Chapter 5
KAYN WAS WAITING AT THE airport when they landed.
Rafe watched as Ahri ran from the plane and leaped into her brother’s arms. He glanced at Rafe and mouthed thank you before grabbing the handle of her large suitcase.
She carried the glass carrier for her mother’s doll, and they went to his car, both talking at once.
“I’ve got my team working on this,” Bill said, stepping beside him. “How deeply do you want us to dig?”
“As deep as you have to.” Rafe rubbed at the tight muscles in his neck. “If it’s really ugly, we may want to let Kayn break it to her.”
“You don’t think it’s going to end well.” It wasn’t a question.
“No, I don’t.”
“I think she’s stronger than you’re giving her credit for.” Bill clapped Rafe on the back. “And I think she may be angry if she finds out you’ve kept information from her.”
“That’s why I’ll leave it up to Kayn.” Rafe didn’t know what to think—or feel—about Ahri Meisner. She was already taking up way too much of his brain capacity at the moment. He had work to do, and he didn’t need the distraction.
“Well, I’m going to take my wife to dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Bill.”
Rafe glanced after Ahri one last time before heading to the car waiting for him.
After an afternoon spent in meetings where Rafe’s mind was distracted by thoughts of Ahri, he was glad to leave work behind and drive to his mother’s house. His shoulders relaxed as the blossoming trees sped past. His favorite seasons were spring and fall.
The old bed-and-breakfast had belonged to his grandmother, who’d left it to his mother. His wheelchair-bound father was supposed to have helped run it, but all he’d managed to do was to complain about everything, especially about his “loser” wife and son.
Rafe took a deep breath to calm himself.
Thoughts of his father never failed to rile him.
For years his mother had tried to convince Rafe that his father used to be a different man, that two car accidents, one including a serious head injury, had changed the man’s personality.
A selfish, verbally abusive man was all Rafe remembered.
He would never understand why his mother had stayed with him if he’d turned into such a different person than the man she’d married.
For Rafe, his father being trapped in a wheelchair had never been reason enough for her to stay.
An image of Ahri talking about Zed last night floated into Rafe’s mind.
She hadn’t flinched one bit when she’d said she was going to divorce her husband.
She was a feisty one. If things had been bad between them for a year, Rafe was surprised she’d stayed so long.
Maybe she was more like his mother than he was giving Ahri credit for.
The B&B might be just the place for her to pull her life together.
“Rafe! Rafe!” His five-year-old sister Lessa came running down the wide porch steps as he drove up to the house. He hit his brakes and shot her a disapproving frown. She pulled to a stop, looking appropriately abashed.
“You know better than to come running at a moving car like that,” he said out his open window. “What would Ma say if she’d seen you?”
“I did see her.” His mother scooped up the child, gave her a quick hug, and then a stern look.
“Sorry, Ma.” Lessa’s bottom lip trembled like she was going to cry.
“Go tell your daddy that Rafe is here.” Francie set her down, and the little girl ran back up the steps.
“Hey, Ma.” Rafe pulled her into a hug, loving how she smelled—like the fresh outdoors and delicious food coming out of the oven.
“Let me look at you.” She pulled back and searched his face. “That job is making you old.”
“What? Do I have gray hair?” He bent to search his reflection in his side mirror, fighting back a smile.
“Oh, stop teasing me.” Francie slid her arm through his, and they headed toward the house. “Please tell me you’re dating someone. You need to have a life, you know.”
“REKD Gaming is my life right now.” And the company wouldn’t desert him.
“Honey, it shouldn’t be. Are you going to turn into a young Boomer, married only to your job?”
Rafe’s thoughts flashed to Ahri. Startled and confused at the mental leap, he didn’t know what to say, so he changed the subject.
“How’s the garden coming?” he asked.
She heaved out a big breath but didn’t push it. That was one of the things he’d always loved about his mother. She might nag him, but she knew not to push things too far.
“The garden is coming along well enough,” Francie said. “Another couple of weeks of hard work, and it’ll all be in. Alex has finals this week, so he’s not able to help much, but I’ll be okay.”
One of the things Rafe liked about his college professor stepfather was how much he loved working on this house with Francie.
Before Rafe had gone to college, he and she had always done the garden together.
Now that he was back in Boone, REKD consumed most of his time.
Once the launch was completed, he could spend more time helping.
He wondered if Ahri had ever gardened. There he went again, thinking of her.
“We have company staying at the complex,” he said.
“Anyone I know?”
They stepped inside, and Rafe closed his eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the familiar and delicious smell of one of his mother’s savory casseroles. The scent had a bit of tang to it, so he guessed she’d added jalapenos. He opened his eyes and found his mother watching him expectantly.
“What can I say?” He gave her his best cheeky grin. “I love your cooking.”
Francie shook her head, but her cheeks had flushed at the compliment.
He didn’t think she’d ever get used to people complimenting her.
That was what came from so many years living with his father, who couldn’t see the good in anything.
Or anyone. At least Alex had helped her to believe that what people said about her cooking was true.
They entered the kitchen. The large room’s modern look still gave him pause.
When his mother and stepfather had married, Alex had sold his condo and used the money to make improvements on the house.
They’d done a lot to the kitchen. The only thing left from his childhood was the large, worn wooden table that served as Francie’s work station and where the family ate when they didn’t have company.
“Do you have guests tonight?” Rafe asked.
“They’re eating out. It’s just us.” Francie nodded to a stack of plates and went back to mixing the salad. “Well, are you going to tell me who’s staying with you or leave me hanging?”
“Sorry.” He picked up the plates. “It’s Kayn’s sister.”
“Ah. The Korean beauty with the unexpected green eyes.” Francie opened the oven and removed a large casserole dish, the spicy smell making his mouth water. “Is she on vacation?” She shot him a sidelong glance. “Is her husband with her this time?”
Rafe debated internally how much he should share. He didn’t want to intrude on Ahri’s privacy, but if he was going to suggest she stay here, his mother needed to know part of the story.
“Her husband left her, and in a bad situation. We don’t know what he was involved with, but her life’s a mess right now.”
“That poor thing.” His mother paused in tossing the salad, thoughtful. “And y’all are so busy right now. If there’s anything I can do for her, let me know. I’d tell her myself, but then she’d think I was putting my nose in her business.”
Her kind heart was another thing he loved about his mother.
“There might be something you could do.”
She watched him, waiting.
“As you said, Kayn’s really busy right now. He’ll do his best by her, but you know how distracted he gets when he’s in the middle of a project.”
“She needs her mother.” Francie carried the salad to the table. “Isn’t she still alive?”
“Kayn said she moved back to Korea.” Rafe went to the silverware drawer. “She wanted the kids to be American and rarely spoke Korean at home. Kayn’s mentioned how uncomfortable it is to look Korean but not speak much of the language. Ahri wouldn’t like going to be with her mother.”
“You seem to know a lot about her,” his mother said with a sly glance.
“I don’t know about that. We’ve chatted a lot when she’s visited Kayn, and he’s talked about her. Sometimes it seems like I know her better than I really do.” Rafe paused, thinking about what he’d just said. “That sounds a little presumptuous of me, doesn’t it?”
“No.” Francie patted his cheek. “It’s because you have a good heart and connect with people.
I think that’s why you’re so good with the stories you tell about your game world.
You’re creative, meaning you can empathize.
I heard somewhere that people who read fiction are better at sympathizing with people than those who don’t. ”
“I didn’t know you read the champion lore.”
“I started when I found out you were the one writing it.”
“And you like it?” He couldn’t keep the doubt from his voice.
“Of course I like it.”
“Because you’re my mother.” Rafe straightened a knife on the table.
“Because it’s good.” Francie waggled a finger at him. “Don’t doubt me, or I’ll have to cancel your birth certificate.”
He chuckled at the familiar threat. “The next couple of weeks are going to be crazy for the guys and their teams. I’m worried that if she stays with Kayn, she’s going to be lonely. I think it’d be better for her to be around normal people.”
“Well, thank you for saying I’m normal,” his mother said as she tested the casserole. “I assume you’re thinking it’d be good for her to stay here.”
“Yes.” Rafe always appreciated how well his mother understood him. Maybe that came from her being so young when she’d had him and the need they’d had to protect each other from his father.
“I’m really busy with the kids and the garden right now. I’d love company if you think she’d be willing to help out.”
“Anything that tires her out enough to sleep at night should be good for her.”
Francie shot him a shrewd glance, and he wondered what it was about.