* * *

VAUGHAN HAD DRIVEN the same route to and from Hood River from Kelly’s house dozens upon dozens of times. Usually, he came up the hill, the road curving ever so slowly and then bam he was home. The big iron gates with the Sweet Hollow Ranch logo on them welcomed him as he drove through.

Even as he knew every bump in the road, he thought about how to make the office above the garage a more useful work space. Because he’d begun to think of that house in Gresham as home, as well.

He parked at his place, noted the mail Ezra had left on the counter in the kitchen. The dog had long since given him up for the far more lavish surroundings his mother provided so he didn’t have to worry about feeding anyone but his daughters.

Ezra had left a note saying he’d put Vaughan’s sprinklers on a timer so his landscaping didn’t die in his absence. It’s May already, dumb ass was implied. Vaughan snorted as he pulled his phone out to text Ezra.

If his brother was on horseback or on an ATV he wouldn’t even hear or feel his phone so it could have been anywhere from a minute to hours before Ezra replied.

Vaughan had two of his guitars with him in Gresham already, but he grabbed his mandolin and slide guitar along with some equipment. Before he’d left Kelly’s he’d pulled the seats out of the back of his SUV so he had enough space to pack enough to get set up to work.

He’d already loaded his equipment and was in his room filling suitcases with his things when Ezra came over.

“Look what the cat dragged in.” The brothers hugged.

“I put some soda in the fridge when I got here. You want something to drink?” Vaughan asked.

“Yeah, that’d be good.”

Once they’d retrieved their drinks, Vaughan began to pack some things from the kitchen and family room into a box.

“Well.” Ezra gave him a look. “That looks like more than just what you’d need to hang out until your daughter goes back to school.”

“Which is today. I walked her to the bus this morning before I came out here. Damn, Ez. That kid is strong. She was operated on just a little over a week ago and she’s ready to go back to school. It’s not just staying there until Maddie gets better. It’s more. I’m moving in. In my own bedroom still. Which sucks. But I can deal.” He paused after tucking a few of his favorite books into the box.

“I want you to know I’m still going to be here to do my part.” It was coming up on the alfalfa harvest and then a whole lot of busy months as summer came and that melted into fall. Harvesting pears would take up much of August into October. The pears were picked and then sent to cold storage to continue the ripening process. Each step of the process had its own set of challenges.

Ezra did a lot. Far more than anyone else. When the brothers were off the road they made it a point to pitch in and be as much help as Ezra would allow. It was, in a very real way, their big brother’s ranch now. He had staff to handle all things that needed doing. But he was there when the band wasn’t. He kept their roots deep and something their parents had built chugging along.

And he had his own way of doing things. So the rest of the brothers just pitched in and if Ezra didn’t want them doing something he aimed them elsewhere and that worked, too.

“You’re dealing with something way more important right now. Focus on that.”

Vaughan wanted to tell his brother that he’d slept with Kelly at long last but something made him keep it to himself. Ezra had enough on his plate just then anyway.

“You work too hard. You need to let people help.”

Ezra rolled his eyes. “I have employees, Vaughan. I keep telling you guys that. Has the ex shown up yet?”

“He drove by when I was out in the front yard last week. When he saw me he left in a hurry.” Vaughan had wanted to punch the guy, but then he’d thought about it and felt sorry for him.

“He in stalker mode?”

He liked that his brother had worried for Kelly.

“I don’t think so. It struck me more like regret that she’d gotten away than him having a secret shrine to her in his basement. She took some stuff over there last week, but Stacey was with her. I’m scared of Stacey. I imagine she inspires that same fear in Ross.”

“Stacey is the lawyer? Killer legs? Redhead?”

“Your memory for women rivals Paddy. Damn.”

“Some gifts you never lose.” Ezra grinned and then got serious again. “You happy?”

Vaughan leaned back against the counter. “I am. It’s hard. I make mistakes. The girls know I’m a rookie so they try to work it to their advantage.”

Ezra found that hilarious. “They’re Hurleys, all right.”

“Kelly deals with discipline better than I do. She’s calmer about it. Firmer. I’m just watching and learning.”

“You’ve always been a pushover when it came to women anyway. She is a good mother. I misjudged her at first. But your daughters are amazing and she’s definitely part of that. Speaking of Kelly... How are things between you two?”

He smiled as a flash of memory hit. Kelly arched, flushed from climax, and his brother’s face told Vaughan Ezra knew they’d had sex. Just from one look. He was going to be such a great father someday with that kind of radar.

“Slow. She wanted to take it slow and while parts of me thought it was a bad idea, I have to admit she was probably right to keep it careful and be cautious,” Vaughan said.

Because sex between them had been perfect. Messy and sticky, too, but it had always been a part of their relationship that had worked.