Kiss Across Chaos (Kiss Across Time #10) - Tracy Cooper-Posey Page 0,3

gifts,” Alex murmured.

Jesse saw all three of them exchange thoughtful glances. She didn’t turn her head but slid her gaze sideways to see if Alannah had picked up the inferences.

Alannah sorted through the bowl of nuts, picking out the macadamias and lining them up beside her wine glass. Sydney was chatting with Liberty and Alannah was listening to them, oblivious to the other conversation.

Cael and Nayara exchanged fond glances. “We’ll have to worry about that, soon.”

Nayara nodded.

Winter, though, just looked sad.

Christian, the youngest person at the table, and still using a booster seat, tugged at London’s sleeve and said something in French, too fast for Jesse to follow.

“Yes, sweetheart, you can go and play,” London told him. “But let me wipe your hands and face first.” She used her napkin to clear away the last of the custard and put him on the floor.

That was a signal for the other children to slither from their seats and run from the dining room, their voices already lifting. Taylor swayed out of their way as she came back in.

“It’s enormous!” she said, also pointing back toward the door.

“I’ll take some of it off your hands, if you like,” Neven said. “London likes fish.”

Remi snorted. “She lives in Brittany. She doesn’t have a choice.”

London laughed. “I like fish anyway, but salmon would be a nice change.”

Veris got to his feet once more. “Cael, do you want to take some?”

“Yes, please,” Cael said. “We don’t…” He paused. “Well, it would be very welcome,” he added.

Jesse wondered what he had been about to say, that he had clearly considered to be a breech of protocol. Were salmon extinct in their time?

The adults at the table also rose to their feet, discussing who would get salmon, who could take it home, and how they should cook it, while they stacked dishes and took them into the kitchen.

Jesse was shooed out of the kitchen when she carried her pile of plates and dishes in and parked them on the island. “You cooked,” Sydney told her, flapping the tea towel at her. “We all sat on our asses.”

“You didn’t eat the food, either,” Jesse pointed out.

“I would have, believe me,” Sydney assured her. “Besides, if I used that as an excuse to get out of doing something, my life would come to a grinding halt.” Her smile was warm enough, but the idea was startling.

“As human as possible, huh?” Jesse said.

“For the sake of the children, for those we love, and for our sanity, yes,” Sydney said gravely. “So go and relax,” she added, turning Jesse around and pushing her out of the door.

Jesse headed for the front room and the dying fire. She built the fire up again, then moved over to the big picture window. She would never get tired of this view—although the view from the back verandah, where the Mount Lady Macdonald seemed to rise directly in front of the house, was astonishing in its own way.

Brody came up beside her and held out a small flat-based glass to her.

Jesse took the glass. “What is this?” she asked, as Brody uncorked a dark bottle with a label that looked hand-drawn. Jesse would have said it was a very old bottle, but the label was crisp and new, even though the paper it was made from had a slight creamy cast to it. There was no English on the label, either.

“This is a straw wine. A Vin Santo,” he said, and poured a deep amber liquid into the glass. “A dessert wine,” he added.

“I’ve had more than enough wine today,” Jesse said.

“Try it,” Brody urged her.

She sipped. It was sweet and thick and rich. “Mmm, nice,” she said.

“Let it warm in your hand. It gets even better,” Brody told her. “I’d warm it, but…” He shrugged, smiling. His dark eyes danced.

But he was the same temperature as the room and couldn’t warm it.

“Where is this from?” Jesse asked suspiciously, eyeing the odd-looking label once more.

“Tuscany.” He recorked the bottle. “We have…had…have a villa there, back in the fourteenth century. Taylor took me back there a couple of days ago and I took a couple of these bottles out of the cellar, just for today. I thought you would like it.”

“I do,” Jesse said truthfully.

Brody put the bottle on the mantelshelf over the fire and came back to the window seat she stood in front of. “That view doesn’t grow old,” he said softly.

The wave of…something washed over her without warning. An invisible band clamped around