“We’re happy
you’re better and home from the hospital,” Joe said.
Cole jumped in. “Thanks, everyone, for helping make Sashi’s
release from the hospital so special. I love you all.” The room erupted in
cheers. He carried her over to a plush leather couch with an ottoman and set her
down. Then he sat right next to her.
His house was absolutely beautiful, she thought. It was all one
floor except it had a loft with a polished light wood balcony and stairs that
led up to it rising from the back of the home.
His open-concept kitchen was a focal point of the place, with a
bark-colored granite slab bar running the length of the room. The whitewashed
custom cabinets had intricate wood carvings. Stainless-steel Sub-Zero appliances
were the jewels that put the finishing touches on the majestic room.
Set off to the right was a magnificent dining room with a large
window she assumed must look out over the woods surrounding the house. The
carved dining room table was a piece of art in itself.
The living room was square with leather couches surrounding a
stunning fireplace. In a space off the living room was a U-shaped couch in black
leather facing a theater type screen surrounded by built-in cabinets, and a
little farther back, off in a corner, was a pool table. Definitely a bachelor
pad. Lacquered wood reached to a pitched roof twenty feet above. Beams spanning
each room throughout the house met in the living room, adding elegance. All the
floors were done in high-sheen hardwood, accented with various types of small
rugs, some bearskins, others intricately woven Native rugs. She wondered where
her apartment was.
A man came over who looked like CJ, the paramedic who’d helped
her in the cave. Except he had a certain ruggedness CJ lacked. “I’ve got a
surprise for you.” He went to the stereo and put on a song.
Cole bent down and whispered in her ear, “Jake’s been dying to
do this.” Suddenly she realized that Jake and CJ were twins! In a moment the
house was booming with Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” featuring Alicia Keys.
Jake pulled up a chair next to her. “I wanted to play a song
for the girl who goes by the nickname New York. I thought it would make you feel
more at home.”
“Oh, I definitely love this song.” Sashi gestured to several
cute little girls across the room dancing to the beat. “Who are they?”
Cole reached for the remote to his stereo and turned the music
down a little. Jake nodded in the direction of the girls. “The little blonde
falling over is my daughter, Christina, and the—”
“—dark-haired dancer is my beautiful granddaughter, Abigail,”
Joe broke in. “She’s a wonderful dancer, just like her mom.” He was sitting on
the other side of the couch.
Mary was play-dancing with her daughter. Sashi called over to
her. “I didn’t know you danced. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It wasn’t the right time. Soon I’ll tell you many things.”
Sashi took in a deep breath and turned to Joe. “Do you and your
daughter always speak so cryptically?”
“I can answer that. Yes.” A pleasant-looking man in his late
thirties with curly blond hair shook Sashi’s hand before sitting down beside
Joe. “I’m Eric Price, Mary’s husband and Joe’s son-in-law.” He wrapped his arm
around Joe.
“See, Sashi?” Joe said. “I raise my daughter in the ways of the
Tlingit, and I get a white man for a son. But then he gave me my Abigail and now
life is good. She is a daughter of the raven, like her grandma.”
Sashi smiled at him. “It’s so good to see you, Joe.”
“Not as good as it is to see you, my little wolf.”
“Please, no talk of that tonight.”
Joe shook his head. “Another time.”
Jake led a small group of people Sashi didn’t recognize over to
her. “Sashi, I’d like to introduce you to my wife, Sammi. She’s pregnant with
our second. We aren’t waiting like pretty boy CJ and
Natasha over there.”
Sashi laughed. “Are you always that
you’re better and home from the hospital,” Joe said.
Cole jumped in. “Thanks, everyone, for helping make Sashi’s
release from the hospital so special. I love you all.” The room erupted in
cheers. He carried her over to a plush leather couch with an ottoman and set her
down. Then he sat right next to her.
His house was absolutely beautiful, she thought. It was all one
floor except it had a loft with a polished light wood balcony and stairs that
led up to it rising from the back of the home.
His open-concept kitchen was a focal point of the place, with a
bark-colored granite slab bar running the length of the room. The whitewashed
custom cabinets had intricate wood carvings. Stainless-steel Sub-Zero appliances
were the jewels that put the finishing touches on the majestic room.
Set off to the right was a magnificent dining room with a large
window she assumed must look out over the woods surrounding the house. The
carved dining room table was a piece of art in itself.
The living room was square with leather couches surrounding a
stunning fireplace. In a space off the living room was a U-shaped couch in black
leather facing a theater type screen surrounded by built-in cabinets, and a
little farther back, off in a corner, was a pool table. Definitely a bachelor
pad. Lacquered wood reached to a pitched roof twenty feet above. Beams spanning
each room throughout the house met in the living room, adding elegance. All the
floors were done in high-sheen hardwood, accented with various types of small
rugs, some bearskins, others intricately woven Native rugs. She wondered where
her apartment was.
A man came over who looked like CJ, the paramedic who’d helped
her in the cave. Except he had a certain ruggedness CJ lacked. “I’ve got a
surprise for you.” He went to the stereo and put on a song.
Cole bent down and whispered in her ear, “Jake’s been dying to
do this.” Suddenly she realized that Jake and CJ were twins! In a moment the
house was booming with Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” featuring Alicia Keys.
Jake pulled up a chair next to her. “I wanted to play a song
for the girl who goes by the nickname New York. I thought it would make you feel
more at home.”
“Oh, I definitely love this song.” Sashi gestured to several
cute little girls across the room dancing to the beat. “Who are they?”
Cole reached for the remote to his stereo and turned the music
down a little. Jake nodded in the direction of the girls. “The little blonde
falling over is my daughter, Christina, and the—”
“—dark-haired dancer is my beautiful granddaughter, Abigail,”
Joe broke in. “She’s a wonderful dancer, just like her mom.” He was sitting on
the other side of the couch.
Mary was play-dancing with her daughter. Sashi called over to
her. “I didn’t know you danced. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It wasn’t the right time. Soon I’ll tell you many things.”
Sashi took in a deep breath and turned to Joe. “Do you and your
daughter always speak so cryptically?”
“I can answer that. Yes.” A pleasant-looking man in his late
thirties with curly blond hair shook Sashi’s hand before sitting down beside
Joe. “I’m Eric Price, Mary’s husband and Joe’s son-in-law.” He wrapped his arm
around Joe.
“See, Sashi?” Joe said. “I raise my daughter in the ways of the
Tlingit, and I get a white man for a son. But then he gave me my Abigail and now
life is good. She is a daughter of the raven, like her grandma.”
Sashi smiled at him. “It’s so good to see you, Joe.”
“Not as good as it is to see you, my little wolf.”
“Please, no talk of that tonight.”
Joe shook his head. “Another time.”
Jake led a small group of people Sashi didn’t recognize over to
her. “Sashi, I’d like to introduce you to my wife, Sammi. She’s pregnant with
our second. We aren’t waiting like pretty boy CJ and
Natasha over there.”
Sashi laughed. “Are you always that
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