decided to come over.”
Tempest was carrying Elijah on her hip and bounced him a bit. “Eli said he was tired of waiting, so here we are.”
“Come on in, everybody,” Boon said. “You want some tea and cinnamon rolls?”
“Always,” Daniel said. “If it’s sweet, I’ll eat it.”
Boon laughed. “Same.”
“Look at you, cooking in your own kitchen,” Avaleigh said, going right to her daughter to hug and kiss her.
Angelle grinned at her as she glanced around her kitchen. “I never imagined it could be like this.”
“It’s beautiful, Angelle. It really is,” Avaleigh said.
“Thank you,” Angelle said. Then she focused on Tempest who was coming her way “Tempest… I don’t know how to thank you. It couldn’t be more perfect if I’d built it.”
“No thanks needed. I just want you both to be happy.”
“We’re finding our way.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Tempest said.
“Y’all let me show you around,” Boon said proudly as Lily, Carrik, and Daniel walked through the family room and down one of the hallways.
“I’m going to join the tour real quick,” Avaleigh said.
“Okay. I’ll have cinnamon rolls ready when you come back,” Angelle said, smiling endlessly at her mother.
Avaleigh rushed off to catch up with Boon’s tour, tearfully smiling up at Daniel as she took his hand and fell into step with him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing. Everything is right. I just never thought I’d see her so happy, so… belonging.”
“So these are the happy tears that Remi used to complain about,” Daniel said as he softly pecked her lips.
“Oh, yeah. She’s found where she belongs, and she doesn’t even know it yet,” Avaleigh said.
Boon had moved on to the next room, pretending he didn’t hear, but his heart was pounding as he heard Avaleigh’s words.
If her own mother saw it, then there was no way Angelle could doubt they belonged together.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly so he didn’t actually laugh with joy when he next spoke.
Finally, he turned to the family members following him and admiring his house.
“This is what Angelle calls the man cave. I told her we can change it if she wants to, but I think she likes it like this.”
Brandt looked around the room. “I like it. I want a man cave, Tempest. Why don’t I have a man cave?”
“You did. Your whole house was a man cave. Now it’s a family cave.”
Brandt laughed and pulled her in for a hug, careful not to nudge Eli where she still carried him on her hip. “And I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Oh! Um, hello,” Angelle said from the kitchen. Her voice was unsteady and while not afraid, it didn’t quite sound right.
“Lore is here,” Lily said.
“I’ll go,” Tempest said. “It’s Eli he wants to see anyway. And I’ve already seen the house. I made it!” she said with a wink as she turned and headed back toward the front of the house with Brandt following.
“You can stay and see the rest,” she said over her shoulder.
“No. I think I’ll stay with you. I haven’t met Lore yet and you and Eli are my priorities,” Brandt answered.
“He loves us. He just wants to be first.”
“First for what?” Brandt asked as he followed her up the hall to the kitchen.
“Hello. I am Lore. Who might you be?” he asked, knowing fully well exactly who she was.
“I’m Angelle. I’m Boon’s mate.”
“Well, Angelle - Boon’s mate, may I tell you that he is a lucky male? You are one of an exceedingly rare breed.”
Her eyes widened as her brows lifted in surprise. “I’m human,” she said.
Lore laughed delightedly. “Yes, you are. But you are also a truly good soul. There are no pretenses with you. Just simple honesty.” He stepped closer to her and held out his hand for her to place hers in his.
Angelle didn’t know why she did it, but she did it. She extended her own hand toward him.
Lore grasped her fingers in his and lifted her hand to his lips, bowing over her hand to kiss her knuckles. When he straighted up he seemed a little surprised himself. “And an empath. It is no wonder that you aren’t comfortable in groups of multiple people.”
“Am I?” she asked.
“You are indeed, dear.”
“Tempest said she thought I might be, but I never really considered it.”
“Consider it. If Tempest said it, it is so. She’s never wrong.”
“I will,” Angelle said.
“Uncle Lore!” Tempest said excitedly as she stepped into the room.
“Ah, Tempest! And Elijah! Come see Great Grand Uncle Lore,” he said, holding his hands out for Elijah to willingly come to him.
Elijah seemed to examine Lore for a few seconds, then looked at his mother before leaning toward Lore with his arms extended.