Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
HUNTER
Wyatt’s small hand is wrapped around two of my fingers as we walk across the school parking lot, his backpack bouncing against his shoulders with every step.
The morning air is cool, the Arizona sun just starting to warm everything up, and for a minute, life feels normal.
Simple.
Just me and my boy. My hangover is just knocking on the edge of my skull, but it’s Lola that is filling most of my headspace.
“Dad?” Wyatt says, looking up at me, his cowboy hat already tilted sideways on his head.
“Yeah, little man?”
“Can I ride Penny after school today?” he asks.
Penny is the horse I broke in for him. She’s got the perfect temperament for a beginner rider. A beautiful horse.
I glance down at him, pretending to think about it even though I already know the answer. “You finish all your homework this week?”
He nods way too fast.
“And you helped Matilda clean up your toys yesterday?”
Another enthusiastic nod. She’s our family cook. Except, she loves helpin’ out with Wyatt more than cooking nowadays.
I raise an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”
He hesitates, “...Mostly.”
I snort. “Mostly don’t count.”
He squeezes my hand tighter. “Please? I’ll brush her too. And feed her carrots.”
I sigh dramatically. “Well, since you’re negotiatin’ now…”
His eyes widen.
“Yeah,” I chuckle. “You can ride her after school. But only if you listen to Matilda and finish your homework first.”
Wyatt pumps his fist. “Yes!”
Then he launches himself into my legs, hugging me tight around the waist.
I rest my hand on his head, ruffling his hair.
“Love you, Dad.”
My chest tightens in the best damn way. “Love you too, buddy.”
The bell rings, and he runs off toward the entrance, turning halfway to wave, nearly tripping over his own boots.
I stand and watch until he disappears inside.
Everything I do is for that kid.
Everything.
Which is why last night shouldn’t still be stuck in my head.
But it is.
Every damn second of it.
The drive back toward the ranch is quiet except for the rumble of the engine and the thoughts I can’t shake.
Cherry-red curls. Green eyes. The way Lola said my name when she came apart in my arms. The way she looked afterward, shaking and trying to pretend she wasn’t affected.
I grip the steering wheel tighter, trying to ignore the fact that my cock is twitching in my boxers as I drive.
My phone rings through the truck speakers, snapping me out of it. I glance at the screen and instantly feel my jaw tighten.
Ashley. My ex and the bane of my existence, who just so happens to be Wyatt’s mom.
I consider ignoring it. Then answer anyway. “What?”
A sharp exhale comes through the line. “Wow. Good morning to you, too, Hunter.”
“What do you want?”
She sighs dramatically. Same damn performance every time. “I’ve got Wyatt’s birthday presents. I figured you’d want to pick them up before tomorrow.”
Wyatt’s birthday. Six years old already. And she’s missed all six, well, except the day she gave birth, if that counts for something.
“I’m busy,” I say flatly. “Can’t make it today.”
“Well, I can come by the ranch later,” she says. “See Wyatt. Drop them off.”
My stomach twists. Absolutely not. She hasn’t bothered showing up for months at a time, and now she wants to just swing by and play mom? And usually, her niceties last all of ten minutes before she’s screaming and shouting. Or reaching for the vodka.
“No,” I snap. “He doesn’t need you droppin’ in and out whenever it suits you. And the last thing we need is you getting arrested for drunk driving.”
Silence.
Then, sharper, “He’s still my son, Hunter.”
I grind my teeth. “Yeah. And you left him.”
More silence.
Then she switches, it’s quieter but defensive, “I didn’t leave him.”
I laugh bitterly. “You walked out on both of us, Ashley. Don’t rewrite history now.”
Another pause.
“Look,” she says finally. “Just come pick the presents up tonight. Save us both the argument.”
I exhale through my nose, irritation simmering. “What time?”
“Anytime after seven.”
I check the road ahead, already mentally rearranging my evening. “I’ll come after Wyatt’s asleep.”
“Fine,” she says. “See you tonight.”
The call ends. Perfect.
Spend the day thinkin’ about Lola. Spend the night dealin’ with the woman who blew my life apart. The woman who made me close my heart off. And somewhere in between, try not to lose my damn mind while I tell the Greek mafia to fuck off before we put any more of their men in my graveyard.
Enzo has given the green light for a meeting, so I invited the Kourakos brothers to Sterling Ranch to try to settle this before it escalates into something bigger than it needs to be.
And after helping Enzo’s associates in Pennsylvania deal with some cult group, the last thing I need is a war on my doorstep.
I’ve seen the mess they made, and I don’t want that here. Dad wouldn'ta wanted that either.
Sterling Ranch is our safe space. And we protect that with our lives.
I shake my head and press the gas. Because whether I like it or not, life keeps moving. Even when a firefly’s already crawled under your skin.