Rafe

by Kathy Ivan

  “How’d you manage that?”

  Her laughter filled the air. “Bribed him with free labor. You know what a tightwad the man is. I simply made him an offer her couldn’t refuse. Brody and Lucas are headed over there this afternoon.”

  “Lucas is home?” Last he’d heard, his brother was in San Antonio, following up on a story he’d been investigating for weeks. One he hadn’t gotten all the details on—yet—but if it was important or dangerous, his brother knew Rafe would have his back—always. If there was one thing the Boudreau brothers knew, family could always be depended on when you needed them.

  “He got in a little past midnight.”

  “Glad he’s home.” He popped the last bite of muffin into his mouth and washed it down with the rest of the orange juice. “I’m off today, so I’ll stop by this afternoon and help out. Least I can do, since I almost tossed your new tenant into a cell last night.”

  His momma grinned. Not her usual sweet grin. Nope, this was an I-know-something-you-don’t-know grin. And what the heck was that all about? “She did mention it.”

  “Did she?”

  Instead of answering, his mother gathered up the thermos and shoved it into her bag, pulling it up onto her shoulder.

  “Momma—”

  “I’ve got to run, I’m meeting a client in an hour.” Reaching up, she brushed a soft kiss against his cheek, and he hugged her tight. Didn’t matter what was happening in their lives, she never left without giving him a kiss goodbye. It was a lifeline he clung to, when everyday life seemed to get the better of him. Some days he’d stop by the ranch, just so he’d feel her soft lips against his cheek.

  “Love you, son. I’ll see you later.”

  “Love you too, Momma.”

  With a shrug, he headed for the shower. Since he was up and awake, he might as well get some work done before he headed over to Red’s place.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Hello?”

  “Tessa, you were supposed to call me when you arrived last night.”

  “Beth? Sorry. I barely had time to unload a couple of the boxes before I crashed.”

  “I may be a worrywart, but that’s what big sisters do.”

  Tessa shook her head. Surely there had to be big sisters somewhere who didn’t worry so much. Hers didn’t happen to be one of them.

  “Beth, we talked about this. I made a commitment to teach for a year in Shiloh Springs. Momma and Daddy wouldn’t have wanted me to renege on my contract. They taught us better. Besides, after everything with Trevor, I needed a clean break. I thought you understood.”

  She heard Beth’s sigh over the line. “I know. I can’t believe how much I miss you already, though.”

  Tessa heard the underlying frustration in her sister’s voice. Tessa had always been the good sister, the responsible one. Beth had been the frivolous one, the party girl, living life to its fullest, or at least she had until she’d gotten married. Now she was a stay-at-home mom with a husband and precious little Jamie.

  Beth struggled with Tessa’s decision to move to Texas, especially after the sudden death of their parents. Keeping her word and leaving her sister and her precious niece behind when all she wanted was the warmth of family was the hardest thing Tessa had ever done, but she knew beyond any doubt it was what her parents would have wanted her to.

  Always the good daughter.

  “Beth, I miss you, too. But the school year will go by fast, you’ll see.” She didn’t want to tell her sister already some of the painful grief of losing her parents had lifted. Now instead of the overwhelming hurt and sorrow, she’d begun to feel a smidgeon of hope. Here in Texas, where her mother wasn’t around every turn, it almost felt as if her mom and dad were back home, still alive, and waiting for her return.

  “Well, I wish you hadn’t taken a job so far away. I mean, Texas? Couldn’t you have picked someplace closer?” The plaintive whine in Beth’s voice caused her to smile.

  “It won’t be forever, sis. I’m going to visit. And on the bright side, at least Trevor won’t be following me all the way to Texas.” Even he wasn’t that crazy. I hope.

  “I can’t believe what a jackass he turned out to be. But enough about the jerk. What’s it like there—Shiloh Springs? Have you met anybody yet?”

  “I’ve actually met several people. They’ve all been very nice.” Well, except for the sheriff, who’d wanted to haul her to jail, but she was trying to forget about him. Forget about his dark chocolate-brown eyes. Forget his quirky grin. Forget about his wide shoulders, and how sexy he’d looked in his cowboy hat.

  “Hey, you got awful quiet there, sis. Wait a second—did something happen you’re not telling me?” Beth’s voice got all high pitched with excitement. “You’ve been there less than twenty-four hours, and you’ve already met someone? Way to go, little sister!”

  “It’s not like that,” Tessa protested, though knowing Beth, she wouldn’t hear a word she said now. She’d be too busy marrying her off to a complete stranger. After all the trouble with her crazy ex, Trevor, Beth would be happy to see her date anyone, including Attila the Hun.

  “Tell me all about him. What does he look like? Is he a cowboy? Was he riding a horse and wearing six shooters?”

  “Seriously, Beth? Six shooters? What are you—twelve? I’m living in a rural but modern town, not out in the middle of West Texas cattle country. Besides, I met my female realtor yesterday, and one of the female local business people this morning.” No need to mention said business person happened to be the good-looking sheriff’s mother.

  “Come on, let me live vicariously through you. I could stand to hear about somebody having a little romance in their life.”

  Uh oh, that didn’t sound good.

  “Sis?” She didn’t want to broach the subject, but if Beth needed somebody to talk to…

  “Everything’s fine. I’m grumpy because Evan seems to work all the time—when he’s not traveling. Jamie and I miss her daddy.” Tessa heard Jamie squeal in the background at the sound of her name. A tiny fist squeezed the air out of her chest at the thought of her precocious niece. Just turned three, she was at an age where everything she did was adorable. Moving away from Jamie had been the hardest part of leaving.

  “How is my princess?”

  “She’s been a holy terror all morning. I think she misses you.”

  “Not fair, Beth. Don’t lay a guilt trip on me.”

  “Is it working? Because I’ll put her on the phone if it’ll make you come home.”

  Tessa chuckled. Beth would do it too. She wasn’t above a little emotional blackmail to get her way.

  “Give Jamie a kiss for me. I need to finish unloading the boxes, return the rental trailer, and finish unpacking.”

  “Fine. But I expect a call in a week. Promise?”

  Rolling her eyes, Tessa gave her word. “Pinky swear. Now I really gotta go. Love you.”

  After a few more minutes of stalling, she finally hung up and glanced around at the still unpacked boxes, and decided a short mental break was called for before she dove back in. She grabbed her purse and keys, ready to head toward the center of Shiloh Springs. Yesterday, she hadn’t taken the time, since she’d had an appointment to meet Serena, to do more than drive straight though the town.

  First thing on today’s to-do list—pick up some groceries and a coffee maker. She’d left her old one behind, since it was a relic and not worth packing.

  Flinging open the door, she stared at the stranger standing on her porch, hand raised to knock. Hmm, Shiloh Springs certainly grew some mighty fine men. Standing several inches over six feet tall, with startlingly blue eyes, sandy brown hair, and the prerequisite cowboy hat shading his face, there was no denying he was attractive. Yet, he didn’t send her stomach fluttering madly like Rafe Boudreau had.

  “Morning, Ms. Maxwell.” He touched the brim of his hat, his blue eyes twinkling. “I’m Brody Boudreau. My mother asked me to drop off a few things.”

  “I wasn’t expect
ing anything.”

  He started to lean against the porch railing, but straightened when it shifted beneath his weight, a frown marring his otherwise handsome face. “It’s not much. A few groceries and things to get you through, until you can stock your cupboards.”

  “Oh, I was on my way to the grocery store, right after I return the rental trailer.” She gestured toward her car. “It’s very thoughtful of your mother, and I appreciate the gesture.”

  “Lemme grab the bags out of the truck. I’ll be right back.”

  Her gaze followed him. She hadn’t noticed the pickup truck parked at the curb, or the other man unloading yard equipment from the truck bed. From this far away, and with a hat obscuring his face, she couldn’t tell much about him, except he was tall and whipcord lean.

  Brody returned with several brown paper sacks, overflowing with food. “Want these in the kitchen?”

  “Please.”

  Tessa pushed the front door open and stood back, watching him stride inside like he’d been there a thousand times before. Who knows, maybe he had. She followed behind, tossing her purse onto the countertop. Brody placed the bags on the table, and began unloading them. Fresh produce, eggs, cheese, meat, and bread. Far more than she’d have picked up on her own.

  “This is too much.”

  He shot her a grin. “You’ll have to take it up with Momma, because I’m not hauling it back out to the Big House.”

  The way he said the name definitely implied capital letters, and she repeated, “The Big House?”

  “The Boudreau Homestead, known to the locals as the Big House, because the Boudreaus tend to have a houseful most of the time. Plus, it’s the largest spread in the county.” He continued unloading bags, placing the perishables into the refrigerator, like it was something he did every day. Which for all she knew, he might. Maybe he was the local grocer, and did this for a living. Although, she mused, giving him a long perusal, she didn’t peg him for the indoor type.

  The whirr of a lawnmower drifted through the open kitchen window, and it sounded really close. Like, in her yard close. Brody must have seen her confusion. “That’ll be my brother, Lucas.”

  “Another Boudreau?”

  He grinned. “You’ll get used to it.”

  Shaking her head, she picked up the boxes of cereal and stowed them in the pantry, along with the canned goods Brody had lined up along the counter. She wasn’t going to have to do any shopping for weeks, with all this food. Making a mental note to talk to Ms. Patti about reimbursing her, she heard a car door slam, and heavy footfalls against the wooden porch.

  “Hey, Red, you here?”

  Red? Nobody called her that, except…

  “We’re in the kitchen,” Brody answered before she opened her mouth, and Rafe Boudreau strode into the space, instantly dominating the room. Funny how it hadn’t seemed small until now.

  “How’s my favorite burglar this morning?” He gave her a wink, before giving a nod to his brother. Seeing them standing side by side, she couldn’t spot any similarities between the two men. Different hair color, different eye color. Brody had an All-American look, while Rafe’s appearance had a bit more exotic flare dark hair and deep brown eyes.

  “Burglar? Looks like I missed out on all the fun.”

  Rafe grinned. “I’ll let Red fill you in, if she wants. In the meantime, Momma stopped by this morning, and said you and Lucas planned to work on the outside of this place. Spruce things up. Figured I’d drop by and give you a hand.”

  “Guys, I appreciate the help, but…”

  “No buts, Red. Momma’s right. This place should have been ready inside and out by the time you arrived. It won’t take us any time to put things to rights. You go ahead with whatever you were doing, and we’ll be outside if you need anything.” Rafe grabbed his brother’s arm, and practically frogmarched him toward the front door.

  “Nice meeting you, Ms. Maxwell,” Brody called over his shoulder, shooting her a grin.

  “Call me Tessa.”

  “She didn’t say I could call her Tessa,” she heard Rafe mutter, right before the front door closed behind the two men. A tiny smile touched her lips as she finished putting away the groceries, feeling a lightness inside she hadn’t in a long time.

  So far, she hadn’t had a dull moment in Shiloh Springs. What else did this not-so-sleepy town have in store for her?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “Okay, bro, what’s the story with Red?” Brody grabbed a large pair of garden shears, and started clipping away at the overgrown bushes lining the front porch. Rafe set his toolbox on the first step, and bristled at the emphasis his brother put on the nickname he’d given Tessa, but let it slide. He didn’t have any claim on the woman. Shoot, they’d just met the night before, yet he’d felt an instant chemistry with the feisty redhead. Had from the moment he spotted her climbing through the front window with her backside in the air.

  “Not much to tell. Met her last night, right after she arrived. I simply kept her company until Serena got here.” Which was the truth, minus the fun bits.

  “Momma says she’s the new teacher, taking over for Mrs. Edwards.” Brody didn’t look up from his work, so Rafe couldn’t read his expression, but his interest in Red was evident.

  “That’s right.”

  “I sure don’t remember having any teachers as pretty as her when I was in school. Might’ve paid more attention if I had.”

  Rafe didn’t answer, watching Lucas make another sweep with the lawnmower. Even from a distance, Rafe noted the slight stoop to his brother’s shoulders, the weariness in his stride. He couldn’t help worrying about him. This latest story he’d been digging into was an ugly piece of work, and Lucas tended to get a little too personally involved in his investigations. While it made for some great exposés, it also left a deep scar on his psyche. He’d have to talk with him, see what he could do to help.

  Opening the toolbox, he grabbed the hammer and a handful of nails, and went to work on the loose railing. Within minutes, the rickety spindles had been reattached, and the rail had lost its wobble. He stood back and surveyed his handwork, before adding a couple more nails to the front steps, making them more stable too.

  A red Ford F-250 pulled up across the street, and Rafe grinned when his dad and his brother, Liam, stepped out. Looked like Momma had rallied the troops to take care of Operation Fix Up the New Teacher’s House. Sending Douglas meant she expected things to run with military precision, because that’s how his dad got things done. It was one of the many reasons he was in such high demand for construction jobs. He got things done right and on time.

  “Hi, Dad. Come to check in, and make sure we’re doing as ordered?”

  “Your momma knows you boys won’t let her down. Now, get over here and help me with this stuff.” Douglas pointed toward the back end of his truck. Liam was already busy unloading a ladder. Stepping closer, he spotted several buckets of paint and a couple of hand sanders.

  Setting the paint buckets onto the porch, he spotted Tessa headed toward him with a tray in her hands. He reached for the screen door and held it open, and she stepped through, giving him a sheepish smile. Glancing down, he grinned and inhaled a deep breath. Though he wasn’t sure how she’d managed it, in the short time he’d been outside, she’d whipped up a batch of cookies.

  “I figured it was the least I could do, since you’re all helping me.”

  “Well, I for one, appreciate it. I’ll admit I’ve got a sweet tooth.” Taking the tray from her hands, Rafe gestured toward the front, where the rest of his family made quick work of the landscape. The scent of freshly cut grass mixed with the fresh baked cookie smell, reminding him of weekends at the Big House, when he’d been a rowdy teenager.

  “Hey, guys, take a break. Tessa made cookies.”

  The sound of the lawnmower cut off abruptly, and the other four men mounted the steps to the front porch. Tessa’s eyes widened when she spotted his dad and Liam.

  “Thanks, Tessa,” Brody sai
d with a grin, snatching two cookies off the plate. “Chocolate chip, my favorite.”

  Rafe moved a step closer and scowled at his brother, who simply shrugged and stuffed half a cookie in his mouth.

  “Red, this is my dad, Douglas Boudreau. The blond standing behind him is my brother, Liam, and the redhead is another brother, Lucas. Guys, this is Tessa Maxwell, the new teacher.”

  Douglas shot him a look before extending his hand. “Ms. Maxwell, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to Shiloh Springs.”

  “Please, Mr. Boudreau, call me Tessa. And thank you all. This is…”

  “A bit overwhelming?” Douglas chuckled, and scrubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “You can blame my wife. She started issuing orders the minute she got home, and assigned everybody jobs. Trust me, you don’t say no to my wife.”

  “Good to know.”

  Finishing the cookies, the men went back to work, and Rafe followed Tessa into the kitchen. A half-empty bowl of cookie dough sat on the counter next to the oven. He bit back a grin when she began scooping out another batch of cookies onto a sheet tray and stuck them in the oven.

  “Glad I made enough to do a second batch. I wasn’t expecting so many people.” She met his eyes, giving him a rueful smile. “Truthfully, I wasn’t expecting any people. I’d planned on tackling a couple of things today, after I unpacked and returned the trailer. Which reminds me, I’ve still got to make it down there before they close.”

  “No problem. I’ll drop it off for you.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Gimme your keys and I’ll run it over now, and be back before you know it. I know the guy who runs the place, and he won’t mind staying open a few minutes. Especially if the sheriff asks nicely.” His eyes twinkled as he added the last line, and she found herself smiling. “You can stay here and make a dent in those boxes.”

  He watched her nibble on her lower lip, worrying at it as she considered his offer. It was apparent she had no idea how adorable she looked, with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, her blue eyes sparkling. He could practically see her weighing her options in her head. Trust the sheriff with her car; don’t trust a stranger with her car. Knew the exact moment she when made her decision.