The table erupted in cheers. Emily started to cry, and in an instant, Jack scooped her before Beth could get to her. He shook hands with Neil, kissed his mom on the cheek, and hugged her one-armed. He then sat, attempting to eat a full Thanksgiving dinner with a baby asleep on his chest.

C

HAPTER

18

When Riley woke, it was to an eerie light through the cracks in the drawn drapes. He blearily extricated himself from Jack's grip to go to the bathroom and, hands washed, he moved to the window. Pulling the drapes, he couldn't hold back his curse of surprise.

"Holy shit!"

Jack shot bolt upright in bed, his eyes staring madly, clearly trying to find the reason for the actual curse as well as the volume. He was fighting sheets one minute, and the next, he was at Riley's side, naked as the day he was born, staring out of the window.

"Holy shit," he repeated Riley's earlier sentiment. "Hayley—"

"Hayley—"

They said it at the same time, and in a flurry of

movement, they were dressed, teeth brushed, and hair pushed back under caps from the back of Jack's closet. Riley reached her room first and crossed straight to her bed. Falling to his knees by her side, he shook her gently, and her tousled head appeared from way under the covers.

"Wha…" was her level of coherency, but as Jack pulled back her drapes and she blearily looked over, it was an instant wake-up call.

"Snow!" she shrieked and rolled out of the covers. Together, they found clothes to wrap her up in.

Riley insisted on four layers; Jack said three was enough. Hayley just wanted a coat over her PJs—desperate to get outside.

Boots finally on, Riley pushed open the mud room door against a heaped deposit of snow, and together, all three took their first steps into the untouched white.

"Did you know it was going to snow?" Riley asked

Jack. His husband always had an eye on weather news. "Not at all. Jeez. It never snows here in December.

Last year, we got an inch in February, and it disappeared

overnight. Remember?"

"Santa brought it for me," Hayley whispered

conspiratorially and darted off as quickly as she could. "I

need to see Red," she called over her shoulder. They

followed her at a slower pace, and Riley looked up at

cloudless sky.

"It's going to be gone by tomorrow, isn't it?" "Most likely." They watched from the gate as

Hayley crossed to the barns and started chatting away to

Red.

"Will the horses be okay in the barns?"

"I'll keep an eye out, but yes, they should be fine.

Snow'll be gone by tomorrow, and we can turn them out." "Wanna make a snowman?" Tongue in cheek the

question might have been, but Riley felt a lightness in him

he hadn't felt for weeks when Jack grinned like a kid. "Hayley, want to build a snowman?"

"Coming…"

She ran back to them, her cheeks flushed, and her

eyes bright. They built a snowman, not a particularly big

one, but he looked cute and was nearly the same height as

Hayley. They decorated him with stones and a carrot and

then made snow angels, lying there, laughing like idiots

even when the cold was eating through Riley's jeans. After fresh clothes and coffee and hot chocolate,

they took seats on the sheltered porch, and Riley's world

was complete. His cell vibrated in his pocket, and more out

of habit than desire, he checked the caller.

"Hi, Dad." He smiled as he answered the call. "Like

the snow?"

"I had some disturbing news, Riley." Riley sat up in

his chair, exchanging a worried glance with Jack. "I

received notification on the filed papers for petition of

custody from Sarah and Elliot Anderson. As we thought, it

was rejected, but that isn't what's worrying me. The files

are dated four days ago, and I just got off of the phone with

Sarah. Seems like Elliot isn't handling the news so well.

Had some kind of minor breakdown. He left two days ago, saying he'd get money one way or another. Sarah thought he was blowing off steam, but when he didn't come back

last night, and she checked the gun safe…"

"She thinks he is going to come here and he's

armed?"

"What's wrong?" Jack leaned forward, but Riley

waved him back.

"I don't know. We could call the cops out on him

just in case. But if he's coming out to you to talk, and we

get the authorities involved and then and it gets messy…

Why don't you bring Hayley here or take her to Josh's?" "We will." Riley ended the call and leaned back in

his chair.

"Okay?" Jack asked.

"Hayley, why don't you go get dressed a bit better,

and we'll take you to visit Josh and the kids."

"Yay!" She scrambled down from her seat and

scampered into the house.

"Tell me, Riley."

"Elliot told Sarah he would be getting money one

way or another and left Abilene two days ago with a gun." "Shit, Ri. Do we need to call the cops?"

"Let's just get Hayley to Josh's. She can have a

snow day with the kids. Then we'll come back and deal

with a call to the police."

"You get Hayley situated, I'll check on Taylors and

the foal, and we'll leave in ten, right?"

Jack stood in a flurry of motion, and in seconds, he