Frog

Chapter 4

FOUR

Iwoke up feeling better than I had in a while.

There were hickeys on my neck and a serious-looking bite mark on my shoulder, and I was sore in brand-new places, but there was comfort too, which was too terrifying to contemplate.

Nothing had changed. I would still have to leave because, again, my brain told my heart for the ten billionth time, I could not live in San Francisco. There was nothing for me to do there.

Having changed and gone out the front door, ready for my morning run, I was surprised when Rachel suddenly appeared.

“May I join you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She cleared her throat. “Not that I don’t love your sexy drawl when you say ma’am, but I really would like you to call me Rachel, if that’s okay.”

“It’s okay.” I smiled at her.

“Angie too would like to dispense with the ma’am forever.”

She had said as much, so I needed to remember. “Got it.”

“My brother-in-law is head over heels in love with you, my girls think you’re the Second Coming, and my husband probably won’t be able to look you in the eye this morning.”

“And why’s that?”

She arched one perfectly shaped raven-black brow. “You know very well why.”

I shrugged. “He meant well bringing his stockbroker friend up here.”

“Angie doesn’t see it that way.”

“Oh, poor bastard.” I chuckled. “Did she get a hold of him?”

She laughed with me. “Oh yes, she even came to our room last night to ream her oldest son out.”

“Now I feel bad.”

“You shouldn’t. I’ve known Cy for over ten years, and he has never been anything but logical and practical and, honestly, more than a little cold.”

I had no idea what she was talking about.

“Come on, I know a good trail.”

I followed her to the back of the house, but instead of veering right toward the stables, we went left over rocky ground that quickly became dirt.

It opened out into a larger wooded area, and I saw other runners.

It was cold and foggy, but the green of the trees, the smell of wet earth and grass, and the gray of the sky all soothed me.

“I don’t understand,” I said as we began the slow climb of the trail, “what you were tryin’ to say before.”

“He’s different.” She grinned at me. “Cy. He’s completely changed when you’re around.”

“How do ya mean?”

“That guy he was yesterday—happy, smiling, warm—I’ve never met him before.”

“I am so lost.”

She stopped jogging and stepped off the trail because apparently, she really wanted me to hear what she was about to say.

“He never laughs. He’s always serious. And that’s not to say that he doesn’t love his family.

We know he does, we all feel his regard, but he’s so driven and focused, he comes off wooden and harsh and in his own head sometimes.

I can tell you that we all look forward to him leaving so the rest of us can relax and laugh and just have fun once he’s gone. ”

That made no sense at all.

“Don’t get me wrong. If I had a brain tumor, if I needed someone to tinker around inside my skull, Cy’s the guy I would go to in a heartbeat.

But the face he made yesterday when he saw you playing with the dogs, his smile, the way he can’t keep his hands off you…

I really had no idea he had that in him.

I’m as floored as the rest of them. Lyn said being with you guys at his house was absolutely surreal. ”

I squinted at her.

“You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you.”

“No, I truly do not.”

She nodded. “C’mon, run with me.”

So I let it go. We ran in silence, and it was nice because normally I did it alone. It was comforting to know someone else was there. I could get used to not being by myself—very easily, if I wasn’t careful.

Everyone was up when we got back, and Brett walked over to me while I was drinking water with Rachel in the kitchen before we served ourselves breakfast.

“Thank you for running with her. I don’t like her going out alone, but I hurt my knee and can’t go anymore.”

I nodded. “It was my pleasure.”

“I went with him, actually,” she told her husband pointedly. “He was up and out already.”

He forced a smile, then asked if he could have a word. I walked with him out to the back deck, and he leaned on the railing, looking out at the yard, avoiding eye contact.

“I was trying to get my brother a life, but I was a dick to you, and that was shitty.”

I chuckled, and he turned to look at me. “We’re good. Don’t strain nothin’.”

He huffed out a sigh and nodded. “Let’s eat. You must be hungry. You actually did something this morning.”

“Sleeping burns calories.” I arched an eyebrow.

He flipped me off, and we went in. Cy was in the kitchen, and I walked over to him and kissed his cheek.

“Good morning, cowboy,” he said, making sure only his lips touched me.

“What?”

He made a face. “You’re all sweaty.”

“You like me sweaty,” I whispered so only he could hear.

“When I’m sweaty too.” His face told me I was disgusting as he pointed away from him. “Just go over there. Don’t touch me, okay?”

“C’mere.”

“No.” He started chuckling. “Gross.”

I made a move to grab him, and he jumped back. “Weber!”

“Here, kitty.”

“No,” he said, laughing, putting the counter between us. “Eat or go take a shower.”

I waggled my eyebrows and lunged. The sound that came out of the man—laugh, squeal, shriek—was a joy to hear. He ran into the great room, went left when he should have gone right, and I had him, pile-driving him onto the couch under me.

He was laughing so hard, and I straddled his thighs and grabbed his wrists, holding them immobile over his head.

“Gimme kiss.”

But he was howling with laughter, and I gave up, releasing him, watching him go fetal. Standing up, I was surprised to see his entire family in the kitchen staring at me. All eyes wide, mouths open, stunned expressions.

“What?”

Angie recovered first, pressing her lips together as her eyes filled.

“It’s nothing.” Lyn smiled at me. “Just you guys.”

I had no idea what that meant, so I shoved Cy off the couch and told him to get up and eat with me.

He was still heaving for breath when we walked back into the kitchen.

The rest of the day was spent doing nothing. The kids were bouncing off the walls because it started to rain and they couldn’t go outside, so I told them we’d play hide-and-seek. I asked Angie where she didn’t want us to go, and she appreciated being asked before we started.

The little kids were easy to find because when I growled, they squealed.

The others were harder, with Tristan being surprisingly bendable, able to hide in weird places, and Micah being devious.

I had a good time, and after lunch, I was sitting on the covered deck, watching the rain, when Mr. Benning joined me.

He brought me a beer, which was nice of him, and took a seat beside me.

“You called me Mr. Benning all morning.”

“Yessir.”

“It’s not needed. Call me Owen.”

“Yessir.”

“Listen, I expect to see you for Christmas, Weber. Don’t leave before that, all right?”

“I’ll try, Mr.… Owen.”

He nodded. “Good. We would all really like to see more of you.”

What was I supposed to say to that?

His hand reached for my shoulder, and I smiled when he squeezed it. I could tell he had more to say.

He gave a soft cough. “So you know, I have never, ever seen my son this happy. All his life he has been serious and driven, and I could not be prouder of his achievements or more pleased with the man he’s become.

All my kids—Brett, Cyrus, and Carolyn—I’m very blessed, but Cyrus, he never allowed himself to have fun, to simply do something without it having a purpose. ”

I just listened.

“When he told me he was gay, he sat me down and explained it like he was the parent and I was the child. I mean, I’ve never worried about him or his choices because I’ve made some foolish ones, but he never has.

He never leaps without looking, he always considers every outcome, and he’s always careful and thoughtful and smart.

I have never seen him do anything spur of the moment, he’s much too practical.

I honestly had no idea he could laugh like he did earlier.

Even when he was a kid, he didn’t laugh like that, with pure joy.

He was just too serious. And I love him, I do, but as far as understanding him, that’s a whole other story. ”

I got what he was saying, but the man I knew and the man he was talking about were two totally different people.

“The men I’ve met, the men he’s brought here or introduced his mother and me to, were all very logical choices.

They were much like Ross—who left early this morning, by the way.

They had great jobs, exceptional investment portfolios—his words not mine—and when they were here, they had their laptops out on the table first thing in the morning to get some work done.

And there’s nothing wrong with that. I respect dedication and drive, but not one of them made my son laugh so hard that he cried.

Not one did he have to sit next to, and not one did he kiss in front of us. ”

My heart was suddenly in my throat.

“I don’t know much about you, Weber, but I have to tell you, I like what I see.

And I certainly don’t want my stoic son back.

” He chuckled suddenly. “I like the man who laughed at my jokes yesterday, and who sat and told me about some new procedure he used in the OR, and the one who’s going to bring me the beer he likes next time just so I can try it.

I really like the stranger in my kitchen, and I could get used to having him around.

This is selfish of me to say, I know that, but please, Weber, stick around, will you? ”

“I would, sir, but I’m a ranch hand, as you know. Not a big call for that in San Francisco.”

He sighed deeply. “Tell me, do you care for him the same way he so obviously cares for you?”

I nodded. “That ain’t never been our problem.”

“Dad!”

He turned as Cy came striding out onto the deck.

“Your beloved Pack is playing.” He chuckled. “Get in there, old man.”