They stood together by the corral, Lexie and Connor supported and resting on the fence. Solo came over and nibbled Jack’s hand, huffing and knocking against Lexie so gently that she giggled and reached for his mane. In two months their twins would be two. Both had words, were bright, inquisitive kids who loved horses and kind of fit into Riley and Jack’s life as if they had always been there. As to Max—he sat on the same fence, a little way down, fussing Taylors, who stood placidly and gave a small wrinkle of the nose every so often, which made Max giggle. The twins and Max were smothered in sun cream, and Jack thought maybe Taylors was making known his dissatisfaction with the smell.

Jack’s cell sounded, but he ignored it. This was a beautiful moment in the June sun; another to add to the list of times he had felt absolute peace.

Connor yawning was the first sign that maybe they’d better get the twins in for a quiet play session. They left them with Carol, who pulled out books and toys, and Max stayed with them, setting all his toys in a straight line and patiently putting them back each time one of the twins knocked into them.

Jack checked his cell while sipping black coffee. He read the text, reread it, then very deliberately placed the cell on the table.

“What is it?” Riley asked.

“Huh?” Jack looked up from the message.

“You look shocked, is it bad news, from Robbie?”

“Kyle said he’d meet with me,” Jack said. He couldn’t quite believe it. Last time he’d seen Kyle had been on the stand in Laredo, and the young man had ignored all his calls to date. And now, out of the blue, his PI was saying Kyle was willing to meet. Today.

“Well, that’s good news, right?”

“Today,” Jack said. “He’s willing to meet me today.”

Riley shrugged philosophically. “You’ve been waiting a long time. You should go.”

“What will you do?” Sunday was their day, their time.

Riley leaned over and kissed him. “Sit here an’ pine for my man,” he slurred with his best cowboy impression.

Jack shook his head. “You suck at that,” he teased.

Riley sat back in his chair, picking up his Kindle. “Not the only thing I suck at.” He smirked.

Hayley joined them, flopping dramatically into the chair next to Riley. “If I have to do one more history essay, I swear I will die of boredom,” she announced.

Riley patted her knee. “I feel your pain.” He caught Jack’s eye and cleared his throat. “Go get the questions and your books, and we’ll talk,” he told her. Only when she left did he send the pleading puppy-dog eyes to Jack. “You’re leaving me to postwar reparation essays. I’m divorcing you.”

Jack huffed a laugh, kissed Riley, and jumped the porch steps. “Going to see if Liam wants to come with me.”

He walked away still smiling. Everything in his world was in balance.

At Liam and Marcus’s place, he bounded up the steps and checked his watch before banging on the door. It was 11:00 a.m., and he hoped to hell he wasn’t interrupting anything. He knocked, then stood back a step. The door opened with a flourish. Marcus looked wild-eyed and red in the face.

“Sorry,” Jack said. He wasn’t sure what else he could say.

“Jack! Save me from pushups,” Marcus said.

Liam came up behind Marcus, looking way fresher than Marcus did. “Hey, Jack.”

Jack cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt, guys.”

Marcus gripped his chest melodramatically. “You saved me.”

Liam rolled his eyes. “You only had five more to go. Anyway, boss, can we help you with something?”

“Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Me?” Liam asked.

“Please.”

Marcus looked from Jack to Liam and held up his hands. “I’m going back to finish my five. If you don’t hear from me, send for the paramedics.”

Liam moved outside the door and shut it behind him. His expression changed from teasing Marcus to looking nervous and way too serious for Jack’s liking. It wasn’t Jack’s place as a boss to worry about Liam’s insecurities. Liam was good at his job, and Jack didn’t regret one minute of hiring the man, but he hated that every time they were alone, Liam’s defenses went up. He wasn’t stupid; Liam hadn’t had the best start in life. People in authority had abused him, but Jack wished he could find that magic moment where Liam saw him, Jack, as something different.

Jack leaned back on the railing, Liam against the closed door.

“I heard from the PI I hired,” Jack said.

Liam nodded as if he’d been expecting this. “He found the other two men?”

“No, but Kyle said he will meet me.”

Liam’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s a good thing. Something you said to him must have gotten through.”

Jack shook his head. “Not sure what, but he wants to meet today. Look, I know it’s your day off and you’re here with Marcus, but would you feel like taking a couple hours to come with me?”

Liam looked him directly in the eyes, his expression wary. “I won’t talk to Kyle about what happened, what we went through. Just because it happened to both of us doesn’t mean we’re going to be braiding each other’s hair and swapping stories.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to,” Jack reassured. He wouldn’t. He would never put Liam in that position. Liam was working through what had happened to him with a therapist and Marcus. Jack didn’t need to know any of the details or get Liam to share them with Kyle. “I’m happy to go on my own, only, I’d kind of like you to be there, for me.”

“For you?” Liam looked surprised. “Really?”

Jack filed away the reaction for later. Liam appeared shocked that Jack would ask him for support. Maybe the way to get closer to Liam was to show the vulnerable bits that Jack only exposed to Riley. The fear and uncertainty that dogged him on some things.

“Yeah,” he said as plainly as he could. “I could do with the backup.”

Liam opened his door. “Hang on.”

In a few minutes, he was back, Marcus catching him inside the threshold at the last second and hugging him close. They exchanged words, but none that Jack could hear if he wanted to, then Liam was beside him.

“Let’s go,” Liam said.

Marcus sketched a wave, a smile on his face. He didn’t look too pissed that Liam was going off on some kind of fact-finding visit with Jack on a Sunday.

“He’s cool with it? He could come with you if you….” Jack trailed off as they walked to where most of the D cars were parked.

“No, I need to do this thing on my own.”

Jack nodded. Liam was a stronger man with every day that passed, and Jack put that squarely with Marcus and the quiet, supportive love the two men had. They stopped next to Riley’s silver Land Rover, and Jack quirked a smile when Liam’s eyes widened.

“We’re taking Riley’s Land Rover? I love this car.”

On impulse, Jack tossed the keys to Liam, who fumbled but caught them. He looked from them to the car then to Jack. “You want me to—”

“You drive.”

Liam looked down at the keys. “What will Riley say?”

“It’s a ranch vehicle. You’re insured,” Jack said. Actually he wasn’t entirely sure what Riley would say, but seeing the smile on Liam’s face was worth it.

Liam settled in the driver’s seat, started the engine, and melted into the leather with an audible sigh. He was a good driver, calm, and not at all scared of the fact he was driving eighty thousand dollars’ worth of SUV off the ranch. If Riley looked surprised as he sat on the porch, staring at his baby being driven off with Liam at the wheel, then Jack could understand that. As it was, Riley and Hayley waved, and Riley was grinning like an idiot.

Gotta love that man.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

They drove for around three hours including traffic to Round Rock, outside Austin. Kyle lived a mile from the center of town, according to Jack’s PI, but the address he’d given was to Memorial Park, not a house. Wide open spaces, families with kids, plenty of people walking and enjoying the sunshine. Liam parked up in the far corner of the parking lot, fussing about being right up close to the fence and muttering about how Riley would kill him if the car got scratched.