I drove through the familiar streets of Memphis, happier than I should have been to be behind the wheel of my own car. From time to time I’d point out familiar landmarks, but mostly just enjoyed the scenery in silence. Ruth sat quietly beside me, her hands clutched in her lap as she stared out the windows. She would make these little sounds from deep in her throat, but she never uttered a word.

We took the small two-lane highway that led the way out of town and into the exclusive neighborhood where I grew up, where my house sat and where Stone Security had its offices. I slowed as we passed the glass and steel building, though she really couldn’t see anything from that far back on the road. She tried, craning her neck as we moved past.

“We’ll go there tomorrow,” I promised. “Right now, I’d guess you’d like to freshen up before the barbecue Brent and his wife are throwing for us.”

“Of course.”

I continued guiding the car down the highway, turning off a few miles past Stone Security to follow a narrow drive that led the way to my childhood home. It’d become mine when my father died. Brent already had a home he shared with his wife, so I guessed my father left it to me to entice me to come home after his death. And it did. Not that I’d needed the house to bring me home after the double tragedy of losing our parents one after the other.

Ruth’s eyes widened as we pulled to a stop in front of the tall brick home.

“You live here?”

“All my life.”

She shook her head slowly. “Wow.”

I got out and moved around to her side of the car, helping her out as she continued to gawk at the front of the house. “It’s not as impressive as it looks. It’s just a five bedroom house that’s been added to and remodeled half a million times over the years.”

“You grew up here?”

“Me and my brothers and Remy.”

“Wow.”

I chuckled a little, tugging her behind me as I walked up to the front door and let us in. Her eyes were as big as saucers as I showed her into the living room, through the sitting room, to the dining room and the kitchen before taking her upstairs. I showed her to Remy’s old room, thinking she’d be most comfortable in the pink and blue space than one of the darker rooms my brothers had grown up in. No telling what she might find under the mattresses in there!

“Your family had money.”

“I told you, my father ran his own business.”

“But hearing it and seeing it are two very different things.”

I drew her into my arms. “Does that change how you feel about me?”

She cocked her head slightly. “It shouldn’t, but somehow it makes you a little more desirable.” She said it with all the seriousness she could conjure, but then she laughed and ruined it all.

I kissed her, allowing my lips to linger against hers. She sighed, moving close to me.

“I can’t believe I’m here with you. It’s such an honor that you would share this intimate side of yourself with me.”

“I’d share more of the intimate side of me with you if you’d allow it.”

She blushed quite furiously at my suggestion. “Jack,” she mumbled.

“Just kidding.”

I kissed the top of her head and pushed her into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

 

 

The barbecue was big and loud and chaotic, just like all Stone family events tended to be. I held tight to Ruth’s hand and kept her close to my side as I introduced her to cousins and neighbors and the growing number of people in my immediate family. Brent and Dane were hosting, their house open to the pitter-patter of any foot that wanted to enter. They’d been married just over eight months now and seemed ecstatically happy. Still. I was happy for them because I knew it had been a hard road for Dane to get to that place. The things Mad Dog had done to her…I was just glad they’d found their way to each other.

Bo and Remy were sickeningly sweet with their baby girl. She was big and round, a perfect copy of her mother. Rose. That’s what they’d chosen to call her, and it fit. She was a perfect Rose.

Aiden and Carson walked through the crowd hand in hand, looking alone even with all these people around them. She wore this little smile on her face whenever she looked up at him. They had this thing between them that was so like what father and mother had had that it frightened me a little. But it also pleased me to see my little brother so happy. Finally.

Gentry spent most of the barbecue playing baseball with his boy. He was sure making up for lost time with him. And his wife, Ami—Amelia—was watching from the sidelines, clearly over the moon to have them together like that.

I’d never realized what a soap opera my family was until I had to explain all the relationships to Ruth. It was like a bad novel, or a bad joke. But she seemed to find it all very fascinating.

Dane came and took Ruth into the kitchen to help with the final dinner preparations not long after I made those explanations, pulling the other ladies inside with them. I watched them go, my eyes following Ruth’s movements like I was afraid I’d never see them again. But then my eyes wandered, and I was a little taken aback when they fell on a familiar face.

Rae.

She was standing against the back of the house, a drink in her hands. She looked casual, but the expression on her face was far less so. She was watching me with an intensity I recognized immediately. She lifted the glass in something like a toast when she caught me looking. I lifted my glass, too, wondering what was going on in that pretty head of hers. But then Brent was blocking my view, his knowing brotherly look cooling my curiosity.

“Ruth’s a sweet girl.”

“She is.”

“I didn’t think you’d bring her out here. Not really.”

“Is that right?” I took a sip of my drink. “Why not?”

“Because you only bring girls around the family when you’re serious about them. The last girl you brought home was in college, wasn’t it?”

“You mean before Rae?”

He shrugged.

“I like Ruth. And she wanted to get to know you fools for some unknown reason.”

“Does she know about Rae?”

“Yeah, she knows.” Brent raised his eyebrows like he was shocked at that answer. “What?” I asked, raising my own eyebrows in a mocking gesture.

“I’m just surprised you’re capable of that level of honesty with a girl.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because it took you, what, three kisses before you told Rae about Stacy?”

I groaned. “That was a different time, a different situation.”

“But you have to admit you aren’t exactly honest with women.”

“I am with Ruth.”

“Why? What’s different about her?”

“She’s honest with me.” I shrugged. “She’s not like the other women I’ve dated.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“I don’t know. Both, I suppose.”

Brent continued to look surprised, like everything I was telling him was the opposite of what he expected. But then he glanced over at Rae. “Have you talked to her since you came home?”

“I’ve been home five hours!”

“Have you talked to her?”

“No.”

“Are you going to?”

“I don’t know.”

Brent tilted his head slightly. “You probably should.”

 

 

“The food was amazing. And your family is just fantastic! That baby, Rose, she’s such a smart baby. You know she already tries to say momma and daddy? Isn’t that amazing?”

I tugged at Ruth’s hand, pulling her up the stairs. “I’m glad you had fun.”

“Did you?”

I nodded, but my thoughts were full of Rae and the sight of her standing against the back of the house. She looked so lonely, but so content all at the same time. I wanted to go over there, say something. But what was there to say?

She was beautiful, Rae was. That red hair and her supple curves…I’d forgotten just how beautiful she was.

“A penny for your thoughts.”

“They’re not worth that much.” I moved close to Ruth and kissed the top of her head before steering her to her bedroom door. “You should get some rest. Everyone wants to give you a tour of Stone Security tomorrow, so you’ll probably see everything four or five times.”

“Sounds like fun. What will you be doing?”

“I have a little work to take care of while we’re here.”

She pushed out her bottom lip in an exaggerated pout. “Do you have to?”

“Afraid so. But just for tomorrow. After that, I’m all yours.”

She smiled up at me. “Good.” She rose up on her tiptoes and kissed me lightly, her lips lingering against my bottom lip. Something inside of me stood up at attention, but the rest of me was too exhausted from the day’s events to offer much more.

“Go to bed.”

She grabbed my wrist before I could pull away. “Come lie with me.”

I sighed against her mouth, kissing her again. “We need sleep. Get some sleep, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

I walked away, feeling the weight of her disappointment against my shoulders. I felt bad, but I simply didn’t have the energy for the anticipation tonight.

I went to my own bedroom, where ghosts of the past lived. As I crawled into bed, I imagined I could smell Rae’s scent on the pillows. I closed my eyes, and I could see her watching me, feel the weight of her gaze. I hadn’t expected the sight of her to get to me quite like that. What did it mean? I wasn’t sure, but it was something I needed to figure out, and soon.