Free Ending ELE (ELE Series) by Rebecca Gober, Courtney Nuckels Page B

be much larger than it looked on the outside. The windows give it plenty of natural light. Ceilings that soar up to a large skylight give it a grandiose appeal. Alec and Marya start pulling the white dust covers off all of the furniture. The rich, leather furniture and high-end accessories tell me that this home belonged to some people that were quite well off.
    “ I wonder who lived here,” Mayra says in wonder after she pulls a dust cloth off a large china cabinet filled with silver and fine china.
    “ I don’t know but I hope their propane tank is still in working order,” my dad calls from the other side of the room. He’s standing next to a gorgeous, double-sided fireplace that divides the living room and formal-dining room. River rock covers the outside of the fireplace and reaches all the way to the ceiling, giving a warm accent to the room. My dad flips a switch next to the fireplace. Nothing happens. He grabs a long lighter from the mantel, lights it, and places it over the gas logs. A second later, the gas catches flame and the fireplace lights up the room with an orange glow.
    “ Sweet!” Connor says. He takes Claire and they sit in a large, oversized chair next to the fireplace. Connor rubs his hands to get warm and Claire snuggles close to him.
    I smile when I see Lillie walk up to them. Her freckled face looks a little unsure, but when Connor pats his leg, her face lights up and she climbs into the chair with them. They sit together like a small family. Claire says something that makes Lillie giggle. Lillie shows Claire how one of her front teeth is loose. Claire and Connor both appropriately ooh and ah and congratulate her on her upcoming loss of her first tooth, promising her a trip from the tooth fairy.
    “ This kitchen is drool worthy!” Carrie calls out from another room. “And it has a gas stove!” she exclaims.
    I walk past the formal -dining room that has an exquisite chandelier hung low over a long, mahogany table that sits at least twenty. Several dust cloths cover large paintings in the room. The kitchen is just beyond it. I walk into the room to see Carrie gushing over the industrial-sized, stainless steel appliances, the tall, cherry-wood cabinetry, and the black, granite counters. The kitchen island has a pot rack hanging over it, filled with expensive copper pans and pots. Colorful, yet tasteful dishes are displayed in some of the glass front cabinets, giving a splash of liveliness to the room. A small kitchen table sits in a nook that has bay windows facing the mountains. “It’s beautiful!” I tell Carrie.
    She smiles with excitement. “I’ve only seen kitchens like this in magazines or on those fancy cooking shows. I’ve always wanted to have one.”
    “ Well, now you have one,” my dad says to her.
    “ This place is hardly mine,” she says with a playful pout.
    “ I don’t see anyone claiming it,” my dad tells her.
    She grins. “I could sleep in here.”
    “ That wul hurt your booty, Ms. W,” Sabby says to her.
    She gushes at him , then continues perusing the cabinets and drawers, oohing and ahhing over the fancy gadgets and appliances.
    “ Check this out!” Alec calls from the other side of the house.
    Tony and I walk together back through the living room and near the front door. A staircase leads to the top level of the home and another long hallway leads to a door just behind the staircase. Alec is inside the room behind the stairs. I walk in to find a fancy office and library. It smells like leather and cigars fr om a long history of smoking indoors. You can tell the room definitely belonged to a man. Dark browns, blacks, and greens make up the furnishings. A spiral staircase leads to an upper level of the library. A tall ladder connected to a track in the ceiling allows someone to access the books that are up high.
    Connor runs into the room and jumps on the ladder. He goes sliding across the length of the bookcase.
    “You’re such a dork,” Alec