Chapter 12
CHAPTER
TWELVE
Simon
I woke up before dawn with a plan forming in my mind.
Tanner was still asleep beside me, his face soft in the early morning darkness. His hair was mussed from sleep, and one hand was curled against my chest like he’d been holding onto me even in his dreams.
I took in the way his thumb sat between his plush lips and smiled. It was a small habit I’d noticed growing more and more frequent as he settled into things.
Carefully, so as not to wake him, I slipped out of bed and dressed quietly. I had something I needed to do before he woke up, and I wanted it to be a surprise.
Downstairs, I found Atticus already in the kitchen, coffee in hand as he stared out the window.
“Morning,” I said softly, not wanting to startle him.
He turned, a knowing smile already on his face. “Morning. You’re up early.”
“Got something I need to take care of.” I poured myself a cup of coffee and joined him at the window. “Need to borrow your truck.”
“For Tanner?” It wasn’t really a question.
“Yeah.” I took a sip of coffee, considering how much to share. But this was Atticus. He’d been nothing but supportive since I’d arrived at the ranch. “I want to grab some things from his place. Personal items. Things that will make him feel more at home here.”
Atticus’s expression softened. “That’s good thinking. Boy’s probably starting to feel disconnected from himself without his usual things.”
“Exactly.” I’d noticed the way Tanner kept gravitating toward my clothes, kept wrapping himself in things that smelled like me even though he had a host of new stuff.
It warmed something in my chest, but I also knew he needed his own comfort items. “I was thinking I could set up a space for him. Nothing too elaborate, just… somewhere that’s his. ”
“The room he’s been staying in?” Atticus asked.
I nodded. “If that’s alright. I know it’s a guest room, but—”
“Simon.” Atticus set his coffee down and turned to face me fully. “That room’s been his since the day he got here. If you and Tanner want to make it a proper space for him, for both of you, then that’s exactly what you should do.”
Relief flooded through me. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. You’re family.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “Keys are on the hook. And Simon? Take your time. Make it good for him.”
I finished my coffee quickly and grabbed the keys. Before I left, I wrote a quick note for Tanner and left it on his nightstand where he’d see it when he woke up.
Out running errands. Stay put and eat breakfast. I’ll be back soon. Love, Daddy
It was the first time I’d signed anything that way, and my hand had hesitated over the word. But it felt right. It felt true.
The drive into town was quiet, the roads still mostly empty at this hour. Tanner had already texted me his address and door code from before when I went to buy him clothing as a just in case if I couldn’t locate anything for him. It was all there, right at my fingertips.
His apartment was in a newer complex on the east side of town, the kind of place that was clean and functional but utterly impersonal. I let myself in and stood in the doorway for a moment, taking it all in.
The space was exactly what I’d expected—neat, organized, and completely devoid of personality. The furniture was nice but generic. The walls were bare except for his law degree and a few professional certificates. Even the kitchen looked barely used.
This wasn’t a home.
It was a place to sleep between work.
I moved through the apartment methodically, gathering things I knew he’d want.
Clothes first—I filled two large duffel bags with sweaters, jeans, pajamas, and the soft loungewear I found tucked in the back of his closet.
There was a worn hoodie that looked like it had seen better days, and I made sure to pack that too.
While I knew he had the clothes I’d bought him, along with the pile of mine he hoarded, I knew him having some of his own things would boost his mood. It also aided the possessive side of me to think of more of his belongings making their way onto the ranch.
It would be less to move later if things worked out between us.
In the bathroom, I found his preferred toiletries. Expensive shampoo that smelled like him, a specific brand of toothpaste, a lotion he clearly used regularly based on how much was gone from the bottle.
The bedroom yielded more treasures. A battered stuffed animal—a rabbit with one ear slightly chewed—had been shoved to the back of his closet on the top shelf. I pulled it down carefully, noting the way it had been loved and held.
This was coming with me.
Under his bed, I found a box. I almost didn’t look inside, not wanting to invade his privacy, but something made me lift the lid.
Inside were books. Not legal textbooks or case studies, but children’s books. Classic stories with worn covers that had clearly been read multiple times. And beneath those, a few coloring books—untouched, like he’d bought them but never given himself permission to use them.
My chest ached.
I packed the entire box.
In his living room, I found a throw blanket that didn’t match anything else in the apartment—soft and blue with little stars on it. It was tucked behind a pillow on the couch like he’d hidden it away. That went in the bag too.
The last thing I grabbed was from his refrigerator. A magnet held a photo to the door—Tanner, probably ten years younger, with an older couple I assumed were his parents. They were all smiling, and Tanner looked happy. Carefree in a way I’d never seen him.
I carefully removed the photo and tucked it in my pocket.
By the time I finished, I had three full bags and the box of books. I loaded everything into the truck and headed back to the ranch, my mind already working through how I wanted to arrange everything.
When I got back, it was nearly nine o’clock. I could hear voices in the kitchen—Tanner’s among them—and I smiled. He’d listened and stayed put.
I carried everything upstairs quietly, managing to get them into the room without being seen.
I laid some of the items out and hung up as many of his clothes as I could.
The rest would need to be folded for storage in the dresser.
I left them on top of the big piece of furniture to get them out of the way.
After I finished, I went back down to find my boy.
He was at the kitchen counter with Sean and Beau, the three of them laughing about something. Tanner had a mug of coffee in his hands and a genuine smile on his face.
“There he is,” Sean said when he spotted me. “Tanner was starting to worry you’d run off.”
“Was not,” Tanner protested, but his cheeks turned pink.
I walked over and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Morning, bud. Did you eat?”
“Harlan made French toast,” he said, pointing to his empty plate. “It was amazing.”
“Good boy.” The praise slipped out naturally, and I watched the way his breath caught, the way his eyes went a little soft.
Beau made an exaggerated cooing sound. “You two are disgustingly cute.”
“Ignore him,” Jackson said, walking into the kitchen and wrapping an arm around Beau’s waist. “He’s just jealous because I didn’t make him French toast this morning.”
“You can’t cook like Harlan,” Beau pointed out.
“Minor detail.”
The banter continued around us, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Tanner. He looked better today—more color in his cheeks, less tension in his shoulders. The dark circles under his eyes were fading.
“Want to go for a walk?” I asked him quietly. “There’s something I want to show you.”
He nodded immediately, setting down his mug. “Yeah, okay.”
We bundled up and headed outside, but instead of walking the grounds, I led him toward the barn.
“I thought you wanted to show me something,” he said as we approached.
“I do.” I pushed open the barn door and gestured for him to go inside.
Bobby Allen looked up from where he was working with one of the horses. “Oh good, you’re here. Ginger’s been asking for you.”
Tanner looked confused. “Asking for me?”
“She has been extra fussy this morning,” Bobby Allen said with a grin. “Think she’s gotten attached.”
I watched Tanner’s face light up as he made his way over to Ginger’s stall. The mare nickered softly when she saw him, and Tanner reached out to stroke her nose.
“Hey, pretty girl,” he murmured. “Were you lonely?”
“She’s not the only one,” I said, coming up behind him. “Bobby Allen, you mind if we take her out for a bit?”
“She’s all yours.” Bobby Allen handed over the lead rope. “Just have her back before lunch.”
Tanner turned to me, eyes wide. “We’re taking her out?”
“Thought you might want to learn to ride,” I said. “If you’re going to be staying here for a while, it’s a useful skill.”
“I haven’t ridden since I was a kid,” he admitted. “I’m probably terrible.”
“Then it’s good you have me to teach you.” I led Ginger out of her stall and into the main area of the barn. “Come on, bud. Let’s get her saddled up.”
I walked Tanner through the process, showing him how to check the saddle and adjust the stirrups. He listened intently, asking questions and carefully mimicking my movements when I let him try.
“You’re a natural,” I told him as he successfully tightened the girth.
“I’m just following directions,” he said, but he looked pleased.
“That’s what good boys do.”
His breath hitched again, and I bit back a smile. We’d need to have a longer conversation about praise and what it did to him, but for now, I was content to notice and file the information away.
Outside, I helped him mount. I could tell he was nervous, but he trusted me enough to try. I kept one hand on his leg, steadying him.
“I’ve got you,” I assured him. “You’re safe.”
“I know.” And the certainty in his voice made my chest warm.
I swung up behind him, wrapping one arm around his waist and taking the reins with my other hand. He leaned back against me immediately, relaxing into my hold.
“Comfortable?” I asked.
“Very.”