"We have an announcement," he said clearly, and everyone gradually stopped talking to listen.
Jack felt his stomach churn, and blindly, he reached for Riley's hand under the table. Riley gripped it hard, and Jack sensed his husband looking at him, but he couldn't meet his gaze. Neil stood and encouraged Donna to stand with him. Jack really didn't think he'd seen her ever look so relaxed and happy, and as quickly as butter melted in the sun, his final doubt seemed to melt away too. Riley was tracing a pattern on his palm, and the regular movement was soothing; it grounded him.
"With Josh, Jack, and Beth's blessing, I have asked Donna to marry me." He looked down at her, and she smiled and leaned into his hold. It appeared that collectively the whole family around the table was holding their breath. "She said yes."
The table erupted in cheers. Emily started to cry, and in an instant, Jack scooped her before Beth could get to her. He shook hands with Neil, kissed his mom on the cheek, and hugged her one-armed. He then sat, attempting to eat a full Thanksgiving dinner with a baby asleep on his chest.
C
HAPTER
18
When Riley woke, it was to an eerie light through the cracks in the drawn drapes. He blearily extricated himself from Jack's grip to go to the bathroom and, hands washed, he moved to the window. Pulling the drapes, he couldn't hold back his curse of surprise.
"Holy shit!"
Jack shot bolt upright in bed, his eyes staring madly, clearly trying to find the reason for the actual curse as well as the volume. He was fighting sheets one minute, and the next, he was at Riley's side, naked as the day he was born, staring out of the window.
"Holy shit," he repeated Riley's earlier sentiment. "Hayley—"
"Hayley—"
They said it at the same time, and in a flurry of
movement, they were dressed, teeth brushed, and hair pushed back under caps from the back of Jack's closet. Riley reached her room first and crossed straight to her bed. Falling to his knees by her side, he shook her gently, and her tousled head appeared from way under the covers.
"Wha…" was her level of coherency, but as Jack pulled back her drapes and she blearily looked over, it was an instant wake-up call.
"Snow!" she shrieked and rolled out of the covers. Together, they found clothes to wrap her up in.
Riley insisted on four layers; Jack said three was enough. Hayley just wanted a coat over her PJs—desperate to get outside.
Boots finally on, Riley pushed open the mud room door against a heaped deposit of snow, and together, all three took their first steps into the untouched white.
"Did you know it was going to snow?" Riley asked
Jack. His husband always had an eye on weather news. "Not at all. Jeez. It never snows here in December.
Last year, we got an inch in February, and it disappeared
overnight. Remember?"
"Santa brought it for me," Hayley whispered
conspiratorially and darted off as quickly as she could. "I
need to see Red," she called over her shoulder. They
followed her at a slower pace, and Riley looked up at
cloudless sky.
"It's going to be gone by tomorrow, isn't it?" "Most likely." They watched from the gate as
Hayley crossed to the barns and started chatting away to
Red.
"Will the horses be okay in the barns?"
"I'll keep an eye out, but yes, they should be fine.
Snow'll be gone by tomorrow, and we can turn them out." "Wanna make a snowman?" Tongue in cheek the
question might have been, but Riley felt a lightness in him
he hadn't felt for weeks when Jack grinned like a kid. "Hayley, want to build a snowman?"
"Coming…"
She ran back to them, her cheeks flushed, and her
eyes bright. They built a snowman, not a particularly big
one, but he looked cute and was nearly the same height as
Hayley. They decorated him with stones and a carrot and
then made snow angels, lying there, laughing like idiots
even when the cold was eating through Riley's jeans. After fresh clothes and coffee and hot chocolate,
they took seats on the sheltered porch, and Riley's world
was complete. His cell vibrated in his pocket, and more out
of habit than desire, he checked the caller.
"Hi, Dad." He smiled as he answered the call. "Like
the snow?"
"I had some disturbing news, Riley." Riley sat up in
his chair, exchanging a worried glance with Jack. "I
received notification on the filed papers for petition of
custody from Sarah and Elliot Anderson. As we thought, it
was rejected, but that isn't what's worrying me. The files
are dated four days ago, and I just got off of the phone with
Sarah. Seems like Elliot isn't handling the news so well.
Had some kind of minor breakdown. He left two days ago, saying he'd get money one way or another. Sarah thought he was blowing off steam, but when he didn't come back
last night, and she checked the gun safe…"
"She thinks he is going to come here and he's
armed?"
"What's wrong?" Jack leaned forward, but Riley
waved him back.
"I don't know. We could call the cops out on him
just in case. But if he's coming out to you to talk, and we
get the authorities involved and then and it gets messy…
Why don't you bring Hayley here or take her to Josh's?" "We will." Riley ended the call and leaned back in
his chair.
"Okay?" Jack asked.
"Hayley, why don't you go get dressed a bit better,
and we'll take you to visit Josh and the kids."
"Yay!" She scrambled down from her seat and
scampered into the house.
"Tell me, Riley."
"Elliot told Sarah he would be getting money one
way or another and left Abilene two days ago with a gun." "Shit, Ri. Do we need to call the cops?"