“All you make is waffles, Dad.”
“Guilty.” He smiled and shook his head. “I’m excited about being cooked for too. Can I have honey butter too, Daddy?”
“You can!” Early kissed his temple. “And I made breakfast sausage for all y’all. I’m thinking tacos for supper.”
“TACOS!” The boys’ scream split the air.
“Tacos.” He nodded slowly. “Perfect.”
Breakfast was delicious, of course, and he sipped his coffee and listened to the boys tell Early all about their grades and the end-of-school field day. When everyone was done, the boys ran upstairs to get boots and he helped Early clean up the kitchen.
Early was like a magnet, pulling him in. He didn’t want to be more than a few inches away. “Thank you for breakfast.”
“It was my pleasure, darlin’. I was missing our mornings.”
He felt like he was keeping a secret, and he didn’t want to wait much longer, but they could talk while the kids were playing with the chickens or something. “Me too.”
“I have my galoosh…uh gal…”
“Galoshes, dummy.”
“Jayden.”
“Sorry,” Jayden mumbled.
“Be patient, boys, and I’ll take you to see the horses in a bit, fair?” Early winked at them, before asking him, “Do you want to come see too?”
“Of course. I want to see everything. Every little thing you’re doing here.” He needed to understand what made Early so happy here.
Early grabbed a ballcap and encouraged them outside. On the far side of the deck was the hole for the pool, then there was a lovely piece of lawn for the boys to play ball on.
“That’s going to be a big pool, honey. Wow. They dug that in a month? How long before it’s done do you think?”
“We’ll be in the water by the end of next week, from what they think.” Early squeezed his hand. “Do you like it?”
“Are you kidding, really? I love it.” He tried to imagine the clear water and the boys doing cannonballs. He squeezed back, knowing damn well he wasn’t going to be here next week to christen the pool. “I really do.”
“Yeah? I tried to think about everything—exercise for you, fun for the boys, floating with a beer for me.”
“You need one of those floating chair things with a cupholder and an umbrella.” He laughed. “Hawaiian shirt, bright pink trunks…”
“Yes. I want matching shirts for us, though. I want to grill burgers and dogs and have beer in the cooler.” Early sounded so happy.
“Daddy? This is going to be a pool? We’re going to have a pool?” Jaxson sat hard in the grass.
“We are. We’re going to have a pool.”
“This is so cool. I am never going back to Denver. Everything here is cooler.” Jaxson took off at a run toward the green lawn.
“Jaxson! I found a ball!” Jayden took off after him.
“Look at them go…” Early’s expression was pure bliss. “Oh, darlin’. That’s too cool.”
He nodded. This wasn’t getting any easier. “Honey.” He slipped his arms around Early’s waist. “I can’t stay.”
He felt Early deflate in his arms. “Why not?”
“Work.” He sighed. He knew how Early felt, he didn’t want to leave either. “I had hoped to get the week, but I have to be back for a meeting on Monday afternoon. I’m sorry.”