Jack’s chest tightened. Every so often Riley would mention his childhood, talk about all the things that money could buy him, then recall all the things he never had. The only love in the Hayes house had been between Eden and Riley. Sandra was late to the whole loving parenting thing, only since her husband and eldest son had died. Since she’d been with the only man she’d truly loved, Riley’s father, Jim. Jack would catch Sandra sometimes, looking at the twins and Max, uncertain of what to do, of how to be their gran. She’d connected to Hayley to the point where they sometimes got together alone. But the rest was so hard for her. Which was why Jack was so damn proud of Riley. From such a shitty start, Riley was a man with principles and an endless supply of love for his family.

“I love you,” Jack whispered. He kissed Riley gently. Not as a prelude to more, merely a simple touch and connection that he craved all the time.

“Love you,” Riley said.

The door opened again, and this time Hayley came in. She hooked up her riding jacket and yanked off her boots before dumping them on the floor. She poured a tumbler of water, which she finished in one go, before slumping dramatically into a chair. She didn’t speak, only buried her head in her hands.

“Hey to you too,” Riley joked.

“Hmmph” was the reply.

Jack picked up the bag and placed it on the table because he knew damn well someone would walk in and fall over it like he’d done yesterday. “Everything okay with Red?”

She’d been out on an early ride with Liam and Robbie, and Jack hadn’t been expecting her back until midmorning.

Hayley lifted her head. “Don’t feel so good,” she said.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Riley stroked a hand through her long hair and pressed his fingers to her shoulder.

She yawned and leaned into his hold. “So tired,” she muttered. “Too many exams. Gonna go for a nap.”

“Logan’s staying the weekend,” Jack said.

The thought of Logan being here would surely make her smile.

“Whatever. He’s an asshole,” she said with another yawn. She took another glass of water with her and vanished through the kitchen door toward the hall and her room.

“She didn’t look so good,” Riley said worriedly. “And she never flinched when you mentioned Logan.”

“She called him an asshole? I know this couple of weeks are hard. She’s got exams, and she’s learning lines for that play she’s in. Maybe she’s coming down with something.”

“I worry she’s losing weight.”

“We said she’s getting tall. Going in and up at the same time.”

“I know, I …. Look, I’ll let her sleep, get her up for dinner.” Riley’s cell sounded and he looked at the screen before connecting the call, then headed out of the kitchen with a “See you later.” He was going to the office, Hayley was in bed, the twins and Max were with Carol, and Jack? Well, he had uncle duties to perform.

Jack found Logan mucking out stalls on his own.

“Hey, Logan,” he said as he stopped at the open door.

Logan muttered something in return but didn’t stop his shoveling.

“Can we talk?” Jack hoisted himself up on the stall side and waited. He wasn’t expecting miracles here.

“Don’t know what to say,” Logan said.

At least he actually spoke, if he didn’t stop what he was doing.

Jack considered all the parenting skills he’d accrued so far. Logan wasn’t the twins; he wasn’t needy like that. He wasn’t Max—hell, Logan didn’t need help accessing the world. As to Hayley? Well, Hayley wasn’t really a typical teenager… yet. That would be something that probably kicked in soon. So he had nothing to pull on except his own experiences.

Jack considered himself at seventeen: focused on the ranch, working every spare hour with the few horses they had left, Josh out working at a nearby store, both of them scared to death about Beth. I wasn’t a typical teenager, any more than Riley was, he admitted to himself, but what I did have was absolute love, something Riley never had.

“How’s school?” he asked. That was as good a place as any to start.

“Fine” was the terse reply.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

This is going well. Not. Direct it is, then.

“So tell me why you got in the car and ran over your sister’s bike?”

Logan threw down the shovel and rounded on his uncle, and there was a fire in his eyes. “I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“You didn’t think.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think. I don’t think. I’m useless and a waste of space and everyone is so busy with worrying about Mom that I get my problems aren’t as important. I understand that.”

This was about Anna?

“Logan? Your mom is going to be okay. You should talk to your mom and dad if you’re scared—”

“I don’t get it, okay,” Logan interrupted furiously. “I don’t get who I am, or what I need to do. I try so damn hard and there’s no point because I fuck everything up anyway.” Logan stood there, his blue eyes bright with emotion and his hands clenched at his sides. Jack slid down from his perch.

“Come on, let’s go for a ride.”

Logan stood utterly still for the longest time, then he left the stall, and Jack followed. They didn’t talk as they saddled Solo and Taylor, didn’t speak as they took the east trail up to the hills. Only when it was the two of them in the middle of nowhere, with not one view of the ranch, isolated, did Jack talk.

“Tell me what’s wrong at school,” he said as he pulled Solo to a stand. Logan copied and shifted in the saddle. Jack had gone for school as his first choice, because this couldn’t all be about Anna, could it?

“It isn’t school,” Logan murmured.

“Then what’s wrong? Talk to me, Logan.”

Logan hung his head. “You’re the last person I want to talk to.”

Jack couldn’t help it, he felt hurt to the core. “Uncle Riley, then.”

“You’ll hate me.”

Jack’s heart skipped a beat. What could Logan have done that would make him think his doting uncle could ever hate him? “I could never hate you, Logan. I love you.”

“Uncle Jack—” Logan started to cry. Not simple tears for effect, this was harsh gulping sobs that shook his slim frame and caused Taylors to skitter sideways. Jack didn’t know what the hell to do or say, so he let instinct take over. He dismounted, then moved quickly to Logan’s side, pulling him so that he near slid off Taylors and into Jack’s arms. For the longest time, Jack held his nephew, his heart racing.

“Talk to me,” he urged. “Please, Logan.” Had he gotten a girl pregnant? Broken the law? What the hell had he done that was this bad?

Logan wrenched away. “You’ll hate me, I know you will.” He stumbled back, and as he fell, Jack caught him by grabbing his shirt. Logan steadied himself, and Jack released his hold.

Jack didn’t know what to say. Then inspiration hit. “If you think that anyway, you may as well say what you did rather than letting it stay inside, then you can see my real reaction.”

“I kissed someone.”

“Okay?” Jack couldn’t help the question in his tone. A kiss wasn’t anything awful.

“Cory Newman.”

Cory? Jack felt the name was familiar. “The friend who took Hayley to her dance?”

Logan nodded mutely.

“What about him, Logan? Did something happen with Hayley?” Are you keeping secrets?

“Nothing to do with Hayley, not really. I kissed him.”

Jack went from scared to thankful in a moment. Logan had kissed a boy? Jack could handle that.

“Are you saying you think you’re gay, Logan?”

Logan raised wet eyes to his. “No,” he whispered. “I did it because I was dared to, and I knew he was gay, but I was his best friend—his only friend because he was picked on a lot. I kissed him, and he thought I meant it, and maybe I did, I don’t know. I like girls, but then the guys I hang with outed him after the date with Hayley, and I joined in. I don’t know why, because I know you and Riley….” Logan started crying again. “I told everyone he was a—” Logan collapsed in a heap of limbs on the ground, and Jack crouched in front of him.