He loved that they called him Bell. He wasn’t sure why, but it didn’t matter. “I see, little girl, you’re playing, huh?”
She nodded and pointed to Allie. “Uh-huh, Waddy. Sitter.”
“Yes.” Ellis chuckled softly. “You and sister are playing in the water.”
She nodded happily and ran off, and he met. Ichabod’s eyes again. “I swear to God, I got no interest in harming you or those kids. I wanted for things to be honest between us.”
“I appreciate that.” Ichabod sat there for a second, then he shook his head. “It’s weird. I mean, seriously, it’s weird.”
He detected no lie there. “It is.”
“Okay, so why does he want it? Is he a cowboy?”
“God no.” As if. Jesus. “I have to be honest, we didn’t grow up together or anything, but we do know each other. We saw each other once a month as kids, you know? But we aren’t friends. I think if I had to make any bets, then I would bet on money problems. I know he wants to sell.”
“Well, that’s stupid.” Ichabod still had lowered eyebrows, and he chewed his bottom lip.
“I have to be honest with you, I don’t like this a whole lot.”
“I don’t either, but I could have saved that dude a bunch of trouble. The ranch is put in trust for the kids. It’s theirs. So we don’t have to live here, sure, but honest to God. I won’t sell the land. It belongs to my kids. There’s nothing to say other than that, but literally, I could have saved him a ton of trouble, but then I wouldn’t have met you, I guess…”
“I don’t know.” His cheeks were hot, but it seemed like maybe he was going to manage to skate out of this without losing his job or a good man. “But I didn’t want to lie.”
“I’m glad you’re not feeling like you have to anymore, and we’ll work this nonsense out. I’ll get hold of him, tell him I understand how it sucks to be him, but there are no choices here.” Ichabod shrugged, seeming utterly unconcerned. “Schools fixin’ to start. We’ve got a whole schedule here with after-school activities. I even found a daycare where I can take Chrissy two days a week for her to go ‘to school’.Which means no more two a.m. work sessions unless I want them!”
“That’s exceptional.” It was, and he was glad for it. Maybe that way Ichabod would have more downtime. “You could have a beer after supper sometime, maybe.”
“I totally could. Maybe you’d have one with me. Sometime. Maybe.”
“I would love that.” He moved closer still. “You’re the biggest part of why I love this job, honey.” No one had ever been as open and giving with him as Ichabod.
“Well, I think that?—”
“Daddy!”
Ellis stepped back, making sure Ichabod had space. He would never want to interfere with Ichabod being a dad first.
“What’s up, baby girl?” Ichabod caught Allie as she barreled over to him.
“I need to go pee,” she whispered.
Ichabod glanced at him. “Can you watch Chrissy for a minute?”
“I can indeed.” He could sit and watch that little one play. She was sitting, not running, and he thought she might be making mud pies. “Watch, Mavis.”
Mavis lifted her head, woofing softly as if to say, “I’m on it.”
Ichabod disappeared with Allie and little Chrissy sang and splashed and laughed. Ellis watched, grinning, and he figured he’d done the right thing. Now was the time to tell Ichabod the truth before it got to be a big weird issue.
He didn’t want that shit between them, even if they just got to be friends and nothing else.
He was falling in love with this place, and he wanted to stay and work the critters and the land, help the brand grow and become what it had been, once upon a time.
And Ichabod made him a little stupid. The man washotter than a two-dollar pistol, but he was also goofy and kind and a hell of an artist.
His phone beeped and he glanced at it.
