DESTINED AFFECTION

FIVE

Lauren parked in the narrow drive beside her half of a three-story Victorian twin and entered through the back door into the kitchen. Her mother-in-law, Phyllis Murphy, was doing dishes in the sink that faced a window overlooking their shared backyard. Phyllis lived in the other half of the twin, the mirror image of Lauren's.

At the sound of Honor's arrival, Phyllis turned to survey her with a mild frown on her smooth, heart-shaped face. Although close to sixty, Phyllis could easily be taken for fifteen years younger, with her still-shapely form and her wavy chestnut hair that showed not a trace of gray. Her blue eyes were piercing and bright, and at the moment, sparkling with fond exasperation. "Well, you're a fine spectacle. You're soaking wet. Get out of your shoes right there, and then go directly upstairs and take a warm shower."  

 Wordlessly, Lauren kicked off her shoes. She'd known the woman since she'd been a teenager, and Phyllis was as close to a mother as Lauren's own. Now that her parents had retired to the Southwest to escape the cold winters, she saw them only at major holidays. Phyllis, on the other hand, was a central part of her and Kyle's daily life. Phyllis not only provided essential child care, she was one of Lauren's best friends.

"Where's the munchkin?"

"In the living room. Did you eat?"

"Not yet." Lauren pulled a hand towel from a rack above the counter by the sink and gave her head a briskrubdown, soaking up most of the water from her hair. "I'll fix something—"

"I put a plate for you in the oven. As soon as you've changed, and showered, come down and have your dinner."

Lauren knew better than to argue. As she passed the older woman, she gave her a fond hug. "Is she okay?"

"Seems to be. Most of the time she forgets about it, and then when she remembers, I think she's rather proud of herself."

"Proud of herself?" Lauren raised an eyebrow.

"I think she's looking forward to showing her stitches to all of her friends tomorrow."

Lauren laughed. "Sounds like she's going to survive, then. I'll be back in a minute, then you can go home if you want."

"I'm in no hurry," Phyllis replied as she began loading the dishwasher.

On the way down the hall to the main staircase at the opposite end, Lauren peeked into the living room with its brick fireplace, walnut hardwood floors, and bay windows. Her daughter sat curled up on the sofa, the television tuned to a nature program, and a dark, curly haired form sprawled in her lap. At Lauren's approach, the shapeless black mass metamorphosed into a tail-wagging standard poodle.

"Hi, sweetheart." Lauren leaned down to kiss the top of Kyle's head and simultaneously scratched behind the dog's ears. "Hiya, Pooch."

"Hi, Mom." Kyle gave her mother a smile and then turned her attention back to a caravan of wildebeest trekking across the African savanna.

Lauren settled a hip on the arm of the sofa and rested her fingers against the back of her daughter's neck, stroking her softly. "How's your head feel?"

"It hurts a little, but most of the time it's okay."

"Good." Laure  tipped Kyle's chin up and studied her face. "Hmm, You have a shiner."

"What's that?"

"A black-and-blue mark like when you bang your knee—"

"Or get bumped in the game."

"Yep. Except this time it's around your eye."

"Why's it called a shiner?"

Lauren considered that. "Beats me."

"It's cool though, huh?"

"Very. I'm going to change my clothes, and then it's time for you to go to bed." Lauren leaned down and kissed her again. "Come upstairs when I call you, okay?"

"Uh-huh. Can you read me the part about Muggle medicine again?"

"You don't want to do the reading out loud tonight?" .

Kyle shook her head. "Will you?"

"You bet."

Five minutes later, Lauren stepped into the steaming shower, leaned against the slick tiles with a weary sigh, and closed her eyes. The warm water felt wonderful after the chill of the cold rain and her damp clothes. She was emotionally exhausted from the stress and brief panic surrounding Kyle's injury. As tired as she was, however, she was aware of an unexpected undercurrent of exhilaration, a sense of anticipation, although she had absolutely no idea of what. Or why. Odd, she mused. There's nothing new going on in my life that I can think of.

Out of nowhere, the image of Camila, her brown eyes intense and her expression kind, bending over Kyle in the ER that afternoon flashed through Lauren's mind. In the next instant, she felt the taut muscles of that long, lean thigh under her fingers and saw again Camila shake the rainwater from her hair. She looked so wild, so... sexy, just then. A shiver passed down Lauren's spine and a stirring in her stomach, so long forgotten that she barely recognized it, caused her to catch her breath in surprise.