Chapter 3

I am sitting on my patio, looking at the lake and sipping on my coffee, thinking about yesterday evening. We talked about differences between the US, Canada and Europe. Especially the food and the education. None of them brought my profession up again or asked me any questions that I didn't feel comfortable enough to share the answers to. Kal demanded more scratches and belly rubs from me which I gladly gave him. I even noticed that Henry smiled at the sight of it. Kal must mean a lot to him.

All three of them complimented my baking skills and Charles begged me to share the recipe with Heather so she could bake it for him when they travel back to Canada. They revealed that they would be travelling to Hawaii on Sunday for a short vacation and then return to their children.

I am torn from my thoughts when suddenly the doorbell rings. Confused as I don't expect anyone to come over today, I get up and walk to the front door. When I open it, Heather is waiting outside.

"Hi," she greets me with a warm smile. "I wanted to ask you if you would want to join me running a few errands and then shopping?" she asks me before I even have the chance to greet her back.

Thinking about what I planned to do today, I nod as the only agenda for today would have been trying to figure out what is missing in my new novel and grocery shopping. Maybe spending some time away from my computer will help.

"Yes, I do," I tell her and she beams at me. "When do you want to leave?"

"How about right now?" I look down at my pjs and then back at her.

"Give me like ten minutes and then I'll be ready. If you want to, you can wait inside," I offer, and she gratefully accepts it.

Hopefully, I didn't leave any of my notes outside, I think to myself as I walk into my bedroom.

"You have a beautiful home," she comments as I come down the stairs into the living room after getting changed, and I feel touched by it as I have put a lot of effort into it. Almost every corner of my home is decorated with love to detail.

"Thanks, I took my time with it. Some parts need to be adjusted but I am happy about the way it turned out and that my boyfriend let me have my way."

"He didn't contribute to the design aspect?" she asks me surprised and I shake my head slightly.

"No. He isn't into that." Even though she raises an eyebrow, she doesn't comment on it further.

"You have beautiful long hair. I wish mine would be like yours. And the color," she swoons and touches the ends of it.

"Luke doesn't like the color. He is quite opposed to it and wasn't happy when I bleached it."

"Well, it's your hair and your body, so it is your decision," she tells me, then presses her lips together.

"Yes, that's exactly what I told him. Anyways, I guess, I will be the one driving as you probably don't know your way around here." Expectantly I look at her and she nods.

"You caught me." She pulls her mouth into a grimace, and I laugh.

"No worries, I get it. Are there any specific shops you want to go to?" She lists couple of things that she needs to get for Henry's home, mostly décor.

"It sounds to me like we are heading to HomeGoods, Pottery Barn, Target, Nordstrom and probably Victoria's Secret."

"If you are okay with that."

"Sure, as long as you don't mind that I need to stop and get groceries at the end of our trip. Except from what Luke cooked, I don't have anything eatable in my fridge and I would hate to get takeout."

"Absolutely."

"Why didn't you call me?" Charles asks us as we carry all the stuff that Heather bought into Henry's house. She helped me getting my groceries inside and putting them away in the pantry and the fridge. I only find it fair to help her now.

"Because I am not made out of glass, and I am capable of carrying these things. Or do you think that our groceries at home appear out of thin air or that I have someone carrying them for me?" she gives back and raises her eyebrow daring her husband to disagree with her.

"You know that I don't think that, but still I would have wanted to help you," he sighs loudly and in defeat.

"There is still one bag in the trunk of my car. You could get that, so I don't need to come back here," I offer, and he nods at me. Without listening to the comments of his wife, that he shouldn't go, he leaves the house. This earns me a look that makes me press my lips together. Suddenly I feel like a little kid who knows it will get rebuked any second.

"Char, you will stay for dinner again," she says, and I shake my head vehemently.

"I put my foot down on this one. You already paid for my lunch and my groceries just because I drove you to some places. It's more than enough."

"Actually, Henry did that."

"What did I do?" I can hear him asking, before he comes around the corner. A happy looking Kal next to him. Henry's hair is tousled and wet. Sweat is dripping down his face and I watch it wandering over his neck down to his naked chest. Holy shit. His torso is well trained, and his abs look like the ones you see on statues of ancient Greek artists. I close my eyelids and clear my throat.

"Seriously Henry. I know you have a great physique, and you like to show it off, but do you really need to run around like this?" Heather asks him, and I take a deep breath before I open my eyelids again.

"It's my house, I can actually do what I want. However, I am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable as you are my guest," he tells her apologetically and takes the shirt, that he has thrown over his shoulder and puts it on. "So, what did I do this time?" he inquires now, and an amused expression appears on his face. He looks at me, but I only shrug my shoulders, then back at Heather.

"Do you remember that you gave me access to your credit card?"

"Yes," he answers warily and draws his eyebrows together.

"Well, you paid the prize for everything you put me through in the past two days and for what Char did for me and you today." That might explain why she didn't care spending hundreds of dollars on one set of bed sheets, and she bought multiple of them.

"Do I have to file for personal bankruptcy?" he asks her amusedly and the corners of his mouth twitch.

"Knowing that you recently bought a new motorcycle worth what I make with my photography in a year without batting an eye, I hardly think that you will need to do that. However, it was fun spending your money and not mine," she tells him sweetly, then raises up to her tippy toes to give him a peck on his cheek.

"Yuck, you stink, and you are in desperate need of a shower," Heather adds quickly and wrinkles her nose in mocked disgust. Before she can evade it, he has his arms wrapped around her and she screams when he moves his wet hair against her face.

"Not again," I hear Charles sigh out of breath next to me, as he probably heard his wife's scream. Then he continues, "These two can fight like cats and dogs. She is the sister he never had."

Chuckling I watch their display of brotherly love. When Henry lets go of her, she wipes the sweat away from her face, then her hands on her t-shirt.

"Seriously, I need to take another shower now. That's disgusting," she tells him and then hits him playfully against his shoulder.

"You started it," he tries to defend himself and raises his hands.

"You could have taken the high road and left it at that," Heather gives back and shows him the tip of her tongue.

"I am just glad, that our children aren't here to witness your childish behavior," Charles says shaking his head. "Since the two of you are now done being toddlers, I can go and pick up that I dropped in the garden." He turns around and I follow him with my gaze. When I turn back only Henry and I are left in the room.

"Thank you for helping Heather today and driving her around," he tells me and smiles. Seemingly uncomfortable he scratches the back of his head.

"It was a blast and if she wouldn't have asked, I would have been sitting in front of my laptop all day wreaking my head about my book." I shrug my shoulders and put my hands into the pockets of my jean shorts. "However, I think I should pay you back the money Heather spent on my groceries. It's too much."

"Don't. Consider it a token of my appreciation." Due to his phrasing I start to laugh.

"You sound like you just stepped out an historical novel," I chuckle, and he smiles at me sheepishly.

"Well, there is a role I want, and it's set in a somewhat medieval time. I take every chance I get to practice."

"Which one?" I asked intrigued.

"How about a deal. I tell you which role I want to play, and you tell me the genre your book is in."

"Okay," I agree immediately, and he looks at me warily, because I accepted his deal without wasting a second.

"Kilian Ashmore from the Ancient series by Rae Dawn," he says, and it takes ever ounce in my body not to react to it in the way my head wants to.

"Why?"

"Because I find his character intriguing. The way he acts all tough and bitter on the outside but becomes this thoughtful and protective man when he is around Alveria is simply put amazing. It feels like I am meant to portray him and the world with all it nuances that Rae Dawn created in this series is mind-blowing. You expect something to happen, however something that hasn't crossed your mind takes place. Every single line in the books is so well written and believable," he tells me, and I am blown away by his reaction. He didn't even read my books, but he loves them.

"Sorry, I got too carried away and I didn't want to bore you with it."

"No, not at all," I tell him and smile, "I think it's now my turn. My books are considered to be in the genre of woman literature." He closes his eyelids for a moment and sighs loudly.

"I thought that there was a catch."

"Really?"

"Yes, because the only thing new I know now is the fact that your book has a strong female lead or one finding her way to her own strength. Woman literature is there to empower women and is entwined with all sorts of other genres like romance, thriller or even fantasy. There is no way for me to narrow it down."

"Maybe the next time you make a deal with me, you chose your words more carefully," I tell him, and we both start to smile.

"I'll keep that in mind in case there is a next time, and my family and I haven't scared you off."

"It's fine, but I should get going, because I need to cook dinner and then I need to catch up on some work-related e-mails," I let him know.

"You could have dinner with us again, I don't mind."

"No. I appreciate it, but you should enjoy your time with your family. I don't want you to be cautious about what you have to say, because you clearly are when I am around. Maybe one day we can be friends and trust each other so we don't have to think about every single word that leaves our mouths."

"Yes perhaps."