The second they were through the door, Reid was yelling for Mom. Could he not give Micki a second to settle in? To adjust to all those damned family photos scattered everywhere, hers included, and Mom’s lavender scent lingering in the air. All of it, the yelling, the scent, the family photos came at her, making her head spin.

Micki stepped back, bumped straight into Mr. All-American. And who’d have thunk that under his loose, long-sleeved shirt she’d find a solid wall of muscle. From behind, he set his hands on her arms and steadied her.

“You’re okay,” he whispered.

His warm breath tickled her ear and stifled the panic revving inside her.

“Mom!” Reid hollered again. “Where are you?”

“Reid Sullivan Steele!” came a return shout. “You stop that yelling in this house! For the love of Pete, I was putting out the trash.”

Their mother marched into the hallway leading from the back of the house, her eyes murderous as she approached her mouthy son. Then her gaze sliced to Micki and…she halted. Literally skidded to a stop, her Chuck Taylors squeaking against the hard wood and—wow—her mother now wore Chuck Taylors.

At some point in the past ten years, Mom had obviously started wearing Micki’s preferred brand of footwear, and the evidence of all that she’d missed crashed into her.

I can’t do this.

What she’d been thinking, coming here on her way to who knew where, still eluded her. Astounded her, really. She should have just run. Left Vegas and the States and contacted her family when it was safe.

Mom threw her arms up. “My baby!”

Everything Micki had been holding in—anticipation, regret, fear—for the past day broke loose, unleashing a wave of relief that had her dropping her duffel, shoving past Reid, and slamming into her mother’s open arms. Tears burned the back of her eyes and she squeezed them closed, willing the damned waterworks away.

You can’t stay.

She knew it. Understood it in ways not many could, but still, to be surrounded by family, her true family, annoying as they might be, gave her hope. One day, she’d have a home again. One day.

Footsteps pounded on the oak stairs, echoing into the entry. “What the hell, Reid?” Jonah snapped. “I was on a conference call.”

Micki broke free of her mother in time to see Reid point at her. “You might want to hang up.”

Jonah’s head dipped. “Whoa!” But then he, too, rushed to her, holding his arms wide and wrapping her up in a hug. “Jesus, Mick, way to surprise a guy.”

“Hi.”

She held on, squeezing tight, inhaling his clean, soapy smell. The Jonah smell. They’d always been a team, the two of them. Always. Even when no one else understood her, including him, he’d been patient and non-judgey. No matter what, they’d stuck together. At least before the ill-fated party ten years earlier. That party had changed her life, and the bitterness still ate at her.

She’d adjusted to the hacking and illegal transactions she didn’t necessarily complete but had a part in. At times, she'd even enjoyed life with Phil. The good times, anyway. Times when he invited her on outings with his family because he knew she was lonely or when, years earlier, he started helping her navigate life as a grownup, getting a credit card to establish a credit rating, finding an apartment, a car—all of it, he'd done with her.

Now Jonah, like most of her family, didn’t know what to think of her. She couldn’t blame them, considering she didn’t know what to think of her.

Her own fault, she supposed. She’d never been honest with them. She’d hidden so much, yet, if she had to do it over again, she wouldn’t change anything. To keep Jonah safe, she’d do it again.

“In the kitchen.” Mom waved her arms. “Everyone. I made chicken for lunch. And tonight we’ll have a big family dinner. Oh, my goodness! Our first family dinner in years. All my babies under my roof. I have to call your father. Jonah, Reid, call your brothers. And Evie! She’s running some errands for me. She might be on her way already, but make sure. I want everyone here.”

“Mom,” Jonah said, “calm down. You’ll have a heart attack.”

“You hush up. I’m happy. And I swear, if any of you start a fight, I’ll strangle you.”

Micki swung back to her brothers, laughing because—yes—no matter how much had changed, certain things never would.

“Y'all get settled,” Mom said. “I’ll call your father and we’ll have lunch. And Jonah, when you go upstairs, take your sister’s bag to her room.”

Her room.

In reality, probably not her room, but a guest room. She wouldn't focus on that; what mattered was that her mother had a place for her.

In the kitchen, Gage pulled out a chair for her. She met his eyes, a beautiful crystalline blue that prompted thoughts of sunny days and hammocks. Next to her, this guy was all light and sunshine. Totally unattainable.

She shook off the rotten mood starting to swarm. It wasn’t Mr. All-American’s fault she’d allowed her life to turn into dark isolation.

She slid into the chair he offered. “Thank you, Gage. I like your name.”

“Suds,” Reid said, “you want a soda?”

“I’m good with water. Thanks.”

No harsh chemicals for Mr. Perfect.

From the fridge, Reid tossed his friend a water bottle while Jonah got active on his phone. Most likely texting their siblings about her sudden appearance.

Reid held up a pitcher. “Mom’s lemonade.”

Her mother’s lemonade. Another staple that hadn’t changed. And Reid had remembered it was her favorite. “Ooh, that sounds good.”

Jonah took the seat across from her. “Where’s the rest of your luggage?”

“No luggage. Just the duffel.”

Reid stalled his pouring and stared at her. “How long are you staying?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe till tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” her brothers said in unison.

And here we go. The big homecoming already splattering to the pavement.

“Yes. Quick trip.”

“Why? I mean, you can’t stay a few days?” This from Jonah.

No. She couldn’t. Twenty-four hours ago she’d run from Vegas, leaving everything, including her phone, behind. By now, Tomas might be heading back from Mexico, with or without Phil. She couldn’t be sure. The Mexican penal system was wacky, to say the least. They might keep him in jail, but he’d send Tomas back to Vegas to handle the office.

To handle her.

She knew from checking her e-mail on the road that Tomas was concerned. He’d sent her four messages asking where she was and why she wasn’t answering calls.

Sooner or later, he’d figure out she’d taken off and it wouldn’t be a stretch for him to search for her in Steele Ridge. She just needed to be gone when he showed up.

“One day. Two at the most,” she said to her brothers. “That’s all I have.”

Reid’s sister was hiding something.

Then again, Gage was six months into healing from a traumatic brain injury that could be messing with him. The TBI, thanks to the boulder he’d slammed his head into after getting shot, left him questioning a lot lately.

His instincts were no exception.

Reid finished pouring Micki’s lemonade, shoved it in front of her, and flattened his hands against the big farm table. “You come here, unannounced, which is totally unlike the barely handful of other times you showed up, and tell us you’re staying one day. What’s the rush?”

“I just…have to go.”

“Why?”

“Cripes, Reid!” Micki said, getting more snippy than necessary.

Reid had a knack for doing that to people. Poking at buttons they didn’t want poked. They’d served together long enough for Gage to recognize it. Luckily for Reid, and most of the people in his orbit, Gage had gotten good at defusing Reid-induced chaos.

Gage pointed at him. “Don’t lose your shit. Give her a second.”

As expected, Reid pushed off the table, folded his arms, and leaned back on Miss Joan’s gleaming countertop.

“Wow.” Micki looked over at Gage, eyebrows lifted. “Thank you.”

“No problem. He means well, but he gets anxious.”

“Damn straight I do,” Reid said. “I know you, Micki. After all this time, I still know you and you’re lying.”

“How am I lying? I said I can only stay one day. That’s how long I can stay.”

“Then you’re hiding something.”

Jonah leaned in, propped his chin in his hand. “Listen, knuckle-dragger. Give her a break. But Mick, as much as I hate saying this, he’s right. What’s going on with you? Aside from Mom’s birthday party, every other time you’ve come back you were on a schedule and knew exactly when you had to leave. Did that scum you work for do something?”

“No.”

Miss Joan entered the kitchen, all bright smiles and clapping hands. “I just spoke to your father. He’s on his way. If I’d known getting him out of that cabin was this easy I’d tell him every week our girl was home.”

Jonah’s phone bleep-bleeped and he scooped it up.

Miss Joan glared at him. She hated phones at the table. “Jonah? Really?”

“Yes, really. You told me to let everyone know. I’m letting them know. Britt and Grif are on the way. Evie was at the bakery. She’s leaving now.”

“Wonderful! The whole family here. I’m so happy.”

Gage glanced at Micki, who gnawed at her bottom lip. A damned nice bottom lip that was just the right amount of full. Miss Joan might be happy, but her daughter looked…spooked.

By her own family. What the hell?

“Boys,” Miss Joan said, “give me ten minutes to get food on the table. Take Micki outside, show her the property. Ten minutes!”

Jonah jerked his head at Reid. “You do that. I’ll take her bags upstairs.”

“Mom,” Micki said, “I can see the property later. Let me help you.”

“Shoo! All of you. Get some air. For someone who lives in Las Vegas you look pale. And tired. You need to get outside more. I tell Jonah this all the time.”

Reid headed toward the door. “Let’s go, Mick. Suds, you coming?”

He pushed out of the chair. Yeah, he was going. Because something told him the minute Reid got his sister outside, he’d be all over her with questions and she didn’t look ready for that battle. “I could use some air myself.”

Micki shot him a brief glance and followed Reid outside. Apparently, she had a pattern when it came to her visits. Suddenly, she’d altered the pattern. He didn’t need his tenure as an Intelligence and Operations sergeant to figure out something about this situation was off. In fact, right after lunch, he’d head back to his office and do a little snooping about Micki and whoever this guy was she worked for.