“No, I don’t think so,” Emma said, smiling at Goodman fondly. She lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “But he did go out and visit her this morning. Hevoluntarilygot close to the cows. So… progress.”
Goodman snorted and took a sip of his coffee to wash down the oats. “Not because I like them or anything,” he said after swallowing. “I keep my friends close and my enemies closer, that’s all.” He made a hand gesture that looked like he was jabbing his fingers in his eyes, then jabbing them in the general direction of the barn.
Christ, he was adorable.
And so freakin’ young.
And so very off-limits, especially for a guy who couldn’t trust his own brain these days.
“I sleep easier knowing we have you to be on top of all cow terror plots,” Em assured him before she laughed her way out the door. “Later, everyone!”
Meanwhile, I got a bowl and dished myself out some baked oatmeal Drew had made with leftover plums. It smelled amazing.
“Wait, so.” Hawk frowned and looked back and forth between me and Goodman. “You two are getting along now?”
Goodman lifted an eyebrow. “Sure thing. That’s why Knox wants to come and sit across from me.”
“Absolutely. Thrill of my day,” I agreed. I stole Em’s seat next to Hawk at the table. “Someone eloquently instructed me at lunch yesterday to stop being a d—” I stole a glance at Aiden and cleared my throat. “Doofus. And I value my life too much to disobey. So yes, we’re getting along.”
“You were gonna saydick,” Aiden said matter-of-factly. “Dad would’ve middle-named you for sure.”
Goodman made a startled, snort-laugh sound that had Hawk and Drew laughing in response.
Webb looked up from his phone. “Oh, would I, Aiden Andrew?”
“Oops.” Aiden blinked innocently down at his oatmeal.
I snorted softly, and Webb’s eyes swung to me. “Proud of yourself, Edwin Knox?”
“Don’t try it.” I shook my head, closer to laughter than I’d been in a while. “You’ve got the Dad-voice, and I respect that, but I’m two years older than you. You can’t middle-name me. It subverts the natural order of things.”
Webb rolled his eyes.
“Let’s back up,” Goodman demanded. “Edwin?”
I lifted an eyebrow at his teasing, trying hard to pretend that his smile aimed in my direction wasn’t warming me inside more than the oatmeal. “I was named after philosophers, okay? What’syourmiddle name?”
“Spence.” He shrugged sheepishly. “I was named after treasure hunters.”
“The Spence is the name of our grocery store in town,” Aiden informed him excitedly. “You were named after a place that sells Genessaro’s Frozen Custard. That’s way cooler than a philosopher.”
Goodman held out a fist, and Aiden bumped it.
“Do you even know what a philosopher is?” I asked him.
“Nope. Which is why it’s gotta be uncool,” Aiden retorted smugly. “Sorry, Uncle Knox.”
I had no comeback for that.
“Gage, I know what you should name the calf,” Aiden continued. He paused dramatically. “Diana.”
Goodman turned to face him, his forehead pinched for a second like he was thinking about it. “Like the Roman goddess?”
“No, like Wonder Woman, because she’s the best superhero except Captain America, and Steve’s not a good name for a heifer.”
“Ohhhh.” Goodman nodded. “Yup, perfect. Write that down, people. She’s Diana.”
He slapped the table like a judge with a gavel, and Iwilledmyself not to smile at the way Aiden puffed up importantly under Goodman’s approving smile.
