Page 78 of Follow the Rhythm
I furrowed my brow. “I’m sure he’s fine.”
Claire looked skeptical. She loved Ellis like a son too.
“Sounds like he needs some help,” Deb said.
“Trust me, I’ve tried,” I said, still scowling. “Any time we talk about Michael, he shuts down or acts like a total dick.”
Claire’s eyes swam with tears. “He’s grieving. Poor baby.”
Deb gripped her Omega’s hand tightly. Loss had defined their whole lives. Don, the other Alpha in their pack, had died shortly after Michael was born. Instead of a home filled with children and grandchildren, they were alone. Ellis and I had done our best to be surrogate sons, Michael’s unofficial brothers, coming over for holidays and Sunday dinners.
The last time we’d been here, it was just after Michael’s funeral. He’d been buried in a cemetery nearby so his mums could visit him whenever they wanted. Grief had taken a toll on them; they both seemed to have aged five years in the last twelve months. Deb’s hair was streaked with gray, and the lines around her eyes had deepened. Claire just seemed frail.
I was glad I’d come, and angry at Ellis all over again for not being with me.
After a quiet day around the house watching old episodes of Bargain Hunt and helping Deb with some plumbing work on the top floor, we had a quiet dinner. Claire cooked rice and peas, plantains, and curried okra straight from the garden. It was delicious, but Michael’s absence was more obvious than ever. He was always better at carrying a conversation than me. I asked about Deb’s work as a builder. She should have been retired, butshe refused to quit. Claire told me about volunteering with the local nursery school; she was a retired primary school teacher and loved being around children.
“Listen to us nattering on,” Claire said after I’d polished off two more cups of tea and a plate of rhubarb crumble and custard. I missed her cooking. “What’s new with you?”
“Nothing,” I lied. “But I am thinking of moving back to London.”
“Finally sick of Fairview?” Deb asked with a smug smile. When we broke the news that we were moving to the states, she had been convinced Michael, Ellis, and I would move back home after two months, and it had always bothered her to be wrong.
I shrugged. “There’s just nothing there for me anymore. You guys are here. I still have that flat in Kensington, so I’d be nearby.”
“You’d leave Ellis? He needs you.” Claire sounded distraught.
“He doesn’t want my help. And I can’t force him to talk to me.”
Claire pursed her lips. I could tell she wanted to say more, but Deb interrupted.
“Of course, we’d love for you to come home where you belong,” she said with a hopeful glint in her eye. “Perhaps you’re finally ready to settle down?”
Jess flashed in my mind; her wide brown eyes, the way she felt in my arms, the citrusy, spicy freshness of her scent. How could I explain I was ready to settle down, but the woman my heart stubbornly held onto wasn’t?
“Maybe,” I agreed.
Deb started clearing the plates. It was getting late. Large moths with pink-tipped wings were fluttering against the back door, clustered around the light.
I tried not to let my mind drift to Jess, but it was impossible. What would Deb and Claire think of her? Claire would wantto feed her up, but she’d also love her quick wit. Deb would appreciate her powerful sense of fairness; I had a feeling they’d be up late discussing the injustices of the world and what they would do differently to fix things.
“You’re hiding something,” Claire said, studying me.
That snapped me out of my daydreams. “No, I’m not.”
“Don’t lie to me, Kieran Walsh. You’ve got that look you always get when you have a secret. Now, out with it.” Her voice was sharp and reminded me of the times she’d caught Michael and I with weed as teens. I had the same sinking feeling, too.
I sighed. “It’s nothing.”
“You may as well just tell her,” Deb said from the sink. “You know she’ll sniff it out eventually.”
“Fine. I met someone.” I spit it out quickly, trying to get the conversation over with.
“I knew it,” Claire said. “An Omega?”
“Yes,” I said reluctantly.
“Attaboy, Kier. Where are they then?” Deb asked with a grin.
