He was here because he realized he needed some therapy, and there was nowhere else he wanted to be.
He parked in front of the main lodge and turned off the engine. The silence pressed in. Not the sterile quiet of a hospital corridor, but the heavy kind that gave your thoughts too much room.
He pushed open the car door.
A tall man stepped out from the lodge, moving with an ease that came from owning a place like this in every sense that mattered.
Derek Hawkins was still broad-shouldered and flannel-clad, with streaks of gray in his beard and kindness tucked behind the stern set of his jaw. Sadie stood beside Derek, bundled in a fuzzy pink parka and snowflake-patterned leggings. A knitted scarf with little hearts was looped around her neck, and her mittens peeked out from oversized sleeves as she bounced on the balls of her sheepskin boots, practically vibrating with excitement. She looked every bit like an iced and sprinkled-topped cupcake come to life with all the charm of a sugar-high bunny in boots.
“Easton!” Accommodating to his wife’s shorter steps, Derek came forward. “Damn good to see you.”
Easton smiled, stepped out of the car, and suppressed a shiver when a cold wind ruffled the hair at the base of his neck. “Derek. It’s been too long.”
Sadie let go of her husband and trotted forward with her arms outstretched. “Dr. Easton!” she squealed and bounced like the bunny he just mentally called her.
Easton braced himself as she flung her arms around his waist. He gave her a gentle squeeze.
“It’s good to see you, Sadie.” He looped the end of her scarf back over her shoulder where it had slipped. “You’ve grown.”
She stuck out her tongue. “I’m not a weed, you know.”
Derek chuckled and pulled her back with a possessive arm around her waist. “He means you’re matured. Somewhat.”
“Rude,” Sadie huffed, though her grin only widened.
Easton’s smile drooped as he looked between the two of them. There was something about Derek’s hand resting so naturally on his Little’s hip, the ease with which Sadie curled into his side. It was enviable.
“Come in.” Derek tilted his head toward the doors. “Erika has a hot drink waiting. I’ve got a meeting so you’ve got time to settle in, but I’d love to chat before dinner if you’re up for it.”
Easton followed them inside. The lobby was as grand as he’d remembered. As Sadie skipped past them and took a place behind the desk, plastering on an adorable “I’m a professional” expression on her face, his gaze swept over the fireplace and the seating arrangement. This would be his home and workplace for the next six months. A temporary contract but a deliberate step away from the hospital halls and the empty apartment he’d grown to resent.
He and Derek followed the exuberant Little at a more leisurely pace. The room practically sparkled in her wake. Thevaulted ceiling gave the place space to breathe, but the stone fireplace and leather chairs made it feel like stepping into someone’s home.
It had changed some.
But not enough to feel unfamiliar.
Easton leaned against the edge of the desk, watching Erika work. She moved like someone who took pride in the space being hers too.
“Here we go.” She handed him a keycard nestled in a folder featuring the main building. “Welcome back, Dr. Easton Emmerson, Rawhide Daddy-in-Residence.”
He chuckled under his breath. “That’s a mouthful.”
“Wait till you see your name on the whiteboard,” she said as she grinned. “Sadie used glitter.”
Derek groaned from the side. “She’s not kidding.”
“You’re in one of the employee studios,” Erika said, flipping through the clipboard. “West building, second floor. You’ve got a decent view of the pastures and no neighbors for now. Staff lounge is just down the hall, and there’s a tunnel entrance if the weather turns sour.”
“Perfect.” Easton slipped the key into his coat pocket, already imagining the quiet. “And my bags?”
“Moses will bring them.” She flashed him a smile. “Probably already beat you to it.”
Easton let out a low chuckle. “Wouldn’t put it past him.”
Derek glanced at his watch, then pulled out his phone. “My meeting starts in ten. Jayne mentioned she wanted to catch up. She said she hasn’t had a proper grown-up conversation all week. I’ll let her know you’ve landed.”
“Tell her I’m not afraid of cocoa and questions.”
