Page 10 of Rebel Secrets
Rain’s smile got snarky.“Nope.She’s on a mission, dude, and you’re it.”
Our mom on a mission was not something anyone wanted to dismiss.My mom was sweetness and light and an iron fist.And she loved her children.Full stop.I know I’d given her more than a few sleepless nights, probably more than my brothers and sister.And yeah, it’d sucked being the “problem child.”My words, not hers.My mom would never use those words.And she’d never made me feel less than the others.
But I knew.
“When you get back, just tell her I’m fine.Hell,I’vetold her I’m fine.I’m not sure why she’s so worried.”
“Maybe because you ignore her texts and send her calls to voice mail.”
My nose wrinkled.Guilty as charged.Some of the time.
“I pick up.When I can.My schedule’s a little more…hectic here.”
Rain’s smile softened.“I get it.More games.More commitments.Rowdy said you’re working with one of the local youth centers for at-risk kids.That’s really cool.”
It showed how scarily well my sister knew me that she lowered her voice to say that.
“Anyway, Rowdy and I have been talking about reviving the youth league.We know Dad tried when he first started the team, but he didn’t really have the extra hands to give it a real chance.Rowdy and I think, with the growth in the area, that we can make it work this time.”
“If you guys need help with that, you know I’ll be home over the summer for a few months.”
Unless the Redtails made a deep playoff run.Then I’d only be home for a month and a half at most.Unless my contract didn’t get picked up.And if it did, was I going to take it?
One day at a time, Rebel.Don’t get ahead of yourself.
I heard the voice of my therapist so clearly in my head, it was like he was sitting next to me.Mike, the Navy vet I’d started sessions with about three years ago, had become a fixture in my life.Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without him now.
“Oh, don’t worry.I’m going to put you to work this summer.AfterRowdy’s wedding.”
I breathed a silent sigh of relief that we’d moved on to topics that weren’t centered on me.“How’s that coming together?”
While Rain proceeded to tell me all about the plans Tressy and Rowdy were making and everything that had to be done before the end of June and the exact moment Tressy walked down the aisle in the backyard of our parents’ home in St.David, my attention wandered.Straight to the woman sitting next to me.And I didn’t mean my sister.
Erin was still talking to Ian, though she’d been weirdly subdued.It wasn’t like I’d been listening in on their entire conversation.But I’d heard Ian talking more than her.The guy talked a hell of a lot more than I did, yeah, but Erin was usually a five-alarm fire when it came to conversation.
Weird.
“And you know you’re going to need to dance naked along with all the other groomsmen at the reception.”
My head snapped around.“What the hell are you talking about?”
Rain laughed.Cackled was probably the better word.
“So you were listening.Just checking.”She leaned in and her voice lowered.“You seem awfully interested in the conversation on the other side of the table.Something I need to know about Ian?”
My face scrunched in a frown.“What?No.Why?”
“If there’s something wrong with him, I need to warn Erin.Or do you want to tell me why you seem to be so out of it?”
Sighing, I shook my head.“I’m not out of it.I’m just… I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“You know you can talk to me, right?”
I met her gaze, saw the curiosity and concern.My sister was almost, but not quite, as good as my mom when it came to reading the men in our family.And I loved her with all my heart, but she could be worse than my mom when she sensed weakness.Or pain.Our mom had had our entire lives to figure out how to deal with us.Rain still didn’t know when to stop pushing sometimes.She could get away with much more with Rowdy.He had the patience and the laidback personality to let her get away with it.
I didn’t.But we were in public.Had to give my sister props for picking the time and place.
“I know.But it’s not gonna be here and now.”
