Ignite On Contact (Brotherhood by Fire #2) -Jaci Burton Page 0,97

new place sounded like a great idea. “Sure.”

He went into his room and took a shower, scrubbing the grass clippings and sweat off. When he came downstairs, Becks and Jackson weren’t there, so he figured they were cleaning up as well. There was no need to wait for them, so he got in his truck and drove over to his parents’ new place. He parked in the driveway and got out, staring at the house that was so foreign to him, not the place where he grew up.

But they’d all talked about it. Mom had been afraid he and his brothers would be upset about giving up the place they’d called home since Josh and Laurel Donovan had adopted them. They’d all assured her that home was wherever their parents lived, which was true. As long as he knew where they lived, he’d have a place to call home. And this place was pretty tight.

They’d moved in a week ago. It was a great house, with a pool and lots of extra space for all the things his mother had coveted for years, like an office and a much bigger, fancy new kitchen.

If anyone deserved to have everything she wanted, it was his mom.

Rafe hadn’t had much love during his early years. Hell, his birth parents had barely registered his existence. To them, he’d just been in their way. Getting away from them had changed his life.

So when Rafe and his brothers had gotten caught in that house fire and rescued by Josh Donovan, and then Josh and Laurel had brought them home, Rafe didn’t know how to handle having parents who actually took care of him, who cared about how he felt. It had taken him a while to warm up to them, but Laurel was persistent in her affection and had broken down his walls until he couldn’t help but need and want the love he’d always been denied.

Now he’d move mountains for the woman he called Mom.

He walked through the front door and found his mother in her office to the right. She was a beautiful woman, with her dark skin, her curly hair, and a body that she kept fit by doing yoga, of all things. He didn’t know where she found the time, given how busy she was. But that was his mom, always making sure that she took care of herself as well as others.

“You about set up in here?” he asked as he walked into her office.

She turned and smiled at him. “Just about.” She slipped a couple of books into the built-in bookshelf, then hugged him.

It wouldn’t matter how old he got, Rafe would always welcome his mother’s hugs. For some reason he needed one badly right now, so he lingered a little longer than typical, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight.

When he pulled away, she studied him. “Something’s wrong.”

He pulled his lips into a half smile. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not, and I can see it on your face. Come on. Let’s go into the kitchen and have something cold to drink. Then you can talk to me.”

The cold drink sounded good, but his mother couldn’t help him with Carmen.

She poured them some iced tea and handed him a glass. They sat in front of the bay window in the kitchen.

“Have you been in the pool yet?” he asked.

“Every day to swim laps. It’s perfect and I love it.”

“And you’re the one who didn’t want to move.”

She shrugged. “I take back what I said. I love this house. The master closet is perfect. My office is everything I ever dreamed of, and I know I’ll use the pool a lot.”

“How does Dad like it?”

“He loves it. The garage is bigger, and he’s already talking about building a workbench across one wall, which is what he’s always wanted. He and Kal are at the store right now buying . . . I don’t actually know what they’re buying.”

“Probably some cabinets and wood.”

“Yes, I think that’s what they mentioned.” She took a sip of her tea. “So tell me what’s going on that’s got you upset.”

“I’m not upset.”

She tilted her head down and gave him the look he remembered so well from when he was a kid and tried to lie his way out of something. It was a very effective look.

“Try again,” she said.

“Carmen’s grandfather had a mini stroke.”

“Oh no. Is he all right?”

“He’s going to be fine. But she freaked out. She was out with me when