Feel of the Flesh
Chapter Five
Innya woke early the morning and slipped out of bed, creeping downstairs quietly.
She froze when she saw Rhys sitting at the kitchen table. However, Rhys just grinned and shoveled a pile of eggs into his mouth. Moving further into the small room, Innya was surprised to see her father in front of the stove, stirring another helping of runny eggs in a large black skillet.
"Good morning, Inny. Guess who I found asleep under your window this morning?" he said gruffly, turning and pouring the now fully cooked eggs onto Rhys empty plate.
"Thanks, Mr. B!" Rhys said, grinning and pouring ketchup all over fluffy omelet.
"I don't know if I should say you're welcome or vomit, son. That's nasty. Anyways, do either of you care to tell me exactly why Rhys here slept on the ground last night?"
"Well, Mr. B, that depends on if you really want to know," Rhys said cautiously. Innya pulled a chair up beside him and sat down just as Edward put a slab of ham onto the plate in front of her. This couldn't be good. Edward never cooked.
"I'm not sure if I want to. Just as long as you two didn't... what do you kids call it now? 'Hook up?'"
"Oh, Daddy! No-sir, we didn't do anything like that!" Innya exclaimed just as Rhys furiously started shaking his head 'no'.
"Well then. I guess we're all good. Just don't let it happen again. Now, why did you stay, Rhys? That's what I'm more interested in hearing."
"Well, you see, sir, Inny and I were in the meadow south of here, and we heard someone prowling around. We got kind of scared, and I decided to stay and patrol around the house, just so, you know, I knew she was safe," Rhys explained. Edward immediately was at attention.
"What?"
"We heard someone prowling. I'm not sure if it was Claus or not though. I thought it might be for a few minutes. You know, he keeps pretty close tabs on me, so I thought he might have been, you know, picking on me and Inny. But I'm not so sure now. I want to go follow some scent trails when we get done talking. Care to come with?" Rhys offered.
"Yeah, come on. We're leaving now. We don't need a prowler. Not now," Edward growled, moving towards the back door. Rhys stood up, looking forlornly at his eggs, and gave Inny a quick kiss, which swiftly turned into a "slow" kiss. Edward didn't even turn around.
"Get your mangy paws off my daughter and come on."
Rhys grinned, then ran after Edward, leaving Inny alone in the kitchen.
And for some reason, the emptiness seemed dangerous.
She froze when she saw Rhys sitting at the kitchen table. However, Rhys just grinned and shoveled a pile of eggs into his mouth. Moving further into the small room, Innya was surprised to see her father in front of the stove, stirring another helping of runny eggs in a large black skillet.
"Good morning, Inny. Guess who I found asleep under your window this morning?" he said gruffly, turning and pouring the now fully cooked eggs onto Rhys empty plate.
"Thanks, Mr. B!" Rhys said, grinning and pouring ketchup all over fluffy omelet.
"I don't know if I should say you're welcome or vomit, son. That's nasty. Anyways, do either of you care to tell me exactly why Rhys here slept on the ground last night?"
"Well, Mr. B, that depends on if you really want to know," Rhys said cautiously. Innya pulled a chair up beside him and sat down just as Edward put a slab of ham onto the plate in front of her. This couldn't be good. Edward never cooked.
"I'm not sure if I want to. Just as long as you two didn't... what do you kids call it now? 'Hook up?'"
"Oh, Daddy! No-sir, we didn't do anything like that!" Innya exclaimed just as Rhys furiously started shaking his head 'no'.
"Well then. I guess we're all good. Just don't let it happen again. Now, why did you stay, Rhys? That's what I'm more interested in hearing."
"Well, you see, sir, Inny and I were in the meadow south of here, and we heard someone prowling around. We got kind of scared, and I decided to stay and patrol around the house, just so, you know, I knew she was safe," Rhys explained. Edward immediately was at attention.
"What?"
"We heard someone prowling. I'm not sure if it was Claus or not though. I thought it might be for a few minutes. You know, he keeps pretty close tabs on me, so I thought he might have been, you know, picking on me and Inny. But I'm not so sure now. I want to go follow some scent trails when we get done talking. Care to come with?" Rhys offered.
"Yeah, come on. We're leaving now. We don't need a prowler. Not now," Edward growled, moving towards the back door. Rhys stood up, looking forlornly at his eggs, and gave Inny a quick kiss, which swiftly turned into a "slow" kiss. Edward didn't even turn around.
"Get your mangy paws off my daughter and come on."
Rhys grinned, then ran after Edward, leaving Inny alone in the kitchen.
And for some reason, the emptiness seemed dangerous.