At the thought a shiver ran through her. No, she wouldn’t even go there. She could not put Ransom and Raul in the same category. There was no way-
The chime of the doorbell cut that thought short and Solie frowned. She wasn’t expecting anyone. Then her heart did a tiny hop. What if it was Ransom?
To her chagrin the idea of Ransom at her door brought a smile to her lips. She was being an idiot to react like this. If Ransom was there it was probably because he needed a cup of sugar for his tea. It was definitely not because he was missing her. She knew all that but still she could not wipe the smile from her face. Instead, the nearer she got to the front door, the wider it grew.
By the time she pulled the door open she was practically grinning but in an instant her smile vanished.
There, on her doorstep was the man she’d been doing her best to avoid. Standing right in front of her, looking as handsome as always, was Raul.
“Hello, mi amor,” he said as he reached out and took her hand, limp from shock. “I’ve come to win you back.”
***
“You didn’t have to hunt me down, you know. A simple phone call would have saved you the trip.” Rafe’s lips curled in a sardonic grin.
Ransom regarded his brother, the square chin, the rebellious set of his lips, the defiant gleam in his eyes. Several seconds passed before he spoke. “If you would’ve answered the damn phone maybe I wouldn’t have had to come all this way.”
Rafe’s smile widened then he shrugged. “I can’t help it if I’m out of range most of the time. Hey, it’s an oil rig. What do you expect?”
“I expect you to answer the phone when I call you, dammit.” Ransom scowled. Rafe was lounging in the chair across from him, his elbow resting on the arm, his legs thrust out under the cloth-covered table. He looked too darned comfortable for a kid who was causing so much trouble. “What if it was an emergency?”
“If there was a real emergency,” Rafe said, looking unperturbed, “you’d find me.”
Ransom watched his brother but said nothing. The kid had a point. Then he caught himself. No, the man had a point. He had to remember that Rafe was almost thirty years old. It was like, no matter how old his brother got, he would still be a kid in his eyes. He had to break himself out of that way of thinking. Rafe was a full-grown man, responsible for himself. He would give him that much.
Ransom jerked his head toward his brother. “That doesn’t let you off the hook. You know Mom frets about you. Why don’t you call her?” Rafe was opening his mouth to speak when Ransom cut him off. “And don’t give me that lame excuse about your cell phone. There are lots of pay phones on the rig so you can call any time.”
“I call,” Rafe said, his tone unapologetic. “Didn’t Mom tell you I called last month?”
“What kind of bull crap is that?” The words exploded from Ransom’s lips as he fought to keep from reaching across the table and collaring Rafe. His brother looked too casual, too smug for his liking. The only thing keeping Ransom in his seat was the fact that they were sitting in the middle of Nakamo's, one of the few restaurant options in Old Harbor. Ransom gritted his teeth and he could feel his nostrils flaring as he drew in deep a breath in his attempt to stay calm. “This is Mom we’re talking about. You really think a once-a-month call is going to keep her happy?”
Just for a moment a flash of something looking like remorse crossed Rafe’s face and then it was gone. Then he was back to his nonchalant self, the persona he’d adopted when he’d taken off on his adventure. “Okay, you got me on that one. I’ll step it up to twice a month.”
“At least once a week, Rafe. Can’t you do that much for our mother?” Ransom was trying hard to hold on to his temper but he could feel his hold slipping with each passing minute. Rafe and his laid-back, don't-give-a-damn attitude were not helping. “Can’t you care about someone else’s feelings but your own?”
That seemed to get to Rafe. His self-satisfied smile disappeared and his lips tightened. When he looked back at Ransom there was fire in his eyes. “Leave it alone, big brother. There’s more to this than you’d care to know.”
That got Ransom’s attention. “What the hell are you talking about? What else is there to know?”
“Just leave it alone, okay. This is none of your concern.” Rafe shoved back his chair and started to get up from the table but Ransom stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“You’re not walking out on me,” he said, his voice brooking no argument, “not after dropping that bombshell.”
Rafe looked down at his hand then shook it off his arm. “Not today. I’ve got to go. You can link me tomorrow if you want to know.” And with that he turned and marched out of the restaurant, leaving Ransom staring after him.
Screwing up his lips, Ransom sat back in his chair and watched his brother leave. There was something serious going down and, until he found out what it was, there was no way he was leaving Alaska.
CHAPTER TEN
“R…Raul. What are you doing here?” Solie’s heart slammed against her chest as she stared up into the smiling face of the man she’d almost married. Thank the stars she’d discovered the true nature of the snake before she’d walked down the aisle with him.
Realizing he was still holding her hand she pulled it from his grasp. “What are you doing here?” she asked again and this time she was firm, almost belligerent. What she wanted to do was escape inside and slam the door in his face but she knew he was too fast. He would not let her go that easy.
“I’m here to see you, mi amor.” His voice was thick with honey as he looked down at her, leaning forward to place his hand on the door jamb above her head, effectively preventing her from closing the door. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
The look Solie gave him would have withered any man…but not Raul. “You’re not welcome here,” she told him, just in case her look didn’t send a strong enough message. “Please leave.” She stepped back and made to close the door but he slammed his palm against it, making a mockery of her efforts.