Read Online Troy's Surrender by K.M. Mahoney - Free Book Online Page B

forearms, running his fingers along the dusting of hair in his best comforting gesture.
Mark perched himself on the edge of the couch, looking ready to bolt at any second. Ken stood behind him, giving his shoulder a quick squeeze.
“Why don’t you explain what’s going on?” Ken prodded.
Rafe took a deep breath. “Damn, squirt,” he said softly. “You’ve changed so much. You grew up on me.”
Mark swallowed heavily a couple of times. Troy smothered a grin. He’d seen that same look on Rafe’s face more than a few times. Yeah, definitely brothers.
“You…you knew about me? Before, I mean?”
“Hell, yes.” Rafe rested his chin on Troy’s shoulder, smiling that soft smile that meant he was looking at something in the past. “You were so tiny when we brought you home. I could almost fit you in one hand. You would look up at me with those big green eyes, like I could solve all the problems in your world.”
“You…wait, I don’t understand. What about my mom? I just don’t get this.”
The belligerence had vanished, leaving the kid vulnerable and confused. It made him look younger than ever.
“Your mom was real sick at first. So my mom and I took you home, cared for you until she got better. Every summer you spent a couple of weeks with us. I put you on your first pony when you were three. Mom nearly had a heart attack, but you loved it. Chattered about it for days and nearly drove Alyssa nuts asking for a horse of your own. I gave you Cheetah next time you came out. Never saw a kid so happy.”
“I don’t—”
“You know why I named the ranch the Double M?” Rafe interrupted.
Mark shook his head, clearly overwhelmed.
“It was for you. Mark Michael. It was my tribute to your memory, after the wreck. They told me…they told me you died. With your mom, in that accident.”
Rafe buried his head in Troy’s shoulder for a few seconds, struggling for control. Troy kept stroking those strong arms, trying to offer what comfort he could in his own clueless way. Comfort wasn’t part of his usual repertoire.
Rafe lifted his head, eyes shining with emotion and moisture. “If I had known, Mark. If I had known, I would have come to get you. I would have brought you home, with me. I swear it.”
“I don’t believe you.” But the protest didn’t sound sincere. Troy didn’t know how it could be, not while the kid was staring at Rafe. Rafe wasn’t even attempting to hide his emotions, the love he still felt for his baby brother, and it was clearly throwing Mark off balance.
Troy decided it was time for him to interfere. He was good at it, after all. He called Mark’s name. When the kid turned his attention to Troy, eyes desperate, Troy smiled.
“Did you happen to notice the name of the ranch when you drove up?”
“Yeah, so what?”
“Double M, kid. For you. Like he said, Rafe named the ranch after you.”
“I can’t…that’s just…”
They really were brothers. Mark seemed to have the same trouble finishing sentences that Rafe did when upset.
“Can I make a suggestion?” Ken said, breaking the increasingly heavy silence.
“Please,” Troy said, sharing some of Mark’s desperation. This was getting…difficult.
“Stick around for a while, Mark. Get to know your brother, the ranch.”
“I’ll get the papers drawn up,” Rafe said, looking at Mark with serious eyes. “I want the ranch in your name, too.”
“But—”
“Stop protesting, kid,” Troy snapped. “It’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“Not really.”
Teenagers.
“Stay, Mark.”
No way in hell could the kid resist the tone in Rafe’s voice. A mixture of pleading and love and Troy just wanted to wrap around his cowboy and send him to oblivion. Make him feel better. “I’ve got a life, a home.”
“Mark.”
Troy captured the kid’s eyes with his own and stared him down. That particular look had broken more than one sleazebag ex. It had the desired effect on Mark. Green eyes nearly identical to Rafe’s dropped to study his