difference—”
I rolled to face him and placed my hand on his chest. His heart pounded beneath my
palm. “Mason. It’s all right. I know how much you’ve wanted—how hard you’ve tried—to
have a relationship with your son. I’d never stand in the way of that. Lex is welcome
here.”
He pressed his forehead to mine. “Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.
To be honest, as much as I’ve always said I wanted Lex around, this whole thing scares
the living shit outta me, Mercy.”
“I know.”
“I mean, we’ll get the logistics of how he’s getting to and from school figured out,
but I don’t know if I have . . . hell, I’ve never been around kids that much. Sometimes—most
times—Lex doesn’t feel like mine. He just seems like a kid I know that I see once
in a while. What if I’m a shitty father?”
That confession made me ache. “I think the fact you’re worried about being a good
father indicates you’ve already won half the battle. Once he is around you, day in
and day out, he’ll see what an awesome guy you are.”
“I like this flattering side of you, Sergeant Major.” He brushed his lips across mine.
“So since you admitted that I’m an awesome guy, does that mean you’re ready to marry
me?”
I tried to keep it light. “I’m still weighing my options.”
“What options?”
“I hear that Dick and Alice Anderson might be headed for divorce court. And you know
I have a thing for former rodeo cowboys. So I might wait to see what happens there.”
“Dick Anderson is seventy. Been a long time since he’s been on the back of a bull.
Plus, rumor is . . . the reason Alice wants to call it quits after forty-five years?
Dick ain’t performing his husbandly duties anymore.”
“Who’d you hear that from?”
“Lila, at the diner. And apparently, Dick ain’t the type who believes in Viagra.”
He pinned me to the mattress, rubbing his third erection of the night against my belly.
“So maybe you oughta put this on the plus side of staying with me for the long haul.”
“Cocky man.”
“And I’ll prove it.”
• • •
Sophie lured us out of bed early the next morning with the scent of bacon, eggs, and
fried potatoes.
I noticed she’d folded up my robe and set it on the kitchen table, but she didn’t
tease—a rarity for her.
“You’re here early,” I said.
“Couldn’t sleep. Pain in my hip kept me awake.”
Wasn’t like Sophie to complain. “Maybe you should have the doctor check you out the
next time you take Penny in.”
She gave me a considering look. “You worried, hey?”
“Yes, because you haven’t been your bossy self lately. I wondered if it’s too much,
splitting time between here and Hope’s place.”
“You askin’ if I’m getting a little long in the tooth to be doin’ my job?” she asked
sharply.
“No. And you don’t need to snap at me for caring about you, Sophie.”
She made that sound between a sigh and a harrumph. “Sorry, takoja. I’ve got a lot on my mind, with Penny’s cancer and all.”
Penny was Sophie’s last living daughter. All of her Red Leaf kids had passed on, and
her son Devlin Pretty Horses was the only remaining male child. “Anything I can do?”
“Nothin’ no one can do.” She offered a tremulous smile through the sheen of tears.
“Workin’ takes my mind off it.”
“We’ll be able to oblige you on that, because Mason’s son Lex is coming to stay with
us for a while.”
“Really? When?”
“Soon, I think.”
“Oh, the sheriff’s gotta be happy about that.” Her sharp brown gaze locked onto mine.
“But are you happy?”
I don’t know. “Yeah, I am.”
“That don’t sound convincing, Mercy.”
“I just . . . don’t want him to get hurt. He has wanted a chance to really be Lex’s
father for longer than he’s willing to admit. I hope this kid isn’t the type to take
advantage of
I rolled to face him and placed my hand on his chest. His heart pounded beneath my
palm. “Mason. It’s all right. I know how much you’ve wanted—how hard you’ve tried—to
have a relationship with your son. I’d never stand in the way of that. Lex is welcome
here.”
He pressed his forehead to mine. “Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.
To be honest, as much as I’ve always said I wanted Lex around, this whole thing scares
the living shit outta me, Mercy.”
“I know.”
“I mean, we’ll get the logistics of how he’s getting to and from school figured out,
but I don’t know if I have . . . hell, I’ve never been around kids that much. Sometimes—most
times—Lex doesn’t feel like mine. He just seems like a kid I know that I see once
in a while. What if I’m a shitty father?”
That confession made me ache. “I think the fact you’re worried about being a good
father indicates you’ve already won half the battle. Once he is around you, day in
and day out, he’ll see what an awesome guy you are.”
“I like this flattering side of you, Sergeant Major.” He brushed his lips across mine.
“So since you admitted that I’m an awesome guy, does that mean you’re ready to marry
me?”
I tried to keep it light. “I’m still weighing my options.”
“What options?”
“I hear that Dick and Alice Anderson might be headed for divorce court. And you know
I have a thing for former rodeo cowboys. So I might wait to see what happens there.”
“Dick Anderson is seventy. Been a long time since he’s been on the back of a bull.
Plus, rumor is . . . the reason Alice wants to call it quits after forty-five years?
Dick ain’t performing his husbandly duties anymore.”
“Who’d you hear that from?”
“Lila, at the diner. And apparently, Dick ain’t the type who believes in Viagra.”
He pinned me to the mattress, rubbing his third erection of the night against my belly.
“So maybe you oughta put this on the plus side of staying with me for the long haul.”
“Cocky man.”
“And I’ll prove it.”
• • •
Sophie lured us out of bed early the next morning with the scent of bacon, eggs, and
fried potatoes.
I noticed she’d folded up my robe and set it on the kitchen table, but she didn’t
tease—a rarity for her.
“You’re here early,” I said.
“Couldn’t sleep. Pain in my hip kept me awake.”
Wasn’t like Sophie to complain. “Maybe you should have the doctor check you out the
next time you take Penny in.”
She gave me a considering look. “You worried, hey?”
“Yes, because you haven’t been your bossy self lately. I wondered if it’s too much,
splitting time between here and Hope’s place.”
“You askin’ if I’m getting a little long in the tooth to be doin’ my job?” she asked
sharply.
“No. And you don’t need to snap at me for caring about you, Sophie.”
She made that sound between a sigh and a harrumph. “Sorry, takoja. I’ve got a lot on my mind, with Penny’s cancer and all.”
Penny was Sophie’s last living daughter. All of her Red Leaf kids had passed on, and
her son Devlin Pretty Horses was the only remaining male child. “Anything I can do?”
“Nothin’ no one can do.” She offered a tremulous smile through the sheen of tears.
“Workin’ takes my mind off it.”
“We’ll be able to oblige you on that, because Mason’s son Lex is coming to stay with
us for a while.”
“Really? When?”
“Soon, I think.”
“Oh, the sheriff’s gotta be happy about that.” Her sharp brown gaze locked onto mine.
“But are you happy?”
I don’t know. “Yeah, I am.”
“That don’t sound convincing, Mercy.”
“I just . . . don’t want him to get hurt. He has wanted a chance to really be Lex’s
father for longer than he’s willing to admit. I hope this kid isn’t the type to take
advantage of
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