Charmed
Page 21
"Cousin?" Boone repeated, and Sebastian didn't bother to control the grin that spread over his face.
"Fortunately you made the introductions quickly, Ana," he said. "I like my nose precisely the way it is." He held out a hand. "Nice to meet you. Ana was telling us she had new neighbors."
"He's the one with horses, Daddy."
"I remember." Boone found Sebastian's grip firm and strong. He might have appreciated it if he hadn't seen the gleam of amusement in the man's eyes. "You're recently married?"
"Indeed I am. My…" He turned when the screen door slammed. "Ah, here she is now. Light of my life."
A tall, slim woman with short, tousled hair strode over in dusty boots. "Cut it out, Donovan."
"My blushing bride." It was obvious they were laughing at each other. He took his wife's hand and kissed it. "Ana's neighbors, Boone and Jessie Sawyer. My own true love, Mary Ellen."
"Mel," she corrected quickly. "Donovan's the only one with the nerve to call me Mary Ellen. Great-looking house," she added, with a nod toward the neighboring building.
"I believe Mr. Sawyer writes fairy tales, children's books, much in the manner of Aunt Bryna."
"Oh, yeah? That's cool." Mel smiled down at Jessie. "I bet you like that."
"He writes the best stories in the world. And this is Daisy. We taught her to sit. Can I come see your horses?"
"Sure." Mel crouched down to ruffle the pup's fur. While Mel engaged Jessie in conversation about horses and dogs, Sebastian looked back at Boone.
"It is a lovely house you have," he said. Actually, he'd toyed with buying it himself. Amusement lit his eyes again. "Excellent location."
"We like it." Boone decided it was foolish to pretend not to understand the meaning behind the words. "We like it very much." Very deliberately, he reached out to trail a fingertip down Ana's cheek. "You're looking a little pale this morning, Anastasia."
"I'm fine." It was easy enough to keep her voice even, but she knew very well how simple it would be for Sebastian to see what she was thinking. Already she could feel his gentle probing, and she was quite certain he was poking his nosy mental fingers into Boone's brain. "If you'll excuse me, I promised Sebastian some hawthorn."
"Didn't you pick any last night?"
Her gaze met his, held it. "I have other uses for that."
"We'll get out of your way. Come on, Jess." He reached for his daughter's hand. "Nice meeting both of you. I'll see you soon, Ana."
Sebastian had the tact to wait until Boone was out of earshot. "Well, well… I go away for a couple of weeks, and look at the trouble you get into."
"Don't be ridiculous." Ana turned her back and started toward an herb bed. "I'm not in any sort of trouble."
"Darling, darling Ana, your friend and neighbor was prepared to rip my throat out until you introduced me as your cousin."
"I'd have protected you," Mel said solemnly.
"My hero."
"Besides," Mel went on, "it looked to me as though he was more in the mood to drag Ana off by the hair than tackle you."
"You're both being absurd." Ana snipped hawthorn without looking up. "He's a very nice man."
"I'm sure," Sebastian murmured. "But, you see, men understand this territorial thing—which is, of course, an obscure concept to the female."
"Oh, please." Mel shoved an elbow in his ribs.
"Facts are facts, my dear Mary Ellen. I had intruded on his territory. Or so he thought. Naturally, I would only think less of him if he had made no effort to defend it."
"Naturally," Mel said dryly.
"Tell me, Ana, just how involved are you?"
"That's none of your business." She straightened, deftly wrapping the stems of the hawthorn. "And I'll thank you to keep out of it, cousin. I know very well you were poking in."
"Which is why you blocked me. Your neighbor wasn't so successful."
"It's rude," she muttered, "unconscionably rude, the way you peek into people's heads at the drop of a hat."
"He likes to show off," Mel said sympathetically.
"Unfair." Disgusted, Sebastian shook his head. "I do not poke or peek at the drop of a hat. I always have an excellent reason. In this case, being your Only male relative on the continent, I feel it's my duty to survey the situation, and the players."
Mel could only roll her eyes as Ana's spine stiffened. "Really?" Eyes bright, Ana jammed a finger into Sebastian's chest. "Then let me set you straight. Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I need protection or guidance or anything else from a male—relative or otherwise. I've been handling my own life for twenty-six years."
"Twenty-seven next month," Sebastian added helpfully.
"And I can continue to handle it. What's between Boone and me—"
"Ah." He held up a triumphant finger. "So there is something between you."
"Stuff it, Sebastian."
"She only talks like that when she paints herself into a corner," Sebastian told Mel. "Usually she's extremely mild and well-mannered."
"Careful, or I'll give Mel a potion to put in your soup that'll freeze your vocal cords for a week."
"Oh yeah?" Intrigued by the idea, Mel tilted her head. "Can I have it anyway?"
"A lot of good it would do you, since I do all the cooking," Sebastian pointed out. Then he scooped Ana up in a hug. "Come on, darling, don't be angry. I have to worry about you. It's my job."
"There's nothing to worry about." But she was softening.
"Are you in love with him?"
Instantly she stiffened. "Really, Sebastian, I've only known him for a week."
"What difference does that make?" He gave Mel a long look over Ana's head. "It took me less than that to realize the reason Mel irritated me so much was that I was crazy about her. Of course, it took her longer to understand she was madly in love with me. But she has such a hard head."
"I'm getting that potion," Mel decided.
"Fortunately you made the introductions quickly, Ana," he said. "I like my nose precisely the way it is." He held out a hand. "Nice to meet you. Ana was telling us she had new neighbors."
"He's the one with horses, Daddy."
"I remember." Boone found Sebastian's grip firm and strong. He might have appreciated it if he hadn't seen the gleam of amusement in the man's eyes. "You're recently married?"
"Indeed I am. My…" He turned when the screen door slammed. "Ah, here she is now. Light of my life."
A tall, slim woman with short, tousled hair strode over in dusty boots. "Cut it out, Donovan."
"My blushing bride." It was obvious they were laughing at each other. He took his wife's hand and kissed it. "Ana's neighbors, Boone and Jessie Sawyer. My own true love, Mary Ellen."
"Mel," she corrected quickly. "Donovan's the only one with the nerve to call me Mary Ellen. Great-looking house," she added, with a nod toward the neighboring building.
"I believe Mr. Sawyer writes fairy tales, children's books, much in the manner of Aunt Bryna."
"Oh, yeah? That's cool." Mel smiled down at Jessie. "I bet you like that."
"He writes the best stories in the world. And this is Daisy. We taught her to sit. Can I come see your horses?"
"Sure." Mel crouched down to ruffle the pup's fur. While Mel engaged Jessie in conversation about horses and dogs, Sebastian looked back at Boone.
"It is a lovely house you have," he said. Actually, he'd toyed with buying it himself. Amusement lit his eyes again. "Excellent location."
"We like it." Boone decided it was foolish to pretend not to understand the meaning behind the words. "We like it very much." Very deliberately, he reached out to trail a fingertip down Ana's cheek. "You're looking a little pale this morning, Anastasia."
"I'm fine." It was easy enough to keep her voice even, but she knew very well how simple it would be for Sebastian to see what she was thinking. Already she could feel his gentle probing, and she was quite certain he was poking his nosy mental fingers into Boone's brain. "If you'll excuse me, I promised Sebastian some hawthorn."
"Didn't you pick any last night?"
Her gaze met his, held it. "I have other uses for that."
"We'll get out of your way. Come on, Jess." He reached for his daughter's hand. "Nice meeting both of you. I'll see you soon, Ana."
Sebastian had the tact to wait until Boone was out of earshot. "Well, well… I go away for a couple of weeks, and look at the trouble you get into."
"Don't be ridiculous." Ana turned her back and started toward an herb bed. "I'm not in any sort of trouble."
"Darling, darling Ana, your friend and neighbor was prepared to rip my throat out until you introduced me as your cousin."
"I'd have protected you," Mel said solemnly.
"My hero."
"Besides," Mel went on, "it looked to me as though he was more in the mood to drag Ana off by the hair than tackle you."
"You're both being absurd." Ana snipped hawthorn without looking up. "He's a very nice man."
"I'm sure," Sebastian murmured. "But, you see, men understand this territorial thing—which is, of course, an obscure concept to the female."
"Oh, please." Mel shoved an elbow in his ribs.
"Facts are facts, my dear Mary Ellen. I had intruded on his territory. Or so he thought. Naturally, I would only think less of him if he had made no effort to defend it."
"Naturally," Mel said dryly.
"Tell me, Ana, just how involved are you?"
"That's none of your business." She straightened, deftly wrapping the stems of the hawthorn. "And I'll thank you to keep out of it, cousin. I know very well you were poking in."
"Which is why you blocked me. Your neighbor wasn't so successful."
"It's rude," she muttered, "unconscionably rude, the way you peek into people's heads at the drop of a hat."
"He likes to show off," Mel said sympathetically.
"Unfair." Disgusted, Sebastian shook his head. "I do not poke or peek at the drop of a hat. I always have an excellent reason. In this case, being your Only male relative on the continent, I feel it's my duty to survey the situation, and the players."
Mel could only roll her eyes as Ana's spine stiffened. "Really?" Eyes bright, Ana jammed a finger into Sebastian's chest. "Then let me set you straight. Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I need protection or guidance or anything else from a male—relative or otherwise. I've been handling my own life for twenty-six years."
"Twenty-seven next month," Sebastian added helpfully.
"And I can continue to handle it. What's between Boone and me—"
"Ah." He held up a triumphant finger. "So there is something between you."
"Stuff it, Sebastian."
"She only talks like that when she paints herself into a corner," Sebastian told Mel. "Usually she's extremely mild and well-mannered."
"Careful, or I'll give Mel a potion to put in your soup that'll freeze your vocal cords for a week."
"Oh yeah?" Intrigued by the idea, Mel tilted her head. "Can I have it anyway?"
"A lot of good it would do you, since I do all the cooking," Sebastian pointed out. Then he scooped Ana up in a hug. "Come on, darling, don't be angry. I have to worry about you. It's my job."
"There's nothing to worry about." But she was softening.
"Are you in love with him?"
Instantly she stiffened. "Really, Sebastian, I've only known him for a week."
"What difference does that make?" He gave Mel a long look over Ana's head. "It took me less than that to realize the reason Mel irritated me so much was that I was crazy about her. Of course, it took her longer to understand she was madly in love with me. But she has such a hard head."
"I'm getting that potion," Mel decided.
