“Okay! Watch my eggs?” Jayden grinned at him. “Brownie! Brownie, I’m coming!”
He gripped the counter with both hands, willing the marble to crumble under his fingers. Inlove? Ian dared…daredto say that to his children? “I’m getting a fucking restraining order,” he said out loud, making it more real. And if he saw that face again, he wasn’t even going to think about it, he was going give Ian a taste of his fist.
Early was out there, laughing at the boys, at the dogs. There was no way that his husband was in love with anyone else.
He paced the kitchen and made the salad, trying to cool off before their guests arrived.
Early came in with Sophie. “I locked the boys and their dogs on the deck. They’ll be safe there.”
He nodded. “Good idea.” He didn’t know what to say about Ian, so he said nothing. Early wasn’t at fault; he didn’t doubt his husband at all, but he knew Early worried about that, and he didn’t want to add any fuel to that fire. He found a smile for Early instead. “The salad is done. Have a look at your mother’s turnover’s they’re gorgeous.”
“I’ll put the potatoes in the oven, and that just leaves the steaks.” Early was whistling softly, putting Sophie down on the kitchen floor.
“I’ll go start up the grill so it will be ready when Reese and her wife come.” He stopped as he was about to leave the kitchen. “Early, I think we have to warn Reese. Tell her what’s going on. We don’t want her blindsided in town or…” He sighed. “Maybe she won’t want to deal with this circus.”
“Maybe she won’t, but I bet she will.” Early had that look on his face—tight around the eyes, but still smiling—that meant trouble. “Regardless, we’re going to fix it. Straight up.”
“Damn right.” He went out to the grill to get it going. He could hear the boys playing, the puppies yipping and having fun. It was important to him that their boys didn’t get caught up in any of this and he’d do whatever he needed to make sure they were insulated from it.
Hopefully Reese was of the same mindset.
Speak of the devil, Reese pulled up with a passenger, parking her pickup next to Early’s. She hopped out, waved, and then grabbed a plate from the console as her wife left the truck too.
“We brought cheese and veggies to share,” she called.
He waved back and took a breath, which was somehow easier with Reese here. She was part of their future, part of the ranch’s future. Smiling was easier too, and he jogged over to take the plate and shake hands. “Hello. Welcome, welcome. You must be Dana.”
“I am! You must be Connor.” Dana was pretty and blonde, and she had a kind smile.
“Yes. Please, come in. The boys are playing with their new puppies.” Which obviously was better than the swimming pool right now. “Hey, honey. Reese and Dana are here,” he called through the screen door before opening it.
* * *
“—swearto god, I thought that steer was going to leap over the trailer like Evel Knievel, and Reese was standing there, just staring like she was hypnotized.” Dana winked, and they all cracked up.
All except Jayden.
Jayden stared at Reese’s wife like she’d hung the moon or held the ladder for the guy who’d done it.
Early had never seen anything like it.
“I guess it turned out all right, you’re both sitting here.” Connor was still chuckling. “Did the trailer make it?”
The ladies glanced at each other, then they grinned. “Mostly.”
Connor laughed. “That would definitely come out of your paycheck.”
“Are you going to live here now? Do you like dogs? We got puppies. Are you going to have a dog? Do you like kids too? Because I’m a kid.” Jaxson took a big breath. He must have been holding onto those questions for a while.
Dana smiled at Jaxson, then at Jayden, who blushed almost purple. “We are! We love dogs. We have a little cocker spaniel named Molly. I love your puppies, and I like children a lot! I’m a kindergarten teacher.”
“I finished kindergarten.” Jaxson nodded. “I liked it. You’ll be a good teacher, I bet.”
It was all Early could do not to laugh as Jayden caught Connor looking at him and stuffed a forkful of salad in his mouth.
They chatted for a few more minutes, and then the boys asked permission to get in the pool, which worked, because they needed to talk about the rumors floating around. They set up with wine glasses and candles out by the pool to keep an eye out, and Connor glanced at him before sighing and turning to Reese. “So… I have to ask, have you heard anything more from Ian?”
“No, but Demming said that he’s been spreading lies.”