Jobe: Alvarez Security Series Read Online Free

there.
    He headed into the kitchen and looked around at the large space. That was one thing his mom had insisted on changing. She hated having a tiny kitchen and separate dining room. So she convinced Joseph to knock down the wall and open the space giving the family a comfortable, eat-in kitchen where she could cook and keep up with all the kids doing their homework at the same time.
    He walked in and eyed his mom standing at the stove. He had seen her there so many times over the years he wondered how she had not worn a hole in the floor. Her graying hair was neatly trimmed and she wore a familiar apron over her clothes. Rebecca was setting the table when she saw him first. Greeting him enthusiastically, she walked over to give him a hug. She was now a teacher and shared an apartment with Miriam and another girl. He knew his mom would have preferred the girls to live at home, but was slowly accepting the fact that all of her children were grown.
    Rachel Delaro turned from stirring the pot on the stove and grinned. “Well, it’s about time my son comes home to have a meal. You haven’t been here for almost two weeks. Not that I’m counting, of course.”
    He crossed the space and hugged his mom, kissing the top of her head. Soon they sat down to dinner once Miriam got in from work. She was a nurse at one of the city’s hospitals and had day shifts this week. Hannah’s family would come over for Sunday lunch, but for now the rest of them enjoyed the meal.
    The conversation always flowed with his family, the only silences occurring when everyone was diving into the food at the same time. Rachel watched her son carefully—an old habit she acquired when he came home from his last tour. For all outward appearances, her son seemed calm and at ease as he and his father discussed Jobe’s job. But she was a mother…and knew that appearances could be deceiving.
    Miriam and Rebecca left after dinner. Joseph headed into the living room, settling into his recliner and turning on the TV. Jobe hung back in the kitchen helping his mom wash the dishes. She had never owned a dishwasher, claiming that she did not want a machine to take away the time she spent at the end of a day pondering and praying over her family.
    “You still determined to wash each dish?” Jobe asked.
    His mother smiled, saying, “You know the answer to that. For every plate I wash, I spend a moment in prayer for the family member or friend that ate off of it. My mama used to do that and it’s just a part of who I am.”
    He smiled in return, taking the dishes from her hand and drying them before stacking them on the counter.
    “I prayed a lot for you Jobe, when you were gone. I knew when things weren’t right and it tore my heart out not knowing how to help you.”
    He shook his head slowly, “It helped, Ma. Even when I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, it helped.” He caught her sharp look and immediately corrected, “I mean, what the heck I was doing.”
    She chuckled and said, “You’re a good boy, Jobe. Always was. Still are. And if you have to say ‘hell’ once in a while, I won’t fuss.”
    They grew quiet again as the dishes were put away. Pouring a cup of coffee, she nodded toward the table and the two sat back down. The comfortable silence settled around them, each lost in their own thoughts for a few moments.
    Rachel sipped her coffee and peered over at her handsome son. He could feel her eyes on him and finally laughed as he looked up. “Okay, Ma. What is it you want to ask?”
    “Hmmph,” she said, setting her cup down. She fiddled with the handle for a few minutes before looking back up. “I know that Gabe and Vinny are now settled down and Tony’s got that sweet wife of his pregnant.” The unasked question hung in the air for a moment. “I was just wondering if…well if there was…you know…anyone you were interested in.”
    She saw the flash go through his eyes before being replaced with the calm again, and she winced