Maya Banks - Whispers in the Dark

 “Home-cooked food and beer? And they say you can’t get to heaven without dying.”

 Nathan sobered. No. But you could certainly go to hell without dying. He shook away that thought and then stood.

 “Let’s go get your stuff and check you out of your hotel. We’ll stop by the store, get what we need, and we’ll spend a few nights under the stars.”

 Swanny got to his feet. He stared out over the lake for a minute and then turned his gaze to Nathan. A smile softened the harsh lines around his eyes. “Yeah. Sounds like a plan.”

SWANNY sat back in his chair with a groan. “That was the best meal I’ve had in a long time, Mrs. Kelly.”

 Nathan’s mom beamed as she got up from her seat to start clearing the table. She stopped by Swanny and patted him on the cheek.

 “You have to call me Marlene. Or Mom. Or Ma. Really. You’re family, so Mrs. Kelly just won’t do.”

 Swanny had the same befuddled look on his face that most people did when encountering the storm that was Nathan’s mother. He looked torn between bemusement and wanting to hug the woman.

 It had taken a lot of persuading to get Swanny to agree to

 have dinner with the Kellys. He was self-conscious about his face, but then Marlene blithely ignored the scarring. She kissed, patted and otherwise made it a point to let Swanny know she didn’t care. He’d instantly become another of her children.

 “You boys want to retire to the living room and have a beer? There’s a baseball game on,” Frank Kelly said. “Leave the dishes, Marlene. I’ll get them later.”

 Nathan grinned. His dad still treated them like they were…boys. His boys. No matter how old they got. They were still the children of Marlene and Frank Kelly no matter what.

 Joe tossed down his napkin and rose. “Beer sounds good. Baseball sounds even better.”

 Rusty smiled impishly and darted a glance toward Frank. “Yeah, beer sounds great!”

 Frank gave her a get-real look. “Very funny, young lady. You get lemonade.”

 “Hey, I’m eighteen now!”

 “And?” Marlene asked.

 Rusty rolled her eyes. “And it means I have three more years until I’m legally allowed to imbibe.”

 Marlene nodded approvingly. “Now you’re getting it.”

 Nathan stood, as did Swanny, and they started to follow Frank and Joe into the living room. Rusty waited until Marlene had left to go get drinks then hurriedly rose and touched Nathan on the arm.

 “Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked in a low voice.

 Nathan frowned but hung back after motioning for Swanny to follow Nathan’s dad and brother.

 Rusty looked a little nervous and hesitant, neither of which were qualities usually attributed to her.

 “What’s up?” Nathan asked.

 Things had come a long way in Rusty’s relationship with the Kellys. His brothers to be specific. But Nathan had always been more…understanding…so she naturally gravitated toward him more than his siblings.

 Another of Marlene’s strays, Rusty had been taken in at the time when Rachel had been rescued and brought home after a year of being thought dead. The family situation had been volatile at best, and Rusty had added tension. She’d been defensive, bratty and sullen, but over time she’d earned her place and now she was as fiercely protective of the family as any natural-born Kelly.

 “Look, I wasn’t supposed to ask you this. I mean Marlene and Frank didn’t want me to pressure you. I’m supposed to back off and let you breathe and stuff.”

 Nathan lifted an eyebrow. One would think he was a hair from barking at the moon in full werewolf gear.

 She hurried on in a rush. “But I really want you there. I mean like more than everyone else. Not that I don’t want everyone else there too, but it would be really great if you could make it as well.”

 He put his hand on her arm. “Rusty.”

 She quieted immediately, and her cheeks reddened.

 “Just spit it out. Where do you want me to be?”

 “Graduation,” she mumbled. “It’s this week. I would have said something earlier, I mean I didn’t want to just spring it on you like this, but Marlene didn’t want me to pressure you—”

 “Of course I’ll come.”

 “I know the crowd issue and that you don’t like being around so many people since you got home and all—”

 “Rusty, I’ll come. I wouldn’t miss it.”

 She looked up in surprise. Then a wide smile flashed on her face. “Really? I mean if you don’t want to. Or if it’s too much, I totally understand.”

 He smiled. “You only graduate once, kiddo. I’ll suffer through it.”

 Her lips turned down and her expression grew worried.

 “I was kidding. Of course I’ll be there. The whole Kelly clan will be there. I’m sure Ma wants to frame that diploma. Has she already planned a party that includes the entire county?”

 Rusty’s eyes shone with relief. Her smile returned and she jiggled with excitement. Then to Nathan’s surprise, she launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tight.

 “I wanted you there the most.”

 The words were muffled by the fact that her face was planted against his chest. He smiled and then hugged her back.

 As she pulled away, she glanced back toward the kitchen. “Just don’t tell Marlene I asked. Okay?”

 “Lips are sealed.”

 As they started toward the living room, Rusty hesitated once more and turned serious blue eyes on him. “I’m so glad you’re home, Nathan. I was—we were all—worried about you.”

 He ruffled her hair. “Thanks, kiddo.”

 It was nice to have family who worried about him. He was suddenly overcome with near-choking emotion. His eyelids stung and he cursed the onslaught of the aching relief of being home when he thought he’d never return here again.

 Rusty slipped her hand into his and tugged him toward the living room. It embarrassed him that she seemed to realize how unstable he’d suddenly become.

 Swanny was sitting on the couch next to Joe, who’d slouched, tossed off his shoes and then kicked his feet up on the ottoman. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but Nathan knew his leg still bothered him and he wasn’t yet one hundred percent after taking a bullet. Nathan’s own bullet wound had healed much faster. It had been a flesh wound and hadn’t hit bone as Joe’s had. Joe was training hard with a KGI team, but he still hadn’t been cleared for missions. Physically, Nathan was probably more ready for active duty again than Joe was. And yet, Nathan had still not even considered joining his brothers.

 Nathan’s dad was in his recliner, remote in hand, and they all looked up when Rusty dragged Nathan into the living room.

 “Your brothers are coming over,” Frank said.

 Nathan raised his brows. “All of them?”

 “Yeah, they aren’t happy you’ve been avoiding them—their words not mine.”

 Nathan bit back a curse. He glanced over at Swanny, who was engrossed in the game already and arguing with Joe over batting averages.

 “We could sneak out the back,” Rusty muttered.

 Nathan chuckled and some of his anxiety lessened. The tension in his chest eased, and suddenly he could breathe again. He did want to see his brothers and his sisters-in-law and his sister-in-law-to-be, Sarah.

 Sarah was quieter than even Rachel, and she still seemed ill at ease and overwhelmed by all the family members. It was obvious that Garrett was a total goner over the woman he was marrying. He never strayed far from her side, and now that Nathan was home, they were planning their wedding for later in the summer right before Rusty left for college at the University of Tennessee.

 He looked at Rachel far differently now. Before he’d always been gentle with her, considered her fragile, as if she’d break at any moment. The whole family treated her like she was…weak.

 Now he realized just what a disservice they did her. He couldn’t even comprehend the strength it took to survive in hell for an entire year. He’d been ready to give up after two months. He’d looked death in the face and accepted without blinking the inevitability of his own.

 Rachel awed him and shamed him in equal parts. He had the sudden urge to see her again, even though it had only been a week since the last time he’d seen her. He wanted to hug her. To tell her how damn amazed he was by her. He didn’t think his family told her that often enough. Maybe they’d never told her.

 “Take a load off,” Joe said.

 Nathan blinked his way out of his thoughts and realized that everyone was staring at him. He wiped his palms down the legs of his jeans and settled onto the couch down from Swanny. Soon the room would be filled with his brothers and their wives. People would be sitting on the floor, spilled over the arms of chairs and the couch. And his mom would beam the entire time.

 He glanced questioningly at Swanny, wanting to know if his friend was up for this. They’d spent the last two days alone at Nathan’s building site until Nathan’s mom had had enough and dragged them over for a real dinner, as she’d put it.

 Swanny looked content—more content than Nathan—to be surrounded by so many warm people. But then Swanny didn’t have family. He’d had no one to return to when he and Nathan had been rescued. In Swanny’s position, Nathan would have given up hope a lot sooner. Only the drive to see his family again had kept him sane. What had given Swanny such determination?

 If he could give Swanny a little peace by sharing his family, then Nathan would gladly do it. His mom would adopt him now anyway whether Swanny liked it or not. Nothing much stopped her when she set her mind to something, and collecting strays was a lifelong habit of hers.