And today is all about balance.” Virginia limps to her front porch, seemingly unbothered by the cast on her leg. “I don’t think the birds care how high you get the feeders, Mom.” Branches spread out far and thick before narrowing to round, waxy leaves. However, the one Virginia indicates only grows as tall as the second story. The whole house is surrounded by towering oaks, the home existing within its own forest. Virginia gestures to a tree in the middle of her front yard. While I’ve been reeling from the first part of Fenella’s statement, her mother has been answering the second half. “I was just trying to reach some of the top branches.” Fenella is going to take me out to the woods where we’ll set up a comfortable camp, and then under the expansive night sky, full of endless stars, she will tell me how she loves me too. Someone as intelligent as her is not going to blurt those important words out in the middle of sex like an extra bit of dirty talk. Only I’m sure she just wants to make it special. Just because she sped through the compliments doesn’t mean the sincerity in them was any less. What do you mean by, you fell? Off of what? Why didn’t you call me?”Īs Fenella interrogates her mother, all the warmth from my embarrassed face transfers to my chest with a content glow. “Yes, Graham is extremely attractive, and I’m lucky to have him in my life. He’s handsome.”Ī blush rises hot in my face, and I doubt she’ll continue to think I’m good-looking as my red cheeks clash with my hair. “I don’t know why you’ve been hiding him. “And this must be Graham.” She clasps the hand I offer in two of hers, making the handshake feel more like an embrace.

She doesn’t bother to explain any further before turning to face me. “I fell,” Virginia offers before pulling Fenella in close for a kiss on the cheek. The small markers of her age deepen when she grins wide at her daughter’s scolding.

The wrinkles that scatter from the corner of her eyes draw the gaze to her warm expression. She shares her daughter’s lovely sculpted cheekbones and tilt-tipped nose. She directs it at the woman hobbling toward us from the front door of the house we just pulled up to. “What did you do to your leg?” Fenella’s glare somehow mixes both anger and concern. A contemporary romance with whispers of the supernatural unfolds from dual points of view - The Colorado Sun Close

Whispers by Lauren Klever