Page 11 of No Place Like Home (Orlinda Valley #3)

Rowan

“ M om, you home?” I yelled as I walked through the back door of my childhood house and was greeted with a delicious, garlicky smell wafting through the air.

A salad had been prepped and sat on the counter in the same white ceramic bowl painted with vegetables that my mother had always used for salad.

I grabbed a green pepper off the top as I looked around the kitchen.

The last time I was home, for my father’s funeral, my parents had been in the middle of redoing the kitchen.

Jamison told me Mom stopped the work after Dad’s death, but Jamison made sure to get it finished.

It looked great now. The cabinets, walls, and appliances had all been updated, and Mom had made sure the large space was open enough to seat our family of five, plus friends and extended family.

In the quest to find my mother, I walked through the kitchen, the formal dining room, then the foyer that no one used because they all came in the back door—and stopped dead in my tracks when I got to the living room, where I finally found her .

She was bent over, her palms on the floor, her knees at an almost ninety-degree angle to compensate for what appeared to be a lack of flexibility. Her butt was in the air—sort of—and her breathing sounded labored.

“Mom, what the hell are you doing?” I glanced at the television where the thin, hot woman was in a much better-looking position.

Her strong ass was up for the world to view—and enjoy—with straight knees and palms flat on the floor.

She looked long, strong, and elegant, with a body that went on for miles.

Yep, Mom was struggling.

“Downward dog,” she said, her voice strangled as she hung her head upside-down.

“It’s a yoga position. Gotta keep up my sexy figure.

” She slowly stood with an almost inaudible ooff , and stretched her hands high in the air.

“Almost done. Getting ready to cool down.” At that, she laid on the floor—well, more like plopped with an added grunt—then placed her feet together.

“Dinner will be ready soon. Can you take the lasagna out of the oven and set the table?” She glanced at the television and attempted to copy the woman by laying on the floor, her hands over her head.

My mother. Gotta love her. “Sure, Momma. Just the two of us?”

“Nope, four.”

“Four? Who else is coming? Jamison and Lilly?” They would have made it five, since they also had Darcie, Jamison’s five-year-old daughter—no, make that six, with Lilly’s five-year-old also.

“Nope. Summer and Terry.”

“Terry?”

“Kai’s father. He’s just a friend—don’t get your boxers in a twist. We have dinner every Thursday night and go to bingo after.

I invited Summer, because, well, I felt sorry for her.

Bless her heart—she looked dazed today at the salon and wasn’t her typical self.

She never once gave me shit about anything I said to her.

It was weird and disturbing.” She closed her eyes and continued breathing.

“Now, shhh. I’ve gotta get into Shanti.”

Okay, whatever that meant.

She folded her hands over her chest and her breathing became deep. I left her and set the table. Luckily, things were approximately in the same place as they were when I was home last, so it wasn’t hard to find anything.

Just as I finished setting the table and laying out parmesan, salad dressing, and the side dishes, Terry entered the kitchen.

“Rowan, right?” He held out his hand in greeting.

“Yes, sir.” I had only met him briefly at the pub the other night.

I studied his face as I shook his hand. He was thin and balding, and his skin wrinkled around bloodshot blue eyes, which were similar in color but not as shockingly crystal-gray, blue as Kai’s.

I couldn’t picture Kai looking like this as an old man, so he must have taken after his mother.

“Terry, so glad Nico gave you the night off so you could join us,” my mother said as she entered the kitchen.

She carried the lasagna to the table, along with a knife and spatula.

“Terry, go ahead and sit down in your usual place at the end. Rowan, sit by the windows.” My mother placed salad on her plate and passed the bowl to me.

“Salad first, then I’ll cut into the lasagna. ”

“What if I don’t want salad?” I asked as I took the bowl from her.

She glared and pursed her lips.

I chuckled to myself. “Mom, you should be well-relaxed after finding your, um, Shitee—or whatever that was. Why do you look aggravated? ”

“It’s Shan-tee ,” she snapped, stressing each syllable one at a time. “Get it right.” She rolled her eyes. “I am perfectly relaxed, thanks to the yoga, but you need your vegetables, so eat a salad and don’t argue.”

I put my hand up, “Got ya, Mom. Salad it is.” Terry chuckled as I passed him the bowl. “Grab salad, Terry.”

“Well, of course. Everyone needs their veggies,” he said.

“Where’s Summer?” my mother grumbled.

Just then the door opened, and Summer walked in. “Hey everyone.” She briefly caught my eyes before she turned away, but enough tension passed between us that I knew we were on shaky ground. Great. Our friendship will forever be screwed up because of that almost-kiss.

My mother placed salad on Summer’s plate. “Well, I’m glad you’re here, Summer. I was worried you wouldn’t be coming. I’m guessing you’ll take salad?”

“Of course,” she said as she sat down. “Everyone has to have their veggies.”

I glanced around the table. “All of you? Really” I asked.

Three pairs of eyes looked at me, with questioning.

My mom used the dressing and passed it to Summer. “Here you go.”

“Thank you, Tonya,” Summer said.

I watched the interaction between the two of them while I slowly ate my salad.

They both poured dressing the same way and started eating their salad after cutting the leaves into smaller bites.

Their actions were so much alike. I glanced at Terry, but he was too busy eating and wasn’t paying attention.

Suddenly they both looked up and their eyes made contact with mine .

“Need something?” my mother asked, brows raised.

“Got a problem?” Summer asked at the same time. I tried to hold her gaze, but she looked back down at her food.

My mother glanced between the two of us while I sighed heavily. “Am I missing something?” she asked, narrowing her eyes. “It’s suddenly pretty damn chilly in here.”

Summer shook her head and looked at my mom but blatantly ignored me. “Nope. Not missing a thing, Tonya.” She put her fork down. “That lasagna smells amazing. What are you waiting for? Get it cut. I can’t wait any longer.” Summer raised her empty plate, and my mom looked between us once more.

I huffed and fixed my stare on my salad, stabbed my lettuce and shoved a forkful into my mouth.

Frustration filled my gut. I didn’t know why I was thinking everything would be like normal when I saw Summer again after what happened this afternoon.

I knew her like I knew the back of my hand.

I shouldn’t have been surprised that she was acting cold and aloof.

I took some deep breaths. Maybe I should practice the Shit-nee, or whatever the hell it was my mom was doing earlier.

My mother filled our plates with large slices of lasagna.

I thanked her and ate. The three of them held the conversation while I chewed and swallowed.

Summer was avoiding making eye contact with me, and the longer we sat at the table, the more irritated I became.

I stabbed at my lasagna and scraped my fork with my teeth.

Summer hated that grating sound. Maybe I could force her to acknowledge me.

Another forkful—scrape. I glanced at her. She wouldn’t be able to ignore this forever. I knew her too well. She kept her head deliberately turned in Terry’s direction, but I could swear I saw her side-glance toward me.

Again, scrape. Okay, maybe I was being childish, but . . .

That one did it.

Her head whipped around, and her eyes met mine. I gave her a half-smile, the one I used for a silent question. Her gaze was unreadable, but I knew her well enough to be aware that what happened earlier was bothering her, and the fork-scraping was the last straw.

“Do you mind?” she muttered.

“So, you can talk to me.”

She filled her mouth with a forkful of lasagna and stared at me.

Damn, she was hot when she was irritated.

“Well, I have no clue what’s going on here,” my mother said, as her head bopped back and forth between me and Summer before she turned her attention to Terry.

“Sorry, Terry. These two have always been close, but it seems like something has gotten under their skin. If I didn’t know better, I’d think there was unspoken sexual tension between them. Seems nothing has changed.”

Summer and I both jerked our heads toward my mom.

She chuckled. “I know y’all don’t like to hear that, but it’s true. It was true when you were in high school, and it’s true now, as far as I can tell.”

Terry laughed softly, a resonant and clear sound, which contrasted his rough appearance. “Oh, yeah, it’s still true.”

“Be quiet, Terry, and eat,” Summer said in a chopped tone. Then she turned her glare on me—but it was a normal Summer glare.

There she was. The tension she brought in the door with her was gone. Summer was back—the Summer I knew and loved.

I choked on that last thought and grabbed at my glass of water .

“You okay, baby?” my mother asked.

“Yeah.” I pounded on my chest. “Just went down the wrong way.”

I’ve always told Summer I loved her, and I did. She was my best friend. We’ve always been there for each other. Why did that bother me now?

“So, Rowan, let’s change the subject,” Terry said. “How long you home for? Do you have to go back right after the wedding?”

“That’s right, Terry, you didn’t hear,” my mother said. “Rowan’s home for good.” A scowl crossed her face. “He’s taken his life-long dream of a military career and flushed it down the toilet like the shit he pushed out this morning.”

“Seriously, Tonya? We’re eating here.” Summer flapped her fork in the air and gestured toward her plate.

“You’re fine, Summer. Don’t act like you have a weak stomach.”

“Mom, it’s not a big deal.” She opened her mouth to reply, but I interrupted, sharp and direct. “No. I understand you’re irritated with me because I didn’t tell you my plans.”

I placed my fork on my plate. “It happened so fast. My time to re-enlist came up, and I’d been considering getting out, because the fun of the military was waning.

I’m not a kid anymore. I want to settle down and have a family.

” I hesitated and kept my eyes on my mother.

I sure didn’t want to say exactly when and why I decided to come home.

Not to my mother. And glancing at Summer might give away too much.

“So, when it came time, I decided I didn’t want to stay in. ”

My mother’s look was full of concern. “It’s all good, Momma. And you’ll get to see me every day. Hell, I can stay here with you if you want. ”

“Are you sure you’re happy with your decision?” she asked in a soft voice.

I reached over and grabbed her hand. “Yes, Momma, definitely. I’ve been gone since I was eighteen, and I’ve missed so much. I need to be home. There’s nowhere else I want to be.”

I glanced quickly at Summer. Her eyes met mine and we held on to each other’s gaze for a beat. I gave her a smile, and she answered it with a small one of her own.

“Well, then,” my mom said, “I’m glad you’re home.” She squeezed my hand.

I felt the love of my mother radiate through me. Coming home was a good thing. Maybe I really should move in with her, even if it was just for a short time. It would be nice to wake up and have her cook for me, and to be here at the end of the day. I’d been gone too long.

“But you can’t stay here,” she said quickly and started eating again.

I stared at her, shocked. “Why? You have two extra bedrooms.”

“Nope. I don’t. One is filled with tons of stuff for the wedding, and the other I have to get ready for your Uncle Nigel.

He’s staying with me now that Summer’s taking up Kora’s house.

He’ll be here Friday.” She took another bite of lasagna and chewed before she continued.

“So, you’ll just have to stay on the couch at Kora’s with Summer. ”

And there it was. I’d been thrown out of my childhood home. I guess it was back to sharing a bed with Summer.