Claiming Kara:Fate Harbor 3(30)

"Honey, I think it would be great to spend some time with your brothers,  and I don't want to rush you. We've got a couple of hours before we  need to leave for Seattle." Jim came over and kissed her. She heard  Sundance give a low growl. "That's funny, I didn't realize you had  trained them as guard dogs. I think that's great," Jim said with a sunny  smile. Kara gave him a weak smile in return and saw her brothers  grinning over Jim's shoulder.         

     



 

"Well, you all have fun. Jim, I'll text you when I'm done," she  promised. "But remember, you guys need to get there a lot earlier  because you need to unpack," she reminded her brothers with a fierce  glare.

"Yes, ma'am, Trixie was very clear as to when we needed to be there, and  we intend to get there a half hour before that." Eric came over and  kissed her forehead. "I promise not to ruin your big night, Kara."

"Thank you, and don't ruin anything else," she whispered back.

"That I can't promise," he turned back. "Let's take off. You're going to love McCann's, Jim. Do you play pool?"

Kara watched as they all drove off. Then she sat down on her porch and  played fetch with the boys. "You both are in trouble. You know that,  don't you?" Neither of them seemed to care. None of the men in her life  seemed to care that they were in trouble.



* * * *



"Kara, this showing is your best work ever. I'm proud of you, Munchkin."  Kara leaned into her papa, basking in his praise. Her mom beamed at  her, snapping a photo of the two of them with her phone.

"Okay, now one with both of your fathers," she said, motioning Leif, Sr.  into the picture frame. Kara reached out so that she had an arm wrapped  around each of the big men. She felt so blessed, surrounded by the  family that loved her. It meant so much to her that her family finally  appreciated her as an artist.

She saw Jim out of the corner of her eye. She had told him about her  family, but now that he was confronted with it, she could see that he  was looking more than just a little uncomfortable. She had been  extremely clear in her explanations of her family, so it was not okay  for him to be acting like this was a surprise. It was the first time  that she'd reconsidered her regard for him. She was just glad that she  was the only one who knew him well enough to pick up on the nuances of  his behavior. Everyone else in her family was getting along with him.  Even her two goofball brothers seemed to be doing better after the beer  at McCann's.

She noticed that Leif seemed preoccupied. He was smiling at Mom and the  dads but not really making eye contact. Instead, he kept looking at his  watch. She sidled over to him and grabbed his arm.

"Do you mind if I steal Leif away for a few minutes while I show him the  Helix?" she asked her parents. She didn't wait for an answer. She just  dragged her big brother over to the sculpture.

"Okay, spill it. What the hell is wrong?" She watched as Leif ran his  hand over the short strands of the white-gold hair that mirrored her  own.

"Baby girl, this is your night. Let's not get into my problems."

"You're absolutely right. So, why don't you get the hell out of here!"  She watched as the big, bad, special forces commander looked at her with  hurt blue eyes.

"What do you mean? You're kicking me out?"

"I mean something really has your panties in a twist, and you can't wait  to get out of here! So, it has to be pretty damn important. Leif, I  love that you came to my show. But if there is something that you need  to do, please, big brother, go do it." She watched as he opened his  mouth and then shut it.

He grabbed her up in a big hug. "I love you, Kara. You're right, I've got to go. I wouldn't if it wasn't really important."

"It's about Isabella, isn't it?"

"Yeah. She's missing. Something's really wrong. She's been missing since Monday night and we just got a lead."

"Then go." She gave her big brother another hug and watched him leave.  She said a prayer that the woman who seemed to mean so much to him would  be all right. Then she returned to the party. She scanned the room,  looking for her friends. Karen, Jesenia, Josie and Olivia were huddled  into a corner, trying to get her attention. She saw that Jim was talking  with the couple that he knew from the hospital again, so she joined the  girls to see what they wanted.

"Something's up," Karen blurted out in her normal brash manner.

"We don't know that for sure," Josie cautioned.

"Oh, yes, we do! Those brothers of yours have been plotting. Jace and  Dale are positive they are up to something, and they haven't cracked,  and Eric and Dane always spill the beans at poker. I'm pretty sure it  has something to do with Dr. Jim. They might be planning to kill him,"  Karen said, her eyes wide.

"They won't resort to murder," Kara assured her friend. "As a matter of a  fact, they went out for beers today and got all chummy, so everything  is fine."         

     



 

"Nope, Jace and Dale always know. I haven't been able to surprise them  with a gift once. Something is definitely up," Karen insisted.

Karen looked over at Olivia, who had two fiancés who worked with her  brothers. Olivia had been suspiciously quiet. "Give, Olivia-what do you  know?"

Olivia smoothed down her black cocktail dress. Kara realized she was  taking a moment to decide what to say, which was a huge indicator of how  big the news was. Holy hell, she wasn't going to like this.

"Well-"

"Kara!" Josie and Jesenia both said simultaneously as they looked over her shoulder.

"Wait a moment, I want to hear what Olivia has to say. Come on, Olivia,  'fess up." Kara watched as the normally cool and professional blonde  looked past Kara's shoulder and blanched.

Karen, who had been watching Olivia, turned as well and shook her head  sadly. "I told you, Jace and Dale always know. I'm out of here." She  pulled Josie and Jesenia with her, who had continued to stare over  Kara's shoulder.

Olivia stepped forward and pressed her cheek to Kara. "We all love you,  especially your brothers. Don't be too mad at them," she whispered into  her ear.

Kara stood there. She was in front of a bowl she had made. It was one of  her favorites. It reminded her of the aurora borealis, the greens and  blues with just a hint of lavender. She continued to stare at it,  getting lost in the colors.

"Hello, Kara." She ignored the voice, continuing to concentrate on the  vibrancy of the hues, the way they blended together to suggest fire in  the sky. A warm hand gently came to rest on her shoulder, sending a  shock throughout her entire body. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing  she could shut out everything else as easily as she could her vision.  "Won't you please turn around?" Quinn asked.

"I'd like you to leave." She could turn around, she realized. But she'd  prefer not to. This was her night, and they shouldn't have come. Quinn  didn't move his hand. She felt Ben's presence at her other side, even  before he tangled his fingers with hers.

"Please, Kachawli, let us stay." She managed to keep still, even though  she still felt that initial shock of static electricity that often  occurred when their flesh met. She turned her face and looked at him.

"Okay, you can stay." She dropped his hand and shrugged off Quinn's. She  turned so that she could face them both. "There's plenty to eat and  drink. I hope you'll have a good time. I know my family will be happy to  see you. If you'll excuse me, I have a date I've been neglecting." She  walked over to Jim and he was happy to see her. They went over to talk  to Trixie, who walked them around to various new arrivals.

Jim was great with potential buyers, but when she wanted to go back and  see her parents again, he decided to chat with yet another couple that  he knew from his country club. Prick. She was surrounded.

A waiter passed by with a tray of champagne flutes and she stopped him.  She suppressed the urge to take two, limiting herself to just the one.  She turned to go to her parents, saw Ben and Quinn, made a quick turn  back to the waiter, and downed the glass.

"Pardon me. Can I get one more, please?" She handed him her empty glass,  and he gave her another full one with a wink. She turned and made her  way slowly to her family. The two Shotbrook brothers looked fucking  fantastic, of course. She'd never seen them in suits before. Dane and  Eric had enough sense to look nervous. Leif just looked amused. Her mom  and dads all looked concerned, and Ben and Quinn looked  fan-fucking-tastic.

She looked over her shoulder for her date, and he gave her a quick wave.  Goddammit, she knew he was purposely avoiding her parents, and that was  pissing her off, too. She was going to need another ride home, because  if they rode home together, it was not going to be pleasant. Kara gave  everyone but her parents the stink eye. She was very careful not to make  eye contact with either Ben or Quinn. Their eyes held weird kinds of  mystical powers. She drank down the rest of her champagne and went to  soothe her mom and dads.