Claiming Kara:Fate Harbor 3(29)
Kara laughed for the first time. Eric picked up the pink box again, and suddenly she felt some interest in the contents.
"Hey, don't hog those! We got enough for all of us," Dane complained as she took the box into the kitchen. Kara got down three plates and poured three glasses of milk to go with the cinnamon rolls.
"You do know you're an idiot, right, Dane?"
"Yeah, but I'm funny and handsome, and chicks dig that." His siblings rolled their eyes.
Kara looked at Eric. "And you want to share a woman with this idiot. What does that make you?"
"Oh, I think he'll have his uses." Eric grinned.
* * * *
As the men got into the truck, Dane turned to Eric. "I don't know if we are ever going to get off her shit list when Saturday rolls around."
"Tell me about it," Eric moaned.
"I still think it was the right decision."
"She had some really valid points. They really fucked up with her. I guess I never saw it from her point of view. I always looked at it from the older brother point of view, and from the man's point of view. They had to protect her, and they had to do what was right by her and their family. I always knew they were going to come back for her," Eric said.
"I still can't believe the amount of shit that those two men have gone through. It's been so tough for them. Honestly, I can't say I wouldn't have made the same goddamn decisions," Dane said, running his hand through the same white-gold hair as his sister.
"That's it exactly. But when I heard her today … I just don't know if they can win her back. I think we might have just sent them into a buzz saw come Saturday."
"They had a right to know. I would have wanted to know if it was our woman."
"I know, Dane, I know. You do realize we're going into that same buzz saw, right?" Eric asked.
"Yep. But it was the right thing to do." Dane started the truck, and they headed for the firehouse. "But the next six months of Sunday dinners are going to be fucking hell."
* * * *
Eric and Dane arrived at the same time as Jim, which was unfortunate. There had been a fire, so it couldn't be helped. They were dog tired, but they were at her house, with their truck and muscle, just like they promised. No matter how irritating they were, how much they poked their noses into her business, she could always depend on them.
She opened the gate so that they could drive into the back, close to her studio, so it would be easier to load up. Butch and Sundance ran up to her excitedly, since she rarely opened this gate, instead going through the house to come out onto the porch. They barked at the cars as they drove in. She told them to settle, and they stood by her side.
She had almost everything in boxes and crates. There were a couple of things that she wanted assistance with. She was pretty sure she could do it on her own, but why risk it when she knew help was available? She could tell that her brothers weren't impressed with Jim's Mercedes coupe. This surprised her somewhat, because both of them normally admired German engineering and powerful vehicles. Then she realized it was because of the need to assist with loading up things for her show. Damn, strike one.
"Jim, I'd like to introduce you to my brothers, Eric and Dane Johansen. Guys, this is the man I've been telling you about, Jim Peterson."
"It's great to meet you. Kara talks about you a lot," Jim said as they all shook hands, smiling at one another.
"Kara, I'm sorry we're late. Did you get the text?" Eric asked.
"Yeah, was it anyone I know?"
"It was Mr. Cloffet, out near Harley. We think that it was bad wiring. We were able to save part of the house, but it's going to take about three to four months to repair the damage," Eric said.
"He's got a sister down near Bremerton." Dane was quick to assure his sister. "So he's going to be fine. He was fully insured. He said he'd been planning to remodel."
"Didn't he have a dog?" Kara asked.
"Yep, she's fine," Eric assured her.
"This really is a tight-knit community, isn't it? It'd be tough for you to leave it," Jim said. Both Dane and Eric sent him hard glances.
"I guess it would, but anything's possible for the right reason," Kara said. "Let's get these things loaded. I really appreciate you all coming."
"No problem, Kara, you know I wanted to be here to support you," Jim said with a smile. As soon as she started walking toward the door of her studio, the dogs ran up to Dane and Eric, joyous to have their friends over for a visit. Jim went over to join the fun, and Kara watched as her babies strategically wiggled away from every stroke he tried to give them. "I don't think they like me," he said, laughing as he walked back over to Kara.
"Doesn't seem like it," Dane concurred.
"Butch. Sundance. Home." Kara commanded. The two dogs ran to the covered area that was their outside home.
"Come on, Kara, they only wanted to play," Dane whined.
"We have work to do," Eric stated as he followed Kara into her studio. "Damn it, Kara," he said, eyeing the large crates that had already been nailed shut. "You should have waited for us to help pack those, as well. You could have hurt yourself," he admonished.
"For God's sake, Eric, who do you think molds the glass, and blows the glass, and spins the glass on the end of a god damn stick? That's when it's really heavy. Anyway, those were the smaller pieces. I waited for you guys to help with the bigger pieces."
"These are amazing, Kara. It's like a real artist made them!" Jim walked around the studio, crouching down and admiring the different works, his fingers drifting over the textures. She pretended not to hear him, but winced as he rolled one of the larger plates so that he could view it in front of the window.
"Watch it Jim, you'll damage the edges." Dane's voice was sharp.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just wanted to see it with the light shining through. It's absolutely gorgeous, Kara." He gave her a brilliant smile, and she was warmed by his praise. Dane bumped into her as he was carrying a crate toward the door.
"Watch it," she scolded.
"No, he better watch it," Dane murmured as he went out the door.
"Hey, sis, what crate does this one go in?" Eric asked, holding the huge plate that Jim had just been looking at. Kara rolled her eyes at her big brother. Really? She was asking in private Johansen speak, and he just continued staring at her.
"Here." She pointed to a crate along the back wall and watched as he carefully placed the piece inside. He made sure all of the packing was firmly placed on all sides and nailed it shut. Jim went over to him.
"Do you need help lifting it into your truck?"
"Nah, I've got it." Eric easily lifted it onto his shoulder. Show off.
"Jim, if you could pack these last-minute items into these boxes, I sure would appreciate it. I forgot about them. They're really delicate, and they could break easily." She heard Eric snort as he went out the door.
"We should probably take them in the Mercedes," Jim said as he walked over to the table.
"That's what I was thinking." She looked up just in time to see Dane rolling his eyes. Damn that fire. She had planned for her brothers to be gone by the time Jim arrived. She'd worried that she might be a bit paranoid, but now she realized she was just being smart. Jim took a great deal of time and care in packing the small helix sculpture. It was a miniature replica of her showpiece that had already been crated and shipped two days previously to the gallery. That sculpture, along with two seven-foot-diameter glass chandeliers, would be the focal points of the show. Her agent was expecting her to make enough to cover her expenses for the next year or two from these three pieces alone. Kara thought Trixie was crazy.
By the time Jim finished packing the box, Kara looked around and saw that all of the crates were gone. She stepped out of the studio and found her brothers playing fetch with her dogs. As Butch came back with a tennis ball, he made a quick detour to relieve himself on the wheel of Jim's Mercedes, then dropped the ball at Dane's feet. Dane was howling with laughter.
"What's so funny?" Jim asked as he brought out the packed box.
"Nothing," Kara quickly said. She gave her brothers the stink eye, daring them to say anything as she helped Jim load the box into the trunk of his car. "Jim, it'll take me about a half hour to get ready, I hope you don't mind waiting."
"Not at all," he said as he brushed some packing material off his suit trousers.
"You know she's lying to you, man," Dane said. "She wants to look good for tonight, so it's going to take her a half an hour just on her hair. You should come with us, we're going to go chill at McMann's Pub."
"They're lying to you." Kara got out quickly, praying that the desperation didn't show in her voice. "I've got my clothes all picked out, and I've decided to wear my hair down tonight."