Heart of Stone (Parts I & II)

II. Chapter 21 | Part 1 - Stone

Aubree's eyes widened. "What? Really? Then I want them all around the patio area!"

Alistair chuckled at that. "You heard her, boys. Let's get to work."

With everyone's attention diverted, Stone touched Aubree's shoulder. She looked up at him with puzzlement drawing her eyebrows together. He pulled her in for a quick kiss, turning her cheeks a delightful pink.

"We learned how to cultivate the land from Adelaide. She taught us how to plant seeds, care for the crops, cultivate the harvest, and dig up and transplant plants from one place to another. The skill came in really handy when we first moved here," he told her as he placed his hand on the small of her back.

He led her to the corner of the house where dozens of trays of annuals were sitting, most of them marigolds displaying various shades of orange and yellow, along with various colors of petunias. The perennials and rose bushes were at the other corner of the house, waiting their turn to be transferred into the ground.

Everyone had already grabbed two trays each and were settling down on the ground around the patio when he and Aubree stopped before all the brightly colored blossoms. Curious eyes peeked at him. Although he had his mental barriers up, he could feel them pressing against it.

"You guys grew vegetables too? I thought you only ate meat?" she asked as he picked up two trays of marigolds and handed one to her.

"Our diet does primarily consist of meat, but even we like to change it up a bit with a few fruits and vegetables. We especially love berries. It's like candy to us."

"You gotta watch your strawberries around Alistair," Gwen piped up from her plot between Gavin and Alistair. "He'll gobble them up as soon as you turn your back on them."

Alistair shoved her and she turned around and shoved him right back. "Hey, I won't eat all of her strawberries. Just yours, cupcake."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You're such a—"

Alistair clapped his hand over her mouth. "Watch your mouth, pup, or I'll get the soap."

She raised an eyebrow at him and Stone could almost hear the mental response she gave him, had he been listening in.

You wouldn't dare.

Aubree smirked. "Really? You love strawberries that much, Alistair?"

Alistair tore his gaze from Gwen's to grin up at Aubree. "Darling, you have no idea the feeding frenzy."

It is animalistic," Gwen gibed.

He punched her in the arm. She punched him back.

"She'll eat all your raspberries," he accused.

"What nonsense you speak, Uncle!" she shot back before sighing. "Although, they are little drops of heaven that melt in your mouth, and I can't help it when they disappear like snowflakes on my tongue."

"You two will give me a headache," Stone interrupted as he urged Aubree to take a seat on the ground a few feet away from Gavin.

Aubree laughed, the sound dancing on his heart. "I like it! I never would have guessed you guys loved berries so much. We should have bought some last night."

He shook his head as he got down on his knees next to her. "No. I don't want you to witness that kind of war so soon."

Chuckles erupted around them—even from Aubree as she threw her head back in a full-bodied laugh.

"Now, I really want to know! What's everyone's favorite berry? We should pick up some of each next time we go to the store," she said.

Stone shook his head in amusement.

She turned and looked at Gwen and Alistair. "So, it's strawberries for Alistair. Raspberries for Gwen." She turned to Gavin.

The corners of his lips perked up. "Raspberries and blackberries."

She turned to Gunner.

He cleared his throat. "Blackberries and blueberries."

"Stone?" She peered up at him expectantly.

He stared at that plump bottom lip. "Cherries and blackberries."

"Oh, ja, cherries are good too. I'll steal those," Alistair added.

Stone rolled his eyes. "Of course you will. Which is why I eat them as soon as I buy them."

"Is that why I haven't had any in so long?" Alistair humphed. He turned to Aubree with a playful smile. "How about you, babygirl? I bet you like strawberries best. Am I right?"

She grinned impishly at him. "Yeah, especially dipped in chocolate."

"Ha! I knew it!" he jeered before his expression turned to surprise. "Wait... You can do that? Dip strawberries into chocolate? SOLD! We need some STAT!"

Stone gripped her shoulders, biting back his playfulness as he plastered on a serious expression on his face. "What have you done, Röslein? You've created a monster."

Her eyes widened in alarm as his grim expression began to crack.

Alistair was in hysterics, while Gwen snickered behind her hand. Even Gavin and Gunner were grinning, the backs of their necks turning red.

Her lips slowly curved up as his grin broadened. A pleasant warmth like the heat of the sun radiated from his chest and spread up his neck to his face.

"Are you teasing me?" she asked, her cheeks mirroring the pink of his own.

"Did you hear that, Schnuckiputzi?" Alistair fake-whispered to Gwen, cupping his hand next to his mouth as he leaned toward her.

"Yes, Uncle," Gwen said in an overly dramatic voice as she pretended to cry. Her hand clutched against her chest. "He called her Röslein."

"Our boy is becoming a man," he added in a deep, dramatically inclined tone.

Stone pressed his hand to his face as embarrassment flooded over him. [I'm going to kill you both.]

The pair guffawed at his expense.

[You walked right into that one, Alpha,] Alistair said through the mind-link.

[Honestly, though. Röslein? You can do better than that, Papa,] Gwen chided. [At least give her an English pet name.]

[Don't rush me.] He grunted as he pulled his face from his hand. "You two will be the death of me."

---- AUTHOR'S NOTE ----

Schnuckiputzi - German pet name for cutie. I liken it to "cutie-pie" and "cutie-patootie." 

Dedicated to shalle92 

*Copyright Jo Lee Hunt (Joflower) 2016*