His response was what Brooke needed to relieve the tension she’d been feeling all day. She needed to relax, enjoy the evening, and not jump to conclusions.
“All right, everyone.” Heath stood at the end of the table, holding a glass in his hand. “Here’s to Trey and Jesse, and our extended family back on the base. We don’t know where they’re headed, but they’ll carry our prayers and wishes for a safe journey with them.”
The room quieted before Trey spoke up. “Hey, this is a celebration of getting us all together. Come on. Let’s eat.” He speared a thick steak and planted it on his plate.
“How much longer will you be at the ranch, Kade?” Jesse asked from across the table.
“I have another six weeks of leave, then I’ll head back.” He glanced at Brooke, a grim smile on his face.
“Have they given you any idea what you’ll be doing next?” Trey asked.
“Matter of fact, I got a call this afternoon. There’s a new task force being established and my name came up in the conversation. They’re still working out the details, but it looks like I may be doing some major traveling.”
“Undercover?” Cam jumped in.
“That’s what I do. Undercover, long days and even longer nights.” He picked up his beer and took a long swallow. He couldn’t tell them he didn’t want this assignment, not yet. He was growing tired of the dangerous assignments and the long nights working undercover, but until he decided on his next step, it was all he had.
The conversation turned to other topics—Cam and Lainey’s new home in Cold Creek, the trip Jace and Caroline planned to take, Blake returning to school, and Cassie’s final year of college. Kade was glad to have the conversation turn away from him.
He’d noticed the look on Brooke’s face change from joy to confusion as he answered each question. They had to get through supper and head over to his place. She needed to know about his plans for the future. Most of all, she needed to learn about his past. Her response would tell him whether they had any chance at all or if a future with her was as remote as he’d always thought.
Brooke tried to breath. She felt like a fist had landed a hard blow to her stomach and pushed all the air from her lungs. He’d said he wanted out, had been looking at alternatives to the DEA, possibly talking to Heath and Jace about a position at the ranch. His answers to the questions tonight made it clear he’d made the decision to return to San Diego and his position as an undercover agent, working day and night, on the most dangerous assignments.
She placed a hand on her stomach to quell the knot twisting inside. She knew her feelings for Kade were real. She’d never felt anything so strong, compelling, and all-consuming for another person. She loved him.
Brooke didn’t know the extent of Kade’s feelings for her, except every fiber of her being believed he cared a great deal. He may not love her, but she meant something to him—she’d stake her life on it—yet he’d said nothing about his change of plans.
Kade had tried to tell her something important that morning. Had it only been fourteen hours since they’d been together in bed, making love, and feeling as if nothing could come between them?
She felt his hand touch hers, and looked to see him entwine their fingers as he leaned close to her ear.
“Relax. We’ll talk tonight.”
“Will I like what I hear?”
He narrowed his gaze. “I doubt it, but you need to know.” He took a breath. “It may be a deal breaker for us, Brooke.”
She couldn’t imagine anything he could tell her that would change her feelings. Unless, of course, he had a wife, but she already knew that wasn’t the case. Brooke ran through all the possibilities she could conjure up—nothing came close to being bad enough to make her walk. She knew his years in Special Ops and the DEA had worn on him. At the same time, those experiences had molded him into the man she loved. Nothing he could tell her from those parts of his life would change a thing.
How would she react if he told her he’d decided to stay with the DEA? Could they make it work with her in Arizona and him on assignment in locations he couldn’t divulge? Brooke wanted to believe they could.
She knew Cam and Lainey sometimes spent a couple of weeks apart due to his traveling. Trey and Jesse spent months apart as Navy pilots tasked to different groups. Brooke would also be traveling with her new job. Yes, she could handle it with Kade if that’s what it took for a relationship to work.
As her mind tried to identify what he might say, she began to relax. Nothing he could tell her would alter how she felt. Nothing.
“Any word from Montana?” Trey asked his father.
Her stepbrother’s voice broke the pattern of her thoughts and she looked at Trey.
“Not unless Cam’s heard something since yesterday.” Heath glanced at his stepson.
“Colt drew up the changes and I sent them to Chris and Ty yesterday. I doubt we’ll hear anything until midweek.” Cam leaned back and slipped an arm around Lainey as the sound of pounding on the front door caused everyone’s gaze to shift toward the entry.
“I’ll get it.” Eric walked to the door as the pounding started again and pulled it open. He didn’t recognize the man in front of him. “Are you looking for someone?”
“Damn straight I am.” He pushed passed Eric and stalked toward the dining room, glanced around the table, looking for one specific person. He stopped and stared, locking eyes with the man he sought. He crossed his arms and planted his feet shoulder width apart, his nostrils flaring as anger coursed through him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he barked out.
Heath stood, never taking his eyes off the man.
“Hello, Rafe. It’s good to see you.”
Chapter Sixteen
No one moved or said a word as the two faced off, except for Jace. He stood and walked around the table, stopping a foot away.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
Rafe broke eye contact with Heath long enough to glance at his younger brother. “Whiskey. Make it a double.”
Jace walked toward the bar, poured the drink for Rafe, and handed him the glass. His brother tossed it down in one quick move, then set the glass on a nearby table. He looked around the room, recognizing Cam and Eric, but no one else.
“Family gathering?” he asked in a sarcastic tone, his question directed at Heath.
“They’re a part of your family, too, Rafe.”
“Like hell they are.” He made no attempt to move closer to his older brother as he scanned the room, noting little had changed over the years other than some new furniture and an updated kitchen. “It looks the same.”
“It worked for you, Jace, and me growing up. I saw no reason to change it.” Heath picked up his glass of wine and took a sip as Annie stood up and whispered in his ear. He nodded and looked back at Rafe. “I suspect you’re here to talk about the offer. We can go into the study if you want to discuss this in private.”
“They can stay. It’s going to be a short talk. I’m not here to negotiate. I want you to rescind your offer.”
“Not going to happen.” Heath focused on Rafe and waited.
“Why not? Don’t you have enough? Is it ever enough for you?” Rafe asked.
“This isn’t a matter of expanding just to acquire more companies. You’ve built a good business, it fits our needs, and expands what we have. Besides, it’s a damn fine offer. You’ll get a large percentage of ownership, stay on as president, your sons stay on, plus you obtain your share of the other MacLaren properties. Hell, Rafe, it’s the best offer you’ll ever get.” Heath set down his wine glass, walked to the bar and poured a shot of whiskey.
“They contacted you, didn’t they?”
“Yes. Chris and Ty sent an inquiry.”
Cam glanced at Heath, Jace, then at Rafe. He tried to put himself in Rafe’s place and found he could understand how the man felt. Betrayed, backed into a corner with little room to maneuver. He’d feel the same if it were him, but he hoped he’
d also be able to see the benefits of what Heath and Jace offered. It would be a boon to Rafe and his family, and it would allow him a good measure of autonomy.
“They had no right to go behind my back.”
“They knew we’d offer a fair price and terms. If we don’t buy it, someone else will, and I can guarantee you won’t get anywhere close to the deal sitting on the table right now.” Heath took a step closer, noting his brother had aged well. He wasn’t much younger than Heath, with smooth olive skin, and bright green eyes.
“What’s the real reason you’re going after this so hard, offering such a sweet deal?”
“Two reasons. First, as I said, it’s a good move for us. Second, we want you back in the family. It’s been too long.” He walked to within a couple of feet from Rafe, never letting his eyes drop from his brother’s. “Take it Rafe. We want you back with us.”
“No. Not this way, when you know it’s not what I want. You’re just like father, manipulating people until you get what you want. But you won’t do it to me. I’m not a true part of this family and never will be.” His voice had risen with each word as a slight red tinge began to creep up his neck.
“Just take the damn offer. It’s over. Accept it and move on.” The deep, unyielding voice, coming from someone no one expected would speak, was hard, emphatic. He stood, turned from the others and started to leave the room in slow, measured strides.
Cam straightened in his seat, as did the others around the table and stared at the person who’d thrown out the challenge. Stunned, Eric began to stand and walk over to him before Heath gestured with his hand to stay put.
Rafe rounded on the man who’d dared to interfere and took several steps toward his retreating back. “Who the hell are you to tell me what I should be doing?”
The man turned, arms slack at his side, and locked eyes with a man he knew, but didn’t.
“My full name is Kade Santiago Taylor MacLaren. Reyna Santiago is my mother. You’re my father.” Kade heard the gasp and shifted his gaze to see Brooke put a hand over her mouth, disbelief showing in her eyes, taking a step backward as if wanting to flee the room. He didn’t blame her. It’s what he’d expected.
His eyes made a quick scan of those present, noting the look of surprise, mixed with confusion, on everyone’s face. Except Heath and Jace. Had they known?
“Reyna? You’re Reyna’s son?” Rafe’s shaky voice cracked.
“I’m Reyna’s and your son. I’m the boy you walked away from years ago.” The vehemence in his tone surprised even him. All the anger he’d felt at being abandoned, not wanted, surged forth. He had to get out of there before he did something he’d regret. Kade turned and walked from the room, slamming the door behind him. A minute later, the roar of a chopper firing up signaled he’d taken off.
Rafe staggered backwards and collapsed into a chair, scrubbing a hand over his face, stunned at the turn of events.
Annie walked toward Brooke and put an arm around her. “Come on, honey. We’ll let the brothers work this out.” She glanced around, encouraging the others to follow. One by one they left, retreating toward the large family room in the back of the house.
Trey walked over to his father. “Is it true?”
“Yes. Kade is Rafe’s son,” Heath answered. “I’ll tell all of you about it once we talk with Rafe.”
Trey took another look at Rafe, the uncle he’d never met, and left to join the others. He wanted to find Kade, make sure he was all right, but thought better of it. He’d speak with him tomorrow, before he and Jesse flew to California. He wanted to welcome him into the family—let him know they were glad to have him as part of the MacLarens.
******
“I need to find him, Mom.” Brooke started to leave, wanting him to know none of this mattered. She’d seen the anger in his eyes when they’d locked on hers. There’d been no time to go to him before he stormed from the house.
“You may want to give him some time. Let his anger settle a little, and give yourself time to decide what you want.” Annie grabbed her daughter’s hands and squeezed.
“I want him. None of this matters to me.”
“And his job?” Annie asked.
“He said he wants to make a change.” She squeezed her eyes shut then opened them to look at her mother. “He asked to talk with me after supper, explain his past and talk about his job. I guess this is what he planned to tell me.”
Annie noticed Trey walk up beside her. “We’re going to put Trevor to bed. As soon as he’s settled, Jesse and I will be back down.”
“Since it appears no one is planning to leave, we might as well get comfortable.” Everyone chose a seat in the large family room and prepared for long stay. Annie and Brooke looked across the room at Eric who held up three movies. “Here are the choices.”
“Where are the chick flicks?” Paige asked.
“Not part of the deal tonight. Okay, Lord of the Rings, Expendables, or Red?”
“Red?” Lainey asked.
Cam looked at his wife. “Are you kidding me? It’s a great film. You know, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and a few others you’d know.” He looked at Eric. “I vote for Red.”
“Same here,” Trey said as he left the room with Trevor.
Cassie elbowed her cousins, Blake and Brett.
“Yeah, that’s good with us,” Blake muttered. He and his brother were already immersed in games on their cell phones. A movie would be background noise to them.
“I guess I’ll make coffee and bring in dessert. It may be a long night.”
Brooke watched as Annie left, feeling conflicted. She wanted to go to Kade, be there for him. Her heart ached at the pain she saw on his face when he’d informed Rafe of their relationship. No matter how old someone got, what life had thrown at them, or how strong they’d become, the hurt of being abandoned by a parent never quite went away.
“Brooke, come over and sit with us,” Paige said and patted a spot between her and Lainey.
She’d stay for a while, give Kade some space, then go search for him. No way would she let him be alone tonight.
******
“Here. Drink these.” Heath held out a shot glass of whiskey and a hot cup of coffee.
Rafe looked up, took the whiskey and shot it down before reaching for the coffee. He took a couple of sips, letting the hot liquid burn his mouth and throat. For whatever reason, the pain felt right.
Heath sat in a chair next to him while Jace leaned against a nearby cabinet.
“What a mess.” Rafe’s voice sounded tired, broken. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. “What the boy said is true. There isn’t a doubt in my mind I’m his father.” He looked over at Heath. “Did you and Jace know?”
“Kade never said a word. When he was in the house, he’d sometimes wander into the study where the picture of the three of us from high school is hanging on the wall. I caught him staring at it a few times and got suspicious.”
“You hired someone to check him out?”
“Jace and I talked about it. Decided it was the right thing to do. You know he was in Army Special Forces before joining the DEA as an agent. Kade’s got quite a record. Earned his bachelor’s degree while in the service. No help from anyone—all on his own.”
Rafe cleared his throat. “And Reyna?”
“She moved after he graduated from high school. We didn’t learn where. Kade took a leave from the DEA after his last assignment. My stepdaughter, Brooke, told me he’d worked horses during high school. I asked him to come here, work the horses for us, help my daughter Cassie with her riding students. He jumped on it. Of course, Jace and I already knew who he was by then. Still, he never said a word to either of us. I doubt he ever would have until you showed up tonight. You ought to be real proud of him, Rafe.”
Rafe swallowed hard. He looked at Heath, then Jace. “I loved her—his mother, Reyna. Asked her to marry me, more than once, but she always refused. This was before…” his voice trailed of
f. “Anyway, she disappeared one night. She and her family just vanished from Crooked Tree. I checked with everyone, but no one knew where they’d gone. Time passed, and when she didn’t return, I moved on. Met my wife.” He rubbed his eyes and looked at the floor. “I’d been seeing Deidre for about a year. Just asked her to marry me. We were at a small diner, ready to leave, when I saw Reyna and a young boy sitting in a booth. She looked at me with the big brown eyes that always drew me to her, and glanced at the boy. He looked up and stared right at me. God, he looked just like me—eyes, hair, face. I knew right then, but I did nothing. Nothing. She’d turned me down so many times, then disappeared…Hell. That’s just an excuse.” He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “She didn’t approach me, probably because I was with another woman, but I could tell she wanted me to come over, say something, look at my son. I ignored her and followed Deidre out of the restaurant. What kind of man does that make me?”
Jace walked in front of him and stopped, looking down. “Doesn’t matter what happened back then. What matters now is how you handle it with Kade going forward.”
“You saw the look on his face, heard his voice. He hates me.”
“No. He hates what you did. Kade doesn’t know you as a person and now’s your opportunity.” Jace clasped his brother on the shoulder. “He’s staying in a cabin a few miles away. Of course, you’ll stay here tonight.”
“I have a room in town.”
“Stay here, Rafe. Let the room go,” Heath said and stood, stretching his hands above his head. “I’ll show you where he’s staying. From there, it’s up to you.”
******
Kade didn’t know where he planned to ride. He only knew he had to get away from there and ride fast and hard—just him and the bike. He pulled onto the highway and turned away from town.
He’d seen the look of surprise and disbelief on Brooke’s face, the same as everyone else except Heath and Jace. They’d known who he was before he announced it during his outburst. God, what had he been thinking? He should’ve confronted Rafe in private, or not at all.
All Your Nights (MacLarens of Fire Mountain Contemporary series Book 4) Page 17