Chapter 285

Selina sat beside Kayla in one of Security's SUVs as it wound its way down the mountain. The darkly-tinted windows prevented anyone from seeing who was in the vehicle, but Selina wasn't thinking about that. Thoughts of a new kitten and a friend for Billy alternated with a myriad of other thoughts that flashed through the little genius' mind: celestial navigation across the dimensions, her Prime, firing her pistol, the chances of an attempted kidnapping, her parents, her Prime ... All in the last couple of seconds. Nothing unusual. She frequently thought in several levels at the same time.

She despaired that she would ever grow up. Time seemed to go by so slowly. She knew that her Prime thought of her as a daughter. She was pleased with that, but one day that would change – or at least expand, she desperately hoped. Since his daughter was also his wife, the taboo had already been broken. One day, she would be his wife just as Arlene was. She could only fantasize what it must feel like to be the wife of her Prime. She longed for puberty, longed for the changes that would make her body into that of a woman. Even though a genius, she could not fully imagine how those changes would make her feel, but she knew that she loved him, and not only as a child loves her parent, but ... she had to maintain at least a semblance of being a child, though her mind balked at the prospect. Someday...

As they passed Martha's and the inevitably overfull parking lot, Selina remembered that Diana had said they needed to make reservations soon. The new building seemed to be near completion. There was still some scaffolding on one side of the building – that area roped off – but the dining area was already in use, and from what she could see through the tall windows, the inside was as beautiful as the outside.

Kayla, anticipating what Selina was about to ask, said, "Martha's official grand opening of the new building is next week. Since the hiring of her new and very famous chef, and with all the advertising that the Wainwrights kicked off, the restaurant has stayed packed even with the much higher prices."

Diana had told Selina that Martha continued to charge her original customers at the old price rates, and she personally cooked their breakfast in the original building. Diana had also said that she suspected there was a romance going on between Martha and the new chef. The Queen expected a wedding in the near future.

Selina giggled when Kayla grinned at her as the two discussed the coming wedding. Eventually, the conversation wound down and Selina's mind returned to the Prime, then her thoughts morphed to her mother and father. She missed them very little, and actually missed the servants more, frequently talking to them on the phone. When she did talk to her parents, she could hear the guilt in their voices, but that guilt appeared to be lessening with each passing week. It was obvious that Selina had found her true home on Matthews Mountain. Now, if she could continue to prevent guilt from disturbing her parents, she wouldn't have to worry. She had discussed with the Prime and Clan Queen the possibility of her parents, in a fit of guilt, returning to take her with them.

They had been sitting in the living room during the conversation. Diana had grabbed Selina in a hug so tight the child could hardly breathe, then Jeff had encircled both of them in his arms. "It will never happen," he assured a weeping Selina. Going to his knees in front of her as she sat on a couch, the Prime continued, "Baby, we're a family now. You, Diana, me, Arlene – all my wives – all of your sisters. We all love you, and you've repeatedly told us that you love us and never want to leave us. I've taken ... steps, and I've sought Frank Wainwright's advice as well as that of his attorneys. I would not want to play dirty, but ... well, as you've told us, your mom and dad have an ... uh, unusual lifestyle. If we have to, and there's no other way, we'll use that against them, should they try to take you away from us ... if you still want to be our daughter, that is."

Neither Jeff nor Diana could fully understand what Selina was trying to say past her tears as she clung to Jeff, but the two understood her meaning, anyway. Selina had felt her Prime's determination. She loved her parents, but an occasional visit with them would be more than sufficient. Leaving her new family for even a day was not a consideration. This was the life she was called to. One day she would visit the stars with them – one day she would be one of her Prime's mates. One day.

The miles drifted by while Selina thought about her family. The little caravan turned onto Lakota Trail and Selina stretched up to look out the front window of the SUV as they soon stopped in Mrs. Kimbrel's driveway. Her sidewalk and steps were covered with nearly two feet of snow and ice, but there were vehicle tracks leaving the attached garage. Selina and Kayla exchanged a glance, Kayla frowning slightly as the two of them wondered the same thing.

The trooper who had been driving stepped out to open their door for them. "Careful," he advised. "Looks like she hasn't shoveled her walk or steps lately."

The snow was crusted and frozen over. Selina took a couple of steps before she hit a soft spot and sank to her knees in the snow. It would have been slow going for the six-year-old, but the trooper scooped her into his arms even as the other trooper went on ahead to break a trail for Kayla.

The trooper holding Selina carefully made his way onto the porch before putting the child down. Kayla was perfectly capable of negotiating the frozen steps, but the other trooper continued to firmly hold her arm until she was safely on the porch.

Her protests died in her throat when the trooper quietly said, "Remember what the Colonel did to Buckmann? There is no way I'm going to risk your breaking an arm on icy steps."

Kayla's indignation died in her throat. "My husband would never do that to you."

The trooper shrugged. "No, but he would lose respect for me, and that's just as important. He expects us to take care of his family. Even if I make you mad at me in the process, I'll do my job."

"Sorry," she quietly said.

Before any more conversation could take place, Mrs. Kimbrel opened her door and fumbled with the latch on the storm door as her walker got in the way. Pushing the glass door open, she smiled at Kayla and Selina. "Glad to see you again, Kayla, and you must be Selina," she finished, turning to the six-year-old.

"Hi, Mrs. Kimbrel," Selina responded.

After the greetings were over, Mrs. Kimbrel motioned to the steps. "I apologize for the walkway and steps. Please, won't you come on in and get out of the cold? You two, also," she said as her gaze locked on the two security troopers.

"No thank you, Ma'am. We'll wait in the SUV," one trooper said as the two stepped back, then turned toward the vehicle.

For a second Mrs. Kimbrel glanced at the other two SUVs sitting a little farther down the street before she turned to Selina and Kayla. "I'm embarrassed about the walkway and steps. I've ... had some problems lately." She didn't want her visitors to know that she didn't have the extra money to have her steps and walkway regularly shoveled clear.

Coats hung up, the three now in the living room, Mrs. Kimbrel ushered them to seats. "And how are Hope and her puppy?" she asked, her voice revealing worry. "Marcy" (the Matthews' neighbor) "has told me the puppy is fine, but..."

"Sugar is in perfect health, and Hope adores her. Spike is also great, and both puppies have a ball playing together."

"That's amazing about Sugar, but I'm so glad. I can't imagine how my vet could misdiagnose something like that, but it's wonderful to hear that the puppy is well."

Kayla, trying to steer the conversation away from Sugar's miraculous recovery, nodded to the walker. "What happened?"

Mrs. Kimbrel remained standing, leaning on her walker. "Oh, just Uncle Arthur coming to visit. I've had arthritis for years. Sometimes, it's worse, particularly in the winter. My symptoms are less in warm weather, but as I get older, the arthritis seems to bother me more. Now, enough about my old bones. Would you like some hot chocolate, Selina? And how about some coffee for you?" she asked Kayla. Then, hurrying on, "Since I knew you were coming, the coffee is fresh and the water is already hot for the hot chocolate. And where are that nice Mr. Matthews and his beautiful wife?"

"Diana and Jeff were busy, so Selina and I sneaked off by ourselves. Hope sends her greetings, but she was also busy with something she couldn't put off."

Mrs. Kimbrel glanced toward the front door with a smile on her face. "By yourselves?"

"Well..."

"All of Winter Park has heard stories about your family being attacked. I would like to hear the real story sometime, but I shouldn't have commented on your ... escort, although the two that brought you to the door are certainly handsome. Now, what about that hot chocolate and coffee?"

One look at Mrs. Kimbrel's face told Kayla that it would be an insult to refuse, but she knew that Meg would have difficulty bringing the drinks into the living room. After a glance at Selina, Kayla responded, "We would love some, but only if I'm allowed to help."

Mrs. Kimbrel started to object, but both Kayla and Selina were already on their feet. "Where are our little greeters? They came barking and having a ball the last time we were here," Kayla wondered aloud.

Meg made her obviously painful way into the kitchen with Selina and Kayla following, but she didn't see the look the two gave each other. "I locked the animals in the back room when I knew you were coming. With company – as you've certainly seen – they get excited and tend to show out, running and playing. I was afraid I would hurt one of them with my walker. After we have our drinks, I'll get one of you to open the door while I sit on the couch. By the time you leave, they will be settled down from their excitement and stay out from under this stupid walker," she finished.

In the kitchen, Mrs. Kimbrel put her walker near the table and took several stiff steps to the coffee maker.

"Let me do that, please," Kayla said as she reached past Mrs. Kimbrel to take down cups.

"Hon, I do this all the time for myself," she objected. "I'm just getting old."

"You're not that old. As a matter of fact, you're not old at all," Kayla said as sincerely as she could say it. "What has your doctor said about this?"

Kayla motioned to the coffee maker and Mrs. Kimbrel nodded. Kayla poured a cup for the two of them, noticing that the second element of the professional coffee maker had hot water in a carafe. After putting the coffee on the table and making sure Mrs. Kimbrel was safely settled, Kayla fixed Selina's hot chocolate.

"Oh, like I said, it's just arthritis," the pet lady responded as she stirred cheap coffee whitener into her drink, then added a little sugar, apologizing to Kayla for not having cream. "It has bothered me for years, gradually getting worse. Guess I should be living in a warmer climate, but my husband – God rest his soul – loved it out here and I do too. I'm too old to move now, anyway. Enough about my aches and pains, what has been going on up on that mountain you two live on?"

The three sipped their drinks and got to know each other better. Mrs. Kimbrel wanted to know how Sugar and Spike's training was progressing. When Selina told her that neither had ever messed up in the house, Mrs. Kimbrel was very pleased. Finally, she again approached the subject of Sugar's health, although she had heard from Marcy that Sugar was healthy, and now from Kayla and Selina, but she was mystified just how that could be, trusting what her vet had told her.

"She's in perfect health," Kayla told her again.

"How could my vet have misdiagnosed something so serious? She was positive the puppy's heart was in very bad shape; she let me listen with her stethoscope. Even I could tell that her heart sounded different from that of the other puppies."

"Well," Kayla stalled, "all I know is that she's in perfect health now." Kayla quickly changed the subject, but she caught the look on Mrs. Kimbrel's face. Obviously, she wasn't totally convinced.

After they finished their drinks, Kayla rinsed the cups and put them in the sink, then followed Mrs. Kimbrel back to the living room.

"Selina, if you will go to the last door on the right down that hall," she said, pointing, "and open it, my little herd will come to us."

That was an understatement. As soon as she opened the door, Selina was mobbed by barking adult Chihuahuas and yipping puppies. Following the loud melee came several adult cats and two kittens in a more regal manner – well the adults anyway. The two kittens romped with the puppies, an occasional hiss escaping when one of the puppies got too rough. A laughing Selina finally made it back to the living room where she went to her knees in the middle of the floor to be mobbed by the animals, all enjoying the child among them.

As Selina sat on the floor playing with the puppies and kittens, Mrs. Kimbrel tried to steer the conversation to things a child would generally be interested in, but each time, Selina soon changed the subject back to adult topics.