53)

It was as awkward as any other two people getting together for the first time, it was also wonderful, and that is all I’m was going to say about it to anyone.

I also had a lot of questions, like did she always move this fast, was this the start of something, or a one time thing. Wisely, I didn’t ask. Chances are she didn’t know either, or would get upset if I asked for reasons that would only make sense to a woman.

I half woke up early in the morning. Well, more like late that night anyways, as a familiar presence crossed the border’s of my land. Recognizing the child from next door I gave her a little growl that made her jump a bit in the air and made my overnight guest stir in her sleep before I relaxed and dozed off again.

It wasn’t until the next morning that I realized Mel had heard, or perhaps felt my growl from a few thousand feet away. Was that a me thing or a her thing?

Charlie’s alarm woke me up again, and I got out of bed to make sure I caught up to him before he made it to the door. Adora stirred from beside me and look around. “Is everyone in your family an early riser?”

I gave her a fond look. “I think he’s still planning to go into work today and wants to get a early start for the road.” I threw on some cloths, as Adora rolled out of her side and headed stark naked into my bathroom. I didn’t want to stare, since I might be caught, so instead headed out to use the bathroom down the hall, washed my hands, then headed down to the kitchen to start up breakfast.

Meat from the left overs fried up with some microwaved potatoes in the frying pan, English muffins tossed in the toaster oven as I heard my nephew getting out of the shower, butter and jam set out for the muffins.

Adora beat Charles downstairs as I was squeezing enough oranges for three small glasses, the kids would miss out but that’s what they get for being able young enough to sleep for a whole night.

The sheriff was back in her riding cloths, her overnight bag set down by the door as she looked around with a degree of awkwardness, “Is there anything I can do?”

I guess she just needed something to do, either because that what just who she was, or maybe just because of last night.

“Maybe mix up some pancake batter, meat and potatoes might be a bit heavy for entire meal and I don’t want Charles drifting off on his ride home.”

She perked up, glanced at the greasy pan I was dishing out the potatoes from and went looking for a clean pan instead. What? This one was pre-greased, and it would add flavor to the pancakes. Meat flavor too, I would think a werewolf would love that.

Charles wandered into the kitchen with a bemused look on his face at the sight of the food, the sheriff cooking, and started to say something with a smirk before I shut him up with a look. We had a brief stare down before he shrugged, stopped for bottle of hot sauce I kept around for him in the fridge, and sat down before dousing his meat and potatoes with the stuff.

Adora looked around as the smell hit her with an irritated look on her face, glanced at Charles happily munching down on his food, then gave me a questioning look.

I shrugged back at her, “I don’t get it either, he can’t possibly taste anything but the hot sause, and he put’s it on everything. No one knows where he got it from.”

He flipped me off. The traditional family salute. Adora laughed silently. “We have some pancakes too, but if you put that stuff on them, I will arrest you.”

Charles just smiled at her and snagged the top and bottom of a English muffin. “I’ll have to pass, I love these and I already overload on carbs.”

Upstairs the smell of the various frying foods had gotten the two girls stirring from their beds, while their brother abruptly appeared as he wandered by me and awkwardly began to climb up to one of the tall chairs at the breakfast bar. Charles stopped stuffing his face long enough to help the boy up, while Adora gave me a look, as if for permission, before quietly asking the boy what he wanted to eat.

The girls took long enough getting down for Aran to eyeball the bottle of hot sauce, get to try a dollop of the stuff served up by his cousin, and decide he liked it. Great another one.

Charles finished his meal just as the girls wandered in, gave a surprised Sara a hug, without getting hit, her sister one that she enthusiastically returned, and irritated Aran with a pat on the head, before turning to me.

“So am I going to make arrangement for my dad to stop by for a bite?”

I thought that one over, and ultimately I just didn’t want my brother to die for as long as possible, and most definitely not a slow death with cancer under the care of the Veteran's administration’s political ineptitude.

I nodded. “Yeah. Bring him by, or I’ll go see him. But...you figure out what to tell him in advance.”

He clenched his lips for moment, and then nodded. “I’ll figure it out.”

With a nod to Adora he started to head out, pausing as she held up a hand for him to wait. “I must warn you Mr Lathe, if you do choose to become one of us as well. You might no longer be able to tolerate your favorite condiment, or at least will have to begin carrying around breath mints for the sake of the rest of us.”

She gave him a little smile to show she was joking, mostly, and he nodded in return with a thoughtful look as he headed out with the children’s loud additional good byes.

Well the girl’s anyways, Aran was busy pouring out dabs of hot sauce before each bite, experimenting to try to find just the right amount of the stuff for each bite. Guess I was going to have to stock up on the stuff.

After a fairly small meal, she claimed any more would make her want to go back to sleep, and a affectionate good bye kiss that got grossed out sounds from the kids, the girls, or a blank stare, the boy, Adora was off to work.

Her hair had been damp when she came down, but I imagine even a shower wasn’t going to be enough to keep the news she was knocking boots with the new guy from getting to every werewolf in town by noon.

It had been a good night and looked to be a good day, I was planning on another shopping trip, this time with the kids in tow, getting in contact with their parents for an update and hopefully planning on having my entire family here for a few day while they figured out their next step.

Then the kid’s aunt finally caught up with them.