Chapter 26
Jasper
The kids are quiet as we drive across town to Hunter’s house. Nora has her nose in Arlo’s phone, watching some YouTube video. Apparently, kids like to watch videos of other kids playing with toys. Who knew? Certainly not me.
Every time I glance up at Salem, though, he’s taking in his surroundings.
The hypervigilance feels like a trauma thing to me, and it makes me happy to know that we have therapy appointments scheduled for both kids next week.
I can’t even begin to imagine what it must have been like to grow up in a situation like theirs.
My childhood was largely normal. My dad was never around, but I never felt like I was missing anything, not in any real way. I had Mom and her parents, but they both died when I was young. Sarah hadn’t even been born yet. I barely remember them, more vague impressions than anything else.
We had money. Enough to get by and then some. I never worried about my next meal or school clothes or anything. It was a picture-perfect life. Until Sarah died. Then Mom withdrew. Stopped talking to me. Did the bare minimum for my care.
There’s something about knowing your own mother blames you for your sister’s death.
Sarah was the light of her life. Mine too.
I loved her to pieces. And when she died, part of me died too.
I wasn’t the same person anymore. Mom wasn’t either.
I didn’t expect her to kick me out the day I turned eighteen, but I also can’t say I really planned on sticking around either.
It was too hard. The memories were eating me alive, and Mom had barely spoken to me since we put Sarah in the ground.
Decorating ornaments with Arlo, Austin, and Luca was the first time I’ve done something that felt like family in a long time. Being invited to Austin’s parents house for dinner too.
Austin and I aren’t that type of friends. Or maybe we are, and I just didn’t see it that way. But then, the man I loved had to go and end up being best friends with Luca.
Couldn’t get away from the found family of it all then.
Guess it was training me. For this.
I glance up at Salem again, watching him as he looks intently out his window, his eyes darting from it to Nora’s and back to his.
Sighing, I reach across the center seat and take Arlo’s hand. He turns to me with a smile. He looks sleepy today. We spent a lot of the night talking, though, so it makes sense. He’s not usually one to take naps, and all the sleeping we did yesterday got him all messed up.
I bring his hand to my lips and press a kiss to his knuckles.
“Are you guys excited about seeing the animals?” I ask, looking in the rearview mirror again.
“Yes!” Nora practically shouts. “I’m gonna ask to ride the horses.”
Salem huffs. “Me too, I guess.”
He guesses? I share a look with Arlo. When we talked to Salem and Nora about coming out here, he seemed so excited. Maybe a little nervous, but mostly excited about the possibility of seeing the animals. I’m not sure what changed between then and now.
“Hunter and Theo are really nice,” I say, hoping he’s just worried about making a good first impression. “They really want to meet you.”
Salem makes a noise that sounds almost like a scoff. “I don’t care.”
“Salem,” Arlo admonishes, turning in his seat to glance at Salem.
“What?” he says. “I don’t. Cool that they wanna meet us, I guess, but why does it even matter?”
Arlo glances at me like he’s not sure what to do, before looking into the back seat again.
“Theo and Hunter are good people. You will be nice and respectful,” Arlo says, his voice calm and low, but firm.
“I’ll be nice,” Nora says.
“Of course you will. Perfect little Nora,” Salem says, voice dripping with sarcasm.
What in the hell is happening?
“Salem,” Arlo says again, more warning in his voice this time. “Quit it.”
The entire truck shifts as Salem slumps into his seat without another word. Arlo watches him for a second, and when I look in the rearview mirror, Salem’s got his arms folded over his chest and his head turned, eyes trained out the window.
The rest of the drive is silent and tense, and when we finally pull into Hunter’s driveway, Arlo sighs in what sounds like relief.
They’re already on the porch, and when Theo sees us, he waves. He’s even newer to town than Arlo is, but he seems to be settling in with no issues. Austin and Luca have nothing but nice things to say about him, and anytime we’ve interacted, he’s been great.
I’ve known Hunter since he was knee-high to a grasshopper, and it’s been strange integrating him into our friend group.
Which, I guess, it shouldn’t be. I became friends with Austin by working together at the fire station.
It’s a different type of vibe than just meeting people on the streets or through mutual friends, but things with Hunter are surprisingly easy.
Until Theo came along, I was the oldest person in our little group by far. I’m still the oldest, but at least in his early thirties, he’s closer.
I almost laugh to myself when I think about how I was so worried about my age gap with Arlo, and it ended up not even mattering.
I thought for sure I wasn’t allowed to love him.
For many reasons, of course, but the fourteen years between us were at the top of the list. Arlo is more mature than I am most days.
And it makes sense, given that he’s been taking care of himself and two kids his entire life.
I’d fight the devil himself if someone tried to take him from me now.
Theo and Hunter make their way over to the truck as we all start getting out. Nora is excited—of course she is—but Salem still has his arms crossed, looking every bit the sullen teenager, complete with his dark hair half covering his face.
But when Theo and Hunter introduce themselves, he nods and tells them his name. Even gives them a small smile.
Arlo’s shoulders slump in relief.
Theo kneels in front of Nora. “Do you wanna go see the baby goats I brought home the other day?”
Nora’s eyes go wide. “That’s a thing? You can just… bring goats home?”
“Don’t get any ideas,” Arlo says.
She rolls her eyes. “I can’t just put one in my pocket.”
“Can I go too?” Salem asks, looking anywhere but at Theo and Hunter.
One thing I can say for Hunter after working on a few calls with him is that he’s good with people. He just has something about him that feels safe.
That’s evident in the way he smiles at Salem. “Course. Arlo told us you’re interested in the horses. Wanna meet Molls and Lucky?”
Salem’s eyes light up, his arms falling from their folded position to his sides. “Really?”
“Yep. Molls loves meeting new people.”
“We’ll start with the horses, then?” Arlo asks.
“I wanna see the goats, too,” Nora pipes up.
“And we will,” Theo assures her. “You’ve gotta meet my girl, Lila. And also my new boy, Spot.”
“Isn’t Spot usually a dog’s name?” Salem asks, raising his eyebrow at Theo as we walk through the field.
“Sure. But Spot is basically a lapdog. Plus, he’s got a little black spot right in the center of his forehead. It’s the perfect name for him.”
Nora giggles. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
I fall back a bit to let Arlo catch up with me and slide my hand into his. He smiles up at me, squeezing my fingers.
We’ve spent so long not being able to show affection openly like this that it still feels a little strange.
Hunter catches sight of our joined hands, and his lips tilt up in a little grin. “I thought I was the only one who saw it,” he says, gesturing to our hands. “Thought I was going crazy at our first game night.”
I laugh, glancing at Arlo. “I feel like Arlo hid better than I did. I’m not sure I was any good at it.”
Hunter shrugs. “Doesn’t help anything that I caught y’all makin’ out outside the fire station one night.”
“Oh shit,” Arlo says, mirroring my own thoughts. “When?”
“I was still working at the sheriff’s office, so close to a year ago now, I’d say.”
Holy fuck.
“I thought for sure you all were together, so I was real surprised when you acted like you weren’t.”
I’m not sure what to say to that, so I look ahead, watching Theo lead the kids into the barn.
“We’d better catch up,” Arlo says, which makes Hunter snort a laugh.
When we step into the barn, Theo is petting a brown horse on the neck. Salem is staring up at it with stars in his eyes, and Nora looks terrified.
“I think you were right, Salem.”
“About what?” he asks, barely sparing her a glance.
“I’m definitely too small to ride them.”
“Well, that’s just not true,” Hunter says, stepping closer.
I wrap my arms around Arlo, pulling his back flush against my chest. He sinks into me, watching the kids interact with Hunter, Theo, and the horses.
“She’s a sweet baby,” Theo says. “I was afraid at first too, but she won’t hurt you.”
“We could put you up in the saddle,” Hunter says, smiling at Nora. “Then I’d just take her reins and let her walk around with you. You’d like it, I think.”
“I think so too.” Theo rubs her neck again. “I learned to ride on her, and it’s one of my favorite things to do now.”
“I think I’d like to learn,” Salem says softly, his eyes darting between the horse and Theo.
Hunter nods. “Definitely.”
Arlo sighs. “I think things are gonna be okay, baby.”
“I think so too, baby boy,” I whisper, leaning down to press a kiss to the side of his throat.
Arlo is just stepping out of the shower when I slip into the bedroom and close the door behind me.
The door is open, and he’s standing in the middle of the bathroom completely naked, water still dripping from his hair.
“Wow.” The word is out of my mouth without thought, and his head snaps up, a smirk forming on his lips.
“Like what you see?” he asks, shimmying his hips a little.
I laugh. “Yes. Come here, baby boy.” I crook a finger at him.
“What are you gonna do with me if I come over there?”
I take a step toward him, and then another. “I’ve barely had my hands on you in weeks, baby boy.”
“And whose fault is that? I get one single blow job, and then you go right back to not touching me.”