Fearless The King Series Book One - By Tawdra Kandle Page 0,138

headed toward the house.

The tempting aroma of a cooking turkey greeted us as we opened the door. Luke was sprawled on the sofa, a plate balanced on one leg. His father sat in a chair near him, and they were both absorbed in the football game on television. They barely looked up as we entered, but Luke called a cheery happy Thanksgiving to me.

“Where’s Mom?” Michael asked.

“All the women are in the kitchen, discussing the pros and cons of stuffing versus dressing. It got too intense, so we decided to come out here and enjoy the serenity of football.” Luke spoke without moving his eyes from the screen.

Michael smiled and pulled me toward the kitchen. “Come on, I want you to meet Lela.” I tried to quiet the trepidation that zinged through me at his words.

Over the last few months, I’d had opportunity to spend a great deal of time in the Sawyers’ kitchen. It was usually peaceful and well ordered. Today there were bowls and pans on every surface; steam rose from pots on the stovetop, and there was a steady buzz of conversation, which halted abruptly when Michael and I entered.

“Tasmyn! There you are. Happy Thanksgiving, sweetie!” Marly swooped across the room to embrace me warmly.

“Thanks—same to you.” I returned the hug with equal affection. “Everything smells good in here!” I gazed around the room, taking in the chaos.

Gram sat perched on a stool at the counter, a cutting board and a bowl of green beans in front of her. And standing at the sink peeling potatoes was a beautiful girl who was perhaps an inch or two taller than me. Her hair was much lighter than Michael’s chestnut tones; she was very nearly blonde, with the merest hint of auburn in her curls. As she turned to look at me, I saw that her eyes were the same deep brown as Luke’s, although hers were surrounded with the long eyelashes that I envied in her brother.

Those eyes were cautiously assessing me now, showing no emotion at all. And although I had promised myself that I wouldn’t listen to her mind—certainly not before I’d gotten to know her better—I heard Lela’s first thoughts about me anyway.

So this is her. Michael’s right, she’s pretty. No, wait, he said unbelievably gorgeous. I felt her fleeting amusement here as she recalled her brother’s enthusiastic words. Well, he’s not wrong. You don’t see it right away, but then—oh, crap. Can she hear what I’m thinking? I forgot. Blank mind, blank mind, blank mind…

I kept my face composed as Michael led me across the kitchen. “Lela, this is Tasmyn. Tas, my sister.”

I smiled as genuinely as I could. Shaking hands seemed to be way too formal for this situation, and she wasn’t opening her arms for a hug, so I settled for a small inclination of my head. “Hi, Lela, it’s good to finally meet you. I hear so much about you from your parents and Michael.”

She wasn’t sure how to respond at first. I could feel it. I could also hear her continued efforts to keep her mind blank.

Finally Lela smiled in return. If it was a hesitant, guarded smile, it was at least real. She wasn’t sure about me yet, but she had decided to give me a chance. That was the most I could hope for, under the circumstances.

“Hi. It’s nice to meet you, too. My parents have been raving about you. On the other hand…” She swung her gaze around to Michael and archly raised one eyebrow. “My brother never seems to have time to talk to me anymore.”

Michael was unfazed. “Sorry. Life’s been a little busy.” He winked at me, and I felt my face heat.

“I’ll try to make sure he does better on that,” I promised Lela. “He’s lucky to have a sister, and he needs to treat her right.” I shot him a reproving glare.

He surrendered, throwing his hands in the air. “Okay, if you’re both going to gang up on me, I’ll just give up now. One decent phone call a week, I promise.”

Lela’s laughter was genuine, and the wariness she’d been feeling earlier was melting slowly.

She actually seems nice. And normal. My brother can’t take his eyes off her, that’s for sure. And he’s different, too. Is this what love looks like? Will I ever know?

My face must have reflected what I was hearing, for Lela frowned at me and her mind slammed shut. I looked away, hiding sympathy I was sure she didn’t