He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, then led Sean down and out of the house. His ankle hurt like shit, but he grabbed painkillers on the way out of the kitchen and took his crutches. Companionably, they headed toward the school at a very slow pace and did exactly what Riley wanted to do.

They talked about everything and nothing and not one part of it was tinged with worry or resentment or a need to prove anything from either of them. If Sean was going to be his brother-in-law, then they needed normal.

Jack was nowhere to be found at first glance, but Liam indicated he was up in the loft space above the classroom with the guy here to fix air conditioning. Riley leaned against boxes at the bottom of the ladder and called up.

“Jack?”

Jack’s face appeared at the top of the ladder and grinned down at Riley. “We have A/C,” he announced. “Hey, Sean.”

“Hey, Jack. You need any help up there?” Sean even made to climb the ladder, but Jack stopped him with a waved hand.

“No, but wait. I need to talk to you.”

Jack met them at the bottom rung and led them outside before brushing himself down. “What did you think of the classroom?”

“It looks good,” Sean observed.

“Did you think any more on my offer?”

Riley watched the two men talk about the chances of Sean working with the school on some kind of basis. He suddenly realized that his name had been mentioned. Sean was looking at him, and Jack had asked him something.

“Sorry?”

“Sean said you talked this morning,” Jack prompted softly.

Riley glanced at Sean, and they exchanged smiles that held meaning. Between them some small thing was healing, and it was a good feeling. “Yeah, you tell him, Sean.” He was too tired to keep standing, and the meds hadn’t kicked in yet.

“I wanted to ask Riley about… I’m going to ask Eden to set a date. I know I’ve blown it with her before, but Riley said he’d help me convince her it’s time.”

Jack pulled him into a hug and slapped his back. “That’s awesome.”

“She hasn’t said yes to a date yet.”

Jack huffed. “She’s already head over heels in love with you, already engaged, she’ll say yes as soon as she’s convinced that is what you want. She’s been waiting a long time.”

They went out into the yard and ended up at the empty stalls. Riley couldn’t be prouder of Jack, and he separated from his husband and Sean and their discussion of therapies to investigate the building more thoroughly. Every piece of the place showed Jack’s hand: the pristine white fencing, the grass curved at the edges, the stalls ready for the ponies and horses that Jack would be using. The cameras, security beyond standards that Riley had seen elsewhere on the ranch. And the hoist for the kids who needed help.

This was Jack’s baby, and it was beautiful.

“Hey, Riley, have you come here to help us build a wall?”

Riley turned carefully on his good foot and came face to face with Robbie and Eli, both of whom looked dusty and hot. Eli grinned at him, and Riley realized how much he missed that smile of Eli’s. Vaughn joined them, and he had a bucket of cold water and mugs the three men poured over their heads.

“It’s a hot one,” Vaughn said.

“Said Riley here should help us with this damn wall,” Robbie groused. “We need his extra height.”

Vaughn looked Riley up and down, then let out a snort of laughter. “Those are expensive jeans, right? And a designer shirt, by the look of it?”

Riley glanced down at himself. Vaughn was pretty much dead-on with his assumptions as to what Riley had dressed in this morning. Jeans by Gucci, the softest, most comfortable jeans he’d ever owned, and a polo from Ralph Lauren. He’d been planning a day cross-legged on the floor with maps—well, as cross-legged as he could manage with a cast. Vaughn was lucky Riley wasn’t in his usual pants, shirt, and tie.

“Fuck it,” Riley said. “If my ankle holds out enough to pass you some bricks, then I’ll cross charge any tears to Jack.” Then with shared smiles, water, heat, and camaraderie, he sort of helped a little to build a retaining wall that he was told would hold a small shower block and restrooms. Sean joined them, and Jack wasn’t far after, and under the blazing sun, even when he had to sit the remainder of the building out, Riley was halfway to happy.

Chapter 15

Heads turned when Eden walked into the restaurant, both men and women, and Riley was smiling even before his sister slid into the seat opposite him and let out a very unladylike curse.

“Fuck. I’m sorry, my meeting ran over.” She settled herself and placed her purse to one side. “Damn administrator needs me to kick his ass.” She tucked her blonde hair behind her ears and smiled at Riley.

“It’s fine,” Riley said. “Meant I got to see your dramatic and speedy entrance, which was a pretty good one.”

“Paparazzi lurking,” she confided. Leaning in, she tilted her head. “That actor from that film is at the front, you know, the one with the robots.” Then before Riley could ask her to point him out, she launched into a summary of what was on the menu and their orders for seared scallops were taken before Riley got a word in edgewise. “How’s your ankle?”

Riley tensed when she asked, which of course was not good for his injury, but he had to answer truthfully. “Sore,” he said. Then he changed the subject before they could dwell on the kidnapping. “I wanted to talk to you,” Riley began. He was uncertain how to word this whole thing, but he hated the idea that he was somehow a barrier to his sister’s happiness.

“About Sean,” she said with sisterly insight, or maybe just with a lucky guess.

“How did you…?”

“One, you have your serious face on. Two, Sean told me he visited and why.”

Riley sat back in his seat, deflated. “He told you.” What was the point in Sean coming to see him if he was just going to talk to Eden anyway?

“Yep, not directly, said he’d come out to talk horses with Jack, but he can’t lie to save his life.”

Her cell vibrated, but after glancing at the screen, she pushed it to one side. “Simmons with more proposals for the Hayes wing,” she mumbled. Then she sighed. “I have another meeting at four with the hospital administrator to approve the specs, and the man is a lecherous windbag.”

“Don’t tell Sean that,” Riley teased.

Eden huffed. “Do I look stupid? I’m not telling my fiancé a damn thing. He’s way too protective. Anyway, Simmons I can handle, it’s no worse than fighting over a Gucci purse after a catwalk show.” She laughed as she said it.

Riley couldn’t contain his big-brotherness. “I couldn’t be prouder of you,” Riley blurted. He hadn’t meant to say it quite so bluntly, but that is what he was thinking.

Eden blushed, she full-on dipped her eyes and blushed. “I’m proud of you too,” she said softly.

Between them they had all kinds of money, all the family history, Hayes Oil, and the weight of generations, but both of them had forged their own paths in this world. Abruptly she reached out and grasped Riley’s hand, and he held tight.

“That’s why I’m scared,” she said.

Riley squeezed her hand. “Scared of what?”

“Of becoming what I don’t want to be. When Sean talks about a date, he says that he wants a family, and I’m ready for that, and I want to marry him, but I’m so scared.” Sadness tinged her voice and colored her expression.

“Talk to me, Eden,” Riley prompted.

“When I first met him, what, four years ago, I don’t know, I just fell so hard. I would have given up everything, the money, even you, because I was so in love.”

Riley’s chest tightened at the horrible thought of Eden not being part of his life. He didn’t say anything, just let her talk.

“Then I became involved in the hospital, the board, the kids’ wards, and I found the real me, and it was easy because Sean was never there. He had his career and I had mine and I was still happy. And now, he wants what I wanted four years ago, and it’s—” She paused and sipped at her ice water. “—overwhelming.”