Page 26 of Cherished Lands
"What's going on here?"
Tessa peered over her shoulder at me, and there was none ofthe usual bratty snark in her eyes. She smiled weakly before saying, "Just trying to earn my keep. I'm not a very good cook."
I looked at Mom, silently asking for an explanation.
"Tessa needed a place to stay. I put her up in your room and told her she's welcome as long as she needs."
Mom's penetrating glare brooked no arguments. My eyes flitted back to Tessa, and that's when I took in what she was wearing.
My t-shirt. My sweatpants, rolled a few times at the waist because of how long they were on her.
The sight of her in my clothes made my cock jump to attention.
"Okay," I drawled. Tessa and Mom continued cooking side-by-side like it was the most natural thing in the world.
It was not.
"Where's Dad?"
Mom snorted. "Where do you think?"
"You're lucky he plays with fake money, or we'd have a helluva lot more problems than we already do," I said, moving to the laundry room to toss my gloves, hat, and coat on top of the dryer.
"You're tellin' me. Go see if you can't pry him away. I think we should all have a talk before your brothers get here."
"Chase isn't here?"
"No," Mom said with a sigh. "Who knows where that boy is. Hopefully not dead in a snowy ditch somewhere."
My stomach dropped. Chase had been drinking more lately, and the roads were treacherous after last night's snowfall.
"Jesus, Mom."
"Sorry, that was a bit morbid." She dipped a piece of breadin beaten egg before tossing it on the griddle. "I just don't know what to do with him."
"Neither do I." I ran a frustrated hand through my hat hair. Tessa remained quiet for the entire conversation. It was so unlike her, I briefly wondered if she'd been body snatched.
I left them in the kitchen and went off in search of Dad. He was exactly where I expected him to be, sitting at his desk, glasses perched on the tip of his nose as he peered at the computer screen.
"Ah, son of a bitch!" He sat back in his chair and clocked that I'd come in. Sighing, he turned and thumbed over his shoulder toward the screen. "First loss in a week."
"Bummer." I stood in the doorway, crossing my arms and leaning against the frame. "I see you have a guest this morning."
He held both hands up. "Don't look at me. That is all your mother's doing."
"Why is she here?" I demanded.
"Something about a fight with her parents. Why don't we go out there and get the full story?"
I nodded and pushed off the doorframe as Dad rose from his chair.
Back in the kitchen, Mom had tasked Tessa with cutting up fruit. I was pouring myself a cup of coffee from the pot when I heard, "Ouch, shit."
"You okay, dear?" Mom's typical scolding oflanguagewas notably absent.
Tessa was clutching her index finger and sucking air through her teeth. I ripped off a couple paper towels from the roll.
"Let me see."
