Rosemary
“I’m mad at you. You’re trying to set me up.”
“You can’t be mad at me, I’m pregnant.” Hazel’s eyes went wide and watered as if she might cry. Her bottom lip trembled, and she placed a hand on her stomach for emphasis.
“Don’t play the pregnancy card with me. You know that won’t work.”
Tani produced a small paper notepad. “Is this pregnancy card for notification? Does it come with certain rights and privileges? Or is it like a thank you card?”
“Knock off the adorable tourist routine. You’re not fooling anyone,” Hazel said, exasperation coloring her voice. The trembling lip and watering eyes vanished.
“She didn’t know it was a routine.” Tani rolled her eyes in a completely human gesture.
“Wait, are you putting me on? Horseradish ice cream wasn’t a charming misunderstanding?” These two had some explaining to do.
“That was very much on purpose,” Tani said.
“Well, I meant for it to be dessert, not the entire meal. But I did not bring you here to play matchmaker,” Hazel said. “Please don’t be mad.”
Rosemary eyed the plate of pancakes on the table. “Are those for me?”
“Yes.”
“And they’re ordinary pancakes? No surprise ingredients?”
“Regular ol’ pancakes.”
She helped herself to a short stack. She couldn’t remember the last time someone cooked breakfast for her. “Talk to me after pancakes. My blood sugar is low.”
“Ah, the hangry,” Tani said with a nod.
Stunned, Rosemary fumbled with her fork. “She doesn't understand that ice cream is not a meal, but she understands hangry?”
Hazel shrugged. “I’m grumpy when I’m hungry.”
***
“Let’s walk. I need to stretch my legs,” Hazel said.
Her alien husband hovered at her side. “You do not want to tire yourself. Remember, you already cooked one meal.”
“The nurse said moderate exercise was good for me. If I just sit around doing nothing, I’ll lose muscle.”
“I do not like it.” He pressed his lips together in displeasure.
Hazel patted his arm and ignored his grumbling. “A walk around the grounds. Not far. We’re not hiking down to the river.”
“Do not go to the river! The cranc do not hibernate, and they will be on the hunt for prey.”
“Fine, no river. Just around the vineyard. I want Rosemary to see the lanterns.”
He nodded. “I will accompany you. Allow me a moment to retrieve my weapons.”
Weapons. Plural. “How dangerous is this place?” Rosemary asked.
Hazel grabbed her arm and pulled her out the door. “It’s not. The Mahdfel are just overprotective.”
Near midday, the red sun sat high in the blue sky, warming her skin, but a biting cold lingered in the shadows. Her breath steamed in the frigid air but walking kept her temperature up. Through the white snow covering the ground, the vegetation that hadn’t died from the cool weather retained its greenish-purple color.
The house sat on top of a hill and offered stunning views of the surrounding hills and valleys. A blue ribbon glimmered at the bottom of the valley. This was easily the nicest place she’d ever been in her life. She felt so absolutely uncultured even thinking that, but it was true. Her childhood had been a series of refugee camps and her adulthood a series of barely acceptable apartments and houses in neighborhoods were people worked hard to just get by. Her house and life waiting back on Earth didn’t hold a candle to the breathtaking scenery.
“Why are they doing that today?” Rosemary asked.
“Luck. Golau is a festival of light. The lanterns gather luck, as far as I understand.”
Seeran jogged up, rifle slung across his back and a sword strapped to his hips. Lorran trailed behind him. Wonderful. He brought back-up. Seriously, what was so dangerous that Seeran needed a rifle and a sword?
“Tell her the story,” Hazel said. “It’s really sweet.”
Seeran rubbed his chin, and a stern expression settled over his face. Rosemary had seen the same expression on Mene’s face. However, Seeran’s eyes regarded his wife warmly. She wondered if Mene would ever look at her with the same sort of devotion.
Wow. That thought came out of left field. She’d known the man less than twenty-four hours. She didn’t want anything from him.
Lorran linked arms with her. “I will tell the story because it is sweet, as am I.”
Hazel groaned. “Keep it clean, mister.”
Lorran cleared his throat and recited, “At the dawn of time, before there were stars or planets or life, there existed the Eternal Mother, Ti Ata, and the Eternal Father, Te Oro. In the darkness, Te Oro was alone. The spark of creation, all potential life, dwelled within him, but he was incomplete without his mate. From the depths of the great darkness, the spark called out to the Eternal Mother. We celebrate Golau in the depths of winter, when the nights grow shorter.”
“Like the Eternal Father calling to his mate,” Rosemary said. It was a sweet story. She didn’t know what to make of men being the source of all life, though. That seemed a bit backward. “And the lanterns?”
“Light in the dark. It brings us good fortune and luck in love.” Lorran winked at her.
Rosemary rolled her eyes. “You’re gonna need a lot of lanterns.”
A hearty laugh ripped out of Seeran. He gave her a slap on the back that sent her stumbling. “You did not tell me your sister was funny. I like her!”
“I still don’t believe you’re not playing matchmaker,” Rosemary said.
“Hand to God, I’m not,” Hazel said.
“Our mother is, though,” Lorran added.
“She swore she would not,” Seeran said.
“And that is why she insisted we all be home for Golau, for the first time in years, because she is innocent?”
“That is suspicious,” Seeran admitted, clearly uncomfortable criticizing his mother.
“Mom. Mom!”
Rosemary turned to the sound of Michael’s shouts. She recognized his excited voice, not his panicked or frightened voice. “Honey, don’t shout.”
Mene trotted up, Michael on his shoulders. The boy had either hand on the curve of Mene’s horns, steering him. The purple warrior looked utterly insulted, but the joy on Michael’s face was priceless. Easily worth the dings to one warrior’s pride.
“Uncle Mene is my horse,” he announced.
“And how does Uncle Mene feel about that?”
“It is tolerable,” he said gruffly.
Michael pointed to a destination in the distance, and they were off again.
“Um, baby.” Hazel tugged on Seeran’s sleeve. “I am getting a bit tired. I’d like to go back to the house and take a nap.”
Rosemary remembered her pregnancy and the constant exhaustion that accompanied it. Plus the morning sickness. “You get the barfs yet?”
“Happens in the afternoon,” her sister admitted.
“I think I’d like to stay and keep an eye on Michael.” And make sure he didn’t annoy Mene too much.
“I will remain and guard you,” Lorran said. He accepted the rifle from Seeran.
Seriously, what creatures lived in the hills that they had to be armed to the teeth?
Away from the house, Rosemary could see that the property sat in a large valley. Gray and white with snow covered the distant hills. “I bet this is lovely in the spring,” she said.
“You’re lovely—”
She held up a hand. “Stop. Just stop. I’m not interested.”
He sighed with relief. “Thank the stars for that.”
“Don’t sound so relieved, mister.” Dang. A girl had her pride, after all.
“My mother is playing matchmaker.”
“I noticed.”
“Siblings are often genetically compatible, so it follows that you would be a good match for me or Mene.” He shrugged. “You smell nice but not the greatest thing in the universe.”
Ouch. Her pride continued to take a beating.
“Well, I’m not that keen on you, either. You’re not exactly my type.” He was handsome but didn’t do it for her. Unaware, her gaze drifted to Mene tramping through the snow with Michael on his shoulders.
Lorran followed her gaze. “And that is your type?”
“Shut up.” Her cheeks grew warm with a blush.
“Or what? You going to make me, tiny human?” He nudged her with his shoulder.
“I’ll grab your horns and make you scream like a baby.”
His lips quirked.
“I said something dirty, didn’t I?”
“Our horns are sensitive.” He emphasized the last word.
“But your brother grabbed them last night.” And Michael had his hands wrapped around Mene’s horns. If that big purple meanie was perving on her boy, she didn’t care how big he was. She’d kill him.
“I believe the equivalent is your ears. Painful when your mother grabs them to get your attention. Enjoyable with a lover’s touch.”
“So that is innocent?” She pointed to Michael and Mene.
“Yes. However, if you wished to mount me in such a fashion, I would not protest. I’d let you lead me all over creation.”
Rosemary frowned and stuck her tongue out. “Are you even capable of not flirting?”
Lorran shrugged one shoulder. “I’ve never really tried.”
“You feel more like a friend than a lover. Can we leave it at that?”
“I believe I will enjoy having you as a friend. I especially enjoy the way my brother gets huffy when you talk to me.”
Fantastic. Her new friend was a giant child. “Just watch your mouth when you’re around my kid, or I’ll make you pay the Swear Jar for every innuendo and dirty thought.”
“How can you ascertain the cleanliness of my thoughts?” His eyes shone bright.
Rosemary extended her hand, palm open. “That thought right there cost you one credit. Pay up, chump.”