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  Missing his quarry, Reid grasped the sill and hauled himself up, intending to follow the fugitives. But his broad shoulders caught on the sides.

  He tried again, angling his body.

  Same result.

  “Dammit!” Reid swore. “I’m stuck.”

  Britt grabbed him by the belt and yanked him back. “You’re too damned big. Come on. We’ll catch them out front.”

  Joan snapped her head around at the sound of her sons’ voices. How on earth had they found her?

  If they’d tracked her cell phone, there’d be big trouble. She wouldn’t put it past any of those boys.

  “How in hell did they find you?”

  “I have no idea.”

  He clasped her hand. “We’ll deal with them later. Give me your keys.”

  She handed them over. “What about your truck?”

  “I’ll come back for it. Let’s get you out of here.”

  “Why? It’s just the boys. They’ll be worried if I disappear.”

  “My instincts are in full throttle, Joanie. The man I saw outside . . .” He hesitated. “I think it might have been Henry McKay.”

  “McKay? But he’s—”

  “Exactly.” He opened the passenger door. “Hop in.”

  Cramming his long legs into the driver’s side, Eddy multitasked by sliding the seat back while starting the engine. Joan did a visual sweep of the area as he backed up and shot down the parking lot. McKay and the boys were nowhere to be seen. They were alone.

  At least until Reid flew out of Number 14, rushing toward her Subaru and throwing out his arms as if he could stop a three-thousand-pound vehicle.

  “Reid, watch it!” Britt yelled.

  Joan flinched, grabbing the doorframe as Bear slammed the brakes to avoid running Reid over. The car skidded to a stop, inches from Reid’s outstretched palms.

  She hit the window button while her blood pressure spiked. “Reid Sullivan Steele! Are you insane, jumping in front of a moving car?”

  “Mama! What are you doing here?”

  Oh, honey. You don’t want to know.

  A bead of sweat rolled down the back of her neck. Think fast, Joan.

  Of her four boys, Reid was the dead last one she wanted to see right now. Probably the most volatile of the bunch, he had a knack for causing a ruckus. An absolute gold medalist when it came to chaos. If she had to get caught in a cheap motel, why couldn’t it have been Britt alone to find her? At least with Britt, he’d eventually be reasonable. Reid?

  Not so much.

  “Reid, stop that yelling. I swear you don’t know how to be silent.”

  “Not when I find my mother sneaking out of a crappy motel I don’t.” Reid’s attention snapped to the driver’s side, his eyes growing big as a bug’s.

  “Houston,” she whispered to the man beside her, “we have a problem.”

  “Dad?”

  3

  “Reid, this isn’t the time or place,” Eddy Steele told his son as he tossed him the keys to his SUV. “Take my truck back to Tupelo Hill and we’ll discuss this there.” He peeled out of the lot.

  For shit’s sake. What had started out as a nice weekday rendezvous had turned into a complete clusterfuck. And not just because two of his sons had made him feel guilty for a round of afternoon delight with their mother.

  His wife.

  But that was what happened when a man decided his family was infinitely safer without him and stayed on the fringes of their lives for two decades. Based on who he thought he’d seen walking across that parking lot, none of them were safe anymore.

  Now riding shotgun in her own car, Joan wasn’t taking his concerns seriously. On the contrary, she was trying to hide her laughter by covering her mouth with her hand. She was failing. Miserably. “Oh my,” she puffed out between chuckles, “that was interesting.”

  Eddy could barely see straight for the chaos zigzagging through his mind, but he didn’t want to send Joan into a complete panic. “What? The way Reid was yelling like a madman or how Britt glared a hole through me?”

  When she reached over and rubbed his forearm, her lavender scent drifted over him, and a feeling of peace and pride ran through him, just as it had every time she’d touched him since the day they met. This was what he’d given up because of his job. Not only the day-to-day love and affection of the best woman he’d ever known, but also relationships with his children. And as much as that had eroded his soul over the years, he’d do it all again to keep them safe.

  “They don’t know what to think,” she said softly. “It’s not like we ever explained all this to them. Don’t you think it’s time?”

  It had never seemed like a good time.

  Yes, his biggest concern—the Yakuza or Japanese mafia—had pulled out of the area after it split into factions a few years back. But Eddy still hadn’t felt sure enough to risk coming back home and placing a target square on his family, especially when they all started moving back to Steele Ridge.

  He’d taken a big enough chance all these years by living close by and participating in family events once in a blue moon. And if Henry McKay had somehow wormed his way out of prison, Eddy needed to get the hell away from Steele Ridge for good.

  But to Joan he said, “Maybe we can tell the boys that we were meeting to discuss a bit of unsettled family business.”

  She eyeballed him from across the console. “I sincerely doubt they’ll buy that pile of baloney.” She tugged at the collar of his blue button-down shirt. “Seeing as Britt homed in on the little detail that your shirt is on inside out and I have stubble burn on my neck.”

  He glanced over and sure enough, her skin was pink from where he’d paid extra attention to that spot behind her ear she loved to have kissed. Her neck probably wasn’t the only place he’d left his mark, but the kids sure as hell didn’t need to know anything about the others. His Joanie had very sensitive inner thighs.

  “What are you grinning about?” she demanded.

  “That even after all these years, I can still make you blush.”

  “Is that what you call it?”

  He took her hand and pressed it to his thigh as he navigated the highway leading back to Steele Ridge. “I think we should wait a little longer to talk with the kids. Besides, we haven’t really decided . . . ”

  “About your place or mine?”

  It was likely neither of those were an option any longer, but he tried to arrange his mouth into a smile.

  “What’s wrong?” Joan asked, her voice suddenly tight and higher than normal.

  “What do you mean?”

  “That smile that’s not a smile at all. I’ve only seen it one other time, right after Jack McKay was killed.”

  “I told you I thought I saw Henry McKay back at the motel.”

  “I know. But I thought he’d never get out.”

  She needed to understand how serious this situation was. Because if he had seen McKay, that meant something had gone down the shitter.

  Killing a law enforcement official would get a guy life without parole, and Eddy’s testimony had been key in McKay’s conviction. His sentence had been that much more fitting because the man he shot was his own brother, Jack, a Haywood County sheriff’s deputy. Back in the day, Eddy, a DEA agent, and Jack had been on a joint task force together, working to shut down a drug ring. Unfortunately, Jack’s big brother was in the middle of it, helping the Japanese to set up a drug trade route along the east coast. And where better to hide illicit activity than in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee?

  “I’m taking you back to Tupelo Hill to pack a bag, and then I want everyone in the family to clear out of Steele Ridge while I deal with this.”

  “You can’t be serious. Eddy, we have six kids, who now have loved ones of their own. How do you expect them to take a get-out-of-town order from you?”

  What she meant was especially from him, the man who had darted in and out of their lives for far too long.

  “Do you think eithe
r Randi or Brynne would leave their businesses?” Joan asked. “That Grif would just abandon his post as City Manager? They don’t just live here. Our children and their families are Steele Ridge. Besides, Reid has Tupelo Hill outfitted with the latest security, you know that.”

  “Which has proven to be vulnerable a few times.” Like when Grif’s daughter had been kidnapped from an upstairs bedroom in Joan’s house. Then again, Reid had overhauled his setup since then.

  Joan dug in her purse and pulled out the newest iPhone and worked her thumbs over it like a pro. She must’ve caught him goggling because she glanced up. “What? We have twins who are technical geniuses. I’ve learned a thing or two from them. And Jonah keeps me up to date with the latest apps.” Her thumbs continued to dance across the screen.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Aha!” She held up the screen and he glanced over, careful to keep the car between the lines.

  “I have no idea what you’re showing me.”

  “It’s an inmate locator. I typed in Henry’s name and it’s showing he’s still in Alexander.”

  The same close-custody facility he’d been assigned to when he was convicted. Eddy could still remember the resigned look on McKay’s face when he’d been escorted out of the courtroom that day. His expression had been filled with an equal measure of hate and hope. It hadn’t been difficult to decipher what he’d silently mouthed. “You promised.”

  Yes, Eddy had vowed to keep an innocent girl safe, and to this day, he had done everything in his power to keep that promise.

  When they made it to what he thought of as Joan’s Dream House, Eddy wasn’t completely surprised to see the driveway filled with cars, including Evie’s Med Mobile, like a party was in progress. Yeah, this was a hell of a surprise, but it wasn’t a party.

  “News traveled fast,” Joan said as he parked her car and they sat staring at the assortment of their children’s vehicles.

  “I’m still scratching my head over Grif buying a minivan.”

  “That’s the kind of sacrifice a man makes when he has kids.”

  At her words, a rusted arrow pierced Eddy’s chest. She hadn’t meant them to cause damage, but he knew all too well that she’d made the vast majority of sacrifices for their family.

  She turned to him and framed his face with her hands. “You made sacrifices, too.”

  Not the right ones. He just hadn’t been able to see that all those years ago, and when his eyes had finally opened, it was far too late. “I don’t think I can—”

  Joan cut him off with a soft kiss that made him wish they’d had more hours at Motel Malibu. There they could pretend that nothing existed outside those walls—no years spent living apart, no upset children, no criminals with a taste for revenge. When she finally eased away, he missed her as if they hadn’t touched in years. But the sadness and weariness in her eyes reminded him that all the secrets had taken a toll. Not only on their family, but a personal one on her.

  No woman married a man with the expectation that he’d leave her alone to raise half a dozen children. “You did so good, Joanie.”

  “It wasn’t that long of a kiss.”

  “You know what I mean. Six kids who’re now full-grown and every one of them is special. A bright star in his or her own way. Britt has a good head on his shoulders. He’s as steady and reliable as the day is long. Grif pretty much runs this town and has multimillionaire athletes hanging on his every word. Reid turned his military discharge into something constructive with the law enforcement center.” He shook his head, just trying to get his brain around all of their accomplishments. “Micki and Jonah. Those two are smarter than I could ever hope to be. And Evie with her Med Mobile. That girl helps so many people who can’t help themselves.”

  Not long ago, she’d even rumbled up to his cabin and informed him in no uncertain terms that it was time for a checkup. By the time she was done, he’d been poked, prodded, and properly evaluated. She’d pronounced him fit and said that he would live to see a hundred.

  “And they deserve to understand that their father isn’t the man they think they know.”

  “Right now I need to reach out to some of my contacts and confirm that McKay really is still locked up. I can drop you here and then we’ll call a family meeting once I’ve—”

  “No, sir.”

  “What?”

  “You will get your butt out of this car, walk into that house, and man up. You said it yourself, our kids are grown and perfectly able to take care of themselves.”

  God, not against a dangerous, motivated man like Henry McKay.

  “I’m tired of sneaking around behind their backs. Most couples our age are sitting in rockers on their front porch with grandbabies on their knees, not skulking around roadside motels just gettin’ a little something-something.”

  His laughter came out half-choked.

  “You don’t want the kids to think I’m just your booty call, do you?”

  He took her hand, pressed a kiss to the back of it. “Although I am a big fan of your booty, Joan Steele, you are so much more than that. You are my everything. Let’s go inside and face the kids before they come out and lynch me.”

  As he and Joan approached the porch, it didn’t surprise him to see at least four faces peering out the front windows. If Reid’s scowl was any indication of how this whole thing would play out, Eddy would need a medicinal glass of whiskey later. Once they were inside, Joan clapped her hands together. “All right, everybody, gather up at the dining table.”

  “Mom, I don’t think—” Britt started.

  Joan turned a stern eye on their oldest and said, “Sit down or you’ll get no cake and coffee.”

  “There’s cake?” Jonah piped up.

  Eddy’s heart swelled. Damn, he loved these kids. And now they needed to understand just how much he cared about them and their mama.

  Although some grumbles escaped, the whole crew made their way to the massive farm table. Evie and Britt peeled off to help their mama in the kitchen, and once everyone else was seated, Eddy suddenly became the uncomfortable focus of their attention. Instead of finding a seat himself, he paced around the perimeter of the table. “You . . . ah . . . y’all are probably wondering why Britt and Reid put out the all-call.”

  “Well,” Micki drawled, “they said something about finding the two of you in some roadside motel and that you’re doing the na—”

  Grif’s wife Carlie Beth waved a frantic arm to cut off what Micki was about to say. Beside her, Aubrey shook her head and huffed. “I know what she was about to say, Mom. I’m not a baby. But what I want to know is why Grammy and Eddy are doing the na—”

  This time Carlie Beth wrapped an arm around her daughter’s head and covered her mouth, which was no small feat, seeing as Carlie Beth was about ninety-nine months pregnant.

  Joan, with Britt and Evie behind her carrying stacks of plates and cups, marched toward the table and plunked down a massive cake. Then she straightened and put her hands on those hips he loved so much. “Now listen here, I want all of you hooligans to stop your sassing and listen to what your dad has to say.”

  “If we promise to shut up, then we can cut the cake, right?” Jonah asked.

  Tessa, Jonah’s beautiful and incredibly strong girlfriend, elbowed him in the side.

  “What?” His eyes widened in fake innocence. “It was a simple if-then statement.”

  Joan turned to Eddy and gave him a get-on-with-it look. “Your dad will explain while I cut and serve.”

  If he’d thought all eyes were on him before, now they were like a table full of laser beams. Grif’s and Jonah’s faces held guarded curiosity, while Reid and Britt were cross-armed statues. Evie leaned forward and propped her face in her hands. Micki sat back and lifted her chin. Of all his children, she was probably the one who would understand the best. She knew exactly what it was like to sacrifice your life to keep those you loved most safe.

  Eddy suddenly found that his hands didn’t have a cl
ue where to land. Thankfully, Joanie shoved a cup of her famous pecan coffee into them. “You can do this.”

  He took a quick sip of the scalding brew and blew out a breath. The only way out was through. “All of you know Kris McKay, right?”

  “What does she have to do with anything?” Reid demanded. “I thought you and Mom were going to explain what you were doing at the Motel Malibu.”

  Jesus, this was what he got for having six stubborn, opinionated children. Eddy turned his complete attention on Reid, knowing full well that his gaze was hard. It gave him more than a small amount of pleasure when Reid looked away first. Eddy might be jumping off into his eighth decade on God’s green earth, but he was still the alpha of this family.

  “This is my story,” Eddy said. “And I’ll tell it my way.”

  That got a grudging nod from Reid.

  “When Kris was a baby, I was working on a . . . ” The words got caught in his throat. He hadn’t talked about this in so damn long and never openly. “ . . . on a joint task force between the Haywood County sheriff’s department and the DEA.”

  “Why would you—” Evie started.

  “You weren’t ever just a deadbeat, were you?” Britt bit out the words as understanding broke over his face.

  “No.” Joan’s knife paused over the cake, her hard gaze meeting each of her children’s. “Never.”

  “I’ll be damned,” Grif breathed, a reluctant respect sparking in his eyes.

  “Griffin Fletcher Steele,” Joan warned and pinged a knife on the side of the plate holding the three-tiered cake. “Hush, all of you. The next person to say a word won’t get a bite of this.” She eyeballed each person around the table in turn. “Won’t get cake ever again.”

  That made the entire crew poker up real quick. No one wanted to be left out when one of Joan’s cakes was on the line.

  “About twenty years ago, this task force was working on flushing out a group involved with the Yakuza. Around that time, they were actively looking for places outside the Pacific Rim to both launder money and manufacture amphetamines.” He could clearly see the questions and potential answers pinballing through Jonah’s head. Eddy nodded at him. “That’s exactly the reason they were in this area. Because it was the dead last place anyone would suspect the Japanese mafia to be operating.”