“I can’t wait.”
31
ROWDY
Dawn threwher arms out wide. “Rowdy! I hear you’ve deflowered our Kess.”
Kess choked, and in a move I learned from Sadie, I shot him a glare hot enough to burn off his eyebrows.
“Somebody had to do it, and I was just the man,” I bragged, sharing a much softer, warmer look with Kess this time.
We were in the big house, as we’d started calling Emery and Woody’s place. I loved how the kitchen took up the back of the house; it felt like our own private family space. And yes, I included myself in Emery and Woody’s family.
“Hello? The front door was open,” Sadie said, and I could hear footsteps as she and Jaxon made their way to the back with the rest of us.
They appeared in the doorway, and...I swear that kid had already grown an extra inch.
“Wow, this is nice,” Jaxon said, looking around. “Not quite as fancy as the big kitchen over at the dude ranch, but it’s really?—”
Sadie elbowed him. “We don’t compare what people have.”
Sadie and Jaxon were already such a part of the dude ranch, it was hard to remember they hadn’t always been there. We’d seen it at the retirement party, and it was just as visible now.
“Did you get moved into the bunkhouse?” Kess asked, first giving Sadie a hug and then Jaxon.
While it had been super kind of Kit to give them a private space after everything went down, as soon as Sadie was on officially as the office manager, he’d talked to them about either staying where they were or moving into the bunkhouse. Obviously, it made more financial sense for them to free up the rental space, but Kit hadn’t wanted to push them out if they still needed a little more time.
“Yes, we did,” Sadie said, beaming. “I’ve never lived in a shared space before. I mean, yes, in an apartment building, but this is really nice,” she said, shaking her head. “Kit really knew what he was doing with the people he hired. It feels like Jaxon has all these big brother and uncle figures now.”
“And it doesn’t hurt that Lane is two doors down from us,” Jaxon said, grinning at his mom.
“Jaxon...”
“I know y’all are trying to take it slow, but you’re not fooling anyone.”
“Fine, we are seeing each other. But it’s...We’ve got to be careful because you and I need this place to stay.”
Jaxon pulled her in for a hug. “He’s a good man, Mom. And I know that if it doesn’t work out with y’all, he’ll still be a good man.”
She flushed and patted his arm. “When did you get so smart?”
“I’ve always been smart. You’re just now figuring it out.”
We laughed, and Stevie joined us. “All right, I’ve got the horses put away. And now I’m starving,” she said, taking off her cowboy hat.
She stopped short when she saw Jaxon. “Shit, you’re tall.”
“I’m Jaxon. And before you ask, I’m thirteen, and I’m six foot four.”
“I knew you’d grown an inch,” I accused him.
“Well, I’m thirteen and I’m five foot five,” Stevie said. “I like your bracelet. That’s aro-ace, right?”
“Sure is.” He pointed to her bracelet. “You’re a lesbian?”
“I think so.”
Jaxon held up his palm. “I think this means we’re natural allies.”
