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I needed to get my head in the game of some hard physical work. Mike had volunteered to help me out with the fence posts for my paddock, and we were going to figure out how much lumber I needed to order from the Wilson’s lumberyard.

I messaged Bodhi briefly that evening, as I was ready to get into the bathtub upstairs in the ranch house. After seeing how sore I’d gotten from the manual labor, Jenn had told me that I had to soak in an Epsom salt bath in the master bathroom’s big tub or she’d kick my butt.

That’d made Shiloh giggle, which we all had quietly taken as a good sign. Jenn had freaked herself out for a moment when she’d realized what she’d threatened me with, but either Laura hadn’t used those words with him, or it was just too funny to be scary for the little boy. Either way, we were all happy that he’d found it something to giggle at.

Bodhi replied to my message when I was soaking, and he gently teased me about it. I told him to buzz off. He sent me a picture of a buzzard. Silly man. I liked seeing this side of him.

As I sprawled in the water as much as I could—at least it was a decent size tub—I thought about the situation.

I wanted to have a movie night or something. Watch a show with Bodhi on the couch. I’d gladly cuddle with him like we did before his revelation, but knowing that I didn’t have to move away from him if certain types of thoughts started to get to me a little… well, it just made everything that much better.

As I thought about being close to him, making out with him, my cock tried to plump up.

I glared at it. “Not in Jenn’s bathroom, for fuck’s sake,” I hissed.

I distracted myself with more neutral thoughts and by the time I felt less sore and had the bathroom put to rights, my body was under control again.

I’d put in the order for the lumber as Mike and I had our lunch, and they’d promised it would be delivered first thing on Tuesday morning. That was fine, we weren’t in a rush with the paddock, since nothing much would be going on my property anyway.

I just wanted it done so it would be one less thing to consider and if I needed to go there, I could take Nelson instead of the truck, and Nyx would get good exercise instead of getting a ride.

Bodhi had gotten busy over the weekend, so outside the customary brunch where the family had gently ribbed us without actually being invasive about anything, I hadn’t had much time with him.

It was okay. I know he wanted more and I did too, but… well, I was still hesitating a little. I wanted to take the leap and fall into his arms, but the practical part of my brain kept reminding me of everything I’d lose if things went bad. Not only would I lose my family or at least things would be awkward as fuck from thereon out, but Ville was now basically married into the family as well. I needed to get my self preservation to tone itself down a little, but I wasn’t sure how to do that with how finely I’d tuned it for decades.

On Monday morning, I was at the tail end of the video call with Paula Arnaud from Juniper & Hazel, an architect who specialized in the type of work I needed, when my phone dinged on the desk.

My eyes drifted to it. “What the fuck?” I blurted out.

“Something wrong?” she asked immediately.

I’d liked her from our first phone conversation and had gotten even more fond of her during the past two hours on the video call. She felt like she’d fit in really well when she’d come over to oversee some of the build next spring.

“Oh, I was expecting a lumber delivery tomorrow at my property and I just got a notification that it has been delivered.” I frowned at the phone. “I think I need to go check this out.”

“Sounds like it. I’ll email you the sketches?”

“Please do. It was good talking to you.” I smiled at her. “Bye!”

“Bye!”

I closed the laptop lid and got out of Jenn’s office chair. I stretched my back, then made my way out of her study. I’d grab the laptop later.

She wasn’t in the kitchen, which meant she was likely doing something upstairs, so I pulled on my denim jacket and boots before slipping out of the house. Nyx caught up with me when I was at the truck and I let her jump in without question. She was my shadow now.

I’d told Wilson’s where I wanted the lumber to be unloaded, but I needed to be sure it was the right stuff because they were a day early. Besides, I wanted it covered just in case it rained, and I wasn’t sure they’d do that for me. It wasn’t that the wood would be ruined or anything, just annoying to handle if it was soggy.

We hopped out of the truck at my property—I really needed to come up with a name, maybe put it up for a family vote or something—and I immediately saw that at least the pile was in a good enough spot. Close to where I’d wanted it.

I walked to check it out, when Nyx froze at my side mid-step. It made me stop and scan the area.

“What’s up?”

She glanced at me, then continued to stare toward the back end of the clearing before my meager strip of forest started.

She started to walk toward there, her body language cautious but not that protective. Her tail was up, although tense. I was happy that her and the others’ tails hadn’t been docked because I abhorred the practice. Same with ears. Even Hades, the Cane Corso lead of the dog pack, had intact ears because their trainer who had raised them from puppy hadn’t wanted them mutilated. Right now, the long tail made her so much easier to read.

I squinted ahead, trying to figure out what Nyx was seeing. The grass was long and the brush had taken over the edge of the woods. I couldn’t see anything, but at least I knew she’d noticed something unusual, so I followed her, keeping an eye on her body language.