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“No,” I reply curtly.“Keep your hands off my fucking nanny.”
“Well, I see that Rem is his old charming self,” Ryan says, earning a glare from me.“Last time I checked, it was still not against the law to date someone, even if they’re a nanny.”
“You’re such a fucking smart-ass,” I reply.“And how do you know if I’m charming or not?You haven’t been home intwo fucking years.So, why now?”
“Just because I choose to have a job that isn’t here in Bitterroot Valley doesn’t mean that I don’t want to come see my family, you know.”
“Seems that way to me.”I’m just so fuckingpissed off.I want to punch him in the face.“So what the fuck are you doing here?”
Ryan just stares at me, his face sober, and wipes his mouth with his napkin.“You know what?I think I’ll head home.”
“No.”Millie raps her fist on the table, getting all of our attention.“No.You’ll stay because, as Rem just pointed out in areallyshitty way, we haven’t seen you in a long time, and we miss you.Rem, you need to chill the hell out.”
“My kids don’t even know you,” I say, my voice even now.“And theywantto.They ask about you.They may enjoy your expensive gifts in the moment, but that’s not what they want from you, Ry.They just wantyou.So, the question stands.Why are you home now, and how long will it be before you leave, and I have to tell the kids that I don’t know when they’ll get to see you again?”
Ryan blows out a breath and digs his fingertips into his eyes.No one objects to the question this time, because I know that they’re all wondering the same thing.
“We like having you here,” Brady adds.
“I’m home indefinitely,” Ryan finally says with a weary sigh.“I can work from anywhere, and I’ve decided this needs to be my home base for a while.Why?Shit, I don’t know.It’s just my gut telling me that this is where I need to be because I miss all of you, and I want to be here.Jesus, I want to get on a horse and brand some calves.”
“That’s coming up in a couple of weeks,” Mom says, wiping a tear from her eye.“We could use your help.”
I don’t trust it.He won’t be here long.
He never is.
“I want to play with the drones,” Chase says, standing from the table.“Why should the kids have all the fun?”
“I’m with you,” Brady adds and joins Chase.Mom and Millie go out, too, leaving me here with Ryan.
For a long minute, we just watch each other over the table.Yeah, it’s good to see him.But I’m so mad at him that I want to kick his ass.
“I’ll earn it,” he says at last.
“What’s that?”
“The trust.”He blows out a breath and looks more emotional than I’ve seen him since we lost the state football championship my senior year.“I know it’ll take time, but I’ll earn it.”
“It’ll take time,” I echo with a nod.“Fuck, let’s go play with the drones.”
Ryan grins.“I have a couple more for the rest of us.”
“Break them out.”
“I should have just goneto get them myself.”I brace my foot on the bottom rung of a fence as Brady and I watch Ryan work with a mare in the ring.“It was a slower day today, and I could have gotten away to pick them up.”
“Most days won’t be this laid-back, you know that,” Brady replies.“Let them all get used to each other.Erin has your car, and from what I hear, she’s a competent girl.Stop worrying so much.”
I smirk and check my phone.She should be in the pickup line by now.
“You obviously don’t have kids.Life is all about worry, my friend.”
“Stop looking at your phone.Jesus, did you put a location tracker on hers or something?”
“Wait, I can do that?”
Brady rolls his eyes.“No, stalker, you can’t.It’s an invasion of privacy.”
