Chapter Fifteen #2
Cash eased back and held up his hands. “I’m going. I meant what I said, though.” Hollow, hazel eyes met his. “Do you remember Finley’s number?” The younger man glanced over Cash’s shoulder and nodded. “Call if you ever need me, and I will help you. No questions asked.”
“Is he happy?”
Cash knew who Keegan meant. “Very much. You deserve happiness and acceptance too. I wish you believed it.”
Keegan drew in a shaky breath and averted his gaze. “Goodbye, Cash.”
“So long for now.” Cash needed to keep that door open.
Finley was leaning against the side of the truck with his arms crossed. He didn’t bother to disguise his interest in the conversation’s outcome. When he saw Cash heading toward him, Fin opened the driver’s side door and climbed in.
“I barely recognize him,” Fin said once Cash joined him. He blew out a breath, shifted the truck into drive, and pulled forward. “What happened?”
Cash filled him in on what he knew, which was very little. “If his number ever comes up on your phone, let me know right away.”
“I will, boss,” Finley replied. “You have to know that not everyone wants to be saved.”
“Oh, I do.”
Finley chuckled. “You just don’t accept it.”
Damn straight. Especially not with someone as young and impressionable as Keegan. Cash reached over and ruffled Finley’s hair. “You think you know me?”
Finley smiled over at him. “Yeah, I do.”
“We’ll do whatever we can whenever he’s ready,” Cash said. That would have to be enough for the moment.
They shifted the conversation to their new goats and Nick’s very first poker night.
They’d gone to Denver the previous weekend, and Harry had been hosting poker at her place the night Nick had shown up on the ranch.
It was odd how Nick had only been on the ranch for two weeks, but Cash struggled to remember a time when he wasn’t there.
Nick’s presence permeated every room. Cash had always loved his ranch, but it had truly become home once Nick moved in.
The farm animal rescue was only forty-five minutes away.
They would’ve had plenty of time to get the goats and return before Nick and Rory if the rescue owner hadn’t been so chatty.
She’d heard of Redemption Ridge and was a big fan of their mission.
That was great, but he really wanted to have the goats all settled in before Nick arrived home.
And maybe he was part of the problem because he’d fallen in love with the goats’ best friend—a donkey named Jake.
“We’ve got plenty of room in the trailer and in the barn for Jake,” Finley said. He pointed at the way the goats bounced around the donkey and rubbed up against him. “Seems like a docile jackass.”
“Sarah,” Cash said, “how much for Jake?”
And so they headed back to the ranch with four goats, Jake, and no time to spare.
Cash expected an alert from the security camera on the gate when Rory and Nick beat them home, but none came.
He breathed a sigh of relief when Finley backed up to the barn and shut the truck off.
By the time they opened the trailer door, everyone on the ranch had joined them.
Harry squealed over the goats and kissed Jake on top of his head. The donkey flicked his ears and continued chewing on some straw. Tyler and Owen squatted down and started debating names for them. They’d run through every female name in the Marvel and DC universes by the time Cash stopped them.
“These are Nick’s goats, and he gets to name them.”
The guys conceded with good grace. Ivan, who tried really hard to maintain his tough guy persona, watched the goats’ shenanigans and tried not to smile. He finally met Cash’s gaze and warned they’d be trouble.
“We wouldn’t have it any other way.” Cash patted the big guy on the shoulder and helped corral the newest critters into the barn. The horses were outside frolicking in the meadow, but unfamiliar smells still distracted the goats. They leaped and bounced and played like oversized kittens.
Kieran leaned over to pet one, and it headbutted his hand. “They are the cutest things I’ve ever seen, but no one tells Little Mama I said that.”
“How have I lived my whole life without a goat?” Rueben asked.
Dylan watched over the animals with a smile on his face. “How are we going to get them into the pens?”
“They’ll follow Jake,” Finley replied.
Harry scratched behind the donkey’s ear and clicked her tongue before walking away. Jake flicked his ears and followed her deeper into the barn.
“Hey now,” Dylan called out. “That’s my girl, Jake.”
The donkey swished his tail in response and continued following Harry. Sure enough, the goats bounded after them too.
Nick texted him when they were a few minutes out. Cash told Finley to put the trailer away, then hustled everyone else out of the barn.
“Act natural,” Cash said.
They must’ve failed the assignment because the brothers wore identical looks of suspicion when they got out of the car.
“What’s going on?” Rory asked as he walked toward the gathering.
“Just hanging out,” Ivan replied casually.
Nick hadn’t budged from his spot by the car, so Cash headed his way. He knew Nick had planned to tell both Rory and Charles of his decision to leave the FBI, and Cash worried it hadn’t gone well. Was Nick having second thoughts and worried about how Cash would take the news?
“I can hear your wheels turning from over here,” Nick said when Cash neared. “Give that hamster a break. I’m fine. We’re fine. Everything is fine.”
Cash wrapped him in a big hug and kissed the side of his neck. “Just fine?”
Nick pulled back and kissed him softly on the mouth. “I would’ve said things are excellent before we pulled up to find the entire ranch waiting for us.”
“Not the entire ranch,” Cash replied.
Finley ran around the side of the barn and pulled up short next to Kieran.
“Okay, now everyone is here waiting for us,” Nick said. “What’s going on?”
“You first,” Cash replied. “Did everything go okay with Charles?” Rory only wanted Nick to be happy and close by. Charles could be a different story.
Nick inhaled deeply, and Cash couldn’t resist bracing himself.
His boyfriend snorted and shook his head.
“Stop.” Nick kissed him hard. “Charles said he only wants me to be happy. He apologized for making me feel like I needed to act a certain way to please him. He told Rory and I both how proud he is to be our father.”
“That’s wonderful,” Cash said.
“And he said it’s about damn time we”—Nick gestured between Cash and himself—“got our heads out of our asses.”
Cash shouldn’t have been surprised. “I thought I was a better poker player than that.”
Nick laughed and kissed him again. “Speaking of poker, what time do the festivities start?”
“Not long from now,” Cash replied. “I want to show you something first.” He took Nick’s hand and led him toward the barn.
The crew parted to let them pass, then filed in behind Cash and Nick.
Their excited whispers made him smile. A gift for one person on the ranch always turned out to be a delight for everyone.
Nick stopped short when Jake brayed and the goats bleated. He looked at Cash with an expression of pure joy. “You didn’t?”
Cash laughed and nodded. “Finley and I picked up four Pygmy goats from a rescue today.” Jake brayed again. “And a donkey. Turns out the goats love Jake, so we couldn’t leave him behind.” And Cash freaking loved him, so there was that too.
Nick kissed him hard before hustling toward the stalls where the noises were coming from. “Oh my God!” Nick pulled the enclosure door open and stepped inside the converted space. He dropped to his knees, and the goats rushed him. “Hey, guys,” he said as they bounced all over him.
“Girls,” Cash corrected.
“Hey, ladies.” Nick looked over his shoulder at Cash. “What are their names?”
“Whatever you want them to be.” Cash stepped inside to give Jake equal attention. He didn’t jump around to show his enthusiasm, but he did lean his body into Cash.
“This one is Reba,” Nick said, pointing to one. Then he picked up the smallest one in his arms. “This one is Martina.” The crew outside the stall all made helpful suggestions, and Nick settled on Tammy and Kitty for the final two goats.
They played with their newest pets long after everyone else left the barn. Rueben returned a while later, looking frustrated.
“What’s up?” Cash asked.
“It’s my turn to pick up the pizza, and my truck won’t start,” Rue said.
“Again?” The dealership had replaced the starter twice in the past year. Good thing it was still under warranty. “I’ll call the dealership on Monday and ask them to tow it in again.” Cash reached into his pocket and pulled out his key chain. “Take mine. There’s plenty of gas.”
“Thanks, boss.” He took a few steps back. “We’re trying the new pizza joint in Last Chance Creek that Tyler and Owen won’t shut up about.”
“Be careful,” Cash called out. Would he always feel nervous every time one of his men drove into town? “Oh, and there’s a festival going on downtown. You’ll have to park in the field and hoof it.”
Rue flexed his right arm. “I’m fit. No worries.”
“I can’t wait for poker,” Nick said when they were alone again. “Rory told me Fin is the one I have to look out for, but he looks so innocent.”
Cash laughed as he dusted off his pants. “Let’s just say it’s a good thing we don’t play for high stakes. Fin would own it all. Ready to get cleaned up?”
“Hell yeah. Cleaned up equals getting my man naked.” Nick wrapped his arms around Cash’s neck and kissed him. “Thank you for the girls.”
“You’re welcome.”
They headed back to the house, hand in hand. Cash got a gate alert on his phone halfway there. He thought it might be Rueben leaving until he saw his truck still parked near the house. He pulled his phone out to check the camera when his phone rang.
“It’s Burke,” Cash told Nick. Was he at the gate? He answered the phone instead of checking the feed. “Hey, Seth.”