Page 45 of Stronger Than Blood

Chapter forty-one

Rory

I’d been surprised to walk into the kitchen to find my former boss and mentor cooking breakfast. I’d never seen the woman in anything other than her long flowing skirts and impeccable blouses. I’d never seen her hair tied up like my grandmother used to do back in the day.

She was smiling as she worked, and for a moment, I felt an intense connection with her that left me momentarily overwhelmed.

Kalinda looked up, clearly having felt the emotions coming from me, and smiled. She winked before she went back to stirring what smelled like grits on the stove.

“You’re positively glowing,” she said, and I snorted.

“Um, hopefully, we didn’t disturb you.”

Mick came down all showered and smelling amazing. I had just enough time to snuggle into his neck, kissing the soft skin there before Kalinda waved us to the kitchen table, which, of course, would become the main one now the dining room was being used as Mrs. Ida’s bedroom.

“Kalinda, the food is amazing, and those biscuits? I’m glad Granny isn’t here yet, or I’d get my tail whipped for saying these are the best I’ve ever tasted.”

Kalinda chuckled. “Child, I was cooking biscuits before I even started school. My mama had me on a stool at three or four, learning how to make them.”

“You can tell. Oh, and I usually hate grits, but dang, these are—”

“Buttery?” I said.

“Amazing,” he corrected, then leaned over and bumped me playfully.

When we finished eating, Mick and I cleaned up and put things away so Granny would come home to a clean house. I knew how much she loved that.