The Mirror (The Lost Bride Trilogy #2)

“Still under consideration,” she said, and went inside.

In the morning, Sonya came down first. Or so she thought, until she saw Owen in the kitchen.

“You’re an early riser.”

“Jones is. Then the cat came in and jumped on my chest. She got pretty insistent.”

He shuffled aside so she could get to the coffee machine, and let out the two dogs who’d trailed her downstairs.

“That screwed any idea of sleeping in some.”

He waited until she had coffee in her hand.

“So, what do you think about omelets?”

“That I like to eat them, and don’t have a clue how to make them.”

“I was afraid of that. I have a clue. Mine aren’t pretty, but they’re relatively tasty.”

Sonya drank more coffee. “I can make toast to go with them. Trey should be down in a minute. And Cleo won’t be too long. She told me she’d set an alarm so we could get started on finding what we need for The Event.”

“I’m going to do that bacon-in-the-oven thing she does. That takes twenty, so she might make it. If she doesn’t, she’ll have to make her own omelet.”

While he dealt with the bacon, she filled the pet bowls. Then watched him hunt in the refrigerator for cheese, eggs, butter.

“Owen?”

He grunted, found a bowl.

“You’re my favorite cousin.”

His lips curved as he worked. “How many you got?”

“Well, there’s the one I found naked under my at-that-time fiancé.”

“So I scaled a low bar.”

“She has a brother, and I like him fine. He moved to Atlanta so I don’t see him much, but I like him fine.”

“Proximity’s lifted me over that second bar.”

“Not just that. Then again, I haven’t met the rest of my Poole cousins. One of them may knock you out of first place. Do you think they’ll come to the open house?”

“Maybe. The ones who can, anyway. Cathy and Cole are in Europe, so not likely. Connor travels for the business a lot, so he’d be a maybe. My brother Hugh’s in New York, but he’d make the trip, depending on his schedule. I figure Clarice and Mike will come by at least.”

“So many.”

“More, but they’re all scattered.”

“More. It’s strange to have so much family I knew nothing about. Same for all of you. You didn’t know about me.”

He shot her a look as he started whisking eggs. “We know now. Cheese omelets,” he said when Trey walked in. “Bacon and toast on the side.”

“Sounds good. Look, if lunch happens, I’ll handle that.”

“You’re going to cook?”

Owen set the eggs aside. “He means sandwiches.”