Shaman - An Enchantress Novel Book 2

Chapter 3

“BEN!” a slender woman wearing a robe called from the back door. “Is that Rick’s car?”

She stormed her way across the yard in furry slippers, coming to a stop in front of Joel. Taking his face in her hand, she turned his head side to side. She then spun around and strode to Adie. “Did you do that?” She pointed at the young man who was still rubbing his chin.

Adie held her head up in defiance and kept eye contact with her. “I did.”

The woman enveloped in her a fierce hug. “Good girl, I like your spirit.” She let go and stepped back a little, tittering at the look of shock on Adie’s face. “It's about time someone took Joel down a peg or two. I can see you’re going to fit here perfectly.” She turned her focus on Rick. Her eyes narrowed. “You, young man, had better have a good reason for trying to sneak in and out of here in the middle of the night.” She tucked her arm in Adie’s and directed her toward the door. “You might as well have breakfast before you race off again, seeing as we’re all up now anyhow.”

The three men had no choice but to follow. Ben brought up the rear behind a sulking Joel and an apprehensive Rick. He emptied the shotgun of rounds and carefully propped it against the wall behind the door before slipping an arm around his wife’s shoulders.

“Rose, honey, don’t you go giving the boy a hard time in front of his girlfriend. You scared the last one off quicker than a rattlesnake,” he whispered.

Rose slapped him on the chest in horror. “I did not!”

He chuckled and placed a firm kiss to her lips then beat a hasty retreat to the table. “She did too,” he said as he passed Adie.

Rose rolled her eyes. “Fine, you get a temporary reprieve,” she said to Rick. “Everyone sit down and Rick can do the introductions.”

Rick caught Adie round the waist and held her firmly against his chest. He lowered his mouth to her ear. “I did warn you,” he whispered before kissing her cheek. He straightened and addressed the room. “Everyone, this is Adie.”

A chorus of “Hi’s” sounded. Sometime during the last couple of minutes five more bodies had entered the Kitchen.

“Starting from right to left, we have Dad, Ben; brothers, Joel and Dan; Dan’s partner, Mary; Sister, Harley; her husband, Max; the little one is their daughter, Lucy; last, but by no means least, Mum, Rose.”

Adie detached herself from Rick’s arms. “Hi,” she greeted them all and sank into the closest seat at the table.

“So,” Ben started, filling the ensuing silence. “Where are you two off to in such a hurry at five thirty in the morning?”

“Adie needs to go see the Shaman. I figured if we got an early start we could get there for tomorrow night.”

Harley laughed. “Yeah right! Why don’t you just admit you were trying to avoid Mum.” Everyone except Rose, Rick and Adie joined in the laughter.

“I wasn’t avoiding her,” Rick denied. “I was just delaying the inevitable.”

“So what colour dress you going to wear?” Harley asked Adie, continuing the joke.

“Ignore her.” Rick growled, finally taking his seat next to Adie as Rose started laying breakfast bowls and cutlery on the table in front of everyone. “Everyone else does.”

Harley stuck her tongue out.

Adie felt herself slowly relax. The atmosphere in Rick’s family home was so happy and comfortable, she felt welcome. She was content to listen to the banter that bounced around the table. It felt like home, something she hadn’t felt since the day her parents died in the car crash. She missed it. She knew Callie missed it too, and hoped that she would find some contentment with Sam.