Farrah’s smile was sad. ‘I worry about her all the time.’
‘So do I,’ Rafe murmured, then wished he hadn’t said the words aloud when his parents gave him knowing looks. He hadn’t told anyone how much he’d missed Mercy, but he figured they all knew.
Daisy sighed. ‘Gideon hasn’t slept well since she went back to New Orleans. He wakes up with nightmares, saying her name. I hope she tells him what he needs to know eventually, because not knowing is killing him.’
No one had an answer to that, and their silence hung heavy over the table.
‘So,’ Irina finally said, ‘how goes your physical therapy, Raphael?’
He might have been grateful for the topic change, but the subject of his PT was only slightly more welcome than a discussion of his feelings for Mercy Callahan. ‘Not bad.’
Sasha finished her part of setting the table and returned to sit beside him. ‘“Not bad” doesn’t sound good. Is Cash beating you up again?’
Farrah looked relieved at the topic change as well. ‘Who’s Cash and why is he beating you up?’
Irina chuckled. ‘Cash is Cassius, my youngest son, Sasha’s twin. He’s a physical therapist,’ she added proudly. ‘He works with all the professional basketball players.’
‘Not all of them, Mom,’ Sasha said with a chuckle of her own. ‘Just our team.’
‘Wow.’ Farrah had perked up. ‘Like who?’
Sasha pouted. ‘He won’t say. He’s got ethics.’
‘No, not ethics,’ Farrah teased. ‘Say it ain’t so.’
‘But it is so,’ Irina said. ‘He would never talk about his clients.’ She made a face. ‘Not even to me. And not even about my own son.’
Rafe had to laugh at that. ‘He told me that you keep bugging him. Give the kid a break, Ma.’
Irina lifted her brows. ‘I would give him a break, as you say, if my older son gave me information when I requested it.’
‘Ooh,’ Farrah whispered loudly. ‘Burn.’
Rafe knew that they were making light conversation to take the focus away from whatever Mercy and Gideon were saying to each other. He guessed he’d have to sacrifice his own privacy to play along. ‘It’s not going as well as I’d hoped, to be honest.’ He hesitated. ‘I’m not sure how much better I’m going to get and even though Cash keeps a positive attitude, he’s not sure, either.’
Sasha’s face fell. ‘That sucks, brother.’
Karl’s brow scrunched in concern. ‘Perhaps another opinion?’
Irina sat up straighter, indignant. ‘Why? Our Cash is the best!’
‘He’s doing all he can, Dad,’ Rafe agreed glumly. ‘I keep doing what he says to do – or trying to. It’s all I can do right now.’
Irina pulled a pan of bread from the oven. ‘How much longer does he think you need to keep trying?’
‘Until I can walk and be a cop again?’ Rafe snapped, then sighed. ‘I’m sorry, Mom. It’s a touchy subject.’
She put the pan on the table then squeezed his shoulder. ‘Is okay, Raphael. I know you are frustrated.’
Rafe glanced at Farrah. ‘Sorry our conversation got so intense. We’re normally more fun when guests come.’
Farrah smiled sadly. ‘I can’t imagine how hard it is. You owe me no apologies. My fiancé lives for his work. If he thought he could no longer be a cop . . .’
‘Yeah.’ Again he hesitated, then decided to let his family in. Just a little. ‘I’m not sure what else I could even do. All I’ve ever wanted was to be a cop.’ He craned his neck to look around the doorway, to be certain Mercy wasn’t on her way back. ‘I don’t want Mercy to know. She has enough to worry about right now and I know she feels guilty about me getting shot.’
Farrah mimed zipping her lips. ‘She won’t hear a thing from me.’
Sasha had become uncharacteristically quiet, and Rafe turned to her with a lifted eyebrow. ‘What?’
She shrugged uncomfortably. ‘We can talk later.’
‘Oh, heavens,’ Farrah said, searching her handbag. ‘I’ve left some medication in my suitcase. Karl, where did you put it, please? I just got over bronchitis and need to finish all my antibiotics. You know how it is.’
‘Of course.’ Karl rose and went to the doorway. ‘I’ll show you where I put your things.’
Sasha frowned when they were gone. ‘What was that about?’
Rafe had already decided that he liked Mercy’s best friend very much. She’d just cemented his good opinion. ‘She wanted to give us time alone. I saw the bottle of antibiotics in her purse when she gave me ibuprofen earlier. So what has you so upset, kid?’
Sasha rolled her eyes. ‘You’re only five years older than me.’ Then she sighed. ‘We’ve all been a little worried about you, that’s all. I mean, we’re all hoping you regain full use of your leg, but what if you don’t? Have you considered . . . y’know, talking to someone?’
Rafe fought his own sigh. They meant well, his family, but this was why he kept his feelings to himself. His laid-back ‘nothing bothers me’ surfer persona had taken years to perfect. It was a most effective shield. That I obviously have misplaced somewhere. This was what happened when he gave his family an iota of information. They always pushed for more. ‘You mean like a shrink?’
His mother narrowed her eyes at him. ‘A mental health therapist, Raphael. Don’t minimize their importance with denigrating sobriquets.’
Rafe bit back a smile. ‘Wow, Mom. Those are some five-dollar words there.’ Her scowl had him sobering. She was serious. Very. ‘I know they are useful, and yes, Cash did recommend someone.’
Sasha looked relieved. ‘Who?’
‘Some therapist that his athlete friend used when he got hurt and had to leave the game. I have the therapist’s name, I just haven’t called yet. But he only gave it to me today,’ he added when his mother opened her mouth to no doubt nag him to call now. ‘Give me a day or two, okay? Things just got hairy.’
Irina nodded reluctantly. ‘I will wait. But no more than two days.’
‘And then the nagging will commence?’ Rafe asked with an affectionate smile.
‘Yes.’ Irina gave the stew in the pot a final stir. ‘Karl! Farrah! Dinner is ready.’ She put the pot on the table. ‘We’ll start now. Mercy and Gideon can join us when they are finished talking.’