Thrill Me Read Online Free PDF

secured so Sophie or her wagging tail didn’t do any damage.
    Del turned his attention back to his mother. Elaine had met Ceallach Mitchell when she’d been twenty. According to her, it had been love at first sight. His father had never told his side of the story. They’d married four months later and Del had been born a year after that. Four more sons had followed, each about a year apart until the twins.
    His mom looked as she always had, with dark, shoulder-length hair and an easy smile. But as he studied her, he saw that there were a few differences. She was older, but it was more than that. She seemed tired, maybe.
    â€œYou okay, Mom?”
    â€œI’m fine. I don’t sleep as well as I used to.” She shrugged. “The change.”
    He wasn’t sure exactly which change she was referring to, but he wasn’t going there. Rather than take a safe step back and escape, he moved to the sofa. Sophie jumped up next to him and immediately settled in for a nap.
    His mother sat across from him. “How long are you in town?”
    â€œThe rest of the summer. You said to be home for Dad’s birthday. I came back early.”
    â€œYour father will be pleased.”
    Del was less sure about that. Ceallach might be brilliant, but he was also temperamental. In his mind what mattered was art. Everything else was a far second. A lesser kind of living. He had no patience for or interest in mere mortal lives or pursuits.
    â€œYou’re here by yourself?” his mother asked.
    Del nodded. Last time he’d been home he’d brought Hyacinth. He’d been so sure they were going to make it. But they hadn’t. She’d been unable to promise herself to a single man and he’d been unable to accept the string of what she swore were insignificant lovers that moved in and out of her bed. While he’d loathed the cheating, the dishonesty had been just as bad.
    â€œTraveling light,” he told his mother.
    â€œDel, you need to settle down.”
    â€œI’ve never wanted to settle.”
    â€œYou know what I mean. Don’t you want a family?”
    â€œFinally playing the grandkid card?”
    She smiled. “Yes. It’s time. Your father and I have been married thirty-five years and yet none of my boys has ever gotten married. Why is that?”
    He couldn’t speak for his brothers. He’d been in love twice in his life, first with Maya and then with Hyacinth. Both relationships had ended badly. And the common denominator? Him.
    His father strolled into the living room. Ceallach Mitchell was tall and broad-shouldered. Despite being weeks away from turning sixty, he was still strong, with the muscles required to wrestle large pieces of molten glass into submission. Del acknowledged his father’s genius—there was no denying brilliance. But he also knew it came at a price.
    â€œDel’s home,” Elaine said, motioning to the sofa.
    Ceallach stared at his son. For a second Del wondered if his father was trying to figure out which of his offspring he was.
    â€œHe came back for your birthday,” his mother added.
    â€œGood to know. What are you doing these days? Surfing?”
    Del thought about the board he’d created, the company he’d started, how much he’d sold it for and the impressive amount sitting in his bank account.
    â€œMost days,” he said, dropping his hand to rub Sophie’s tummy. The beagle shifted onto her back and sighed.
    â€œYou seen Nick?” his father asked. “He’s still working in that bar, wasting his talent. No one can get through to him. I’m done trying.”
    With that, Ceallach walked out of the room.
    Del stared after him. “Good to see you, too, Dad.”
    His mother pressed her lips together. “Don’t be like that,” she said. “You know how he gets. It’s just his way. He’s glad you’re back.”
    Del was less sure about that, but