Velvet Lightning (28 page)
Authors: Kay Hooper
We had visitors here from Australia a few days ago. The pretty lady who used to valet Miss Addie when she was racing came here with her new husband. Her name is Storm, and her husband’s name is Tate Justin. They’re a fiery pair and no mistake! One minute they're standing toe to toe snapping at each other, and the next they’re cooing like turtledoves. They must be Irish!
I’ve been here a week now, and have had a fine time. Kentucky is quite a change from Arizona, being so green and shady, almost like Ireland. It’s a lovely place, but I suppose I’ve been too long in Arizona to feel a kinship with such a climate. I find myself missing the browns and golds and hot dry air of my beloved Southwest. I think Miss Addie and Mr. Shane know I've been homesick, for it’s so kind they’ve been. Nothing would do but for Mr. Shane to tease me until I made a batch of my gingerbread for him. He pronounced it grand, and he must have meant it because later I saw him feeding some to Sebastian.
I believe I’ll finish this letter back at Killara. I know you’ll want to know about Miss Cara’s babies, and since I’m going home next week . . .
More later.
Tuesday evening
Killara
Maureen—
The babies are here, fine and healthy, and Miss Cara is doing wonderfully. They’ve named my darlings Brianne and Patrick, after two others of the family who lived long ago, and Mr. Burke is so happy he can’t stop smiling.
This family is so blessed! I’m looking forward to seeing to the babies and watching the next generation grow up strong and healthy, just as my boys did.
I was right in what I told you before, Maureen— the years I've spent at Killara and Shamrock have been full of love, and these people, these wonderful Delaneys, do indeed have a grand richness of spirit. How blessed I am!
Love,
Kathleen
P.S. One last thing I wanted to tell you, and thinking of how little Brianne and Patrick are named for long- ago Delaneys made me remember. I know I mentioned to you about all those dusty old journals Mr. Rafe is so crazy about? Well, when he and Miss Maggie came to see the twins, I heard them talking to the others.
It seems there’s one special journal, Falcon Delaney’s it is, and it’s written very oddly—code, Mr. Rafe says. Anyway, Miss Maggie has talked Mr. Rafe into sending the journal off to be deciphered. She thinks it’s bound to have exciting things in it, bits of history and all.
Just between you and me—and I’d never breathe a word to Mr. Rafe or Miss Maggie—I think they'll be disappointed. I mean to say, what could have happened that would have been so exciting?
Kathleen
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