“And you have no issues living in?”

“None at all. My house is an empty nest, and if we are happy after the three-month trial that Marcus mentioned to me, then I would probably look to rent the house out. I would love it if I was part of your lives and those of your children. That may come across as forward, but as I said, I’m not getting any younger, and I won’t say nothing if something needs saying.”

“Three months,” Riley said softly. He glanced at Jack who nodded imperceptibly. He and Riley were on the same page. There was something about Carol that had both of them relaxed. “Would you like to meet the twins?”

He led Carol to the twins’ room, and she had such a look of happiness on her face when she held first Lexie, then Connor.

“Beautiful babies,” she whispered before expertly tucking them back in their cribs.

“Would you like to see where you would be living if this went ahead?”

“Please.”

Jack went first, and Riley indicated Carol should follow as they made their way through a maze of construction to a set of two rooms at the end. There wasn’t much to do in the rooms that Riley recalled. Just some finishing work and then Carol would have her own room with an attached full bath and a small seating area. There was also a tiny kitchen area to one side in case she wanted her own space. She looked at the place approvingly and glanced out the large window to the D land beyond.

“Where would I be eating?” she asked curiously.

“With us? With the kids?” Riley offered. “The people who work the ranch, you’ll meet them, Robbie and Liam and Robbie’s partner Eli, they all come over and eat and we take turns cooking. That isn’t to say this is every night. I guess we would need a schedule.” He said all this out loud and really wished he’d kept the thought process to himself when she patted him on the arm.

“Everything will work out,” she said firmly. “You’ll see.”

“When could you start?” Jack was the one to ask the vital question.

“If you think we would be a good fit I could be back in a few days. How far are you away from finishing the rooms here?”

“Do you think you would fit well here?” Riley asked curiously.

“I could be happy here,” she said softly. “I would enjoy the twins.”

“A few days would work well. Eden is furnishing the place for you, so it will be ready by Saturday.”

“I can be here for Sunday if the job is mine.” Carol held out her hand to Riley, and he knew this was the moment he made a decision about whether Carol was the one. He glanced at Jack who didn’t say a thing but instead just smiled. Finally Riley shook her hand.

“Sunday, then.”

Jack and Carol shook hands, and both of them saw her to the car with the promise of any assistance she needed to move in.

They watched together as the sedan made its way down the long drive and out of sight.

Jack spoke first. “I liked her. Irreverent, funny, caring…”

Riley gripped his husband’s hand. “Me too.”

“Now we just need to get Max here.”

“Soon I hope. Real soon. You want to get going to pick up Max now?”

Riley frowned as he saw a car making its way toward them down the road. Had Carol forgotten something? Was she coming back to tell then it was all a terrible mistake? He tensed and Jack obviously saw the car at the same time. Riley only relaxed when he realized it wasn’t Carol coming back, but Marcus who was visiting. Jack chuckled. Marcus used every excuse under the sun to visit the D.

“Hey, guys.” Marcus waved as he stepped out of his car and brushed at his black pants. “Thought I’d check in to see how you got on with Carol.”

“She just left,” Jack offered helpfully.

“We’re taking her on for the three months like you said,” Riley added.

“She’s awesome; she’ll be good for you.”

“We’re out in a few spending the rest of the day with Max, but do you want to come in for coffee?” Riley asked. He knew exactly what the answer would be.

“I can’t stay,” Marcus said as expected. “I was out this way and wanted to see how it went.” He paused, then leaned back on his car door. Riley hated to think of the Double D dust that clung to the metal and was now on the back of Marcus’s pants. “Is Liam around?”

“Probably,” Jack said. Riley could hear the laugh in his voice, but Marcus was clearly oblivious.

“Is he in the barns?”

Jack shrugged. “I have no idea.”

“Can I go check? I have to…uhm…yeah.”

“Go for it.”

Marcus sketched a wave and disappeared from view to the barn.

“He’s got it bad,” Riley observed. He let out an oomph as Jack pulled him in for an all-consuming kiss. They separated only when one of the twins let out a pleading cry.

Riley sighed, then smiled. “Now they wake up, when the nanny has gone.”

“Are we sure we’re doing the right thing?” Jack had been steadfast in the need for help ever since it dawned on both him and Riley that they weren’t able to do it all.  They needed someone who could buffer them when they needed to work. Now Riley heard doubt in his husband’s voice, and he didn’t like it. Not one bit.

“I liked her. We need her.”

Jack cradled Riley’s face and this time the kiss was softer. The plaintive noise indoor ratcheted up a little. “Time to get to work, poop-boy.”

“You first,” Riley returned.

“I get Connor.” Sweet, quiet, gentle Connor who lay still on the mat and didn’t wave his arms and legs while he was being changed.

Riley pushed past his husband with a snort, “In your dreams.”

Chapter 4

As soon as Marcus was out of sight of Jack and Riley, he stopped and smacked a hand to his forehead. What the hell did he just say? That he was in the area? They could probably see right through him. What must they think of him and his stupid teenage crush he had going on. He couldn’t help it, he was a man addicted to Liam’s smiles. Something about the young guy set off a million warning bells inside Marcus’s head. Too young, eight years younger than him, too emotional, too scared. Yet, when it came down to it, Marcus wanted to get to know Liam in ways not altogether innocent.

He found Robbie first, who, with his back to Marcus, was fiddling with a tap in the wall to the horse barn.

“Hi,” Marcus said and smiled back at Robbie when he grinned up at him.

“In the barn,” Robbie said by way of explanation. Marcus dipped his head in acknowledgment of the suggestion and the element of teasing.

He walked into the cool of the barn and the scents of horses assailed him. He inhaled—his rationale for getting a lung full of the smell would be that he wouldn’t then spend the next hour gagging whenever he caught a whiff of horse shit and hay. He waited until his eyes became accustomed to the gloom, then casually walked past each stall until finally he found Liam shoveling in one of the last stalls. For a second he stood and watched.

Liam was taller than his own five eight, but then most men were, he was used to that. He was probably just short of six foot but skinny with it. In the weeks since he’d first seen Liam, Marcus had noticed that Liam had filled out a little, but the man still needed to pull his belt tight to keep his pants in place on narrow hips. His back was kinda broad and the muscles in his arms bunched and released as he shoveled and dumped, then shoveled and dumped again. His dark hair was ruthlessly short, and sweat made his skin glisten even in this softly lit space.

Marcus hooked one foot on the lower rung of the stall gate and leaned over it. “Hey, cowboy.”

Liam yelped and turned so suddenly that shit flew off his shovel and missed Marcus by inches.

“Shit!” Liam exclaimed. He pressed a hand to his chest. “What the fuck?” he cursed. “You scared the hell out of me.”

Marcus said nothing, simply waited until the initial shock died down. There had been real fear in Liam’s expression, and he wanted to let Liam deal with that before they moved on to the general talking part of this meeting.