memories of Martin, and his father. “No way.” And she wasn’t being relegated to the pool house again, either. Even if it did mean she wouldn’t have to face his mother.
Nathan’s eyebrow rose under the fall of hair on his forehead. Why was he surprised? She’d told him all about Martin growing up rich, and she’d tried to be nice when she told him about Martin’s mother.
“Not my mom’s house.” Jonah’s face morphed into a look she wasn’t familiar with. “My house.”
Elise opened her mouth, and her son put his hand over it. Nathan turned to face Jonah. “We would really appreciate staying with you. Thank you.”
She glared at her son, the traitor, while Jonah struggled to keep in a smile. Elise said, “Fine. If I’m going to be railroaded anyway, what’s the point in arguing?” She should have known Nathan would side with his uncle.
She shouldn’t even be around Jonah—that wasn’t what she was here for. And it wasn’t going to do her any good to dredge up long-buried feelings. Now they were going to stay at his house? If she wasn’t hurt and tired, she would probably argue more.
Elise folded her arms in a huff, which lost its impact since she had to be gentle with her ribs. “I’m going to need a toothbrush.”
Jonah’s mouth curled into a smile. “Is it wrong that I think you’re cute when you’re mad?”
“I’m not mad, I’m exhausted.”
Nathan shook his head, mouthing something to Jonah that made him laugh. Elise turned and climbed into the backseat of the car. She tried to stay awake as they drove. There was plenty to occupy her mind, but the interior was warm and the seat cushion gave enough that she slid down. It wasn’t long before she gave up the fight.
* * *
Elise woke in a bed. The room was small, only the bed and a dresser. On the dresser was a vase of flowers that were too perky to be real, as though someone had tried to make the room appear homey but that was all the effort they’d put into it. Like for a guest room. She rubbed sleep from her eyes and glanced around, but her attention wasn’t on the bare walls, or the denim-colored curtains.
Was she really in Jonah’s house?
Then again she’d survived an attack, a bomb and a break-in, the day before. Why should she be surprised at the fact that she was in Jonah’s home now?
She lifted her arms and caught herself before she stretched. The pain medication she’d taken the night before had waned. She’d have to take more soon. As if on cue, her stomach rumbled. She looked at the clock on the wall. It was past ten? No wonder she was hungry.
Elise found a change of clothes on the end of the bed—shorts and a NAVY T-shirt that were clearly Jonah’s, since she had no stuff of her own. How long would it be before the police released the belongings that hadn’t been stolen back to her?
The coffeepot in the kitchen was half-full and still hot, so she rummaged in Jonah’s cabinets and found a mug. He still took half-and-half in his java, so she added some of that for a treat, along with her usual splash of milk and enough sugar that she’d have some extra energy.
Where were they?
Elise looked out the window, but all she saw was grass and a barn. Jonah, who’d grown up in a mansion on the rich side of town, now had a weathered ranch that strangely fit his personality perfectly—even if it did seem a little forlorn.
Nails clicked on the tile floor, and a tan dog with a black saddle and folded-over ears above a German shepherd’s face wandered in, headed for a food bowl.
Jonah had always loved German Shepherds, but this one was mixed with a Collie, which softened the dog’s features in a way that was immensely cute.
She smiled at him. “Hello.”
The dog eyed her but started eating. Probably worried she would try and take his food. Elise crouched and let the animal get to know her scent. She ran her fingers through his scruff. He was well fed, but lean. They probably ran together.
Years ago she, Jonah and Martin had run together. The idea Jonah now ran with someone who wasn’t her—even if it was a dog—weighed on her so suddenly she sat down on the cold tile. Logically he’d have run with other people over the years. After all, it had been close to two decades. Why did it bother her so much now?
Martin was gone, and Jonah was the one still here. He probably hurt over his brother’s death as much as she did. Would she ever reach the point when she stopped remembering exactly what she’d lost? Martin. Jonah. Their father. The mess she’d made of all of it was immense. Overwhelmed by the tide of grief and guilt, Elise turned her attention again to the dog.
“Let me guess...Hound?”
The dog’s ears pricked up. He closed the gap between them and nuzzled her until her hand cramped from stroking him. Elise lifted the tag on his collar. Sam. She chuckled. Jonah had always given his pets normal names like Steve or Wilson.
This was what she needed, some animal therapy. No matter how much she helped an animal, it always seemed to heal something in her at the same time. Animals were a solace she found nowhere else, especially when the grief of losing the Rivers brothers swallowed her. The peace and comfort she got from being around animals—and through sharing that with her son—was a gift from God.
Jonah had probably brought them there knowing Elise would be a sucker for his terminally cute dog. Was he trying to win them over with his animal? Too bad it was sort of working.
“Where’s your master, huh?” Of course, the dog didn’t actually answer. But there was no one else here to talk to.
The couch looked like someone had slept there. It was like her son to bed down anywhere. He’d slept in animal enclosures many times when they were sick, or when one of the females was giving birth. Nathan was almost a nomad in his sleeping habits, bonding only with her and the animals. He seemed to find home in living beings, and not in a place to return to at the end of the day.
Elise walked to the front door so she could look around outside. The dog padded after her and she stopped at the door. “You want to come?”
Sam looked at her, the fuzzy hair around his muzzle making him look almost like he had a mane. The dog cocked his head and Elise smiled. Should she have expected his company?
Elise pulled a heavy jacket from a hook by the door. “Very well, then.” She chuckled. “After you.”
* * *
“This is so cool.” The kid’s eyes lit.
Jonah’s face stretched in a smile at the excitement on Nathan’s face. The old Triumph motorcycle he was restoring sat between them in the dusty barn. In one corner was his own father’s old sixties Chevelle, and the horse stalls were piled up with rusty car parts.
When Nathan motioned to it, Jonah immediately knew what he wanted. “Go for it.”
Nathan touched the handles reverently. He swung his leg over and sat, grinning like it was Christmas.
Jonah had gone into the office at seven for the meeting about Fix Tanner, and he was wiped. By tonight he was going to be dead on his feet. He’d have to go to bed early like an old man.
Nathan squeezed the handle. If he was younger, he’d probably have been making vroom noises. It hit Jonah then. The hair, the eyes with Martin’s light in them. Jonah touched a hand to his chest where the ache of loss over his brother’s death had never really gone away.
Eighteen years since he’d been gone, and here was Martin’s son, sitting on the bike they had bought together. The bike they had planned to fix up together when Jonah got out of the marines.
Tears filled his eyes. He’d only been thinking about trying to show his nephew the things that were important to him. They needed to base their relationship on something other than the connection they had through Elise. To find a common