Page 121 of Burning Love
There was no reason to tell them no. They were at least getting Talia here.
Not that he wanted them to witness this, but beggars couldn’t be choosers either.
They followed him into the house, where he gave them a tour.
At least the first floor was done.
He was working on the upstairs when they arrived.
He opened his fridge and told them to help themselves. West and Braylon were the only two that didn’t take one.
“You do good work,” West said.
“Thanks.” He hated feeling awkward in his own home.
“What are you working on now?” Elias asked.
“The hall bath upstairs. The one for the baby. Then I’ll do the baby’s room next.” Might as well put it out there.
His front door opened and Talia came marching in. “What are you all doing here?”
“Did you speed getting here?” Jace asked. “What did I tell you about being careful and not taking risks?”
“Easy for you to say on that motorcycle,” she threw back at him. “You won’t let me on it anymore, so you can’t either and I know you’re riding it because I saw it at the firehouse yesterday.”
Which meant she was still thinking of him if she was checking on him.
“You’re riding a motorcycle,” Rowan said. “Does Mom know?”
“No,” she said and turned back to Jace. “And your job puts you at risk every time you show up.”
He frowned. “You’ve never said you were worried about it.”
“Of course I’m worried. I lost my father and now I’m afraid our child could lose you. It’s hard to say that.”
“You open your mouth and talk, Talia,” West said. “Something you’ve struggled with for years when it matters.”
“Don’t you lecture me. None of you.” She was waving her hands around wildly. “You all struggled in one form or another in your relationships. Mom had to get involved...” She stopped and stared at West. He lifted his eyebrow. “Nooooo. She set me up.”
“She set us all up,” Nelson said. “Sneaky to get us here.”
“I knew,” West said, shrugging.
“What the fuck?” Foster said. “Then why did we all have to fly here for this?”
“Because that is what family does,” Jace said. He was trying to wrap his head around the game going on. At least Talia hadn’t been aware her mother appeared to orchestrate it. Hadn’t she said her mother did this before?
“What is going on?” Talia asked. “Are you all bonding or something? I thought for sure you came here to give Jace shit.”
“We did,” Rowan said. “Or I thought that was what was happening. Seems that maybe you two should talk.”
“Jace said it all,” she said, her lips tight, her head nodding.
“No,” he argued. “I didn’t. You’re the one that never wants to talk. You’re the one putting up walls and then walking out to let the materials dry before I can change the design.”
Her lips twisted some when Nelson laughed and pointed his finger. “You’ve always done that.”
“Out. All of you,” she said. “Go see Mom. She wanted you all here and she got you. Go so Jace and I can talk.”
