𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝘿𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙭

|14| Wood Sheds

EMARA

I whip the sheet through the air, trying to remove the creases and wrinkles in it. The satisfying snap of the sheet rang out. Small sprinkles of water sprayed my face, cooling me down. I set the sheet on the line and pinned it before picking up a shirt.

I peek through the sheets to watch Taeric as he picks up some clothing of his own. He looks around like he has lost something, and I realize he is looking for a clothing pin. I smile, pulling one out of my apron pocket. My hand slides through the wet sheets and in his direction.

His eyes widen as my disembodied hand appears in front of him, holding a handful of clothing pins. He chuckles. "Thank yuu."

I hear a screech of laughter and watch as Jace and Evey run away from Lilly as she chases after them. "I'm gonna getcha! I'm gonna getcha!" she taunts, wiggling her fingers in their direction. She laughs and continues to chase them, Bear running beside her.

"Help! HELP!" Jace yells, laughing as he runs away from Lilly, who isn't far behind.

Evey is quick to grab his hand, pulling him along. "Quick! We have to hide from the tickle monster before she gets us!" she orders.

Jace nods adamantly. His cheeks, rosy from running and laughing, stretching in a wide smile.

"You can run, but you can't hide!" Lilly calls in a fake deep voice, pretending to be scary. "I will find you!" she singsongs.

I hear the deep rumble of a laugh and glance over my shoulder. My stomach does a little flip. Taeric's blue eyes are bright, and his lips are turned up in a smile.

Jace and Evey make a dash in our direction right for the clothing line. They slide in between two long sheets, but you can still see their little toes peeking out from the bottom.

Taeric smiles, holding up a finger to his mouth as Lilly comes over to us. Evey and Jace's muted giggles fill the air. Evey shushes Jace, and I watch as his little feet shift. I resist the urge to laugh as Taeric creeps closer and closer to the sheet. He holds the edge tentatively before yanking it back.

"GAHH!" he growls.

Evey and Jace jump and run away, screeching. I laugh, watching as Lilly goes back to chasing them. I grab a shirt out of the basket, happy to see Jace so carefree. Honestly, I wasn't sure how things would go.

I do not know what Jace's past was like, and he was very timid at first. I was worried about him, and he seemed to be a little clingy to me. But after a few days, he became very comfortable around the girls, and I could easily send him with them. Jace seemed a little apprehensive around Taeric, but he is definitely warming up to him.

Taeric chuckles and picks up another piece of clothing. My heart feels like it is squeezing right out of me. His eyes are glittering gold, blue, and purple. Something about him is so alluring. Sure, he is attractive... ridiculously attractive. But it was like there was something else drawing me to him. Something otherworldly. Maybe even literally, I muse.

"EV, BE CAREFUL!"

"I'M SLIPPING! I NEED HELP!"

My head snaps up at the sound of shouting.

Evey is on the roof of the woodshed. She is holding onto the side, trying to pull herself up. Her feet are sliding along the sides as she tries to find a grip. Lilly is below Evey, and Jace is next to her.

"EVELYN!" I yell, scrambling over to the shed.

In a flash, Taeric was there, grabbing Evey from the side of the shed. She grips onto his arm as he helps her down.

My breath shudders as I heave a sigh of relief. "Are you ok?"

Evey nods, and Taeric sets her down. She gives me a hug. "S-sorry, Emara. I was just trying to get up there for a hiding spot."

I take a calming breath. She was only six, and she didn't know any better. "You can't do that, okay?" I tell her. "It's not safe. It's too tall, and you could fall and break your arm." Or worse, I add silently. We don't have easy access to doctors, and an arm break is much more serious than a little cold. "How did you even get up there, sweetie?" I wonder.

She points to the railing on the side of the house. "I got on there... and pulled myself up," she admits.

I rub her back, thanking God that she hadn't been hurt. The shed had to be at least 7 or 8 feet off the ground. It is just a three-sided attachment to the house. It is only supposed to keep the wood from getting wet if it rained.

"Don't do that again, Evey, alright?" I tell her.

She nods her head, and I give her another hug. "I am sorry, Mara."

I rubbed her hair. "It's okay. I am just happy you are alright." I turn to Taeric, who is still standing to the side. "Thank you, Taeric. That could have been terrible if you weren't there..." I say, my face turning slightly grim.

He nods, resting a hand on my shoulder. I look up at him, and he gives me a soft smile. I take a calming breath, his kind eyes warming my heart. The slight panic I had slowly melted away. I am taken aback by how quickly my anxiety is calmed. How could this man's presence, a man that I had only known for a few weeks, be so comforting to me? I had been alone for so long, taking care of these kids. I didn't even realize how much of a relief it was to have someone around to help me and how on edge I really was.

He gave Evey a little rub on her head and picked up the shirt he had dropped. There were specks of dirt on it. He frowns as he tries to brush them away, but it doesn't work very well.

My laughter chokes out of me, and I take the shirt. "It's fine. I can wash this one again easily."

To those of you that are reading, voting, following me, and adding my story to your reading lists, I just want to say thank you! Thank you so much. 

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I am so happy to see that you are enjoying my story. ❤