He flopped back on the bed. “Yeah, but how would she get here? She won’t have gas money. She used every cent I gave her to pay bills. Her old Buick isn’t reliable.”
I wanted to shake him. Did he really think I would bring him here only to strand him again? Perhaps he did. “I’ll take care of it. We’ll work it out.”
“Why?” He raised his head to stare at me.
“Because he’s nice and likes us,” Ginny said, rolling her eyes. “Right?” She glanced at me like it had only just occurred to her that I could offer a different reason.
“That sums it up,” I said.
She clapped, giving herself a round of applause for her right answer.
“Ginny, take Bernadette out to the yard so she can get used to it.” Keaton sat up, and the serious expression he leveled on me had my stomach in knots. Why was I getting tied up over him?
She ran away, apparently liking that idea. “Bernadette! Come on!” The dog clattered along after her. We would never lose the two of them in this house because they were louder than a small herd of elephants.
He waited until the front door slammed, then stood and glared down his nose as if he thought he could intimidate me.
“What’s got you so riled up, boy?” Excitement tingled down to the tips of my toes. My body was caught between a fight and arousal, and I was quickly becoming obsessed with the sensation.
Becoming obsessed withhim. The idea of him. So big and wonderful. What would it be like to have him ride me? My abs tightened for a whole new reason.
“Why did you have a gun? Are there more here?”
My brain flatlined for a few seconds. “Self-protection, obviously. And yes.”
He blanched and pressed the ice pack harder to his head. “I don’t want Ginny around them. You see all those stories. Kids get hurt.”
Taking a deep breath, I fought off fingers of panic that dug into my lungs. “I have a gun safe. There will never be one lying around. Even if she wasn’t here, that is bad practice.”
“Why do you need a whole safe?” His eyes widened.
I shrugged. “I’m a collector.” That much was accurate, but not the whole truth, and the way he looked at me, he might suspect there was more to it, but we were both being careful with one another. He was my boy, and I was his Daddy, so I needed to lead conversations like this better. He must need someone to take care of him or he wouldn’t enjoy calling me Daddy. Need someone to step up and be there for him.
Be a man for him.Hisman. His Daddy.
He seemed to be turning over what I’d said in his head. “Okay.”
“Okay? Tell Daddy the truth. Are you really comfortable with it?”
His face flushed and a small smile broke free of the doom and gloom of our discussion. “Yeah.”
“Good.”
I turned toward the door, but he grabbed my wrist and stopped me. “What would you have done if I’d said it wasn’t okay?” he asked sharply. I got the feeling this was a test. If I failed, it was all over. I wouldn’t get to keep him.
My heart pounded. When did this become the goal? Not using Keaton’s misfortune to root out drug dealers in the trailer park, butkeeping him here?
“Rent a storage unit,” I said.
His mouth fell open, and I had to laugh.
“I was serious that I want you to stay. If you don’t feel comfortable with guns in the house with Ginny, then I’ll put them somewhere else.”
“Can you do it?” he asked softly, as if he was worried I would snap and start yelling.
“Yep.” My mind spun.Am I really prepared to take all thirty-seven guns out of my house for this man?“Sure.”Apparently.“You rest. Ginny and I have shopping to do.”
“Yes, Daddy,” he murmured, lying down on the bed slowly. Fuck, I really should’ve made him go to the doctor, but I had to trust he would say something if he was hurt bad. He was a fighter, after all. He knew his limits.
