“Cool!” Cayden exclaims. “We get to see where Zach lives.”

Logan looks at his mother. “Can we?”

“You know how to cook?” she challenges me.

“Men grill. Women cook.”

She removes her hair out of the clip, letting it fall around her. God, I want her. But then I see what I said registered. Her arms cross and her eyes widen. “Is that so?”

Here we go.

“Just a different choice in words,” I try to cover my slip.

“Uh huh.”

“Hey, Logan,” I call out. “Can you help me?”

Presley shifts from being a little hostile to curious.

“Sure!” He rushes over.

I walk over to her and pull her close. “Give me a few with him, okay?”

“Cayden,” she calls out. “How about we go check and see if auntie has slipped into a sugar coma. And let her know she’s coming to dinner at Zach’s.”

Logan and I walk the horses back to their stalls. “You think we can talk man to man?”

He sits on the bale of hay and nods his head. I choke back the laugh at how mature he’s trying to be. I remember being his age. Ballsy as hell and thinking I was already a man. I won’t rob the kid of that.

“I want to know if we’re cool.”

“We are,” he says. “I like you and all.”

I chuckle. “Well, that’s good.”

The thing that has been bugging me is what he overheard. “Yesterday, you overheard your mom and me fighting. I wanted to know if there was something you wanted to ask me.” If he didn’t hear anything about the baby, we’re good, but I need to make sure. It didn’t even dawn on me until we were out on our ride.

“Are you and my mom going to break up because she kept something from you?” he questions.

I feel a bit of relief that he didn’t hear all the shit that came along with that fight. “No, we’re not.”

“Are you mad that she lied?” Logan looks away with worry.

“We both kept things from each other when we were young, but it all came out. That’s why we were fighting. Both of us forgave each other.”

“She kept the truth about my dad from me.”

“You know why, right?”

These kids should’ve never had to go through this. I’m glad Presley has found a way to move on from her anger, but I haven’t come close. I look at these boys and rage fills me. They’re good kids, she’s a good woman, and he left them like this? Makes no sense to me.

He lets out a heavy breath, “I do. I’m not little though. I can take it.”

“I know you’re tough.”

“Will you promise me something, Zach?”

Logan Cayden both have Presley’s eyes. They’re identical and I find it hard to look at those boys and not offer them anything they want. “I can try.”

“Promise you won’t hurt my mom.”

That’s a promise I would do anything to keep. But these boys have had their fair share of half-truths. “I promise I’ll never intentionally hurt her. I can’t promise it’ll never happen because sometimes we make mistakes and hurt the people we love.”

“Like my daddy?”

“Yeah, dude. I don’t think he wanted to hurt you.”

He looks away and draws in a deep breath. “But it still hurts.”

“I’m sure it does.”

“Yeah.” He looks back at me.

“How about we get these horses brushed and then we can do something nice for your mom?”

Logan’s face lights up, and I feel better. He’s a good kid with a big heart.

After twenty minutes we get everything squared away. I take Logan to the field where we grab flowers for Presley. Both of us take handfuls of whatever we can reach. We walk back as he tells me all about some game he plays with his friends from Philadelphia. We talk some more about nothing, but it’s all about small steps.

“Where were you boys?” Presley asks from the top of the stairs.

Logan shows the flowers that were behind his back. “Zach and I got you these.”

She smiles the smile I remember. The one that is just for me. Her eyes fill with tears, but they’re not tears of sadness. “Thank you,” she whispers.

Presley comes down the steps, kisses Logan on the cheek, and then heads toward me. I don’t know if we’re doing the whole affection in front of the boys thing. I let her take the lead and do what she’s comfortable with.

She throws her arms around me, burying her face in my neck. I feel her tears against my skin, and I hold her close.

Her head lifts and she leans in, pressing her lips to mine. She tilts her head back after our brief kiss. “I’ll be thanking you properly later.”

I laugh and spin her around. I’m a lucky man. And I plan to make sure it stays that way.

Presley

Eighteen Months Later

“A RE YOU READY YET?” GRACE calls from downstairs. I’ve never seen the town so freaking excited over a parade. I honestly don’t even know what this one is for.

“I would be if you weren’t making me dig through boxes!” I yell back down.

Zach and I started construction on the house we’re building by the pond six months ago. The boys fell in love with the land and immediately asked when we were moving there. Thankfully we only have two more weeks of this. I can’t wait to be out of my parents’ house. They’ve been fantastic, and since living here, I’ve paid off a good chunk of my debt and gotten to a manageable place. Since I don’t have to pay rent or really any expenses, it’s been a little easier to make extra payments.

Angie is back in town visiting, she was excited to come see the house since the boys are constantly sending her videos and pictures.

“Hurry up!” Angie yells.

I roll my eyes and fix my dress. I got suckered into riding on Grace’s float. Her father is the fire chief, and he demands they have a float since the sheriff does. As if Trent and Grace need any more tension these days.

I head down the stairs, searching for the box where my boots are. “You look cute!” Grace smiles.

“It’s all I could find.” I laugh. I grabbed a dress since no matching was required.

“Well, it works.” Angie shrugs.

“Where are the boys?” I look around.

If they got dirty outside, I’m going to lose it. I told them to stay clean because they’re riding on the float with Trent. He’s decided they’re his deputies.

“They went with your parents,” Grace explains.

“Yeah, and we need to go.”

As we approach the center of town, I already see people lining the streets. I love the way the town shuts down for these events. It reminds me this isn’t just a community—it’s a family.

Angie groans each time someone stops us to say hello, which means she’s been groaning nonstop. Finally, we make it to the staging area for the floats.

“This town needs a Xanax.”

I giggle. “You need one.”

“Hi, Angel,” Wyatt wraps his arm around her from behind.

She peels him off before turning and pointing her finger in his face. “So help me God. I don’t know what is wrong with you, but we are not—ever—going there again.”