Eternal Read Free Page B

other four away. I watched, kind of disappointed that I hadn’t gotten to talk with them more.
    I looked toward the stove. Madera was watching me as he stirred a pot.
    â€œ Thanks for the welcome,” I said. “It’s really nice of you, especially since you weren’t expecting me.”
    â€œ As you can see, I have plenty of room.”
    â€œ Well, if I can help with anything—“
    â€œ Is there any tea left? Hi, Manda,” said Len as she came in carrying a mug. She took the cozy off the teapot and lifted the lid. “I’m going to kill it. Should we make more?”
    â€œ Yes, please,” Madera said. “Amanda, would you fill this kettle?”
    â€œ Sure.”
    While I was at the sink, Madera opened a pottery jar and scooped out some black leaves, putting them into a little strainer thingie. I was impressed—I’d only ever used teabags. He set the strainer aside, took the kettle from me and put it on the stove, then washed out the teapot and put the strainer into it.
    I felt like I was in the way, so I cut another slice of bread and slathered it with butter, put some berries in a bowl as a gesture toward healthy eating, and went over to the table where Caeran’s cousins had been sitting. Len joined me, bringing both our mugs.
    â€œ Thanks. Caeran has a big family, eh?”
    Len sipped her tea. “Yes and no.”
    She didn’t elaborate, and I wasn’t going to rise to the bait and ask. “Nice of him to drive them to Albuquerque. Hope he brings your car back with a full tank.”
    â€œ He will.”
    Of course he would. He was Mr. Wonderful.
    I stifled a sigh and watched Madera, who was back at the stove, looking graceful as he stirred his pot. His hair was braided today. His profile made me think of the beautiful people in Maxfield Parrish paintings. I had expected Len’s mentor to be older.
    He didn’t really look Spanish—not like most of the locals. He was too tall, too pale. Aristocratic, with that aquiline nose. Maybe Old World Spanish looked like that, but most New Mexican Hispanics had a lot of New World blood mixed in.
    Well, he had some Caeran blood, or something close to it. Not as striking a match as the cousins, but clearly the same family.
    My thoughts drifted off to my own family back in Portales. My parents were very straight, very conservative, and they’d raised me and my brother strictly. He’d been a super-jock in school and got drafted into a minor league baseball team before graduation. I’d rebelled in high school and escaped to UNM and Albuquerque as soon as possible.
    Sometimes I missed home, but whenever I went back to visit I remembered why I’d left. I loved my parents—especially at a distance.
    I finished my berries and decided I’d better get away from the bread, so I filled my mug with milk and headed for the plazuela . The morning was pleasantly cool. In Albuquerque things were already summer-hot.
    I sat in a chair in the shade and watched a swarm of birds playing in the fountain. The smell of lilacs made me relax. Yeah, I could get used to this.
    A wild thought of giving up my dorm room and spending the summer here occurred to me, but I squashed it. For one thing, I had a job. For another, it would be a serious imposition, unless I could make it up to Madera somehow. No, I should forget that.
    I had the weekend, since I assumed Len and Caeran would drive me home on Sunday. I told myself I was damn lucky for that.
    I heard the kettle whistle in the kitchen and was glad, because it was almost too chilly outside. I finished my milk, then headed for my room to get my book. On the way I decided to make a pit stop at the bathroom. Just as I reached the door it was opened by yet another Caeran clone.
    â€œ Oh, sorry!”
    I stepped back, taking him in. His hair was a little darker than Caeran’s and his eyes were a softer green. I smiled.
    â€œ You must be another