The Way Home (Chasing #3)

by Linda Oaks

  The sound of a vehicle approaching had me rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I stared down the graveled road watching as a newer model silver Ford pick-up rolled up in the driveway and parked. Who the hell was that at this time of the morning? It was only a little after nine, and though I was usually up before now, last night had done me in. Sierra had the life force of a tiny F5 tornado. Yawning, I stood in the doorway and waited for the stranger to climb out of the truck. Hell, I knew him! I didn’t need this shit this early in the morning. Barefoot, I stepped out onto the porch and watched as he drew closer.

  Warm, brown eyes flecked with green regarded me curiously. A half grin, so much like the one I saw each morning in the mirror, hesitantly curved his lips. His hair was a shade lighter than mine, but we both had the same build and were tall and muscular.

  “Nate Lucas?” he asked, flashing a set of dimples identical to mine.

  I nodded in reply, waiting. He held out his hand, but instead of taking his, I shoved both hands into my pockets, fisting them and rocking back on my heels. It was rude, but I didn’t care. I never asked for any of this.

  “I’m Miles Lucas,” he said, with his hand outstretched. When he noted mine were not moving from my pockets, he finally dropped his hand. “I’m your brother.”

  If he expected me to be surprised by his statement, then he was sadly mistaken. I already knew everything about him, including the internship he was currently performing at Crawley Hospital. In a bout of temporary insanity, I had driven to Crawley. I’d been determined to meet him that night, but Kara Thorn had waylaid me outside of the hospital. It was just as well. Then, shit had happened, and the longer I stayed away and stewed on the knowledge that someone else out there shared my DNA, the more I decided it best to let sleeping dogs lie. It was un-telling what can of worms I’d unearth by pursing a relationship with a brother I’d never met. I eyed him coolly, carefully assessing his features. Yeah, from what I could tell, we were both chips off the old block according to the photos I’d seen of my gran’s. Fucking prizes, we were.

  “I realize this must come as a surprise to you. I’ve been meaning to stop by for a while. About a year ago, I hired a private detective to dig into my past.”

  “Well, he wasn’t the only one, and I didn’t plan on telling him that I’d done the exact same thing.

  “You wasted your time,” I informed him, and couldn’t help but notice his disappointment. He was so easy to read. If it hadn’t been for my gran, I would have been alone in this world and probably shipped from one foster home to another. Silently, I wondered if that had been his fate. I shouldn’t even care.

  “I’m sorry I’m acting like such a dick. What do you want from me?” I had no idea how to handle this situation. I wasn’t good at heart to hearts.

  “I want a brother.” He eyed me warily. My heart contracted at hearing those words. It wasn’t his fault we shared a shitty father.

  “Do you want to come in?” I asked, and he smiled.

  An hour later, we were still sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee and shooting the shit. The few photos I had of my dad were lying scattered between us on top of the kitchen table. I learned I had a nephew. He was two. In less than two weeks, my brother was marrying the love of his life. There was three years difference in our age. I was the oldest. If I had a vagina, I’d probably be sobbing right now. He’d taken out his wallet and had shown me a picture of his son whose eyes and chin was pure Lucas.

  Miles had been raised in a single parent home by his mother, who had obviously been stupid enough to fall for my father’s charm. Miles didn’t know where our father was. He hadn’t seen him in years and wasn’t interested in finding him either. I couldn’t agree with him more. I had never met him. I didn’t give a shit about that bastard or my mom, wherever she may be. They could both rot in Hell for all I cared.

  All of the sudden, there was the sound of tiny feet running down the hallway. Sierra burst into the kitchen still dressed in her nightgown with her hair a wild mess. Miles looked at me from across the table grinning. “Yours?” he asked, and I couldn’t help but smile. The kid was something else.

  “I’m hungry,” she said, but before I could reply to his question, Sierra distracted me by climbing into my lap. “Who’s he?” she asked.

  My gaze met Miles across the table. He wore what appeared to be a hopeful expression. It was the same one he’d been wearing when he had arrived. Shit! “He’s my brother,” I finally said, and he smiled, grinning from ear to ear.

  “And who is this little lady?” he asked.

  “This is Sierra,” I replied, noting his curious gaze. “She my girlfriend’s daughter.” The lie slipped easily from my lips. It beat having to explain to him the mess that Miley was in.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Sierra.”

  Suddenly, a tiny hand grabbed my chin, and I glanced down at Sierra. She seemed happy. Her sky blue eyes were practically beaming. “Are you going to be my daddy?” she asked, and a painful longing squeezed my heart. I wasn’t anyone’s daddy, nor would I ever be.

  At that moment, Miley chose to walk into the kitchen. She still looked half asleep, and was also wearing her nightgown. She issued an ear splitting screech upon noticing we had company. Her cheeks turned red. “I didn’t know anyone was here,” she said, self-consciously tugging at the hem of her nightgown. I didn’t mind it in the least, but I could tell she was embarrassed. She was wide awake now, and turning a darker shade of red by the second.

  Miles automatically stood, and I motioned for her to come forward. She’d crossed one arm over her chest and again pulled at the short length of the fabric covering her thighs. It was impossible to miss that Miley wasn’t wearing a bra. I glanced at my brother, but his expression was nothing but pleasant. I’d hate to punch him in the face after having just met him. Like a gentleman, he held out his hand.

  “I’m Nate’s brother, Miles,” he said, and Miley’s mouth formed a perfect, small, round o before she was able to hide her surprise. She took his hand and flashed him a wide smile.

  “This is Miley Triton,” I told Nate, and at the mention of her last name, it became obvious he recognized it. Miles did not have a poker face. He was as easy to read as open book.

  “I’m doing an internship at Crawley Central,” he informed Miley. “My specialty is cardiac medicine.”

  “My father is the top cardiac surgeon there” Miley’s expression was chilly.

  “I figured as much. When you said your last name, I knew there must be some kind of connection.”

  Miley tried to smile, but it was obvious to me that the mention of her father disturbed her. Maybe someday they’d be able to repair whatever rift lay between them. It wasn’t my business.

  “Well, if you’ll excuse me, Miles, Sierra and I are going to get dressed. It was so nice to meet you.”

  Miley held out her hand to Sierra, and she slid from my lap and moved to take her mother’s outstretched hand. “I’m hungry, Mommy.”

  “Baby, let’s get dressed first, then we’ll eat,” she told her and flashed us both a smile. A sullen faced Sierra followed Miley from the kitchen.

  “I’m glad you have a family, too.” Miles smiled at me. “I wasn’t sure what to expect on the way here. It’s good to see that you’re not alone.”

  If only he knew. I picked up one of the three pictures I owned of our father. I handed one to him. “It’s yours, if you want it.”

  Without hesitation, he took the photo, his lips curving into a grin. It was there, shining in his eyes, how much the picture meant to him; far more than it ever would to me. The memory of my gran answering questions about my parents suddenly came to mind.

  Gran had explained we all needed to know our roots. Even if some of those roots were misplaced or ripped away from the foundation of our lives. She believed we still needed to know who our people were. I didn’t agree with her on that. Sometimes, I thought it was best not knowing, but she’d answered honestly when I’d asked.

&nbs
p; “You need to know where you come from boy — good or bad,” she’d claimed. At that moment, I could hear her voice as plain as day whispering through the corridors of my mind.

  For me, there were no missing pieces. Miles, however, seemed grateful for a single photograph of our piece of shit father. The past was behind us for a reason, and I didn’t like to dwell on it too much. Dredging up old memories and ghosts could only bring more heartache and misery. I pushed back my chair and stood. I couldn’t stand to sit another second longer.

  “I’m going to make breakfast if you want to stick around.”

  Miles shook his head no and smiled as he stood and pushed his chair back. “I’ll have to pass this time. I must get to work, but I would love for you to meet Natalie and Michael.”

  When he said that name, my heart skipped a beat. My lungs refused to work. “Natalie?” I echoed. My heart contracted painfully.

  “Well, she goes by Leah. She gets upset whenever I call her Natalie. Her mom named her after her sister, and needless to say, she doesn’t get along with her aunt.”

  My spine stiffened, and though I tried to attempt a smile at Mile’s explanation, I failed miserably. “Let me walk you to the door,” I told him, and was glad he seemed not to notice my unease.

  That one name out of millions had the power to fucking crush me. It always had. Fate must be having a really good laugh right about now.

  When he stepped outside onto the front porch, Miles turned and held out his hand. This time, I took it. “It was nice to finally get the chance to meet you.” He seemed like a good guy.

  “You too, man,” I agreed and watched as Miles dug out his wallet and then handed me a business card.

  “So we can keep in touch,” he explained. “Use that number,” he ordered as he smiled and clapped me on the shoulder. Suddenly, his arms wrapped around me in a half hug. At his touch, the knot in my stomach expanded. It was huge, and my breathing stalled. Finally, he pulled back, turned, and walked away. I stood numbly staring after him. He had made it all the way to the driveway before I called out his name. For the life of me, I don’t know why I did it, but I gave him my phone number. I couldn’t let him leave here today without having it.

  “Use that number,” I yelled after him, echoing his own words back at him. He programmed my number into his phone. When he finished, he raised his head and smiled at me. With a wave, he climbed in his truck.

  I sat down on the front porch step and watched as the truck drove away. I wasn’t good with my emotions. In fact, I sucked at all of that shit. If you were expecting the touchy feely type… well, I wasn’t that guy.

  Distracted, I ran a hand through my hair. My mind buzzed as I stared blankly off into space. I had a brother and a nephew. Hank bounded up the steps and plowed straight into my legs, his clumsiness bringing me back to the present pretty damn quick. He was such a big goober.

  “You worthless mutt,” I muttered affectionately and buried my hands in his thick fur to tug him closer. His tongue swiped my cheek. “It’s going to be okay, isn’t it boy?”

  He licked me again, and I pushed him away, scooting over so he could climb onto the porch. With the warmth of the sun heating my skin, I turned my face to the sky and closed my eyes. The heat felt good.

  “Everything’s as right as rain.”

  Those words whispered through my mind as clear as the day, and when I opened my eyes, a flash of red streaked past. It was a cardinal, and it had lit upon the front porch banister studying me. Gran had always believed cardinals were loved ones visiting from Heaven. The bird looked at me, and for a moment, there in those solemn watchful eyes, I felt the presence of my gran. She was here with me even though I couldn’t see her.

  “Nate,” Sierra yelled, and the bird spirited away as the screen door slammed shut, cracking loudly against the wood. A small hand landed on my shoulder. “Mommy’s fixing eggs and sausage.” Blue eyes twinkled back at me with curiosity. “You sad?” she asked, and I stood up from the step shaking my head, somewhat amazed by her perception.

  “Nah, baby, I’m as right as rain,” I said, my lips forming a half grin. I bent down and scooped her up in to my arms. She giggled in my ear. Small arms wrapped around my neck. Hank nudged my legs in an effort to seek a little attention for himself. He was such a jealous bastard.

  “Come on Hank,” I called, and Sierra giggled even more when I bounced her up in the air. “Let’s go eat breakfast.”

  A couple of hours later, Sierra and Hank were running through the yard as I peered down into the engine of Miley’s old Corolla. She needed a new alternator and a set of plugs. It wouldn’t take long to fix, but the sky was clouding up with the threat of rain. That’s what sucked about not having my own garage, but I planned on rectifying that situation as soon as possible after I finished remodeling the house.

  “Watch, Nate!” Sierra yelled.

  She’d ran inside earlier, only to return a few minutes later carrying a ball. For the last half hour, she and Hank had been playing ball outside in the yard. She’d finally convinced Hank to fetch. Well, he had half of the concept down. I smiled as I watched Sierra chase after him laughing. He’d caught the ball and this time, instead of his usual loop around the yard with her in pursuit, he’d taken off at a dead run for the front porch where Miley had suddenly made an appearance. She’d just opened the door, and I heard her yelp in surprise as Hank darted past her into the house, almost causing her to drop one of the drinks in her hand.

  “Slow down, munchkin.” Miley held the door open for Sierra who ran in, chasing after Hank. Miley let the screen door slam and walked down the porch steps heading across the yard toward me. There was an easy smile on her face that reminded me of lazy days and brought to mind a time when my own life had been full of promise. It was hard to look away from her when she was grinning like that.

  She was stunning, even in jeans and one of my old t-shirts, which just so happened to be my favorite. I didn’t have the heart to ask for it back since it looked a damn sight better on her than it did on me anyway.

  “Did you figure it out?” she asked, handing me a bottle of water. Her eyes momentarily darted from mine to trail down my chest. Earlier, I’d shed my shirt. Where I was working, there wasn’t any shade and it was hotter than Hades.

  “I’ve finally got it,” I told her, and then went on to explain in detail what exactly was wrong with her car. She didn’t understand a word I was saying. I could tell. She had this far away dazed look in her eyes, but when I informed her that it wasn’t anything major, she seemed relieved. I chugged half the bottle of water. It was cold and tasted like heaven. I raised my hand and wiped the sweat from my brow. When I looked at her, there was an intensity in her gaze that had every muscle in my body below the waist tightening in anticipation. A sudden image of her bent over the hood of the car came to mind. That ass up in the air. I swear, I couldn’t keep a straight thought in my head whenever she was around.

  Shit, I had to get a grip, but I knew exactly what I’d like to be gripping. Those curvy hips of hers had the power to bring a man to his knees.

  “Shew,” she said, emitting a nervous laugh and fanning herself. There was definitely a charge in the air that had nothing to do with the humidity or the approaching storm. “It’s hot out here.”

  That’s not the only thing that’s hot, baby.

  “Are you okay?” Miley asked, and it was only then that I realized I’d been staring at her like she was a last meal for a dying man. I didn’t understand how or when I’d become so whipped. The thought of visiting my friend to find relief… well, I couldn’t even stomach it now. My dick knew what it wanted, and it only wanted one woman… Miley.

  “You didn’t get too hot, did you?” she asked, her expression filled with concern.

  “Nah, I’m fine,” I muttered, scratching my beard. I turned away and slammed the car’s hood down, and then I took a deep breath to try to gain control of myself.

  I would not touch her.

  I would
not.

  A soft hand landed on my shoulder at the same time a splatter of rain loudly plopped against the car’s hood. A few drops landed on my skin. It was cold, but I could have sworn I heard them sizzle since her touch had set me on fire. Need coursed through my body overriding my senses. Overhead, the clouds were heavy and dark. In the air there was the overwhelming scent of rain mixed with the sweet scent of the woman standing behind me.

  I couldn’t fucking take it.

  Pushed beyond my control, I spun around to face her. For the rest of my life whenever I smelled the scent of honeysuckle, I would always think of her. When her pink tongue darted out to briefly skim her lower lip, I lost all train of thought. She was teasing me. My body automatically gravitated to hers. Sultry eyes full of want stared back at me with a heat that matched my own. I reached out a hand and cupped her jaw, then slid my hand along her neck where I was able to tangle my fingers in her thick hair in order to draw her closer. My other arm encircled her waist, and I pulled her flush against me. All of that softness and those curves melding into mine turned my brain to mush.

  She felt like fucking heaven and the answer to all of my prayers.

  “Nate,” she whispered, and the tortured sound of my name slipping past her lips was downright unbearable.

  Somewhere in the back of my mind, there was a split second where sanity tried to return. Maybe, I should let her go. The sky chose that exact moment to open up. A torrent of summer rain washed all of that damn nonsense straight from my head. My lips crashed down onto hers, sinking into all of that sweetness. I devoured her whole. Never had anything tasted as good as the woman in my arms. She was fucking addictive.

  Rain sluiced over our heated skin. Every inch of me wanted to dominate… to consume. Our bodies were fused together. Her hands frantically clawing at my back. She was going to draw blood, but I didn’t care. The prick of her nails digging into my skin made me break out in a cold sweat and brought a groan to my lips.