Kari:That’s okay, I’m sharing the plane. You won’t escape!
Chapter Thirty-Four
Rue
He sat staring at his laptop screen, not seeing the email he’d been reading before he’d gotten the alert for the group chat. His phone sat on the desk, and he breathed out a sigh of frustration at Silas and Laken.
Laken was acting in ways Rue hadn’t witnessed before. Yes, Laken bitched the same as the rest of them, but he’d never had a proper pot-shot at one of their brothers on Rue’s behalf before.
Laken hadn’t been around when he’d packed to come to the ranch, and now he wondered if that was on purpose. There was most definitely something off, especially if Dad thought Laken was avoiding him, too. Rue’s guilt sat like a lead ball in his gut, reminding him how wrapped up in his own shit he’d gotten, not paying attention to what was happening with Laken.
Was it a PA thing? They were like falling dominos. Had Laken complained about Isley? Rue couldn’t rightly remember. Was it something else? It was hard to say for sure. He eyed his phone with trepidation at the prospect of searching through the group chat to discover if Laken had given himself away.
Should he just message Laken?
Mention his worry to Dad?
He shook off the notion of asking Dad about Laken when it would be like throwing him under the bus. He’d hate it if Laken did that to him. Keeping secrets from Popi was hard when he got into pump mode while feeding them their favourite treat. Dad just got a look that said he wouldn’t take any messing, making it impossible to hold water around him. None of them wanted to disappoint Dad. If he asked questions, then they knew they were in trouble. It was why Rue was more than a little relieved when Popi rang, derailing their earlier conversation. Rue had known it was going to get heavy; he’d seen the way Dad had watched him before Popi and Monty left with Ivo.
Rue knew his fate. The earlier derailing, only temporarily, gave some breathing space to get his thoughts in order. Being caught so spectacularly, kissing his PA, by his parents, was not how he envisioned he’d introduce his ‘boyfriends’. It didn’t matter that they already knew something was happening between them. If he were honest, he kind of had a romantic notion of how he’d do it.
Dang it all, he’d booked a table for dinner housed in the hotel at Vaughn winery, asking for a secluded table, flowers and their best champagne for Thursday evening, Kendrick’s night off.
Now he considered their early arrival, he should have realized they’d pull a stunt like this and come early. Particularly if he’d reflected on the call he’d had with Dad since he’d been on the ranch.
He groaned in frustration and buried his head in his hands. His parents seeing him get down and dirty while he should be working, what was he thinking?
He hadn’t been!
His fingers ran through his hair. He had never gotten caught kissing someone before, it felt weird. Like he was being naughty somehow.
It’s not naughty to kiss our little otter. When are we going to see him in his shifted form? I want to meet him, and our bear.
Otters are tiny compared to us. You don’t want to frighten him off.
Rue felt the eye roll his animal side was pulling.Fear, what nonsense is this? He reamed your ass like a pro. He’s not frightened, you are! And are you forgetting he loves us?
What rubbish.
He loves us,his rhino argued.
I’m not debating that.He wasn’t. Nothing about the confession felt fake. The way Monty had looked at him, like nothing else existed, couldn’t be faked.I’m not frightened.
Then why are you avoiding addressing what’s wrong with Kendrick?
“Still here, good. We can finish our conversation,” said Dad as he came back into the office alone, striding to the desk looking every inch a cowboy.
Great!Aloud he hedged, “Dad, I’ve got a shit ton of work to finish.”
Dad’s silver eyebrows rose while taking the seat opposite him. “I’m sure it can wait when you’re able to take the time to be…distracted.” He lounged in the seat, crossing his denim-clad legs, aiming an affable smile at Rue that didn’t fool him one bit. He was about to be interrogated.
“Dad…”
“Rue, talk to me.”
There was the concern that melted away any resistance he had. “What are we talking ‘bout?”
“The shadows of your past… they’re no longer there in your eyes. Do I have Kendrick, Kendrick and Monty, or Monty to thank for this?”
