by Kathy Ivan
There was a pause, long enough she was afraid he wouldn’t answer. Then he sighed. “Somebody did a real number on her place.”
“Son, I didn’t ask about her place. How are you holding up?”
Rafe gave a ragged laugh, the sound brittle and hollow. “Honestly? I don’t know. I’m doing my damndest to remain professional and treat this like any other crime scene. Except it’s not. Scenarios keep playing in my head, over and over. What if she’d been home? What if I hadn’t noticed the motion detector not coming on and she walked into that whole mess alone? What if they’d still been there, and I couldn’t help her?”
“You care about her.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah. Kind of snuck up on me, and it’s way too soon to call it the L word, but she means a lot to me.”
“If she’s important to you, then we’ll have to make sure nothing happens to her. When you’re finished, go home and try to get some sleep. We’ll take good care of Tessa, I promise.”
“Momma, I…”
Patti glanced through the opening leading from the kitchen to the living room, separated only by a hallway, studying the woman they were talking about. “I know, son. It’ll work out, you’ll see.”
Over the line, she heard voices in the background, knew he needed to deal with his people, get the job done. But he was her son, her first child, which made it much harder knowing he was in pain, and there wasn’t a thing she could do about it.
“I’ve gotta run. Tell Tessa I’ll see her tomorrow.”
“I will. Good night, Rafe.”
Standing in the doorway, she watched Tessa sleep. Despite her repose, a worry line appeared between her brows, as if she couldn’t relax even in sleep. Shaking her head, Patti walked to the front door and did something she never thought she’d have to do in Shiloh Springs.
She turned the lock.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Tessa walked through the front door of her house the next morning, staring in disbelief. The scene from the previous night might well have been a bad dream, because no trace of the devastation remained. The broken and unusable furniture had been removed, the papers picked up and stacked neatly.
“Good. The boys got everything tidied up.” Ms. Patti walked past her into the kitchen, and set her purse on the table. “Lucas, Joshua, and Shiloh should be here any time with the stuff from Brody’s storage locker.”
“Ms. Patti, I’m speechless.” Tessa moved her arm in an arc, indicating the living room. “Last night, this was a total disaster. I thought I’d come home, and spend the day trying to deal with the mess.”
Ms. Patti squeezed her shoulder. “Neighbors help each other. At least we do in Shiloh Springs. Between you and me, though, I can’t guarantee my boys put everything back exactly where you had it. But you’ve got time to get things squared away.” She grinned and winked. “The thing about having eleven boys—you’ve always got more than enough hanging around to get things done.”
“I can’t imagine having a house filled with so many kids.”
“Well, sugar, we didn’t have them all at once. Rafe tell how he came to live with us?”
She nodded. “Some of it. I think he might have skimmed over the more salient details.”
“Come on, we might as well get comfortable, at least until my boys get here with the furniture.” They made their way into the kitchen, and Tessa headed straight for the refrigerator. Pulling it open, she noted the half full pitcher of lemonade she’d made the day before. Pouring two glasses, she handed one to Ms. Patti before sitting across from the older woman.
“Would you mind telling me? About Rafe, I mean.”
“Rafe was our first.” Tessa heard the nostalgic note in Ms. Patti’s voice, a wistful expression crossing her face. “Douglas and I tried for a long time to get pregnant. My OB/GYN said it would take a miracle for me to conceive, and even if I did, the chances were slim I’d carry to full term.”
“That’s awful.” What can you say when somebody tells you about a painful chapter in their life? Tessa couldn’t imagine the sorrow and grief Ms. Patti and Douglas must have felt. When Ms. Patti reached across the table and squeezed her hand, she realized her expression must have given her away.
“Once we got past the shock, we decided to leave everything in God’s hands. We talked about adoption, maybe getting a surrogate. But like everything else in life, when you start making plans, the world creates havoc around you, derailing everything you accomplish.”
Tessa knew the feeling first hand, especially with the loss of her parents. Life took unexpected twists and turns, and she never knew what was coming next. “I get it. I had my life planned out too, then things spun out of control, and here I am in Shiloh Springs. But, please—tell me more—about how you got Rafe.”
“After Douglas got out of the Army, he wanted to move back to Shiloh Springs. This is his home. It’s in his blood. Where he grew up, and where the family’s ranch is, so we came back. His brother ran the ranch itself, which was fine with Douglas. He didn’t have an interest in raising cattle. Anyway, I’ll skip ahead a few years. Douglas started his construction company, and did volunteer work for the fire department whenever he could. He loved being involved with the community, though they didn’t get a lot of calls. Shiloh Springs was a lot smaller then. One night, he responded to a bad car wreck. The woman driving was killed, but the boy was still alive but trapped inside.”
“Rafe?” Tessa said his name quietly, not wanting Ms. Patti to stop telling the story.
“Yes. Douglas said it was one of the worst wrecks he’d ever seen. They had to use the Jaws of Life to cut the roof and the door off, to get to him. To this day, I still remember his voice when he told me about the wreck, and them pulling the boy free. He had a large gash on his head, and was covered with so much blood they couldn’t tell if he had any other injuries. When they loaded him onto a gurney, he latched onto Douglas’ hand, and begged him not to leave him. Douglas said Rafe gripped so tight, he nearly cut off the circulation. Poor child, he already knew his mother was dead.”
Tessa walked over to the sink, and stood staring out the window, picturing the scene in her mind. To have endured so much, when he was still a child. “How old was he?”
“Eleven.”
“I can’t even…” She broke off, because what could she say?
“Douglas rode in the ambulance with him to the hospital, held his hand the entire way. Rafe clung to Douglas like he was his only lifeline in a world gone crazy. My husband stayed at the hospital the entire night. Never left Rafe’s side. He called me the next morning, told me to come to the hospital. When I walked into Rafe’s room, Douglas was sitting in a chair beside the bed, sound asleep, still clinging to that little boy’s hand. I knew, before he ever spoke a single word, we had a special child about to become part of us—part of our family.”
Tessa turned toward Ms. Patti, hearing the catch in her voice. “He is very lucky to have you.”
She shook her head. “No, sugar, we’re the lucky ones. It wasn’t easy. First, we had to get emergency certification to become foster parents.” Laughing, she added, “We were totally clueless. Fortunately, Douglas’ captain at the fire station knew a wonderful social worker, who helped facilitate the process and we were approved, so by the time Rafe could leave the hospital, we were ready for him. Well, as ready as two people can be when a traumatized eleven-year-old is dropped into their laps.”
“He’s a Boudreau, though. Did you formally adopt him?”
Ms. Patti huffed out a laugh at her words. “I’d have adopted him in a heartbeat, so would Douglas. Except we couldn’t, because his father is still alive.”
Shock spilled through Tessa at the other woman’s words. Rafe mentioned his father when telling her about his past, how he’d abused and murdered his mother, and was serving life in prison. It didn’t make sense. If Douglas and Ms. Patti hadn’t adopted him, how was he a Boudreau?
“I won’t talk about his biological father. That
’s up to Rafe to tell you—or not. But my boy is a Boudreau through-and-through. He might not be our blood, but he owns every bit of our hearts.”
Tessa watched Ms. Patti struggle against tears, and felt a knot in the pit of her gut. She hadn’t wanted to upset her friend, and a wave of guilt swamped her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Hush, girl. You didn’t upset me. Sometimes the memories can be a tad overwhelming. Where was I? Oh, right, Rafe. He lived with us until he turned eighteen, when he graduated from high school and prepared to go to A&M. I was so proud of him. He got a full scholarship. You’ve never seen anybody work so hard for something. Anyway, right before he left, he sat down with Douglas and me. Said he had something to show us. Then he handed his father a set of legal papers.” Ms. Patti closed her eyes, the slightest smile on her lips. The glow of happiness radiating from her was nearly palpable, along with a sense of contentment.
“What kind of papers?” Tessa couldn’t resist asking.
“He’d gone through the whole process of legally changing his name to Boudreau. Never said a word to either of us, so we didn’t have a clue what he intended. Said while he’d never turn his back on his birth mother and how important she’d been in his life, we were his family. The papers reflected the change in his legal name to Rafael Felipe Alvarado Boudreau.” She paused for a second, a faraway look in his gaze. “His mother’s maiden name was Alvarado.”
Tessa’s chest tightened with so much emotion she could barely breathe. She’d found Rafe to be an honorable and caring man. Still, the actions of an eighteen-year-old barely out of school, delineated him, shaped and honed him into the strong and compassionate man she was secretly afraid she was falling in love with. The act of someone confident in himself, with a whole heart filled with love to give. A true testament to what Douglas and Ms. Patti taught him. “That’s amazing.”
“He’s amazing. I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told another living soul, and don’t you repeat it.”
Tessa placed her hand on her heart. “I promise.”
“Rafe left that night to go meet up with his brothers at the diner. They’d planned a big going away celebration, just the guys. My husband isn’t an overtly emotional man. Stoic, irascible, he’s generous to a fault and he’ll give you his last dime without a single thought. He’s as big as a mountain, but after Rafe left that night, Douglas broke down and cried. I held my husband in my arms while he wept like a baby, because he loves that boy more than his own life. Regardless of the circumstances which brought Rafe into our lives, he’s ours.”
It was the proverbial last straw. Tessa walked around the table, and wrapped her arms around Ms. Patti’s shoulders. Whether the other woman knew it or not, she’d given Tessa an unguarded look into the past of a man who was slowly making a place for himself in her life and her heart. While the thought should have scared her, it didn’t.
“Thank you for sharing with me.”
With a sigh, Ms. Patti pulled back and met Tessa’s gaze. “You’re a nice woman, and I like you. And I think my son likes you too. But,” she paused to emphasize the seriousness of her words, “you hurt him, and you’ll answer to me.”
“I have no intention of hurting Rafe. I…care about him.”
At the sound of voices from outside, Tessa straightened. She stared as several Boudreau men came through her front door. Lucas was first, holding the door wide, while Joshua and another man wrestled a butterscotch-colored leather sofa through her front door. Hair dark as a raven’s wing spilled free across wide shoulders. When he looked up, she met a pair of startling blue eyes. The combination gave him a slightly exotic look.
Giving her a lopsided grin, he asked, “Where do you want this?” He nodded toward the sofa, and she pointed toward the living room, still staring. She’d seen a lot of handsome guys, but Shiloh Boudreau took her breath away. The man could easily grace the cover of GQ. Though she was attracted to Rafe, she wasn’t blind, and Shiloh Boudreau embodied masculinity personified. A glorious specimen of masculinity. He had the kind of face her mother used to call angel-kissed.
Ms. Patti strolled in from the kitchen, and nudged Tessa out of the way with a hip bump. “I’ll take care of this, sugar.” With the air of a drill sergeant, she directed the men, and soon her living room and bedroom contained the replacement furniture Brody had offered, substitutes for the items the burglar destroyed.
“Hey, Momma, you in there?”
Ms. Patti whipped around at the sound the voice from outside, before turning to glare at Shiloh. “Ridge is home? Why didn’t you tell me?”
He shrugged. “He wanted it to be a surprise.”
Tessa glanced up when another man strode through the front door, and knew her jaw hung open. Looking at Ms. Patti, she whispered, “There are two of them?”
The other woman chuckled. “Twins.”
The newcomer winked at her, and Tessa’s hands flew to her cheeks. Caught staring, heat flooded her cheeks when Shiloh chuckled.
“Meet my brother, Ridge.”
“A pleasure, Ms. Tessa.” She watched Ridge envelope Ms. Patti in a bear hug, lifting her clear off the floor and spinning her around. Her joyous laugh spread through the living room.
Tessa found herself fascinated with all the Boudreau men. Each seemed to have an interesting tale connecting them to Douglas and Ms. Patti, and she’d love to pursue Shiloh and Ridge’s, but it would have to wait for another time and place. At the moment, her little house overflowed with Boudreaus, and she hadn’t even offered them anything to eat or drink. Where were the southern manners her mother drilled into her since she’d been big enough to tie on an apron?
“I’ve got iced tea, lemonade, coffee and soda. There’s also cinnamon coffee cake and brownies.” Glancing around at the men, she decided formality wouldn’t do. “Follow me to the kitchen, guys, and help yourselves.”
Minutes later, she was down a gallon of iced tea, two coffee cakes and a plateful of iced brownies. She’d have to make sure Jill got an extra big thank you, because she’d stopped by earlier and dropped off the treats, expecting them to last Tessa a while in her freezer. Of course, that was before the Boudreau hoard descended.
“Best brownies I’ve ever eaten, no offense, Momma.” Shiloh popped the last bite in his mouth. Ridge nodded his agreement.
“Wish I could take the credit,” Tessa handed out a stack of napkins, watching the men chow down on the sweets. “Jill dropped those off this morning.”
“Jill Monroe?” Ms. Patti’s brow rose with her question, and Tessa nodded.
“First the cake, and now these goodies. I definitely need to have a chat with Jill.” Grabbing the huge bag Ms. Patti never seemed to be without, she dug out her cellphone and made a quick notation, a mysterious smile curving her lips. A shiver skittered down Tessa’s spine. She didn’t ever want Ms. Patti coming after her with that particular expression.
“Anything else you need, Momma? Otherwise, I’ve got some stuff I need to get done while I’m here.” Ridge stood and tossed his napkin in the trash, before pulling his mother into an embrace.
“Call your father. He’s been worried about you.”
“I’m planning on stopping by the job site this afternoon anyway. Thought I’d surprise him.”
“He’ll love that.” She hugged him before running her hand over his hair. “I’m so glad you’re home.”
“Me too.”
Tessa’s eyes welled at the depth of emotion streaming between Ms. Patti and Ridge. After talking with Rafe at the well in his mother’s garden, she’d learned all the Boudreau men weren’t the biological children of Douglas and Patti Boudreau, though even a blind person could see that didn’t matter. This woman loved all her children. It didn’t matter she hadn’t carried them within her body—they were hers. Her respect and admiration of the woman grew with every passing day. If she could be half the woman Patti Boudreau was, she’d count herself fortunate.
Ms. Patti pulled away from R
idge, and looped the handle of her bag over her shoulder. “Tessa, honey, is there anything else you need?”
“No, I think you’ve all done more than enough. Please thank Brody again for loaning me his furniture. I’m thankful I don’t have to rush around trying to find replacement pieces for everything they got destroyed.”
“Hush, girl, it wasn’t your fault. Besides, your rental agreement would have handled everything.” Her gaze swept the kitchen, landing on each of her sons. “I expect to see you all at the Big House tonight for dinner.” She turned back to Tessa. “That includes you. Rafe will pick you up.”
“Really, Ms. Patti, he doesn’t…” Her words trailed off at Ms. Patti’s raised brow. She swallowed back the rest of her protest. “Yes, ma’am.”
Ms. Patti chuckled, and patted Tessa’s shoulder. “Right answer. See you tonight.”
She left, which left Tessa in a kitchen with four Boudreau men and about a million questions. Maybe if she played her cards right, she might be able to get a few of those questions answered. Putting her hands on her hips, she let her gaze meet each Boudreau.
“Anybody still hungry? I’ve got lasagna.”
When all four hands raised, she chuckled. Sometimes guys were just too easy.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Tessa looked up from the paper she was grading, and found her friend Jill standing in the doorway, a huge grin on her face. They’d made arrangements the night before to meet after school ended for the day. More than ready for a break, she grinned at her friend, whose barely restrained excitement evident in the happy dance she was doing in the open doorway.
“Did you bring it?” Jill’s question made Tessa smile even wider.
She held up the family recipe book, its worn brown leather soft against her fingertips. “As promised.”
“Awesome! I’ve been craving those chicken and dumplings your mother made. I swear, even though I’ve eaten them at dozens of restaurants, nobody made them like she did.”