Chapter 20 #2
And if you do, it’ll be easier for me to convince you to stay. That you have a stake in our home. “Let’s get the new tires on first. You’ve been to MATH Automotive, right?”
“Yeah. Hopefully, Maddie will be happy to change the tires.”
MATH Automotive shop was run by this amazing group of women. If they were too busy—which they often were—then I’d head over to Spike’s shop. “I’ll call to make an appointment. I can do that on my lunch.”
He regarded me.
I squeezed his hip.
He placed his head on my shoulder. “I don’t like being reliant on other people.”
“Because someone let you down in the past. I get it. I’m not going to let you down.”
After a moment, he sighed. “I want to write you a proper IOU, though.” He stepped back, grabbed his lunch bag, and headed to the front hall. Within moments, he had his boots and coat on.
“I love the lumberjack look.” I pointed to the red plaid.
He rolled his eyes as he donned his wool cap. “Just wait until I bulk my muscles up again.”
I pressed a hard kiss to his lips. “You’re perfect just the way you are.”
As he grabbed his keys, he ducked his head. “You’re too good to me.”
I grasped his chin. “That’s easy for me. You’re one of the best men I’ve ever met. I get the privilege of loving you. What more could I ask for?”
His eyes went wide. The echo of “loving” hung between us.
I opened the door, and all but shoved him out. I didn’t want him to feel he had to reciprocate my words. Feeling good at having said them, I headed into the bathroom.
Showering took little time. As did dressing and preparing for my day.
Twenty minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot at the ranch.
Justin was just getting out of his SUV. He took one look at me and whistled. “Someone got lucky last night.”
I grinned. “There’s more.”
“Let me get some caffeine into me first.” He grabbed his messenger bag and closed his door. “Is this something private? Or are you up to sharing?”
“With Kennedy and Rainbow? Nothing’s ever truly private.”
“Hey! I can keep secrets.”
I laughed. “I meant me, you silly man. You think I can keep this goofy grin off my face all day? With patients? Sure. Around my good friends? Not a chance.”
He slung an arm around my shoulder as we made our way into the ranch.
As if sensing my excitement, Tiffany greeted me at the door with her tail wagging. The golden lab was a beautiful creature who did much of the heavy lifting in the clinic. She was a ray of sunshine—not just for the patients who needed her—but also for the staff who often faced tough situations.
“Coffee’s fresh.” Rainbow’s words made their way from the kitchen to the waiting room where Justin and I removed our outerwear and donned inside shoes.
He sniffed.
I grinned.
Kennedy walked down the stairs from the upstairs living quarters. “And yes, fresh cranberry-bran muffins.”
I moaned.
She eyed me as she headed into the kitchen.
“He’s got news.” Justin nudged me.
“Oh?” Kennedy poured herself a mug of tea from the brewed pot. “Do tell.”
“Tell what?” Rainbow gestured to the kitchen table. As we sat, she placed mugs of coffee before both Justin and me.
I often felt uncomfortable at the level of service she provided to us. I was happy to make my own coffee. And when she was out in the stables with the horses, I tried to do things that made life easier for her.
Still, when she was back a moment later with a basket of muffins and a container of butter, I didn’t hide my grin.
“Oh yeah, something’s up.” She put the basket down. She returned to the counter where she poured herself coffee. Then she joined us at the table—strategically placing herself next to Justin—across from me.
Without much thought, we always left the head of the table for Kennedy. Now I had the rapt attention of three coworkers. “Uh, is Denise coming?”
“She’s working this afternoon.” Kennedy arched an eyebrow.
“Avery?”
“Appointment with Dr. Grantham.”
Her obstetrician.
“Ah.”
“Are you stalling?” Justin couldn’t hide his shit-eating grin.
“Just making certain I tell as many people as possible all at once. You know, so I’m not repeating myself.”
Rainbow grabbed a muffin, ripped it open, and smeared butter on both sides. “I’m quite certain I can share with anyone and everyone.” She eyed me. “With your permission, of course.”
“I asked Lorcan to move in with me. And he agreed. And I might’ve told him I loved him.” With a bit more decorum, I pulled the top off my muffin. With deliberateness, I added butter.
Justin, whose mug was halfway to his mouth, gaped. Slowly, he put it down. “Lorcan’s been here once.”
“And he plans to keep coming. I’m not going to be privy— Oh, wait. I think we agreed to do a session together with you.” I frowned. “I think that’s what we decided. Uh, a lot went on last night.”
“Apparently.” Kennedy sipped her tea. “Last we heard, you were headed to the detachment with a problem.”
“Oh, yeah.” I chuckled. “I mean, it’s not funny.
You’ll hear soon enough—Lorcan’s ex-husband was killed in Mexico.
Corporal Pritchard wanted to interrogate Lorcan.
Which is like, the dumbest thing ever. How could Lorcan have anything to do with a death in Mexico?
” I said the words with absolute certainty because I was abso-fucking-lutely certain he hadn’t done anything wrong.
Rainbow snorted. “Colton doing something dumb? I can’t imagine.”
“Rainbow.” Kennedy used her warning tone.
Her sister appeared completely undaunted. “He was a jackass before he married Sunshine. We all knew it would end badly.” She sat a little straighter, then pivoted her attention back to me. “So Lorcan’s been cleared?”
“Mostly. Corporal Duhamel certainly made it seem like they were done with him.”
“Dorrie’s a good person.” Justin broke off a piece of muffin. “Okay, so you went home and told him you loved him?”
“Well, we ate Chinese food and had a long discussion about…stuff…” Had the discussion been long? It had certainly been intense.
“Moving in together is a big step.” He delicately buttered a corner of his muffin.
“Are you saying it’s wrong?”
He chuckled. “I knew Stanley a hot minute before I invited him and Angus to stay with me. A week later we were shopping for a home.” Angus was Stanley’s orphaned nephew.
The story of how the three became a family was well-known—both at the ranch and in town as well.
Tongues wagged. Right up until it became clear the men were in love.
Last Christmas, they’d adopted a little girl.
Opal was the last piece that made their family complete. Oh, and Liba the rescue dog, of course.
I grinned. “I don’t care what people say. I know how I feel.”
“And your tastes align.” He bit into the muffin.
“Oh?” Kennedy eyed me.
I shifted uncomfortably. “It’s not for me to say.”
“Ah.” Her brown eyes held my gaze.
She gets it. A few months ago, when I’d started going to Club Kink on pup night, I’d confided in her.
She might not still be my official therapist—but she’d gotten me through the worst period of my life.
Confiding in her came easily. I just hadn’t realized that would wind up outing someone else—if only to her.
Justin knew, of course, but he was Lorcan’s therapist. I eyed him. “Does this change things with you?”
“For me as a counselor? Only if Lorcan wants it to. If you two want to do a session together, I’m all for that. Or he can continue to see me on his own—if that’s what he wants. Things might be awkward for him if he’s concerned about my confidentiality, though.”
I considered. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, I can refer him to another counselor in town—if he wants that. I think he needs—”
“That he still needs help? No question in my mind. I’ve made it clear I can’t be his therapist. That I don’t want to be. I don’t want that kind of relationship with him.”
“He’s still vulnerable, Cody.” Kennedy tapped her fingernail on her mug. “Especially after last night’s brush with the law. He had to be shaken.”
“He was.” I rubbed my eyes. “I’m not saying life’s going to be perfect.
I just—” I swallowed. Then met my boss’s gaze straight on.
“I know myself. Thanks to you—and about eight years of school—I know who I am. What I am and am not capable of. I can’t be his therapist. No question. I can be his lover, though.”
“You’re risking a lot, both of you.” Rainbow ran her index finger around the rim of her mug.
“Living is a risk.”
She chuckled. “Yes, it is that.” She met my gaze.
Her pale-blue eyes and blue-black hair gave her an ethereal appearance.
She and the other six Dixon sisters all had the same look.
Kennedy, the eldest, was the only one who was different—chestnut-brown hair and luminous brown eyes.
The family teased her mercilessly about being the daughter of the mailman.
Ridiculous since she was the spitting image of her father while the other seven favored their mother.
“We trust you to do your best for him, Cody.”
Kennedy’s husky voice had me pivoting my attention back to her.
“And we’ll be here if things go south,”
“They won’t.”
“I sure hope not.” She rose. “My first client will be here in a couple of minutes.” She clicked her tongue.
Tiffany, who’d been lounging quietly, sat up.
“You ready for a busy day?”
The dog’s tail wagged ferociously.
I grinned.
Everything’s going to work out.
It has to.