chair and sat opposite Avery at the circular wrought-iron and reclaimed-wood table.
“I am so happy that Mr. Rafe finally settled down.”
Avery glanced up from beneath her lashes.
“His heart was so broken...after Janae.” She slowly shook her head. “I didn’t think he would ever be the same.” She turned her palms up. “And he’s not,” she said succinctly. “He’s better.” She wagged a finger at Avery. “Because of you.”
“What...was he like after...”
Alice’s open expression grew somber. Her brows tightened. She spread her palms down on the table. “Rafe was always a little wild and reckless, especially with that motorcycle of his. But after Janae, whatever piece of himself that kept him halfway grounded broke. On the outside, he was the same—that easy smile, the charm, the chivalry. But there was a darkness that settled inside him. He took crazy chances, went from relationship to relationship, in constant conflict with his father—more than usual. I was afraid for him. Every time he got behind the wheel, or on that bike or up in that plane of his, I prayed.” She made a quick sign of the cross. “Because I knew, under that smile, he didn’t care about his own life anymore.”
“I had no idea,” she murmured.
“I’d been with the family for years, but when Rafe decided to take over this house, I came here. He needed someone to look after him since he wasn’t going to look after himself. Back in ’Nawlins, he has his sisters and brother.”
“The move had to be hard on you.”
“I’ve been taking care of Mr. Rafe and his family since they were running around in shorts. He’s like a son to me.” She lowered her voice as if she feared being overheard. “Always was my favorite.” She winked.
Avery grinned.
“Then he met you and the light came back to his eyes. His laughter is real again and that...thing that drove him to be so reckless seems to have stepped into the background. He wants to be around for you.”
Avery’s throat tightened. “How’d you know I needed to hear this today?”
Alice patted Avery’s fisted hand. “I haven’t spent half my life taking care of people without being able to spot need in someone.”
“I’m glad he has you in his life.”
Alice pushed up to her feet. “Now that you’re part of the family, I’ll be looking after you, too. And I think you could use a hot bath, a fluffy robe and a good movie.”
Avery tossed her head back and laughed. “You read my mind. Alice, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.” She collected the plates.
“How do I get Dominique, Desiree and Lee Ann to...let me have my own wedding?”
Alice pursed her lips. “Hmm, those three sisters together are like a hurricane, with Dominique at the center of the storm.” She turned on the faucet in the sink, rinsed the plates and put them in the dishwasher. “They adore their brother, and they’re so thrilled that he’s happy again—they want to orchestrate every detail of the occasion for him.” She dried her hands on a black-and-white striped towel, blew out a breath. “One piece of advice I can offer, you don’t want to get in between Rafe and his sisters. If what they’re doing is too much, talk to them. Make sure you’re part of the plans and decisions. All of you women love him, so do it together.”
Avery bobbed her head. “Thanks.” She got up. “In the meantime, I’m going to take your advice and sit in a hot tub for a while.”
Avery went upstairs. She searched the cabinet beneath the sink and located the bath beads that she’d brought over the last time she was here. She poured a handful into the water rushing into the tub from the jets. Although she took a shower earlier, the bath would be therapeutic. Almost immediately the scent of soothing lavender filled the room. She stripped out of her clothes, turned off the faucets and sank into the steamy, scented water.
Every muscle sighed in pleasure. She leaned her head back against the lip of the tub and closed her eyes. Alice’s words of advice played softly. She didn’t have the time or opportunity to go down to Louisiana to do a face-to-face with Rafe’s sisters. She’d figure something out. She’d find a way to get them to accept that it was time to let Rafe go and that she would be part of his life and their family.
Rafe disembarked from his Cessna. Flying always filled him with an awesome sense of invincibility. High above the clouds was a feeling that he could not describe. The only thing more thrilling was being with Avery. He smiled. He’d barely been gone three hours and he missed her already.
He thanked the crew, hopped on his motorcycle that he’d left parked at the landing strip and sped home. As he rode with a controlled abandon, the landscape of his life spread out before him. He’d spent years doing just this, racing through life, not taking the time to really see what was in front of him. Sure, there were good times to be had, and he’d never want to go back and change them. But he’d done it all while running on empty. For all the travel, the music gigs, the successes—and failures—and the women, there was a space inside him that none of those things could fill. He was starting to feel whole again from the inside. All the bourbon, reckless behavior, and even the fights with his father were all part of trying to fill the emptiness.
He maneuvered around a slow-moving minivan, resisting the urge to lean in and press the gas all the way down to the blacktop of the highway. He smiled beneath the tinted visor that shielded his face. It was all Avery’s fault. She was the one responsible for his reincarnation.
Rafe signaled for his exit, dutifully followed the flow of cars up the ramp and out into residential traffic. After a short ten-minute ride he pulled into the driveway of his two-story townhouse. The garage door whirred open. He parked his bike inside and entered the house through the door that led to the kitchen. He set his helmet on the granite countertop, tugged off the black leather gloves and tossed them there, as well.
He walked through the kitchen and into the living space to be greeted by the pile of mail that had been slid inside the mail slot of the front door. Scooping up the stack of bills, newspapers and subscription magazines, he absently sorted through half of them, deciding what to keep and what to toss, before dropping them on the end table. And then he headed upstairs to his bedroom.
He wanted to change his clothes first. After that he would get in touch with his producer to set up a meeting about the new tracks, and then check in with Quinten and try to twist his arm into coming to the Big Easy to sit in on a set. He’d bribe him with gumbo. Tomorrow he would go to the office. Although he’d put together a solid team for his foundation, he still needed to show his face and be a presence. Besides, there was something intangibly fulfilling about walking into a building and into rooms he’d envisioned that were now a reality. But it was the good work the RBL Foundation did for the young people of the community that was immeasurable. For all the crazy bull that he’d done in his life, the Foundation at least put a fresh coat of paint over it, and it was certainly an endeavor that he could be proud of.
He pulled on a pair of well-worn gray sweatpants and a T-shirt and then went back downstairs in search of food. Passing through the living room he grabbed the mail he’d tossed on the end
