Page 16 of Gage
“Guess we know where we rate,” Bas groused, before shrugging and following behind Douglas. “I’m not hanging around out here with you losers. Didn’t you hear Douglas say Aunt Patti’s cooking, and I’m starving.”
“Said the walking stomach,” Ranger muttered, heading inside the house, leaving Gage to follow. Taking a deep breath, he walked through the front door to the only place that felt like home.
Suzanna felt asense of wonder walking beside Douglas Boudreau into the house. The first thing she noticed was the scents. Smells wafting on the air from the kitchen, delicious and enticing. Fresh baked rolls. And something sweet. She’d swear it was peach cobbler. Her mouth watered at the thought. It had been forever since she’d had homemade peach cobbler, her absolutely favorite dessert. A few voices, both male and female,though she couldn’t make out what they were saying came from her left.
“My wife’s been looking forward to meeting you. When Gage called and said he’d like to have you stay with us for a while, she was over the moon, because it meant Gage would be sticking around too. She misses that boy something fierce.” Douglas laughed, the sound deep and joyous. “Of course, calling him a boy, well he’d probably think that was funny. We know he’s a grown man, but like the rest of our kiddos, he’ll always be the boy who ran around the fields chasing after the horses. That boy, he loved those horses. Most days if you needed to find Gage, all you had to do was head for the barn.”
Suzanna digested his words, trying to reconcile the hard-edged man she knew with the carefree youth Douglas described. It was hard to imagine he was every young and playful. Life had a way of changing us, pointing us in directions we’d never expect. Hers certainly had.
“I appreciate everything you’re doing for me. Gage made it clear he didn’t want me going back to Dallas, not yet anyway. I’m sure you’ve heard—”
“We don’t listen to gossip or innuendo. Most reporters have turned what once reputable news organizations into little more than entertainment rags. I want to know what’s going on in the world, I ask my son Lucas. Always get the straight, unvarnished truth from him. And in case Gage didn’t tell you, Lucas is an investigative reporter, one of the best in the business. He’s a straight shooter, again doesn’t deal in anything he can’t prove through facts. It’s why he’s won numerous awards for his in-depth articles.”
Suzanna mulled over what he said. She’d heard of Lucas Boudreau, pretty much anybody who read a paper in Dallas-Fort Worth knew his name and his reputation. Douglas had every right to be proud of his son.
Stepping into the kitchen, she spotted Ranger and Bas along with a middle-aged blonde woman with an apron over her business suit, as well as a dark-haired woman, her hair styled in a cute pixie cut wearing a red tank top that exposed her colorful tattoos, and a pair of faded jeans. Another man stood by the stove, tall and slender but she could see the way the muscles moved beneath his T-shirt. His broad shoulders hinted at hidden strength. When he turned and smiled, she almost melted. He was definitely a charmer.
“Momma, company’s here,” he spoke softly, and nodded toward Suzanna.
“Hey, we’re company too,” protested Bas, who started to reach across the loaded table, only to get his hand slapped by his brother.
“You’re not company, sweetie, you’re family.” The older woman stopped beside his chair long enough to rustle his hair, before moving to stand before Suzanna. “I’m so happy you’re here. I’m Patricia Boudreau, but everybody calls me Ms. Patti. Welcome to our home.” Before Suzanna could say anything, Ms. Patti threw her arms around her, pulling her close for a hug. It was a bit awkward, because the other woman was decidedly shorter than Suzanna, but also because she hadn’t been expecting it. When she’d been growing up, there hadn’t been a lot of hugs in her household, which led to an adulthood where she’d kept herself aloof. But this felt genuine and natural and after the first few seconds, she found herself returning the woman’s warm embrace.
“Thank you, Ms. Patti. I appreciate you opening your home to me. Gage has told me wonderful things about you and your family.”
Ms. Patti’s smile widened at the mention of Gage’s name. “He’s an amazing man. I promise he’ll get to the bottom of this situation. Don’t worry, you’ve got the best people looking out foryou. Between Gator’s two boys and all my boys, we’ll figure out the real culprit, and get them tossed in jail before you can blink.”
“I’m counting on it. My cousin told me Gage could help prove I didn’t do what I’m accused of, that he was the best man for the job.”
“Your cousin?” Ms. Patti’s hand in the middle of her back guided her toward the table laden with plates and bowls piled high with delicious-looking food. Her mouth watered and she realized how long it had been since she’d eaten a real meal. Ever since Steven’s death, she’d nibbled and snacked her way through the day, her appetite gone. Now her stomach rumbled with hunger.
“Um, yes, Brandon McKinney. He’s a Navy SEAL, and apparently he knows Gage from one of his missions or something. He was kind of vague on the details. Not surprising because most of what he does is all very hush-hush.”
She heard a throat clearing behind her and knew Gage had made his way into the kitchen.
“She’s right. We worked on an assignment together a couple of years back. There was an—incident—and let’s just say I owed him a favor.”
“We can talk after lunch. Suzanna, you already know Bas and Ranger. These two here are my son Dane and his wife, Destiny.” Ms. Patti’s indulgent smile spoke louder than words how much she cared about her daughter-in-law. “After lunch, if you’d like, Destiny can take you over to their house and show you the security set up. She is a magician with anything related to computers, and she takes care of the ranch’s electronic surveillance and security. It’s extensive, expensive, and believe me nobody is going to get anywhere near you unless you want them to.” Somehow the look the other woman shot Gage made heat rush into Suzanna’s cheeks.
“I’d love to see your set up, Destiny. We had a company that provides surveillance and alarms at our house, though Steven hated the closed-circuit cameras. Said they were too invasive and he always felt like he was being spied on.”
Gage shot Suzanna a heated glance, and she felt heat rise in her cheeks. Why in the world had she suddenly felt like he’d centered his whole focus on her in the crowded room? She didn’t understand, and it got her all flustered.
“I’ll need the name of the company you used, Suzanna. I’m sure the police have already checked with them, but I want to—”
“Business talk after lunch, hon. I don’t want the food to get cold. Suzanna, I hope you don’t mind eating in the kitchen. I thought it would be more welcoming than the formal dining room.”
“I don’t mind. This all looks wonderful. You have a beautiful home; it’s so warm and welcoming.”
“Thank you, dear. It’s not a showpiece, but I’m fine with that. When you’ve got a passel of teenage boys stomping around at all hours, you learn that comfort trumps style every time.” She motioned toward the chairs. “Everybody sit, get comfortable. I just need to get the chicken out of the oven, where I put it to stay warm, and we’ll eat.”
Within minutes, everybody was laughing and filling their plates to overflowing with friend chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and the fluffiest biscuits Suzanna had ever tasted. Whatever else Ms. Patti might be, she was a fine cook. Before long, she’d eaten enough she was stuffed and didn’t think she could take another bite.
“Alright, why don’t we head to the living room and get comfortable. Dane, be a sweetheart and get Suzanna and Gage’s bags and taken them upstairs.”
“Yes, ma’am. Then I’ve gotta meet with the foreman. He mentioned we’ve got a couple of places where the fence needs to be repaired, and I want to take a look.”
“Need me to come with you, son?” Douglas started to stand, and Dane clamped him lightly on the shoulder.
