Layne watched his son’s eyes grow intense before Jas said, “Yeah.”

“Well, she knows it isn’t fake anymore,” Layne finished and Jasper grinned instantly, his grin huge.

“Cool,” he murmured.

“Your Grandma isn’t here as a surprise. She’s here because she heard about Rocky bein’ back in my life. She and Rocky used to be tight, she loved her like a daughter. She was not happy when Rocky took off, mostly because of what it did to me but also because she missed her. So that means she’s not happy that Rocky’s back. I need your help with that,” Layne told him.

“How?” Jasper asked.

“Roll with it and make whatever plays you feel you need to make. I trust you to make the right ones. But Rocky’s ridin’ the edge of this reconciliation. It’s good, she knows it but somethin’ isn’t right. Until I know what that is and sort her head out, we all gotta tread cautiously. She gets an excuse, she’s gonna make a break for it, from me, from you and Tripp, and when Roc breaks, she breaks hard.”

“It’s her Dad,” Jasper stated and Layne stared at him.

“Come again?” he asked.

“Everyone knows her story. Everyone at school. Everyone thinks she’s cool because she’s cool. Everyone thinks she’s cooler now because she’s with you. But everyone likes her because she’s how she is even though she went through what she went through. She’s hot, she dresses nice, she smells good, she smiles a lot, she takes care of the kids and not just the ones in her classroom. She knows everyone. She talks to ‘em. Gives a shit. She’s totally got it together. Lotta people who went through what she went through wouldn’t be like that. But that’s what she shows the kids. I see the way she looks at you, it’s the way Mom always looks at you when you don’t know she’s lookin’, but it’s more. She likes you but you’re like her Dad, like Merry. Doctors don’t get shot at, Dad.”

Layne stared at his son for a beat before he said quietly, “I ever tell you you’re sharp?”

Jasper stared at his old man for a beat before he replied quietly, “No.”

“As a tack, Bud,” Layne whispered.

Jasper swallowed but his son, being his son but also being all Jasper, didn’t look away.

And because he didn’t, Layne walked up to him and put both hands to his son’s neck, giving it a firm squeeze, he looked him in the eyes and whispered, “Fucked up with you, know it, but you’re a f**kin’ good kid despite that and, even though I didn’t have much to do with it, I’m proud of you.” He gave his son’s neck a gentle jerk and finished. “Love you, Bud.”

Jasper swallowed again but didn’t take his eyes from his Dad.

He also didn’t pull away or slide into his ass**le teenaged kid attitude.

Layne let that golden trail sweep through him before he went on.

“You got time before swimmin’, clean up this room, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Jasper whispered.

“I’m gonna be doin’ somethin’ at the computer in a minute. You keep Tripp downstairs. Got me?”

Jasper nodded.

Layne gave him another squeeze and walked out of the room. He went to his room and found the bed made and Rocky at his sink, her ass in her gray cords tipped back, her torso bent over the counter, a makeup brush in her hand, bristles at her cheek, she was wearing her cords and a deep purple bra. This bra was satin and lace, mostly lace. There was a wet towel on the rack. He’d heard it and knew she’d taken a quick shower. He lived any other life, he’d be in that shower with her and they’d probably still be in it.

Another time and he was looking forward to that time.

She hadn’t washed her hair and it was up in a messy knot secured by a band at the top of her head. Seeing it, he determined, when her clothes hung in his closet and her shit was in the drawers under that counter, when she was at work, he was going to take scissors to every one of those f**kin’ bands, melt down her pins and snap her clips.

Now, he took advantage of it.

She stayed bent over the basin but her eyes came to him as he approached. He moved in behind her, ran his hand across her ribs just under her tits and pulled her up.

“Layne,” she whispered as his head went down and his lips went to the skin on her neck. “Layne,” she breathed and when she did his other arm wrapped around her belly and he pulled her deeper into his body as he ran his tongue up her neck to behind her ear. “Baby,” she whispered and his head came up and he looked at her in the mirror.

Eyes half-mast, mouth soft, beautiful.

“Like this bra,” he murmured in her ear and his thumb slid along the satin at the underside of the curve of her breast.

“Thanks,” she murmured as his thumb slid back and he felt a tremor glide through her body.

“Hate to say this, sweetcheeks, but the boys bein’ home means my mornin’ just got more complicated,” he told her.

She held his gaze in the mirror but she lost that look as she did it and the instant it was gone, he missed it.

“Seth?” she guessed.

“Stew,” he replied and she bit her lip but nodded. “Need to give this my attention, have some work to do here then I gotta go but I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’ll talk to Devin, ask him to take you home so you can pack up some shit, enough for the weekend and to get to work on Monday. That cool with you?”

She nodded.

“Ignore Ma,” Layne went on. Rocky bit her lip again and Layne’s arms gave her a squeeze. “Ignore her, Roc. She spends time with you, she’ll come around.”

“Okay,” she whispered but he could tell she wasn’t buying it.

“Stay strong for me, two days, you promised,” he reminded her.

She held his gaze again then she nodded and said, “I promised.”

“Good,” he muttered, bent his head and kissed her neck before he let her go and said, “I gotta get dressed.”

He saw her eyes follow him then she bent over the basin again and went back to her makeup.

Layne went out to the weight room and turned on his computer and printer at his desk. Then he went back to his room and Rocky had her face so close to the mirror she could kiss it as she applied mascara. Her ass was tipped way back, her neck bent, her back arched and, seeing her like that, Layne loved his boys, he loved his Ma and he loved Devin but he wished they were all on another planet.