Rock Redemption (Rock Revenge Trilogy 3)
Page 80
Orchids in every different color of the rainbow and shape.
“Wow.”
Beck came up behind me. “So, there’s been some changes.”
“Ya think?” I glanced up at him. “Why didn’t she just make a greenhouse as a separate structure?”
“Permits were taking forever and her precious babies needed a home. She ordered them online before Dad even picked up a hammer.”
“Wow.”
“I know. I didn’t even know she loved them this much. I mean, she always had a little orchid thing at the edge of the porch, but this…” Beck shrugged. “Yeah, surprised the hell out of me.”
We lived in a ranch house and we had extra bedrooms, but now I was afraid to go look in the other rooms.
Beck rubbed the back of his neck. “Willa lives here now too.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Willa Russo? From the store?”
“Yeah. She and Ma got really close after you left. She had a shitshow of a boyfriend and needed somewhere to stay.”
“Well, crap.”
“She and Mom have been doing the orchid thing together. Even entered a hybrid they created into the American Orchid Society.”
Rearranging? My mother had come up with a whole new career while I was gone. It hadn’t even been that long either. “Did she even wait a week after I left?”
“Two?”
“I was kidding.” Kinda. “Well, shit. Want to bring me over to Aunt Laverne’s? I’ll see if I can bum a place to stay over there.”
“Sure. We’ll go after dinner.”
“Thanks, Beck.”
“What are big brothers for?” He hooked his arm around my neck and dragged me down the hall.
“I will end you!”
“Promises, promises.” He twisted the hold into a hug and slung his arm around my shoulders as we got back into the kitchen.
“Holy shit, I didn’t think he was telling the truth.” Another one of my brothers handed off a grocery bag to our mom, then Justin swooped in and lifted me into a swinging hug.
“Justin Matthew.”
“Sorry, Ma.”
Swearing was strictly forbidden in the kitchen. The house really, but she only enforced it in her domain. Too many men and a deep and abiding love for sports couldn’t keep all the curse words out of the Manning house.
Justin grinned down at me. “You look good, kid.”
“Liar.”
He shrugged and gave me his big sweet smile. “Sometimes you need a little white lie to make you feel better. I hear there’s an ass we need to kick.”
I sighed and shook my head. “I’ll tell you about it over dinner. Where’s Hayes?”
“Buried at the store. Inventory time.”