Riley’s family had been the ones to rip money from Derek Campbell. It was Gerald Hayes and then Jeff Hayes who had, bit by bit, swindled the Campbells out of money they were owed. But that was open and discussed between him and Jack. They’d covered the fact that it wasn’t Riley who had been the cause of the Campbells nearly losing everything. Still sometimes, at moments like this, looking down on D land, Riley felt guilty. He’d give everything to go back in time and stop his dad, or the man he’d thought of as his dad, from stealing Derek Campbell’s claims.
“I want to say—”
Jack held up a hand to stop Riley. “I know what you want to say, and I don’t need to hear it, don’t say sorry. You didn’t turn my dad into a drinker or a gambler, a bitter man who felt the world owed him a living, that isn’t on you.”
Jack extended his hand, and Riley took it immediately and twisted their fingers together.
Riley sought a different subject, one that didn’t pick at old scabs. “I swear Lexie will be running for president one day,” he said out of the blue. Where the thought came from, he didn’t know.
“She’s a little spitfire,” Jack agreed.
“And Connor is going to be a professional sleeper.”
Jack chuckled. “Is that even a thing?”
“If it isn’t, then I bet our son makes it something. A mattress seller or something.”
That made Jack’s smile turn into a belly laugh. Once he stopped laughing, he tugged Riley in for a quick kiss. “Hayley will be a teacher or work with kids,” Jack offered.
“You think?”
“She’s awesome with the twins, but have you noticed Max around her? She’s so good with him, and he responds to her. She said she found a James engine in her bed last night, and when she gave it back to Max, he didn’t want it. Said ‘yours’ and made her keep it.”
“Max gave Hayley his James? Wow, that is a big one.”
For a while they sat in companionable silence. Riley loved all of his kids, but there was a special place in his heart for the young woman that Hayley was becoming. She was well into being a teenager, and she was so damn smart. And she’d managed all of that despite him. He’d missed out on so much because he’d been an idiot.
“What about Max?” he asked. Max worried him, the little guy had so many anxieties, and at Riley’s lowest points, Riley was scared for what the future held for their son.
“I don’t know,” Jack replied. He sounded as thoughtful as Riley. “He’s only little still, and we don’t know what he’ll be like when he’s older. He’s so in tune with the horses, it’s like they’re an extension of him.”
“I wish he’d talk more,” Riley admitted. Max had a few words he used every now and then, sometimes he would come out with a sentence, but the words he used were very often copies of what he had heard in a Thomas story. The experts called it scripting and apparently it gave Max his safe space to relax in his own thoughts.
“He’ll be fine.”
“And what if anything happens to us? What will happen to Max? Who would make sure he was safe if we weren’t here? Who would control his world?”
Jack sighed heavily, and with a swift move, he had Riley flat on his back, and he half laid on him, holding him flat. Riley made to move, but Jack just pushed back, and finally Riley stilled. He wasn’t exactly liking being held like this, his instincts still tinged with what happened to him in Mexico, but this was Jack, and he trusted and loved Jack completely. Inch by inch he relaxed his body and began to calm himself to the weight of his husband lying on him.
“We have a huge family,” Jack began. “If anything happened to us, then the kids have guardians, Josh, Eden, everything will be fine. And if anyone says those kids belong with anyone else than Campbell-Hayes family, then your dad will have them tied in legal knots until they’re all eighteen and ready to take control of their own lives. And Max? He’s still so little, who knows what is round the corner for him.”
“But—”
“Riley, you know I’m right.”
Riley did know Jack was right. He reached up, knocked off Jack’s Stetson, then threaded his hands through Jack’s thick hair.
“I think we need to make out.”
Jack quirked a smile. “I’m not sure we have the time,” he teased.
“Ten minutes,” Riley encouraged.
Jack leaned down and hovered just out of reach of kissing distance unless Riley moved, but then, Riley didn’t really want to move. The weight of Jack half on him was becoming a reassuring solid grounding, and his lover’s knee was pressed up between his thighs. Just a small movement and he could push his hard cock up against Jack’s leg and get some relief from this crazy need that spiraled inside him.
Too soon it was impossible to think, and he wriggled impatiently under Jack. Likely Jack hadn’t brought lube out any more than Riley had, and they only had a couple hours before everyone arrived. This was going to be heated kissing and frotting, but Riley could get with that plan as easy as breathing. Jack grasped his wrists in one hand and pushed Riley’s hands above his head, shifting a little until Riley was pinned to the ground and unable to move. He’d always loved this, when Jack took charge and showed Riley he could be trapped as much as the next man, despite his height and strength. He was just happy he was getting it back. Jack released his hold, but Riley didn’t move his hands, although he squirmed as Jack was free to pull and open buttons on his jeans, shifting them down enough so that Jack could get a hand on his cock. He was hard and needy, and the touch of Jack’s hand, the way he held Riley, and the rhythm was all too much.
They hadn’t done this in too long, outside in the sun, just them and the land and the horses, and Riley didn’t take long at all. He was coming into Jack’s hand, his back arching and his hands scrabbling in the grass above his head. Jack released the kiss enough to stare down into Riley’s eyes, his expression one of lust and need. Then he too was groaning as he came hard. Then with a laugh they kissed until the ground became uncomfortable and they needed to get home. To family.
* * * * *
Half an hour after they reached the ranch, people started to arrive. As usual Josh, Jack, and Robbie were in charge of barbecue, Donna the salads, and Riley was left in control of the kids. Every holiday there seemed to be more, and it didn’t help that Logan had brought his girlfriend, a sweet girl with a smile for everyone. Riley actively sought out Hayley to make sure she was okay with that.
“I’m fine, Dad,” she began. “I told you, when I’m twenty-one, I’ll make him fall in love with me.”
They knocked plastic cups, hers lemonade, his beer, and everything was right in their world. Riley didn’t doubt for one moment that Hayley would get her man if she wanted him; she was utterly determined.
Eden and Sean arrived late, both looking well kissed, and Riley wondered if they’d just stopped at the top gate. The wedding planning was well underway, and Riley had interrupted a particularly heated session of Eden and Beth discussing pink candles. Riley hadn’t been aware of how many different issues there were with something as simple as a candle.
His mom and dad came over to him, and he cast a critical eye over his mom. The change in the Hayes wasn’t just confined to Riley and Eden, because Sandra looked very relaxed in slacks and a loose shirt. She wore a hat and diamonds sparkled at her ears, but there was no sign of pearls or shoes that matched her top or anything stuffy. She held hands with Jim, and they slotted into this ragtag heap of friends and family.
The kids had an impromptu game of football going on in the first paddock, and Max had even sat himself on a chair just outside the fence. Riley crouched next to him and patted him gently on the knee. Max looked up at him with his wide eyes fringed with the sootiest lashes. He looked right at Riley before his gaze skittered to the right. Riley didn’t say much, a few lines about Thomas and the noise and burgers.