Page 23 of Love, Always and Forever
Chapter 8
Mikhail was the first to arrive at his mother’s house for dinner. Walking up the driveway, he noticed there were no lights on in the garage apartment. Not much of a surprise considering it was currently unoccupied. Still, it seemed odd for no one to be living in the annex at all anymore, and he wondered if it bothered his mother to be completely alone now. He hoped not. With both Jack and Tino married, he would most likely be the one appointed to take up residence there if it ever seemed warranted. He would do it without hesitation, though; he owed it to Marlene Lukash to give her whatever she needed from him.
But, damn, he really hoped it never came to that. Since leaving the military, he needed his own space and the privacy it afforded him more than ever. Lately, he’d been having a higher percentage of good days than bad, but his moods remained unpredictable. There was no telling what would set him off, and when things weren’t going well, he preferred to crawl off alone to lick his wounds. His mother and brothers loved him, but they weren’t likely to respect his boundaries if they got it into their collective heads that he needed help.
The front door opened and Marlene stepped outside. Her face lit up in a bright smile as soon as she saw him. “Misha, it’s been too long. That work schedule of yours sure makes it hard to plan family dinners.”
Marlene was the only one besides his birth mother who ever called him Misha, the diminutive form of his first name. He loved that small connection between the two most important women in his life. He picked up the pace and joined her on the front porch, wrapping her in his arms for a long hug. The warmth of her embrace and the familiar scent of her perfume soothed him as it always had.
When she finally stepped back to hold him at arm’s length, Marlene studied him as if she saw right through to his soul. “You look better, son. Not quite so many shadows in your eyes. Tell me you’re doing better these days.”
Damn, he should’ve known she’d figure out he’d been having problems. From day one when he’d moved in with her and Joe as a teenager, he’d never been able to hide anything from her. She’d also been married to a man who’d spent twenty years in the army and then had three sons who had each served their country. More than most, Marlene knew how hard the transition from the military back to civilian life could be. Considering the number and kind of deployments Mikhail had completed, it was no surprise he was dragging around a cartful of baggage these days.
“I am, Mom. The job keeps me busy, and I’ve been doing some work on my place.”
She looped her arm through his as they walked back into the house. “I heard all about the fence. I’ll have to swing by sometime soon and see how it looks.”
They headed toward the kitchen, always the heart and soul of the family home. “I also heard about the greenhouse you put together for your next-door neighbor. It was nice of her to hire Ricky to help you. Jack told him that he will match whatever money Ricky earns to buy a car, so every little bit helps.”
It was the same deal that Joe and Marlene had offered each of their three sons when they’d been Ricky’s age. “The kid worked hard. He deserved to get paid.”
Marlene gave him a sly look as she poured them each a cup of coffee. “And I hear your neighbor paid you as well.”
Damn his brothers and their big mouths. “Amy gave everyone that showed up a plate of cookies even though Jack, Tino, and Jay didn’t do a damn thing to earn theirs. You should have a talk with them about accepting pay for a job they didn’t do.”
His attempt to distract her didn’t work. “Yes, that was bad of them, but I believe Jack mentioned that yours were different than the rest.”
“They were. I may have mentioned I like peanut butter cookies.” Not that he actually had ever said any such thing. “Since she didn’t know what the other guys liked, Amy made them a mix of flavors.”
“Well, then that makes sense.”
If it hadn’t been for the slight smile and the twinkle in her eyes, he might have thought she bought his explanation. Canny woman that she was, though, she changed directions. “I never thought to tell you to invite Amy to dinner today. She already knows Jack, Tino, and Ricky. Jay, too, and he’ll be coming over a little later. I’m sure she would love to meet the rest of the clan.”
Oh, hell, no, they weren’t going there. “She’s working today.” Probably, anyway.
His mother patted him on the arm. “Well, next time for sure, then.”
Before he could mount a protest, the back door banged open as Ricky led the charge inside. “Hi, Grandma!”
After giving Marlene a hug, Ricky turned his attention to Mikhail. “Hey, I was going to call you. Think Amy has anything else I can help her with? I need the money for my car fund, you know. I promise I’ll do a good job for her.”
Mikhail didn’t doubt that for a moment. The kid might be mouthy, but he took his obligations seriously and for good reason. After living on the streets, Ricky really appreciated having a stable home life and a whole new family who loved him unconditionally. Considering Jack, Tino, and Mikhail had also experienced their own rough times before joining the Lukash clan, it was something the boy had in common with his adoptive father and uncles.
“I don’t know when I’ll see Amy again, but I promise to ask her. Regardless, I have some backbreaking grunt work I’ll be glad to have your help on.” Mikhail held up his hand to forestall the question he knew was coming. “And, yes, I will pay you.”
He glanced past the teenager to check in with Jack and his wife. “Can I borrow him next Saturday? I’m doing some landscaping and need help tearing out the old sod and then spreading a bunch of compost and new topsoil. I’ll even feed him.”
Ricky’s head swiveled between his parents and Mikhail. Finally, Jack nodded. “Sure thing. Let me know if you need any extra help. I can always hog-tie Tino and drop him off in your front yard.”
Mikhail hadn’t heard their middle brother walk in, but obviously Jack had. Tino set a big bowl of salad on the counter. “What are you volunteering me for this time?”
Jack jerked his head in Mikhail’s direction. “Baby brother is doing some landscaping at his place next Saturday. I figured you wouldn’t mind doing some backbreaking work for free.”
Tino shook his head and did his best to look sad. “Sorry, but I’m pretty sure that’s the day I promised to polish the family silver.”
Then he grinned. “Seriously, I have a chess game scheduled with Natalie’s grandfather. You have no idea how cranky Cyrus gets when I have to cancel.”
Natalie followed Tino into the room. “Actually, you must have your dates wrong. Granddad and I have plans for Saturday. There’s no reason you can’t help your brother.”
