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“I can’t believe how much he’s enjoying this.” Eve chuckled softly. “I may have to hire the kid.”
That brought a belly laugh from Jared. “You might also have to get the Governor to intercede on your behalf against child labor laws.”
Her next words froze on the tip of her tongue as she spotted the tube of civet in Jake’s hand. Diluted civet would add a musky smell, anything more than parts per million and welcome to a multi cat litter box. Then she saw it. Beside him on the table were a row of products that had nothing to do with perfumes and everything to do with cleaning the sinks. Before she could react, he’d poured a goodly amount of multiple items into the tube. Immediately, the serum hissed and like an erupting volcano spewed a cloud of aromas that would make a skunk smell fresh.
“Oh, hell.” Jared sprang forward, grabbing the tube and crossing the room in half the steps it would have taken Eve to reach the sink, dumped the concoction down the drain and turned on the cold water. “Dang, that stinks.”
Eve turned to the little boy. “You’re not supposed to mix vinegar and baking soda.
Eyes wide and tracking Jared’s every movement, Jake lifted his chin to level his gaze with hers. A huge grin stretched across his face. “I know.”
Jared didn’t know if he should let out the deep-down belly laugh that stirred inside him, or send the kid to bed without supper. The little stinker, literally, knew he was creating a stink bomb. Apparently there was at least some childlike mischief in the kid.
“From now on, no more working in the lab when you’re distracted.” Isabel came rushing into the room, face mask firmly in place, spraying something in the room, while another tech set out open boxes of some kind of granules.
“Thank you, Izzy.” Hand over her mouth, Eve hid a smile.
“Y’all better head on home and wash up. And you’ll want to take some of the enzyme with you after you stink up the car.”
Eve nudged Jake forward and turned to Jared. “Let’s get out of here. They’ve got this under control.”
“What is she spraying?” Jared fell into step beside her.
“It’s a special odor absorbing enzyme. It should stop the stench from spreading throughout the ventilation system.”
“Really?” He was impressed. Wouldn’t mind something like that for the hot days in the barns.
“Well, theoretically. No one has ever set off a stinker like that one before.” Sucking on her lower lip, she bit back more of a smile. “I guess we should take one car. No point in smelling up both.”
He nodded. “I was going to see if we could coax you into spending the afternoon at Kemah Boardwalk, but I think that will have to wait for another day.”
“Agreed.” She hit the clicker for her car. “Hop in and I’ll drop you off. We can come back for your car later.”
“No need. I’ll send a couple of ranch hands to get it.” He considered his next words. “I have an idea if you’re willing.”
Her one brow rose high. “That sounds ominous.”
“Not so much.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Why don’t we drive by your place and grab a swimsuit. I think I have a better way to wash up.”
She hesitated just long enough for him to think she might say no, but instead, a grin tipped at the corners of her mouth and she bobbed her head enthusiastically. “No need to stop. I have swimsuits at the ranch.”
It didn’t take long for them to hand off her car for clean up while they all changed into swimsuits and grabbed towels. Using one of the four wheelers, it wasn’t long before the three of them were at his favorite childhood spot on the ranch. “Some years the swimming hole used to run dry, but a few years ago when we redesigned the irrigation system, I made sure there was always water here. At the time, my dad thought it made no sense, but now I’m glad I insisted.”
He actually had no idea why it had seemed so important to him. Deep down somewhere his unconscious must have been thinking ahead to when there would be children on the ranch again. That thought brought visions of little kids running across the green wide-open space, swinging from the same tire swing he had, and splashing into the water beside the shady live oak trees. Interestingly enough, those imaginary children had faces that looked like him, or Eve. His mind took that thought and ran with it. Parking under the shade, he was suddenly seeing so many kids running around with Eve chasing after them, laughing at some and reproving others. There was little doubt in his mind that she’d make a great mother. Of course, she’d have to be a wife first.
Any of these thoughts and visions should have sent him running to the hills, but they didn’t. As a matter of fact, it warmed him like an aged brandy from head to toe. A wife.His wife. Maybe he was losing it. No one shifted to thoughts of marriage with someone they only knew for a couple of weeks.Right? He watched her spread the blanket Cook had given them as he carried the basket with a ‘decent’ lunch. No doubt a feast suitable for royalty. The idea of spending days like this with their own children had grabbed hold of him and simply wouldn’t let go. Maybe Jake hadn’t been the only one shaken up by his fall.
Their tummies full and the lingering odor of the earlier stink bomb gone, Jared was thrilled to see the young genius give way to the little boy. After a few tepid tries, Jake had finally overcome the fear of getting hurt that his grandmother had so consistently ingrained in him, and taken to swinging from the tree rope into the water like he’d been doing it all his life. He’d mastered catching frogs, digging up worms and fishing for supper. Jared didn’t remember ever seeing that kid grin so wide for so long. Jake had gotten dirty, fallen down, gotten up and started the routine all over again multiple times. Now all Jared needed was for Mary to come home and not kill him for taking the fear of God out of her grandson. Actually, he just wanted Mary to come home, period.
Eve reached for his hand, grinned from Jake placing a squirmy worm onto a hook, and over to Jared. “It’ll be fine. Mary won’t kill you.” How she knew what he was thinking baffled him, but he loved her all the more for it. Then her smile widened and she flashed that goofy grin at him. “This time.”
Chapter Sixteen
The next couple of weeks had flown by so fast that Eve didn’t have a clue how her grandparents and Jared had pulled this fundraising event off. Somewhere in a busy schedule, Jared had squeezed out a few days to take Jake out to Farraday Stables to pick out a couple of suitable horses for the new program. Every day since their return, Jared had carved out enough time to teach Jake how to care for, saddle, mount and ride a horse. In less than a week the kid was mastering the tasks as well as he’d mastered mixing a stink bomb.
Even now, the scurry of people running about like ants had an order that she would expect from any of her grandfather’s military parades.
“I can’t believe this is happening.” Jared’s arm wound around her waist as he leaned into her with a kiss on the temple. “We’ve received so many donations from people your grandparents and my mom invited who couldn’t make it that I almost feel like we don’t need to go through with today.”
