Second Nature

Chapter 14

14 

Wrapped in her blanket, Gen followed Haven and the others off the boat and down a long dock from the berth at Willingham Marina. The group crossed the beach to the base of Stanton Hill and made their way up wooden stairs that switched back twice along the steep ascent to Cool Bay Inn.  

At last, a boardwalk led to the wide wrap-around porch on the bay side of the mansion. Gen counted eight gables jutting from the second story, and a three-story tower topped by an enclosed widow's walk large enough to serve a half-dozen widows. The building's paint scheme reminded Gen of photos she'd seen of classy antique homes in San Francisco. The dominant color was dove gray, but every detail of the trim was painted in a coordinated hue-coral, plum, scarlet and white. The festive colors made even such a large building look cute. 

Floor-to-ceiling windows gave every room on the bay side a wide-angle view of the water. Under each ground floor window a box planter sprouted with an assortment of riotously colorful flowers. A vegetable garden stood to one side of the inn, with a smaller herb garden as its sidekick. A jungle of hibiscus, azaleas, and Japanese maples completed the landscaping, with a few gigantic magnolia trees showing off blossoms the size of dinner plates. A mix of floral fragrances perfumed the air. 

"Like it?" Haven said. 

Gen nodded, smiling. "It's enchanting." 

"Wait till you see inside." 

A golden retriever pushed out through French doors with ornate iron screens. It scrambled down the porch steps to greet them. Gen noticed the dog had only three legs. 

"Tripod!" Haven knelt and gave the dog a hug. Tripod whimpered with joy, licking the girl's face. Gen laughed and scratched the pooch behind the ears, making it shiver with pleasure. Gen trembled, too. She'd read about dogs, but had never met one. Tripod seemed to be a big, furry bundle of love. Plus it felt exquisite-bodily satisfying, like quenching a thirst-whenever she captured a genetic code. And the gratification was more intense when the DNA pattern belonged to a new species she had not yet recorded. Now she added canine genes to her growing library. 

Gen looked up as Lana appeared at the top of the porch stairs, wiping her hands on an apron. She was a handsome woman, the feminine mold of her brother, statuesque and strong, with a boldly sculpted face and thick, black hair tumbling over her shoulders like storm clouds. 

"What happened?" Lana said, eyeing Gen with concern. "Are you all right, honey?"  

In contrast to her athletic looks, Lana's gait seemed hobbled as she held on to the railing and stepped stiffly down the wooden steps. She reached out and put an arm around Gen's shoulders, drew her in for a hug. Her body felt warm even through the wool blanket. Lana's arm brushed Gen's cheek and Gen sighed as she registered the woman's genetic code. 

"We found her in the water," Cade said. "Her name's Gen. She's got partial amnesia, I think." 

"Gen, what a pretty name," Lana said, "Are you sure you're okay? Have you eaten? Come in, come in." 

"I gave her one of your sandwiches," he said. "She devoured it." 

Lana smiled. "Well, there's plenty where that came from. Follow me." Lana started up the stairs. Again, her steps seemed awkward compared to the almost regal grace with which she carried herself above the waist. Then Gen saw a flash of metal beneath the hem of the dress and realized Lana wore artificial legs.  

"I'll run you a hot bath," Lana said as she walked Gen toward the front door. "You can soak in there while I put on soup and coffee and a hot meal."