up.
“Mommy! Look what Darius is helping us with.” She proudly held up her spiky wreath.
“ Oh, it’s lovely, Tansy.” Darius met her gaze and smiled. Her heart fluttered and she told herself to stop mooning over what she shouldn’t want. “Are you ready for school?”
“Mom.” Tansy rolled her eyes. “It’s Saturday, remember? I don’t have to go to school until Monday.”
Saturday? A huge weight lifted off Sabrina’s shoulders and she sighed in relief. “Oh, good.”
Holly laughed. “Come on, Mom my. You can make a Beltane wreath with Darius for the door.”
“Let me get some tea first, okay, honey?” Sabrina shuffled for the coffeemaker.
“Let me get it for you, Lady Foxglove.” Darius rose and beat her to the counter. “I didn’t know you were awake. I would have brought more tea to you.”
“Thank you, but I can’t lay in bed forever. I have many things to do.”
“Such as?” He raised a dubious eyebrow, igniting her temper.
“Since when did I have to clear my schedule with you?”
“Since you knocked yourself unconscious and gave yourself a concussion.” He stared her down as he poured her a mug of tea. “Head injuries are no laughing matter. You must rest today and possibly tomorrow so you have the strength for Beltane.”
Sabrina narrowed her eyes. “I’m not doing the rituals.”
“Let’s break our fast and wake up fully before we discuss it.”
Anger surged inside. “Don’t treat me like a child, Darius. I’m more than capable of making my own decisions, whether I’m fed or not. Do me the courtesy of remembering that.”
Irritation showed in his teal gaze, but he inclined his head and handed her the mug. “Would you care for honey?”
As long as it’s real honey and not this fake sweetness you’re offering me now.
“Yes, please.”
“Go sit down. I’ll bring the honey.”
Know my kitchen so well, do you?
“Thank you.” Sabrina took the unoccupied chair against the window. The weak spring sunlight warmed her back and she looked at the creative devastation strewn across her table. “Your wreaths look lovely. Where will you hang them, ladies?”
“I want to put mine on the front door.” Tansy held up the spiked wreath.
“No, I want to!” Holly thrust the ribbon-festooned wreath at her mother.
“Ladies—”
“Perhaps we should let the Goddess decide, eh?” Darius cut off the argument before it escalated. “She usually knows the best place for all the decorations. I’m sure She’ll make it very clear where She wants each wreath. Until then, can you help me make breakfast for your mother?”
Sabrina looked on in wonder as her children jumped up to prepare a meal for her. Darius directed them like a general, mustering a clean up of wreath materials and doling out KP duties. In less time than it usually took Sabrina to make tea, the table had been cleared and a plate of toast with fresh huckleberry jam sat before her.
Darius cooked omelets for them while the girls chattered at him about projects at school and favorite movies. He responded as if they were visiting dignitaries, due all respect and attention. Again, Sabrina’s heart tightened and she wished she could wake up to this every morning.
“Very well, girls, let your mother eat and get your rooms picked up.” Darius set two plates down on the table. “A great deal needs to be done before Beltane and we must help your mother prepare.”
“Okay!” The girls took off for their rooms.
Sabrina gaped after them then turned her amazement on Darius. “What did you do to my children?”
“How do you mean?” He frowned.
“They’re never willing to clean up or help with meals.” She gave him a mock-suspicious look. “You didn’t sprinkle them with fairy dust?”
Darius laughed, his teal eyes sparkling and she tried not to enjoy the effects. “Not at all. In fact, they offered to help me as long as I helped them make the wreaths.”
“Are you sure that’s all you offered?”
“Mommy! Look what Darius is helping us with.” She proudly held up her spiky wreath.
“ Oh, it’s lovely, Tansy.” Darius met her gaze and smiled. Her heart fluttered and she told herself to stop mooning over what she shouldn’t want. “Are you ready for school?”
“Mom.” Tansy rolled her eyes. “It’s Saturday, remember? I don’t have to go to school until Monday.”
Saturday? A huge weight lifted off Sabrina’s shoulders and she sighed in relief. “Oh, good.”
Holly laughed. “Come on, Mom my. You can make a Beltane wreath with Darius for the door.”
“Let me get some tea first, okay, honey?” Sabrina shuffled for the coffeemaker.
“Let me get it for you, Lady Foxglove.” Darius rose and beat her to the counter. “I didn’t know you were awake. I would have brought more tea to you.”
“Thank you, but I can’t lay in bed forever. I have many things to do.”
“Such as?” He raised a dubious eyebrow, igniting her temper.
“Since when did I have to clear my schedule with you?”
“Since you knocked yourself unconscious and gave yourself a concussion.” He stared her down as he poured her a mug of tea. “Head injuries are no laughing matter. You must rest today and possibly tomorrow so you have the strength for Beltane.”
Sabrina narrowed her eyes. “I’m not doing the rituals.”
“Let’s break our fast and wake up fully before we discuss it.”
Anger surged inside. “Don’t treat me like a child, Darius. I’m more than capable of making my own decisions, whether I’m fed or not. Do me the courtesy of remembering that.”
Irritation showed in his teal gaze, but he inclined his head and handed her the mug. “Would you care for honey?”
As long as it’s real honey and not this fake sweetness you’re offering me now.
“Yes, please.”
“Go sit down. I’ll bring the honey.”
Know my kitchen so well, do you?
“Thank you.” Sabrina took the unoccupied chair against the window. The weak spring sunlight warmed her back and she looked at the creative devastation strewn across her table. “Your wreaths look lovely. Where will you hang them, ladies?”
“I want to put mine on the front door.” Tansy held up the spiked wreath.
“No, I want to!” Holly thrust the ribbon-festooned wreath at her mother.
“Ladies—”
“Perhaps we should let the Goddess decide, eh?” Darius cut off the argument before it escalated. “She usually knows the best place for all the decorations. I’m sure She’ll make it very clear where She wants each wreath. Until then, can you help me make breakfast for your mother?”
Sabrina looked on in wonder as her children jumped up to prepare a meal for her. Darius directed them like a general, mustering a clean up of wreath materials and doling out KP duties. In less time than it usually took Sabrina to make tea, the table had been cleared and a plate of toast with fresh huckleberry jam sat before her.
Darius cooked omelets for them while the girls chattered at him about projects at school and favorite movies. He responded as if they were visiting dignitaries, due all respect and attention. Again, Sabrina’s heart tightened and she wished she could wake up to this every morning.
“Very well, girls, let your mother eat and get your rooms picked up.” Darius set two plates down on the table. “A great deal needs to be done before Beltane and we must help your mother prepare.”
“Okay!” The girls took off for their rooms.
Sabrina gaped after them then turned her amazement on Darius. “What did you do to my children?”
“How do you mean?” He frowned.
“They’re never willing to clean up or help with meals.” She gave him a mock-suspicious look. “You didn’t sprinkle them with fairy dust?”
Darius laughed, his teal eyes sparkling and she tried not to enjoy the effects. “Not at all. In fact, they offered to help me as long as I helped them make the wreaths.”
“Are you sure that’s all you offered?”
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