Philautia || Amour Éternel Series BOOK ONE ||

Seven - SHANNON

November 2014

"I didn't know what to get," Shannon said as he got out of his car. "So I just got her what I would have wanted at seventeen: money."

Callie smiled. "That'll be fine. I have yet to meet a seventeen year old that didn't like cash."

The house looming in front of them was a three story craftsman with a double garage on the first level. A concrete driveway ran up the side of the house on an incline and two flights of stone steps led to the front porch. Callie led Shannon up to the porch and opened the front door without even knocking. Most of the guests hadn't arrived yet but the house was still buzzing with activity and energy. Ben walked by them at a brisk pace. 

"Cal! Hey, darling!" he said, depositing a bowl of potato chips on the dining room table. He embraced her tightly. "Shannon, good to see you again." The two men shook hands. 

"Anything we can do to help? We got here early," Callie said, following him through the butler's pantry into the kitchen. "I figured you could use an extra set of hands."

"Actually, yes. Can you go help Mamie out in the back yard? She's putting tablecloths on," Ben instructed. "Shannon, you can help me get the grill going."

Shannon followed Ben out to the back yard, where an older petite woman was putting table cloths on several folding tables. She had graying brown hair and stood no taller than Shannon's shoulder. She had on a house dress that was billowing as she moved. He thought she would have blown away if the wind had been any heavier. Ben was by the grill, cleaning it and getting it ready to put burgers on it. Shannon took the chance to look around the back yard. 

It was larger than he expected, with several mature trees near the house and at the very back along the fence line. A bright pink playhouse sat in the shade of a large cedar and a swing set that had seen better days was a few feet away. A well-used garden sat close to the kitchen door, contained by wooden railroad ties and at least three dogs were running around the fenced in area, barking. Shannon recognized Milo, but there were two other pit bulls that were chasing each other across the grass. 

"How long have you lived here?" Shannon asked.

Ben paused. "Must be about thirteen - no, fourteen years almost now. We moved in right after Jonny's first birthday."

"It's a nice place," Shannon remarked. 

"It is," Ben smiled. "Lots of great memories here. Its strange now though." He lit the grill with a whoosh and flames rose up around the metal. "When we first came here, the house almost seemed too small. We had five girls in two bedrooms. Mamie was in the guest room - she said I could give it to one of the girls, but I couldn't do that to her. So we put Belle in the study upstairs and the other girls had to share. But it's been a good house. Now its just Jonny, Avril, Mamie, and me, it almost seems too big."

"Well, it's a beautiful house. They were lucky to grow up in such a nice place," Shannon smiled, handing Ben a plate of burgers. 

"I do my best for them," Ben answered. "I'm not sure what I'll do once Jonny goes to college. It'll just be me and Mamie in this place by ourselves."

"You could sell it," Callie said coming over to them. "No sense in you  keeping such a big place if it's just you two."

"Then where would we have Christmas?" Ben asked. 

Callie sighed and rolled her eyes. "My dad has this Rockwell-esque image of all of his children gathering around him for Christmas, complete with grandchildren," she told Shannon.