“We won’t win everyone around,” Jack whispered. “This is Texas. There are always the hard-liners.”
“In every state.” Riley pointed out the comment from Ohio with the user name godstruth666. “This one says we should burn in hell.” Riley sighed, then shut down the laptop.
“It’s being received well,” Sean reassured. “I promise you, guys.”
Riley nodded. He looked pale, and without conscious thought, Jack gripped his hand and led him out of the kitchen where they’d been sitting and over to the fence.
“Thought you needed air,” Jack said.
Riley cracked his neck. “You’re probably right. I could sit there all day and get upset about all those anonymous comments.”
“And forget all the positive ones.”
“Yeah.”
“So let’s talk about something else.”
Riley turned his back to the field and stared right at Jack. “Max’s teacher says he has a new obsession. I forgot to tell you.”
“What?” Jack hadn’t noticed a move away from Thomas.
“Pumpkins. He wants one of us to carve Thomas into a pumpkin.”
Jack was horrified. “Thomas?” he said weakly. He was lucky if he managed two eyes and a mouth, let alone an entire fictional character.
“It’s okay.” Riley smiled. “We can ask Eden.”
His expression changed in an instant at something he saw over Jack’s shoulder. Jack turned on his heel, seeing the man who stood right in the middle of their yard staring at them. He blinked and frowned. He’d need glasses soon at this rate, because that looked like—
“Who is it?” Riley asked.
“Kyle?” Jack said under his breath.
“Kyle from the court case?” Riley murmured the question.
Jack walked toward the visitor, who moved a few steps back the nearer Jack got. Riley was right at his side.
“Kyle,” Jack said with outstretched hand.
Kyle didn’t shake it at first, finally, when Jack didn’t drop his hand, Kyle took it.
“This is my husband, Riley,” Jack introduced.
Riley and Kyle shook hands.
Jack couldn’t believe Kyle was here. He’d given up on the young man taking him up on his offer to visit the Double D and find a home here.
“You said you had a place,” Kyle said.
His eyes were shadowed, haunted, and he looked painfully thin. He had a rucksack, and Jack had the immediate feeling that Kyle’s entire world was in that bag.
“Always,” Jack said. “Come with me. I’ll show you where you can get a shower, and where you can sleep.”
Jack led him to the bunkrooms, which always had a couple of spare places. He opened the first door. “In here.”
Robbie appeared at the door. “Hey,” he said with a smile to Kyle.
“Kyle, you remember my foreman, Robbie? He’ll show you where everything is.”
Kyle shook his head, looking fearful. “I don’t know,” he said.
Jack could read his expression. He’d met Robbie before, but he wasn’t expecting Jack to walk away.
“I’ll stay,” Jack said.
Kyle’s expression changed. He drew back his shoulders. “I’m not a kid,” he snapped. “I’ll be fine.”
Robbie and Jack exchanged glances, and Robbie nodded minutely. He understood what was going on, and deliberately moved back and away without making it look too obvious.
“I have a lead on Danny and Gabriel,” Jack said to Kyle, but all he did was shrug.
Apart from being three victims of Hank Castille, nothing connected the three young men. Jack decided not to press any further, not sure why he’d told Kyle about the other two anyway. “Come up to the house for dinner.” Jack was talking more to Robbie than to Kyle. “Riley’s cooking, but it’s okay,” he reassured a dubious Robbie. “I’ll be helping.”
“Let’s get you settled,” Robbie said to Kyle.
Jack left the bunkhouse, turning immediately to where Riley still waited at the fence.
“Everything all right?” he asked.
Jack nodded. “Poor kid looks beaten down.”
“You’ll help him,” Riley said firmly.
Jack knocked his husband’s arm. “Last chance, you know. Ethan has tracked down leads on the other two kids. We’re starting something here, and we don’t have to do this.”
Riley knocked him back. “It’s a journey. Our whole life: the bargain, the dramas, the kids, our family. This is the next step, is all.”
Jack chuckled. “I love you and your Riley way of looking at this.”
Riley tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and Jack thought he’d never seen anyone more beautiful.
“I love you. All of you,” Riley murmured. “All of us.”
Jack checked his watch. “Time to bathe the twins.”
Riley started to walk back to the house. “My turn with Connor.”
Jack gripped Riley’s shirt and yanked him back. “No fair. You had Connor last time.”
Riley looked down at his shirt, and his expression was priceless. “But Lexie… she splashes water and shampoo everywhere.” He sighed, unbuttoned his shirt, and pulled it over his head. “Shirtless it is, then.”
Hand in hand they walked toward the ranch house. A shirtless Riley, he could get behind. Literally.
The porch steps were strewn with toys, homework covered the kitchen table, and the twins were covered head to toe in Bolognese sauce. Oh, and Riley was holding his hand.
Jack had never felt more at peace.
THE END
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I wish I could put into words what Jack and Riley’s story means to me. When I was writing this last book in the series, I had moments when I could not put the words on paper, just because committing them to Word meant I was closer to ending.
With all seven books done, and with my boys having their happy ever after, I can now leave them.
For a while.
This world I created is way too big for me to leave. I want to know what happens to Kyle and the other two men from the Castille trial. I want to know if Hayley has her way with Logan, what happens to Cory, and the twins and Max… And how Riley and Jack are in ten years, or twenty years…
So while I leave Texas here with the seventh book, I can also promise you that one day you’ll get to see all the stories and I truly hope you will fall in love with these characters all over again.
Thank you for staying with me on this journey, and to every single one of you who read, reviewed, commented and cajoled, I send you all love and hugs.
RJ, Buckinghamshire, England, 16th September 2015
* * * * *
Read Kyle, Danny, and Gabriel’s stories in the Legacy Series, beginning 2016
RJ SCOTT
RJ Scott lives just outside London. She has been writing since age six, when she was made to stay in at lunchtime for an infraction involving cookies and was told to write a story. Two sides of A4 about a trapped princess later, a lover of writing was born. She loves reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror; however, her first real love will always be the world of romance. Her goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and more than a hint of happily ever after.
Email: [email protected]
Webpage: www.rjscott.co.uk
Facebook: facebook.com/author.rjscott
Twitter: twitter.com/rjscott_author
ALSO FROM RJ SCOTT
For an up to date list of all books please visit www.rjscott.co.uk
CONTEMPORARY
Texas
The Heart of Texas #1
Texas Winter #2
Texas Heat #3
Texas Family #4
Texas Christmas #5
Texas Fall #6
Texas Wedding #7
Sanctuary
Guarding Morgan #1
The Only Easy Day #2
Face Value #3
Still Waters #4