“Don’t want to think about what comes next,” Jack admitted.
Riley nudged his arm. “Hayley’ll be dating soon.”
“Jesus, Riley.”
“And Lexie will be toddling, and Connor won’t be far behind.”
“You can stop now.”
“Why? You feeling old?” Riley teased.
Jack shook his head. He looked out at Max and past him to the sky and land beyond. They were officially in fall here, which meant cooler temperatures, and there would even be leaves turning up on the ridge if they were lucky. Fall made him introspective, made him think back on the year so far and to contemplate what would happen next.
Riley was right. The twins would both be up and walking by Christmas, and Hayley had shown them her pictures of the party dress she wanted, which was at least an inch above the knee. Add to that Max and the emergence of a stubborn side that was something new to them all, and suddenly everything was moving just a little too fast.
Riley had nearly died this year. Jack couldn’t even begin to think about what he would do if he’d lost Riley. Hatty sidestepped, and her hooves skittered a little on the safety surface, but Hayley didn’t react, Max concentrated and stayed straight, and Hatty righted herself immediately. They were a team, and Max didn’t need him at this moment. Max could fall and hurt himself, but he wouldn’t. He was finding confidence in his own ability, and that was a good thing.
“Jack?” Riley sounded concerned, and Jack realized he’d probably looked like an idiot standing there staring into the distance. He pulled himself back to the here and now.
“I have a shotgun for Hayley’s boyfriends,” he began, tongue in cheek. “There is a safety surface if Max falls, we’ve put those things on all the corners in case Lexie bumps herself when she’s toddling about, and Connor will sleep too much to walk.”
“Seems like you’re all confident there,” Riley said. He moved to stand behind Jack and hugged him. Jack loved these moments, when he could lean into Riley and be held.
“I have good backup,” Jack admitted. “Darren in the office, Robbie, Liam, and Vaughn with the breeding and training, Carol with the kids…” He deliberately trailed away.
Riley chuckled. “And me?”
“I suppose so,” Jack said. He was teasing.
“You suppose so?” Riley offered with mock hurt.
“I was thinking if you were too long wasting time in Mexico, that I might have to get in another hand,” Jack teased. That is what they did, that is what they had to do. The joking didn’t belie the seriousness of what had happened, of how close they’d gotten to Riley not coming back.
“A whole other hand?” Riley said in mock shock. “Maybe two?”
Jack shook his head. “Just the one would do fine.”
“Ass,” Riley said and poked him in the side. They subsided into silence and watched Max. All the words bubbled inside Jack, every single thing he needed to say.
“You know what,” he began. “Without you, I wouldn’t have anything.” He was being brutally honest. If anything, this last year, from the car accident to the kidnapping to Hayley and Logan, and Eden and Sean’s wedding, all the things that made his life what it was? Well, that was Riley.
“Aww, sometimes I think you really love me.”
Jack leaned back into his husband’s hold.
“Sometimes?” he said. “Nah, all the time. Whatever you’re doing.”
“Even that thing with my tongue?” Riley’s voice was low and right in his ear, and Jack couldn’t help the desire that flooded him.
He coughed and moved a little to ease the growing pressure in his pants.
“Hell, Riley, especially that thing with your tongue.”
THE END
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Also from RJ Scott
For an up to date list of all books please visit www.rjscott.co.uk
CONTEMPORARY
Texas
The Heart of Texas #1
Texas Winter #2
Texas Heat #3
Texas Family #4
Texas Christmas #5
Texas Fall #6 (Coming soon)
Sanctuary
Guarding Morgan #1
The Only Easy Day #2
Face Value #3
Still Waters #4
Full Circle #5
The Journal of Sanctuary One #6
Worlds Collide #7
Bodyguards Inc
Bodyguard to a Sex God #1
The Ex Factor #2
Heroes
A Reason To Stay #1
Last Marine Standing #2
Standalones
The Christmas Throwaway
New York Christmas
Jesse’s Christmas
Valentine 2525
Child of the Storm
Spirit Bear
All the King’s Men
One Night
Deefur Dog
The Decisions We Make
The Art of Words (with Meredith Russell)
The Fitzwarren Inheritance
The Soldier’s Tale (book 2)
Sapphire Cay - with Meredith Russell)
Follow the Sun #1
Under the Sun #2
Chase the Sun #3
Christmas in the Sun #4
Capture the Sun #5
Ellery Mountain
The Fireman & the Cop #1
The Teacher & the Soldier #2
The Carpenter & the Actor #3
The Doctor & the Bad Boy #4
The Paramedic & the Writer #5
The Barman & the SEAL #6
The Agent & the Model #7
Montana
Crooked Tree Ranch
PARANORMAL
Supernatural Bounty Hunters
The Vampire Contract #1
The Guilty Werewolf #2
The Warlock’s Secret #3
The Demon’s Blood #4
The Incubus Agenda #5
The Third Kingdom #6
Fire
Kian’s Hunter #1
Darach’s Cariad #2 – Coming soon
Eoin’s Destiny #3 – Coming soon
Oracle
Oracle (#1)
Book of Secrets #2
In the Shadow of the Wolf – with Diane Adams
Shattered Secrets #1
Broken Memories #2
Splintered Lies #3
The End Street Detective Agency – with Amber Kell
The Case of the Cupid Curse #1
The Case of the Wicked Wolf #2
The Case of the Dragon’s Dilemma #3
The Case of the Sinful Santa #4
The Case of the Purple Pearl #5 – Coming soon
Standalones
The Gallows Tree
The New Wolf (Building The Pack #1)
YOUNG ADULT
Love…
Love Is In The Title #1
Love Is in the Hallways #2
Love Is in the Message #3