After they had come to an agreement that Jax would stay at her house, Brenda had shown him down the hallway to the extra bedroom that was furthest from her bedroom. She pulled the protective dropcloths off the furniture with an apology. "I’m afraid that I painted this room recently and since I don’t use it often, I just left the covers in place. Cuts down on the dust."

"It’s charming, and appears to be most comfortable, thank you," Jax replied politely.

Brenda gave him a pointed look. "It smells like paint and dust -- you can’t fool me."

Jax came closer to her and traced a finger down her arm sensually. "No -- it smells just like you, angel -- elusive and magical." Brenda shivered a little as his touch still set off electrical sparks.

"Yeah, well, this angel needs to get some sleep if she wants to be productive at work tomorrow." She headed for the door. "There are extra sheets and....." She smiled, looked down at the floor, and then up at him wryly. ".....pillows in the closet over there." She grimaced and put her hands on her hips. "Although we’ll have to share a bathroom, but that won’t be a problem until the morning."

Jax inhaled to say something about sharing the bath facilities but Brenda cut him short. "So," she said cheerily, "good night, then!" She moved to the door and had it open before Jax could even respond. The last thing she saw was his boyish smile and the lock of hair that continually insisted on falling across his forehead. The color of his eyes matched the pale blue color of his tank top and he gave her a grin that told her he knew exactly how she felt: scared to death.

After Brenda got back to her room, she lay in bed for a long time, trying to sort out her feelings. It wasn’t like she was afraid that he was a serial killer or that he would rape her in her sleep. She was more afraid of her own growing feelings for him. Afraid that she wouldn’t mind losing control and surrendering everything to him – a man she had only met 18 hours earlier.

Even now, as the birds sang happily and the early morning humidity made her hair curl out from the ponytail scrunchee at the back of her head, she knew that she was aching for his kiss. She couldn’t keep her eyes off his lips, wondering how they would feel on hers, or how that tingling sensation she got every time he touched her would feel if he touched her…..

"Good morning, my sweet angel."

Brenda kept herself from jumping sky-high at the sound of his voice. She patted her chest, trying to calm her racing heart, as he dropped to the floor of the porch behind her and sat down, resting his back on the banister. "Did you just *zap* yourself out here this morning? Because I think we need to have a rule if you’re living here, no zapping is allowed. I mean, I could be in the bathroom or handling some hot food or….."

Jax leaned down to place a finger against her lips to stop the inane flow of words. "No, I did not *zap* here, as you put it, angel." He smiled at her but his finger remained at her lips a few moments longer than necessary, tracing them gently. He was about to dip his finger between her lips when he suddenly pulled it back and pushed some stray hairs off her forehead. "I heard the noise you made this morning when you rose, and I came down to see if you had rested properly." His blue/green eyes seemed to her gaze captive. "I certainly never meant to disturb your rest by staying here with you."

Brenda shrugged and tried to act blasé about the whole thing. "You don’t disturb me at all." She looked back at the yard as a hummingbird hovered at the birdfeeder. "I like to come out here early in the morning. It’s so peaceful, it kind of helps me face the hectic pace of the day ahead."

As she took a sip of her coffee, Jax frowned. "And *that* is all you use to fortify yourself against the pressures of your day?" Brenda gave him a blank look but then when he pointed to her coffee cup, she realized his meaning. "Certainly *that* alone cannot provide you with the energy to run your business!"

"It can if it’s got enough caffeine in it!" Brenda laughed, but Jax continued to frown and shake his head. Brenda sighed and looked back to the yard. "Besides, I don’t usually have enough time to make myself anything else."

"Ahh…but that is one of the advantages of having me for your houseguest, angel!" Before Brenda could blink an eye, Jax pulled his hand from behind his back to reveal a steaming, fragrant croissant.

"Oooo..that smells heavenly," Brenda groaned. She eyed it longingly. "Of course, it also probably has a zillion calories." She sighed and was about to turn back to the yard when Jax caught her chin between his fingers.

"One little taste won’t harm you." Jax broke off the end of the croissant and brought it to her lips, tracing them with the pastry before trying to nudge them apart.

"Isn’t that what Eve told Adam about the apple?" Brenda narrowed one eye cautiously, but as soon as the sinful buttery flavor hit her taste buds, she knew she had lost the battle. Jax smiled triumphantly as she chewed the delicacy, closing her eyes and moaning in ecstasy. "You know," she said as Jax offered her another bite, "having you around here will probably make me gain ten pounds – unless you can do something about *that* with your magic, too!"

Brenda laughed but then when she looked into Jax’s eyes, she stopped abruptly. "There are *many* ways that my magic can enhance our time together, angel," he purred, "and I can assure you, *none* of them are humorous." He reached out and touched the corner of her mouth with his thumb. "You still have some butter – here." Brenda caught her breath as the familiar tingling started again at his touch. Jax leaned forward, his lips on a track to meet with hers, and Brenda found herself reaching up towards him.

Their lips were only centimeters apart when Brenda heard a bell ringing. "It’s probably my neighbor’s phone," she whispered, her breath coming in short pants. "Ignore it."

Jax gave a quick affirmative nod but then the ringing became more insistent. Brenda wasn’t sure if his lips had actually touched hers or not when he pulled away and muttered some words that she didn’t recognize. But she had a feeling she knew what they meant. A swear word was a swear word, no matter what the language.

"What is it?" Brenda startled as Jax suddenly rose to a crouched position and dusted off his hands. "Did I do something wrong?" Brenda had never been so mortified. {Geez, was I such a lousy kisser that he knew even before we got to the good stuff?}

Jax suddenly sensed Brenda’s embarrassment. He smiled at her and took her hand, kissing the back of it gallantly. "This has nothing to do with you, my angel, or the pleasure we were about to share." His eyes began to sparkle briefly. "….or, I should say, the pleasure we *will* share." His lips brushed her hand again sensually, and then he sighed and gestured towards her yard. "This time, it is *I* who must attend to business."

Brenda’s eyebrows drew together in a frown but when she looked out into her yard, she choked on some remnants of the croissant. "What’s that?" A golden globe about the size of a baseball was floating in her yard, hovering about 8 feet off the ground. Silvery sparks shot from it in all directions. The globe was the source of the bell she had heard ringing.

"That is a message sphere, angel," Jax replied, gazing intently at the ball. He waved a hand at it and Brenda heard a low, majestic voice say some words she didn’t recognize. Jax waved a hand at it again, and to her amazement, it disappeared into thin air! "It summons me back to Astarra. My services as Guardian are required."

"Ohhhh, I get it!" Brenda squealed, leaning back against the bannister again. "Kinda like what we call a beeper!" She grabbed the rest of the croissant out of his hand and broke off another piece with a devilish smile. "So….is this gonna take a long time?"

"I’m not sure," Jax replied, returning her smile. He crouched down once more and broke off a piece of the confection to pop in his own mouth. "But in the event that it does, I’ll be back here tonight to meet you before your mother’s party."

"That’s good!" Brenda said, swallowing quickly. "Because the party won’t be at her house after all." She frowned in distaste. "My father insists on being noble and giving her a party at his place." She broke off another small piece of croissant and chewed it, shaking her head as she did. "He’ll probably invite a bunch of his business cronies, serve expensive food and wine, and then write the whole thing off on his expense account."

Brenda looked up and saw Jax’s puzzled expression but from the sound of the sphere, she didn’t want to try to explain an expense account in less than thirty seconds. "Anyway – the main thing is that we’ll go to my mother’s house *before* my dad’s party starts. That way, she can have more privacy anyway when I give her my gift – YOU!!"

"Then I vow that I shall return to this place no later than 9 o’clock by your earth clocks this night," Jax replied. Brenda closed her eyes as she felt a sudden warmth rush over her. She was enjoying the sensation until she distinctly felt Jax’s fingers on her neck, moving lower until they teased the center of her…..

"Hey, there, mister! Watch it with your…..!" Brenda opened her eyes to give Jax a piece of the righteous indignation in her mind, but to her shock, she was alone on the porch. "…..hands," she finished quietly. She looked at the rest of the croissant and sighed. "Oh, what the h*ll," she murmured, popping it into her mouth. She closed her eyes, enjoying the last of the heavenly flavor, and trying to imagine what it would be like when Jax finally got around to kissing her. She had the distinct feeling that the real thing would be more magical than anything she had ever imagined.

Jax strode briskly into his living quarters. {The High Council of the Djinn has turned into a gathering of bickering old women! To be summoned from Earth – to pass judgment on a djinni whose only crime was laziness!}

Jax put his fingers to his temples and rubbed small circles. He sighed aloud as he gazed out from his balcony over the land he loved so much. Usually, settling even the most trivial of disputes among the djinn did not bother him so. The djinni who had been brought before the high tribunal that day had only been found guilty of using his tar’ot for his own personal gain. He had purposely cast a spell that caused his rival sandal vendor to have a foul bodily odor, thereby assuring him of more business from sensitive customers.

Jax, being the Guardian, was the only djinni with the power to pass sentence on the offender. He had quickly and with a look of severe reproach sentenced the guilty party to two weeks of hard labor at the Academy, cooking for the students. During that period, he was not to be allowed to use his tar’ot at all – even for the benefit of others.

Jax turned back to his quarters and went to his desk, briefly looking through some of the messages that his assistant had efficiently arranged during his absence. He stopped momentarily and closed his eyes. {You should be grateful, you fool! Would that *all* transgressions of the djinn were as trifling as this!} Jax could not help himself as his mind drifted back to another time, another crime, another guilty djinni – and another sentence. The offense that time had been murder most foul. Jax’s personal stake in the situation did not diminish his requirement as Guardian to pass the sentence. He could still feel the pain – at the death of a loved one, and the requisite sentence he had been forced to hand down.

Jax pushed the messages aside and rose abruptly, a smile gracing his face. He must simply put these maudlin thoughts out of his mind. The mental picture of Brenda caused silvery sparks to emanate from his fingertips. He would show her mother his tar’ot this night, and then she would show him where she had gotten the spell to try to bind him to her will. Before the evening was over, Jax knew that things could become very – interesting.

Brenda was still finishing her makeup when she smelled it – sandalwood, with just a faint hint of musk. She knew without even looking that Jax had returned. "You know, I think I’m actually getting used to you zapping in and out of here like that." She turned from her vanity table to find Jax, lounging lazily against the frame of her bedroom door. "Your scent is a dead giveaway, mister."

"My scent? What scent is that?" Jax strolled over to Brenda’s bed where Fluffer McKitty eyed him warily. Jax reached out a hand when he was about 2 feet from the bed, and suddenly Fluffer’s back went down and the cat purred softly. Jax smiled and sat down on the bed, picking Fluffer up and setting her on his lap as he did. He stroked the cat’s long white fur, causing her to purr like a well-tuned automobile engine.

"I don’t know," Brenda replied, rising from the vanity. She was wearing a black mini-dress with white trim around the neckline. It was sleeveless – an accommodation to the heat and humidity even at this late hour. The back of the dress was cut much lower than the front in a squared-off fashion. Clunky black and white sandals completed her wardrobe choices. "It’s a combination of scents, really – sandalwood, a little pine – and probably just the essence of what makes you, you." She smiled bashfully. "It’s just something that someone in my business notices right away." Their eyes locked and Brenda could swear that she almost saw fireworks bridging the gap between them.

"So….." She tried to change the subject to lighten the mood. "You look nice tonight." Jax smiled at her praise. He had conjured the clothing on his way there and in truth, hadn’t given it that much thought. He remembered seeing Jerry at his home one time in a similar outfit, and so he felt it would probably be appropriate for the situation. He wore a pale blue shirt of a knit fabric and dark blue trousers. Unwilling to compromise completely, he wore no socks and his favorite leather sandals. He had shortened his customary robe so that it fell just below his waistline as a vest.

Jax rose from the bed and walked closer to Brenda. "You also look nice this evening." Brenda froze as he came to stand just inches from her. "Although, the lack of color is not as attractive as if the frock were…." He paused, and in the blink of Brenda’s eye, her dress changed to a pale shade of mauve. "Yes.." he nodded, his eyes traveling slowly up and down her frame. "….that color suits you much better."

Brenda looked down at her dress and gasped. Even her shoes had changed so that they coordinated with the dress. "How….you…." She put her hands on her hips. "Now – no more of that, Jax!" She wiggled her shoulders a little and briefly wondered whether he had changed the color of her matching bra and panties, too. She glanced her wristwatch. "Oh, my gosh! We’d better get going if we want to show you to my mother and then get to my dad’s house on time." She rocked back and forth on her heels and toes. "So – since we’re running late anyway – how about just ….zapping us there!" She made a whooshing sound with her arms as they swung through the air.

"I’m afraid I cannot do that, my angel." Jax’s face was very serious.

"Oh…..Oh, you mean because I told you no more magic!" Brenda thought he was joking with her. "Well, in this case, I’ll make an exception."

"No, sweet, that’s not what I meant. You see, the power to "zap", as you call it, only allows a djinni to transport to a place where he has been before. And since I have never been to your mother’s residence…." Jax allowed the statement to trail.

"Yes, but that can’t be true because you "zapped" yourself to my office, remember?" Brenda had left her room as the discussion began and they moved down the hallway and to her living room. "You had never been *there* before, and you found it just fine!"

Jax saw a shawl lying on the couch and picked it up to drape around her shoulders, but not before he blinked it to a color that matched her dress. "Very perceptive, Brenda. I should have mentioned that a djinni also can transport to a place that someone he knows, occupies. Since I had already met you, I merely cast the spell so that I would transport to the place where you were."

"But since you’ve never met my mother, and I’m not there with her…." Brenda locked the front door behind them as they moved out into her carport.

"Precisely." Jax looked at Brenda’s car, an old-model Ford Taurus. "So I assume we will be taking your vehicle to the festivities?"

Brenda grimaced. "If I can get the old bucket of bolts to start, we will." As they got into the car, she looked at him with a smile. "Believe me, if you know *anything* about cars, I would appreciate a little creative zapping to get this one to run smoothly – at least until tonight is over."

"I will give it the fullest benefit of my tar’ot possible, angel," Jax smiled in return.

Approximately 15 minutes later, Brenda pulled up in front of a huge, brick two-story house in one of New Orleans’ older neighborhoods. She winced as she noticed some window screens with slashes in them and the peeling paint on the eaves of the house. Her mother had taken a second mortgage on the house when Sonny had left Brenda and taken most of her money. Brenda couldn’t wait for Scents of Angels to become a thriving success so that she could repay her mother’s generosity.

Brenda rang the doorbell and almost shivered with excitement. Jax smiled as he noticed her selfless happiness – very unusual for a human. When a petite, attractive, dark-haired woman with enormous brown eyes opened the door, Jax didn’t need the powers of his tar’ot to know that it was Brenda’s mother.

"Happy Birthday, Momma!" Brenda went through the doors with her arms open for a hug.

"Brenda, honey, thank you." Her mother hugged her in return in the doorway while Jax remained discreetly on the porch. Veronica pulled back and frowned a little. "But I thought the party was at your father’s house. Won’t you be there?" She finally noticed Jax on the porch and her eyes widened considerably. "Well, Brenda, I don’t blame you! If I had such a handsome young man, I wouldn’t spend the evening with stuffy old relatives, either!"

"I don’t *have* him, Momma," Brenda blushed. She motioned for Jax to come into the entryway where they stood. "In fact, he’s here for *you*, not me."

Veronica’s eyes widened even further as Jax entered the house, filling it with his alluring essence. He bowed from the waist, taking Veronica’s hand and kissing it. "Happy Birthday, Ms. Barrett. I am most charmed to make your acquaintance."

"Ohhhh, Brenda," Veronica purred. She raised her eyebrows and met Jax’s eyes, which were twinkling with delight as he knew her thoughts. "Ohhhh, sweetie, you must have gone to every male strip joint in the Quarter to find a hunk like this!" She placed delicate fingers across her lips and shook her head. "It’s a shame that this old body wouldn’t know what to do with yours anymore, honey!"

"No, Momma, he’s not a stripper or a gigolo or something!" Brenda blushed. "Jax is….." She took a deep breath, closing the door behind them before finishing. "Jax is a djinni, Momma. He’s here to show you that magic IS real."

Veronica continued to smile, her gaze bouncing back and forth between Jax and Brenda. "Get out of town!" she finally giggled. "A djinni?"

"Not just any djinni, Momma – Jax is the chief high djinni of …well, wherever it is that he comes, from, right?" Brenda turned to Jax with a smile, her belief in him obvious from the look in her eyes.

"Astarra – that is the home of the djinn, Ms. Barrett." Jax bowed a little once again. "And Brenda speaks the truth. She wished for me to show you my magic – my tar’ot – as a gift for your birthday and I agreed."

To Brenda’s surprise, her mother’s face fell. "Ohhhh, Brenda…." She turned and went into the living room, shaking her head sadly. "I thought you would have learned your lesson with Sonny." She turned back as Jax and Brenda followed her into the room. "Do you *still* insist on believing in that nonsense?"

"But, Momma," Brenda frowned, "don’t you believe it, too? Don’t tell me you’ve become a skeptic! Not after all these years!"

Jax pushed past Brenda with a confident smile. "Your mother still believes, my angel. She is just *afraid* to have her daughter’s heart broken again by believing." Veronica raised an eyebrow at Jax. "I am correct, am I not?"

"Yes, but unlike my daughter, I’m a tough sell, mister ……"

"Jax….you may call me Jax." He smiled and took Veronica’s hand again, stroking it gently. Brenda glanced down and saw small sparkling lights rising from Veronica’s skin where Jax touched it.

"All right…..Jax." Veronica backed up a few paces and then crossed her arms, putting one hand to her chin. "If you’re *really* a djinni, then prove it. Show me some magic."

Jax rose a tawny eyebrow and then winked at Brenda. "Technically, that was to be your birthday present, Ms. Barrett. But, since I seem to find myself having a weakness when it comes to beautiful women of the Barrett family," Jax continued, causing Brenda to stare down at the floor in embarrassment, "I will grant you one wish of your own, as proof of my authenticity."

Veronica tapped her finger against her chin. "OK -- let’s keep this simple." She closed her eyes for a moment and then they popped open. "I haven’t had any birthday cake yet." She put the palms of her hands together, her fingers to her lips. "I think I’d like a nice cup of jasmine tea and a slice of my favorite cake...."

Jax put up his hand before Veronica could finish. "Allow me, Ms. Barrett -- as further proof of my tar’ot."

Veronica’s eyes widened even further. "Go for it, hot shot."

Brenda watched in amazement as Jax looked around the room. "Jax, what are you doing? Why don’t you just blink or zap or wink the thing here like you always do?"

Jax spied a small figurine on an end table and went to retrieve it, holding it up in front of Brenda and Veronica. "Because, sweet angel, conjuring *something* out of *nothing* is easy." He gave Veronica a knowing smile. "Transforming *something* into *something else* is not as easy, and much more convincing."

Jax opened his hand in front of Veronica, palm upwards. "Now, if I were to make a steaming cup of jasmine tea appear in my hand, you *might* be impressed." Then, he took the small white porcelain statue of a poodle he had retrieved earlier and placed it in his open hand. "But, if instead I were to change this very real image of a canine into......" A brisk breeze began to blow in the room, ruffling Veronica’s hair as the figurine seemed to melt into a glob in Jax’s hand, reforming almost immediately into a delicate china cup and saucer. Brenda gasped aloud as steam began to rise from the cup, its scent definitely jasmine. ".....a cup of steaming jasmine tea, as requested, you might be....." He handed it to Veronica grandly. ".....almost persuaded."

Veronica took the cup with wide eyes, inhaling the scent of the fragrant liquid. "And my cake?" she asked, with a twinkle in her eye.

Jax paused for a moment, his eyes boring into Veronica’s as he passed his open hand in front of her face. A smile blossomed on his own face, and Jax reached down and picked up a magazine that had been laying on the coffee table. Again, he held it in the flat of his hand, and Brenda and Veronica both inhaled in unison as the magazine began to shrink and disintegrate in his hand.

Jax was smiling confidently, but on the inside, his bravado began to waver when he felt the tar’ot building beyond his control. {Merlin! I cannot fail now and lose control of my tar’ot! Particularly when it means so much to Brenda to please her mother!} Jax continued to stand in a relaxed pose, but he secretly tensed, first the muscles in his arm, and then his entire body. It took all of his self-control to complete the conjuring.

Brenda watched with a frown as she saw small beads of perspiration break out on Jax’s forehead. {I thought he said this was an *easy* trick. If he’s really such a big shot djinni, why is he working so hard?} Then, Brenda had a flashback to herself in the second grade. The other children were easily reading the lesson from their primary readers, but she was still struggling with "see Spot run," due to the limitations of her dyslexia. While her friends were laughing at how easy it was, Brenda had broken out in the same kind of sweat that Jax had.

{Maybe he’s the big shot djinni, but it’s hard for him, just like it was hard for me!} Brenda put her fingers over her lips to stifle the little sigh of sympathy. If it was possible, she fell for him even harder at that point than she had before.

Suddenly, there was a little "poof" noise that caused Brenda and Veronica to close their eyes, but when they opened them, Jax was holding a matching china plate with a piece of five-layer lemon cake, dusted with powdered sugar.

Jax handed the piece of cake to Veronica with a small bow as he inwardly heaved a sigh of relief that the spell had been completed successfully. "And so -- do you *now* believe your daughter, Ms. Barrett?"

Veronica took the cake from him and shot him a naughty smile. "You’re not bad, honey, but you forgot the fork."

Jax leaned forward returning the same smile. "You didn’t wish for one, Ms. Barrett."

Veronica broke out in a musical laugh, set the cake down, and hugged Brenda tightly. "Brenda, this has to be the best birthday present you ever gave me." She looked at Jax with her arm still around Brenda’s waist. "So -- where’d she ever find you, honey?"

"That’s another story entirely, Ms. Barrett." Jax glanced at Brenda’s wristwatch. "But if we are to arrive at your birthday party in a timely fashion, we should get down to the business of your proper wish."

"Another wish?" Veronica happily clasped her hands together in front of her. "A doozy this time?"

Jax crossed his arms in his best "Guardian" pose. "There are limitations on any djinni’s powers to grant wishes. I cannot bring anyone back from the dead, and I cannot cause the death of anyone."

Veronica nodded in understanding. "Beyond your capabilities, huh?"

"No. The djinn believe that life and death are within the realm of the Eternal Being, and it is neither our right nor our privilege to interfere with them." A serious frown crossed his face. "The djinn never kill. It is strictly forbidden." He let out a long breath and then his face brightened again. "Also, I cannot show you the future or take you forward or backward in time."

"Sounds reasonable." Veronica thought for a moment, and then her eyes lit like candles. "How about foreign travel? Any restrictions there?"

"What place were you thinking of?" Jax asked, his face glowing since he had searched her thoughts.

"I’ve always dreamed of seeing the Taj Mahal," Veronica answered, "but I think you already knew that."

"Oh, momma, that might be a problem," Brenda interrupted, her disappointment clearly written on her face. "See, Jax can only transport.....you know, like ...ZAP.....you to someplace he’s been before."

"ZAPPING, as you put it, to the Taj Mahal will not be a problem, angel," Jax said smoothly. "A fellow djinni took me there once many years ago, so I have experienced the place." He extended a hand to Veronica, palm upwards. "Shall we be on our way?"

"Oh, my.....really? Now?" Veronica smoothed her hair with one hand and then with a nervous giggle, placed her right hand in Jax’s outstretched one.

"Take care of my mother, now Jax." Brenda failed to hide her obvious worry for her mother’s safety.

He pulled Veronica against his side, wrapping his right arm around her waist. "I give you my word, Brenda, your mother is completely safe with me." He looked down at her and winked. "Well, maybe not *completely*."

Veronica giggled again, and Jax smiled as he heard Brenda’s laugh echoed in her mother’s. She turned to Brenda. "Brenda, if I haven’t told you before now, this is the best birthday present you’ve ever given me."

Jax looked down at Veronica again and pulled her tight. "Now hold onto me, Ms. Barrett, and close your eyes. The transporting ritual can cause vertigo for a novice." He caught Brenda’s gaze as they began to fade from sight. "You go on to your father’s house, sweet angel. I will transport your mother and myself to your side soon."

Brenda blinked as wind swirled around her but when she opened her eyes, Jax and Veronica were gone. Only the faint scent of sandalwood gave any clue to the fact that Jax had been in the house at all. Brenda shook her head. "OK, Jax. It’s worth it. I’ll gladly show you where I got that stupid spell. That look on my mother’s face is worth all the money in the world."

Brenda looked at her wristwatch for the tenth time. It was almost 10:30, and her mother and Jax still hadn’t materialized at Harlan’s house. She was imagining all sorts of terrible things – being attacked by a man-eating tiger, being kidnapped by religious fundamentalists, being stranded by a huge tidal wave – when Brenda saw something that made her worries about her mother fade into nothingness.

Harlan Barrett was greeting the latest arrival to Veronica’s birthday party with a warm hug and a smile. He turned toward Brenda with his arm securely around the shoulders of his latest guest. Sonny Corinthos.

To be continued…..