A Taste of Spring

Cord pushed his large frame out of the patio chair and met Dez halfway. They did the universal male embrace/clap on the back hug.

"I hope so. I need more testosterone in my home, man. With Winter, Andy, Rhea, Val, and Onyx...I'm feeling like I'm trespassing."

"Where is Val? She didn't fly in with you guys?"

"Uncle Dez!"

"Dez!"

Dez looked out over the yard, finding the girls in the pool. The two of them climbed out and came running toward him, dripping wet but with huge smiles. He hadn't seen the girls in person for almost six months.

Rhea got to him first, hugging his right side. Andy wrapped her arms around his left.

"Girls," Winter said as she passed holding salad dressing in her arms. "You're getting Dez all wet. Go. Get dried off so you can eat."

Andy pouted but looked up at him. She crooked her finger at him so Dez bent low to the girl's eye level. "Did you bring them?" Andy asked.

"I did," Dez said.

"The colors?" Rhea whispered.

ones you're requested," he said with

said as she kissed him on the

Uncle Dez," Andy

passing Fallon on the way in. As

twisted his lips and rolled his eyes as he and Dez walked to the patio

like you. I have to work hard for

"some of us almost have to die for

and said, "I fell before you almost died so

incident. Some folk can't move on from trauma but Winter

a woman now, Dez," Cord said as he took a cola from the cooler beside

ice and handed them to Onyx, who lay at his feet. Onyx was a beast of a dog, and if she wasn't so well trained he would have been apprehensive about

"I thought you were

was a bit disappointed but he understood that Spring had a life before him.

with Fallon for a couple more days before we fly out to Arizona to drop the girls off at Jacob's folks for summer break." Cord shrugged then said, "Maybe we can all

with this sister? Do you see a love connection with Fallon and her? I hear she's a beauty too,"

said. "Then we'd have three seasons in the

shit ain't even gonna happen," Fallon said as he opened a

fact that he told his family about Summer in the first place was odd. When Fallon noticed Dez watching him,

man doth protest