Primal Promise

Eleven

The small apartment was brighter than she'd expected. The ceiling was dotted with skylights. The blonde wood floor was covered with soft rugs in burgundies and evergreens. The same colors were echoed in the rest of the furnishings. The kitchen was decorated in a very 'lodge' theme of pine trees and animal silhouettes. Thankfully there were no heads or hides hung about.

On the kitchen table was a vase of fresh wildflowers. The boys stepped out through a door she assumed must be the bedroom, their hands empty. "Thank you, guys." She smiled and looked behind her at the still-open door. "I've never been to a family thing. I don't quite know what I'm supposed to do."

"Well, first you get unpacked, and then you can head down to the main house. Everyone will either be there..." Brody started.

"Or they'll have been there and gone off to do something," Maverick suggested.

"Or they're not here yet but they're on their way." Brody picked up.

Maverick nodded. "Ooorr they're coming later in the week..." He chuckled. "Really, it's not very scheduled. Whatever you'd like to do is fine."

"For example, we are going to go see if the horses are out." They gave her shoulder a squeeze, one on each side as they passed, and with a wave, they were gone.

She noticed the second the door was closed, they looked back for a moment and then went head to head and started whispering between one another. Weird. Maybe it was the twin thing. Perhaps all twins were just naturally a little bit creepy.

Alone, at last, she did a bit of inspecting. There was a bathroom just off the bedroom, and the bags were all set on the bed. She felt another flutter of panic, wanting to run, but she quelled the urge by forcing herself to unpack.

She hung up a few of her things in the closet and filled the dresser with her remaining clothing, sliding her empty suitcase under the bed. Her hard case unpacked, she plugged in her phone charger by the bed and her laptop in the living room. The bag of gifts was set beside the flowers on the table, so she could hand them out when the time was right.

She now found herself unable to decide what the next step should be. Should she go out and look for someone? Should she wait here until they came to fetch her when they were ready, or would they think she was being standoffish? In the end, she decided that she'd go out, and take a walk. If someone was there, fine. If not, she'd at least be able to banish some of the pent-up tension.

Stepping out onto the small deck, she inhaled deeply, consuming the beautiful clarity of the air, tinged with pine and warmth rather than the choking taste of summer in Portland. It made her feel free and buoyant. Descending the stairs, she ambled around the corner of the barn, her hands slipping into the pockets of her denim jacket. She had a hoodie on as well, but it was very old and worn nearly to translucence so she wasn't sweltering by any means.

In the distance, a pair of children were running from the main house toward the front of the barn, the twins stepping out to greet them, each with the reins of a horse in his hands. The boy was perhaps seven, and all grins and wild shoulder-length hair. The girl was more reserved, perhaps thirteen.

Each time one of the twins spoke to her, she blushed a bit and smiled faintly, her hand lifted to tug lightly at the end of her ponytail. The four moved back, and CJ guessed they were going back to the stables so the kids could ride along.

A tall man walked from the house, well built and muscular, but a lean sort of strength. More Great Dane than Bulldog. He wore a hunter green tee shirt tucked into a pair of khaki cargo shorts and flip flops. His long dusty blonde hair, just a shade lighter than his trim beard, was pulled into a ponytail.