Chapter 29
Finn
“ A lright, fellas.” Sheriff Campbell tucks his notepad in his pocket as he strolls over to my dad, Hollis, and I. “As you know, it doesn’t look like any foul play started the fire. We’ve taken notes and pictures of everythin’. You’re good to fix the barn.”
My dad tips his hat at him. “Thanks, Mitch.”
It’s been a few days since the fire, and I know I’m not alone in wanting to get repairs started as quickly as possible so things can get back to normal. Once they were able to put out the fire, they deduced that it was caused by a circuit breaker spark. I’m still not sure why, though, because there wasn’t a storm that day. We irresponsibly had a stack of boxes under the circuit breaker box that, coincidentally enough, I had told Hollis to move several times, yet he never did.
“I’m going to head up the road to check on the horses,” Hollis says once Sheriff Campbell and his guys leave. “Update the Wrights while I’m there.”
“Grandpa!” Tucker’s voice has the three of us turning our heads toward the porch of my dad’s house, where he’s currently standing in only a t-shirt and underwear.
“Grandson,” Dad grunts back.
“Are we goin’ fishin’ soon?”
“You gotta work on your patience, kid.” I chuckle, watching my dad as he drags his gaze my way. He furrows his brows, but there’s a faint smirk tugging on his lips. “The hell you laughin’ at?”
“I’d say he’s been plenty patient,” I murmur, stuffing my hands in my pockets. “We’ve been workin’ all day, and you told him six o’clock, then the sheriff showed up. Cut him some slack.”
“Yeah, Dad,” Hollis chimes in as he digs the keys to his pickup out from his pocket. “Cut him some slack.”
Pointing between the two of us, Dad shakes his head. “Y’all are both gettin’ on my nerves. Get outta here and let me and my grandson enjoy our evenin’.”
Tipping his hat, Hollis chuckles. “That’s my cue. I’ll see y’all later. Have fun fishin’.”
“Why aren’t you goin’?” I ask. My brother and his buddy, Remi, typically always go with my dad.
“Can’t.” He shrugs. “Gotta check on the horses, then Remi and I are takin’ a ride up to Birchfield.”
“The hell is in Birchfield on a Wednesday?”
He waggles his brows suggestively. “Nothin’ that concerns you, Mr. Stick in the Mud.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Fixing my gaze on my dad, I say, “I’m headin’ home. Is he stayin’ with you tonight, or you bringin’ him home?”
“I’ll keep him for the night. Ash can swing by in the mornin’ and grab him once he’s up.”
“Okay. Have fun.” Pointing a finger at my brother, I add, “Don’t get into any trouble tonight. We’ve got a lot of shit to do tomorrow.”
“Yes, father,” he drawls, rolling his eyes, a shit-eating grin on his face.
Hollis may only be a few years younger than me, but you’d never know that by looking at the two of us. I’m sure a lot of people would assume being a single dad is the reason for me being more mature, but the truth is, I’ve always been more responsible. I take after my dad, while Hollis takes after our mom. She was all about having fun and making memories, and he’s the same, but when Hollis and Remi get together, and there’s alcohol involved, there’s no telling what could happen.
After Tucker runs down the steps and gives me a tight hug, I climb into my truck and head back to the house. Ash is there waiting for me, and anticipation unfurls in my stomach. He dropped Tucker off at my dad’s right before the sheriff stopped by, but I wasn’t back at the barn yet so I missed him. I’m looking forward to having a whole night with him to myself.
Since the fire, Ash has been incredibly supportive and helpful. He’s stepped up above and beyond when it comes to Tucker while me, my brother, and my dad figured out a solid plan in regard to the barn and getting it repaired. My stress level has been at an all-time high, and I don’t know what I would’ve done without Ash here to help with Tuck. In the matter of a few days, a ton more has been added to my plate, but because of that, Ash and I haven’t really had any time to talk about everything that’s happened with us.
That’s going to change tonight.
Putting my truck in park in front of the house, I kill the ignition and climb out, jogging up the steps to the front door. As soon as I step inside, the scent of something delicious invades my nostrils, causing my stomach to rumble, reminding me I haven’t eaten since this morning.
“Honey, I’m home!” I call out as I kick off my boots and take off my hat, setting it on the entryway bench.
“In the kitchen!”
As I pad through the house, the sound of music playing softly reaches my ears. It’s not coming from the record player, so it must be on his phone. When I walk into the kitchen, my eyes find him immediately, my breath catching as I take in the sight before me. Standing at the island, he’s wearing my Daddio of the Patio apron that Tucker got me for Christmas over my Moore Family Ranch t-shirt. It’s huge on him, but seeing him dressed in my things really does it for me. I fold my arms over my chest, resting my shoulder against the wall as I watch him for a moment. My chest tightens as I notice how natural he looks in my kitchen. Rolled-out dough sits on the counter before him as he cuts out little circles, placing them on a baking sheet.
Ash’s lip curls into a grin as he glances up at me. “You going to just stand there and stare at me like a creep?” he teases.
“Maybe.”
“Well, had I known that, I would’ve made sure I was doing something far more interesting than putting biscuits in the oven.”
I huff out a small chuckle. “I like you lookin’ all domesticated, wearing my clothes.”
Snorting, he drawls, “Is that right?”
“Yeah, maybe I do.”
“Daddy likes me cooking for him, then? Should I dust the house in lingerie next?”
A flare of heat spreads in my groin at that image. “We probably could use a good dustin’, actually.”
When he smiles, he meets my gaze, holding it for a long moment. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of looking at his mismatched eyes. “In lingerie?” he asks, humor in his tone.
Shrugging, I say, “Wouldn’t be opposed to that. Or naked.”
“Such a dirty daddy.” He shakes his head, unable to hide his smile, before he turns away from me and puts the biscuits in the oven. After he sets the timer, he opens the fridge and pulls out a plate of saran-wrapped steaks, setting them on the counter. “The grill’s ready to go, if you want to throw those bad boys on. The taters are in the air fryer already.”
I don’t move, unable to take my eyes off of the man standing in my kitchen. A warm, fuzzy feeling swirls in my gut. His gaze flicks up to me, and he gives me a fake scowl that causes a laugh to rumble in my chest.
“Chop chop, daddy.” He clucks his tongue at me before winking. “Everything else will be ready soon.”
Breathing out a laugh, I shake my head and walk over to the island, grabbing the steaks off the counter. “Damn, these look perfect,” I drawl. “You picked good ones.”
Ash tosses me a flirty grin, his gaze rolling down my body before coming back up to my face. “I know good meat when I see it.”
Christ. We’re never going to make it to dinner if he keeps talking like that. My cheeks heat at his insinuation, but I can’t deny the arousal that zips through me too. Steaks in hand, I close the distance between us and bring my mouth to his. Confident hands come up to my belt, pulling me as close to him as possible as my tongue parts his lips. Ash groans as I lick into his mouth. He tastes fucking divine. This is the first time we’ve kissed today, and I didn’t realize how much I needed it until just now.
Despite how much stress I’ve been under and how much I’ve been working the last few days since the fire, Ash has still found his way into my room late at night after Tucker goes to bed. We’ve fooled around some more, but not much. By the time I’ve been crawling into bed, I’m so exhausted I can barely keep my eyes open. It’s mostly been making out and making each other come with our hands, but I’m dying to sink back into his tight, hot ass again tonight.
The kiss ends much sooner than I would like it to, but Ash is right. I need to get these steaks on the grill so they’re ready by the time everything else is. As we pull apart, Ash peers up at me with a dreamy look in his eyes. It hits me right in the chest.
“How do ya like your steak?” I ask, trying to steady my heart rate.
“Medium.” He smiles almost bashfully.
“Comin’ right up.”
Walking out onto the back porch, I spot Bubba lying in the sun, surrounded by a couple of chickens. My dog and my chickens are cuddling? Bubba lifts his head when he hears me come outside, but he doesn’t get up. Guess he’s cozy.
Once the steaks are done, I bring them back inside, impressed by the spread Ash has going. There’s what looks like twice-baked potatoes, Brussels sprouts, homemade biscuits, and sliced cantaloupe and honeydew. Setting the meat down, I say, “Damn, you really went all out.”
Ash bites down on his bottom lip and shrugs. “Maybe I like being domestic too.”
After we dish up and crack open a couple of beers, we decide to eat outside. There’re chairs on the front porch, and with the sun setting soon, it’s cooled down enough to be comfortable.
“What’d the sheriff say?” Ash asks as we dig in.
“They’re done with what they needed to do, so we’re free to repair the barn.”
“What’s your guys’ plan?” Shoving a piece of steak in his mouth, he moans, eyelids fluttering, and the sound makes my dick twitch. I could listen to him make those noises all fucking day. “Fuck, this is good.”
“We’re gonna work on it this weekend, get as much done as we can.”
“Who’s all helping?”
“Just me, my dad, Hollis, and probably August.”
Ash flicks his gaze over to me, brows bunching. “That’s it? Do you want more help? I don’t know much about fixing barns, but I can help in any way that I can.”
I take a pull from my beer. “You can help by hanging out with Tucker. Is that okay?”
“Of course, it is.”
“You sure?” Cocking an eyebrow, I add, “I know it’s the weekend. If you have something goin’ on or would rather not work on?—”
“Let me stop you right there,” Ash cuts in. “Yes, watching Tucker is technically my job, but it never feels like work. I love that little dude, and I love hanging out with him. I’d be happy to.”
Shit. His words flood my system with an unexpected rush of emotion that clogs my throat. I don’t know what to say back, so I simply nod instead before getting back to the food on my plate. It’s startling how strongly these feelings for Ash have come on. It’s been steadily building for a while, I think, but ever since that night in his room when we first touched each other, it’s been like a tsunami of realizations, and I don’t know how to handle them.
This is so brand new to me. Not only because he’s a man, but because he’s making me want things I haven’t wanted in a long while. Since my divorce from Tucker’s mom, I’ve made it a point to not get attached, to not develop deep feelings. But everything about Ash has me wanting more. And it feels like it’s happening so fast. Hell, I haven’t even told my dad or Hollis yet because of everything that’s happened this week alone. And also, maybe a little bit because I’m nervous. Not because I think either of them would react badly, but because it’s just…big news. Another thing that’s been weighing heavy on my mind is the fact that I don’t know where Ash’s head’s at. I know he’s into and enjoyed what we’ve been doing, but is this just something fun that feels good? Or does he, like me, have growing feelings?
I guess we’ll find out after dinner, because I need to know before we take things physical again. Need to know if we’re on the same page, or even the same chapter, before I end up getting my heart broken.