Revelation by Randi Cooley Wilson

night.

6 Dragons
    The kitchen is just as breatht aking as the rest of the estate, boasting stainless steel chef’s appliances and a large center island that can easily seat ten people. The main focal point is the large picture window above the double sink that overlooks the gardens.
    The stonework on the walls, dark hardwood floors , and mahogany beams across the ceiling all engulf you in warmth. There are four French doors that lead out to the terrace and pool area. The chef’s stoves are flanked on either side by stone columns, giving the room more of a turret feel than a kitchen.
    The open floor plan leads to the dining room, which also has hardwood floors, stones on the walls and ceiling, and an entire wall featuring a wine rack. It feels like being in a medieval castle.
    Callan hands out marching orders as if he’s the executive chef. Keegan and Asher have been put on potato peeling duty. According to Keegan, it’s some kind of ‘cruel joke.’  He’s sulking mumbling under his breath about how “protectors don’t peel potatoes.” Whatever that means .
    Abby and I are on roasting asparagus duty which means we’re cutting the bottoms off and laying the asparagus onto the sheet pan while Callan is on grilling duty. McKenna is on restful quiet time duty. It seems she doesn’t cook, or prep, or clean. Shocker.
    Callan puts on his apron which reads , Come to the Dark Side…We Have Cookies. It’s pretty funny actually. I’m really starting to like Callan and his quirky personality. I sigh to myself, thinking he and my aunt would get along so well. In my thought process, I don’t even hear Asher saunter up next to me.
    “You okay?” Asher asks, inclining his head toward me.
    I nod. “Yeah. I was just thinking about my Aunt Elizabeth. That’s all.”
    “Is she your only family?” he questions with genuine interest.
    “ She’s my mother’s only sister. My grandparents passed away a long time ago and my parents died when I was a baby so she raised me on her own.”
    Asher looks at me for a while . I mean really looks at me. Then he gives me a real smile that lights up his face. Damn. He should always smile that way. 
    Callan notices Asher’s preoccupation with me and has to tease him. “Asher, stop staring at Eve and start peeling those potatoes,” he demands, pointing to the high mound of potatoes.
    Asher glances at me and winks then turns and gives Callan a harsh glare before he throws peels at him. Callan and Keegan laugh and duck, avoiding the dirty mess. I notice how fast and agile they move, almost at superhuman speed.
    “Hey , bro, no need to throw food at us. We’re just noticing your unhealthy gawking,” Callan offers.
    “Yeah , man. Stop fixating on Eve,” Keegan scolds. It’s hard to decipher if he’s joking or not.
    Abby gives both a reproving l ook. “All of you need to behave or you will scare her off.”
    I just smile while my cheeks turn crimson from the unwanted attention. I’m not used to being teased in this manner. It’s nice and makes me ache for a larger family than just my aunt.
    Asher cocks his head, watching me with an intense gaze. He leans closer, giving me his sexy smile. With one hand, he cups my cheek while moving the pad of his thumb tenderly across the pink hue, almost as if he’s trying to erase the embarrassment for me. My breath catches.
    Eventually , we make our way into the dining room to sit down and eat.
    I slide my glance to Callan. “ Everything is really delicious. You’re an amazing cook.”
    He beam s and winks. “Thanks, Eves. You’re now officially my favorite.”
    For some reason, this causes warmth to spread inside my chest. I’ve never been anyone’s favorite before. I wonder if this is what it would be like to have siblings.
    Callan stands to get dessert. “For the record, I made chocolate cake from scratch,” he announces smugly, causing Abby to grin with pride at him.
    The atmosphere is light and fun with a lot of teasing and easy