“Dad, are you going back right away, or will you be able to stay for a couple of days?” Jasper asked. There was a wistfulness in his voice. I suspected he already knew the answer.
“Unfortunately, I’ll only be able to stay through tomorrow morning. Our flight leaves at eight, so we’ll be heading out before you’re even awake.”
“Are you sure you can’t stay for a few extra days? It feels kind of weird not to have you all around all the time.”
“Aw, baby brother, you do miss us,” Gage teased.
“It’s hard to believe, but I even miss you, Gage,” Jasper said. The pretend disgust in his voice made his dad chuckle and Rowan snort. If this was their normal, then it seemed like they were back to it.
“Actually, Jasper, I feel the same way with you not being around. I’ve talked to some of the doctors in my practice about bringing someone in because I don’t think I want to maintain the same schedule I’ve had.”
“Are you retiring, Dad?” Rowan asked.
“Not officially, but I am going to cut back on my hours. You boys have been grown for a long time. I spent decades raising kids, working, and nothing else. There are some other things I want to do. Things I promised your mom.”
“Like what?” Jasper asked.
“When your mom and I got married, we said we wanted to travel. We never got around to it because we started having babies right away. Then we thought we’d do it when you got older, but she passed away, and I put it aside because it felt like a betrayal that she couldn’t be with me.”
My fingers squeezed Jasper’s hip, and he relaxed back into me. I planted a soft kiss on the top of his head and caught a small nod of approval from Rowan at the gesture. Gage was an asshole for the ages, but Rowan was decent.
“Dad, you’ve said before that I’m the most like her personality-wise, and I can’t imagine her ever begrudging anyone wanting to travel. She’d want you to go and have a wonderful time.” Jasper’s tone was soft, and his dad shot him a grateful look.
“Yes, I think you’re right about that. If anything, she’d be upset that I waited this long.”
“Have you figured out what your first trip is going to be?” Jasper asked from my lap, where I’d planted him when we went outside.
“My favorite professor in college was from Edinburgh, and he always talked about what an interesting city it was. I think that’s going to be my first city in the country.”
“As in Scotland?” Jasper asked.
“Yep, but I’m going to make a stop on my way there and back.”
“Yeah? Where’s that?” I hadn’t said much, but I didn’t want Jasper to think I wasn’t interested in his family.
“Here. I’m going to stop here. It’s a toss-up on whether my kid will have room for me or not. Based on what I heard yesterday, reservations might be hard to come by soon.”
After the discussion about Dr. Greer traveling, we all lapsed into silence and let the rest of the morning soak in. Jasper stayed on my lap as we quietly rocked in the sun. The peace was only disturbed by the buzz in my pocket. I fished out my phone and saw a text message. A delivery had arrived at my ranch, and I needed Jasper to come with me.
“Hey, Jasper, I’ve got a delivery this morning, but I need you to be there for it.”
“Me?” he said. “Why do I need to be there? I mean, I’ll come, but I don’t know why.”
I booped him on the nose, then leaned in for a kiss to seal it. “If I tell you now, it’ll ruin it.”
“Ruin what?” he asked suspiciously.
“I’m not going to tell you that either.”
I pushed him off my lap, stood, and then pulled him to his feet. With his hand firmly in mine, I led him down the porch steps toward my pasture.
Behind us, Gage hollered, “Hold up, we’re coming too.”
I whipped around. “I don’t recall inviting you.”
Gage bristled at my abrupt answer, but Jasper laughed. “Gage, he’s pulling your leg. Come on.”
After Jasper spoke, Rowan and their dad rose from their chairs and followed too. It felt like I was the Pied Piper leading a parade across the grass. Or maybe it was Jasper who was the piper. His goats bleated their greetings when they spotted him. They knew he usually meant treats, and they were not happy when he bypassed them without stopping. With his blond curls and a change out of his cutoffs and half shirt into tights and a feathered cap, he’d fit the part perfectly.
