The door opened before we reached it and out came my mom, a flurry of long brown hair and big eyes. One second I was standing on the porch, arm raised, and next Mom was wrapping her arms around me, squeezing the living daylights out of me.

“Mom,” I gasped, hugging her back. “I can barely breathe.”

“Deal with it.” She hugged me tighter.

I coughed out a laugh and then she pulled back, smoothing a hand over my hair, pushing it back from my face. Her eyes were watery as she smiled, then her gaze moved to Brock, and I winced in sympathy as she enveloped him in an equally suffocating hug. Somehow, he managed to hold onto Rhage’s carrier. Brock laughed at her exuberance and returned the hug with one arm.

“Hon, let them get in the house.” Dad’s voice rang out from inside the house. “They’ve been in the car for hours.”

“Hush it.” Mom let go of Brock and then looped her arm through mine as we started inside. “You’d think by now he’d expect how easily excited I am.”

“You’d think,” I argued dryly.

Mom laughed.

Warm air greeted us as we stepped in the foyer, and I saw Dad striding across the scuffed hardwood floors. His hair was more salt than pepper since the last time I’d seen him and the lines around his eyes had increased, but the man was still fit as a fiddle.

“Hey, Dad.” Slipping free of Mom, I met him halfway.

Dad’s hug was just as intense, but it didn’t feel like I’d have cracked ribs afterward, so that was great. “Have any trouble driving up here?”

“No.” I stepped back.

“There was a little traffic when we got close,” Brock told him, placing the carrier on the floor. “But nothing too bad.”

Mom stared down at Rhage. “You just had to bring Satan with you, didn’t you?”

“I couldn’t leave him at home.”

“He’s staying in your room,” she warned.

“Of course.”

“Am I seriously the only person this cat likes?” Brock asked as he dipped down, bravely sticking his finger through the holes.

Mom’s shrewd gaze bounced between us, and I was sure she was wondering exactly how often Brock was around the cat. “Yes,” I answered. “You are pretty much the only person.”

Dad kept his arm around my shoulders as he eyed Brock. “It’s good, real good to see you two together again.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Brock replied as he looked up, his gaze straying to mine. “Because Jillian and I are together.”

Chapter 26

Chapter 26