“Yes.”

He was quiet for a moment and then he said, “You don’t really need a tour anyway.”

“Why don’t I?”

“Because this is your home now. You live here.”

I stiffened in shock. “I don’t remember being asked such a thing.”

He rolled me onto my back and leaned over me, his hand coming up to hold one side of my face. “Cherry, will you live here with me? Make this your home? With me?”

His chocolate eyes glittered down at me, his thumb brushing back and forth over my cheekbone. The love in his eyes answered every question I needed answering. I knew he loved me, as I loved him. I didn’t really need him to ask me, because I knew I was home. Home was Neil. I wasn’t the young girl he’d loved before though. Long years had changed us both, but my answer was really, very easy, and simple.

“I love you…so yes,” I answered him with a kiss to those precious lips of his that knew how to love me so well.

Neil got up first, and then bent down to pick me up from the rug, kissing me sweetly, as soon as he was on his feet. He smiled at me and then he started walking, carrying me off somewhere, down the hallway of my new home.

I didn’t care where, and could only imagine his intent was to show me the bedroom where I would be sleeping from that point on.

24

“Just like my brother to be out of the country when there’s work to be done.” Elaina was checking her text messages as I drove us to her mum’s. “This is what he sent me: ‘Sorry sis, off to Paris. Big clients with deep wallets have me shouting Vive la France! Scotty can do without my help just fine. He’s bigger and stronger than me. –Ian.’” She scoffed at her mobile in disgust. “What an arse.”

“But think about if he did help move you into my flat how we wouldn’t be able to get rid of him after. He’d stay for hours and hours, drinking all my Guinness and expecting us to feed him.”

“That’s a very good point, Captain.” She turned in the seat to face me as I drove, a frown marring the smoothness of her brow.

“What are you thinking about, Cherry Girl? I see those cogs in your pretty head churning something fierce.”

“Well you should be keeping your eyes on the road and not the cogs in my head,” she retorted in that sassy way that made me want to do really filthy things, involving her pouty lips and my cock.

“You can tell me whatever it is, you know.” I reached a hand over and found one of hers. “It’s in my new job description. All part of being your man.”

She pulled my hand up to her soft sweet lips and kissed my palm. “It’s Mum. She’s been drinking more in the last few days and I’m worried about why.”

“Yeah, I noticed. And you think it’s because you’re moving out of her house?”

She shook her head. “Don’t think so. I was away for years and she lived alone. I’ve only been back for a short while so she couldn’t have gotten that dependent upon me in just a few weeks. Besides, her whole point of leading me back to London was to get us back together. She wants this for us. Why would it send her down now that her wish has happened?”

“I don’t know. And you’re right, it doesn’t really make sense.” Caroline Morrison’s strength and devotion to me had sustained me for many years. Her love and support had never been questioned. In my head she took over the role of mother that my gran had previously held. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her if she needed me. “Let’s try to get her to come to the flat with us today. She can see where we’re living with her own eyes and know she’s wanted, and welcome to visit any time she likes. I’ll take you both to dinner after we get your things sorted and maybe we can do some detective tag teaming, and pull it out of her.”

She sighed into the seat and gave me a half smile. “You are aware that when we chose to adopt you, we made out the better in the deal, aren’t you?”

I shook my head. “No, darlin’. I am the luckiest man in the world. I believe that, and I never forget when I gained Ian as a friend, I gained not only a brother, but a whole family.”

The minute we entered the house I knew something was off. It was far too quiet. Neil noticed too. I could see it in how his body tensed, and in the way he moved quickly but methodically, going through the house for clues.

“Mum?” I called loudly.

Silence.

“She was expecting us. She knew we were coming at noon to pack up everything,” I reasoned, now starting to really worry.

“Her car is here. Maybe she popped in to see a neighbour or something—” He paused, tilting his head up to the ceiling as if he’d heard a noise. He pointed up. “Your attic has the pull down staircase doesn’t it?”

“Yes, but why would she go up to the attic—”

A loud thump sounded right above us.

Neil was already up to the second floor and opening the latch that released the attic staircase to come down. He started climbing before the steps had unfolded all the way.

“Is she up there?” I asked impatiently.

I heard him say, “Oh, Mum, that’s no good.”

“I am fine, dear,” Her voice sounded like my mother, but when I made it up the stairs and saw her for myself, she didn’t look at all like my mother. She was very disordered, still wearing her robe, hair not brushed, definitely intoxicated and it was barely noon.

“Mum…what’s happened?” I sat down beside her on the old chaise lounge and put my arm around her. “Did you sleep the whole night up here? It’s freezing.” I rubbed up and down her arm to get some circulation and warmth into her.

She held out a hand toward the room and then let it fall. “Oh, Elaina…” She turned her head away from me in shame and sobbed quietly. Boxes of my father’s clothes, and mementos, were opened and strewn all about us, along with an empty bottle of Bombay Sapphire and Schweppes. The most significant item though, appeared to be what looked like a letter pressed to her breast.

I tried to make eye contact but she wouldn’t look at me. She just continued to cry with her head turned away, with that paper clutched to her heart.

Neil crouched down to meet her at eye-level. “What’s this, Mum?” He took hold of the corner of the paper. “May I read? Did something in this letter upset you?”