“Well,” Tricia said with amusement as she bent to pick up the hairspray can and set it on the counter next to them. “A mere kitchen can hardly compete with that kind of greeting. He loves you a great deal.”

“And I love him,” Allie said softly, looking him over one more time before turning her attention to the large white kitchen. And it was large. She would have guessed it was nearly thirty feet long with an island in the middle and cupboards running almost the entire length on both sides except for the last eight feet by her and Tricia. There, it had been left open for a large round table and eight chairs to be set up in front of windows looking out over the yard. There were also two doors where the cupboards ended; one was the doorway they were standing in. But across from it was a solid door that Allie guessed either led to a garage or a pantry or something.

“It’s pretty amazing,” she said finally, her attention returning to Liam and his new friend. Teddy Argeneau Brunswick Jr. was a handsome little guy, with dark hair like her son’s and a smile equally as charming, but while Liam had green eyes with a silver glow to them, Teddy’s were blue and silver. Both boys would grow up to be good-looking men, though, she decided.

“Liam mentioned that you two move a lot.”

Allie tore her gaze from the boys to see that Katricia, or Tricia as she’d said to call her, had moved to the stove to grab a teakettle off one of the burners. She watched her carry it to the sink and then moved to lean against the counter next to the stove as she admitted, “Yes. Unfortunately. But it’s been by necessity,” she added to ensure the woman didn’t think she was just bohemian in nature. “We usually end up moving every month or two.”

“Because of the rogues Magnus and Tybo found attacking you?” Tricia asked, keeping her voice low enough that the boys couldn’t hear. Teddy and Liam had climbed up onto the chairs at the table at the other end of the room and were now running mini racing cars over its surface and making vroom-vroom sounds as they did.

“Yes,” Allie said unhappily.

Tricia nodded and, apparently deciding the kettle now had enough water, turned off the tap and carried the kettle back to the stove. She set it down, turned a knob on the range until flames burst out of the burner, set them to high, and then turned to lean against the counter on the other side of the range top to watch the boys before she asked, “Who are they?”