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“Okay.”
A scratch at the door behind me indicates the dogs are back. “Incoming.”
Luna pants and rounds the sofa for Bright.
Kyle rounds the other side and slides down, energy spent and rolls onto his good side before discovering Colt. His ears perk, and he lifts his head, already taller than my nephew in his seated position. He pulls his body on the floor, almost in an army crawl and sniffs Colt’s diaper. It scares Colt, who jerks but smiles wide, his dimple on full display. He lifts his hands to Kyle’s jowls. Kyle not only allows it, he soaks it all in, eventually lying with his face between his paws at Colt’s feet.
Livy’s sigh is audible.
I’m still standing, like a dolt, at the front door, watching Livy be welcomed to our home, and I’ve done nothing to make that so.
What will I do? Put her on a plane home, rejecting her offer? Rejecting her?
I could. I have no interest in this Layton fixer-upper project.
But I do have an interest in her.
And she’s here.
Now what?
THIRTY-FOUR
FORFEITED
LIVY
I’ve been dreading two moments. One is when I see Mr. Ranger again.
The other is when I’m finally alone with Layton. I have no idea which direction the latter could go.
Somewhere under that scruff is the man I knew.
“We’ll be back in a bit. I’m going to put Colt down for a nap and get some work done,” Emberleigh says as she clears plates from lunch and puts them in the dishwasher. “I’m a phone call away if you need anything.”
“Same,” Brighton adds, drying her hands on a dish towel. “Except the nap part.”
Braxton is silent, but tips the hat he just dropped onto his head. He lifts Colt into his arms as if his son belongs right there. “Say bye to Livy, Colt.”
He flaps his hands. “Bye bye.” As if he couldn’t steal my heart, he smacks his palm to his mouth and then throws me a kiss.
“Seriously?” Bright reaches up to tickle him. “You won’t give me one of those and you gave one to Livy. No more horses for you.”
No more horses for you? I’ve entered the twilight zone.I’ll take ‘things I’ve never heard before in my life’ for four hundred, Alex.
Layton and I get waves from everyone as they pile out the front door.
“Luna, you coming?” the dark-haired beauty asks her dog. Luna looks to Layton and sits. “Okay, then. Come back when you’re ready. Strait misses you.”
She heads out the door, leaving the beautiful lab mix inside. Luna walks to the table where Layton and I sit and slides to rest at his feet.
“Is Strait another dog?” I hope my question cuts the tension.
“Strait is my sister’s stallion. Luna has a special bond with him. Sola has the same with Chevalier.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand any part of that last sentence.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand why you’re here.”
