by BA Tortuga
“Not so much, no.” The Front Range could keep itself. The drive through De Beque Canyon was so much easier than Glenwood Canyon, Eisenhower Tunnel, and Vail Pass… Ugh.
Although he loved Vail and Breckenridge and went that direction a lot.
None of it was big city.
“But Aspen is okay?”
“It’s great. I avoid it during ski week or the X Games, but I avoid Glenwood on Farmer’s Market Day and Friday afternoons too.” Michael snorted. “I’m kind of a hick.”
“You like it quieter, that’s all.”
“Yeah. We all got our rhythms in life. Yours are bigger, that’s all. I bet my girls end up bigger than me.”
“Maybe.” Simon glanced over his shoulder. “I can see Mickey as a songwriter, holing up at a lake house up at Tahoe, scribbling away with her guitar. Chloe will choose the limelight.”
“Yeah. They both shine like their momma.” And like their biological dad. Dammit, this was fucked-up.
“Mom is kinda in love with them.” There was something in the way Simon said that… Something that made Michael itch a little.
“She’s a sweetheart. She’s going to be a great grandmother, I can tell.” He felt like a piece of shit, saying that.
“I think so, yeah. Stevie is going to go nuts at how Mom will want to be around all the time.” Simon chuckled, and the tension popped like a bubble.
“Yeah, my mom was my savior. She helped a ton.” She hadn’t been overjoyed at the beginning, but she’d come around, and by the end, she’d been his rock.
“Yeah?” Simon titled his head. “Where are your folks? Do they get to see the girls often?”
“Dad had a heart attack when I was eighteen. My mom is in Aspen. She’s a massage therapist and is very big in the holistic healing community. She’s up in the mountains this week with two of her best girlfriends having a cleanse.” It never ceased to amaze her that she’d ended up with a cowboy for a son.
“No kidding?” Simon’s chuckle turned belly laugh. “That’s too cool. I bet my mom would like her.”
“She’s a neat lady. Seriously. She pretends to be out there and kooky, but when push comes to shove, she is a beast.” And she was a businesswoman and a half. He was proud of her.
“That’s awesome.” Simon was still grinning. “So what’s the plan?”
“I’m taking us back up the mountain so you can say goodbye to your folks, and then you can pack a bag, we’ll all pack up, and then home to wash clothes and get the girls ready for camp tomorrow.”
“Sounds amazing.” Simon seemed to love the minutia of Michael’s everyday life. He guessed it had been a while since the man had done anything remotely normal.
He wasn’t jealous of that, which surprised him. He loved the everyday bits, he loved knowing what day it was and what the plan was, and he loved having that rhythm of time and life. He supposed it made him a little boring, but he was happy.
Voices rose in the backseat, the girls singing together, bellowing “Let it Go” from Frozen like a pair of drunken truck drivers.
He snorted softly and shook his head. “Do you want a fancy coffee on our way out of town, or are you good?”
“Oh man, I would love one. Geoff is a saint among men, and he makes good coffee, but I’m a triple shot, non-fat, extra foam fiend.” Simon patted his leg as if praising him.
“I like a caramel coffee. Chloe wants a decaf frap, and Miss Mickey requires a chai latte with almond milk.” He didn’t roll his eyes, just pulled into the drive-through.
“Mmm. Caramel is nice too, but I got to watch things or those leather pants don’t fit. I’ll have to start jogging soon.”
“You can jog at our house. We have a basketball hoop too!” Chloe beamed. “Daddy plays basketball with us a lot.”
“Does he?” Simon waggled his eyebrows. “I’ll kick his butt.”
“You’re tall like us, so maybe. Although he gets every free throw.” Mickey sighed. “Every single one.”
“I like that. Makes it fair.” Simon nodded sagely. God, he was good with the kids.
“We’ll have a game tonight, maybe. After feeding.” He believed in teaching his girls that you took care of your animals first.
“I can’t wait to see everyone.” Chloe bounced.
“Who takes care when you’re not there?” Simon asked. “Do I need to be jealous?”
“My neighbors, Christian and Jewell. They come over to feed for me, and I return the favor when they go visit the grandbabies.”
“Poppy and Nana!” Chloe bounced some more. “She makes cookies every week, Mr. Simon. Every single week.”
“That sounds amazing.” Simon handed Michael his phone to pay for the coffees, the pay app open.
Michael raised an eyebrow, but Simon just jerked his chin, so he used it.
“What kind of cookies does she make?” Simon went on.
“One week is peanut butter,” Mickey said. “Then chocolate chip.”
“Uh-huh. Then Snickerdoodles. Then we get to pick from the big cookbook!” Chloe sounded so excited.
“Oh, wow.”
Michael chuckled, handing back the phone. “Chloe loves that part. That day the girls get to help. We’ve had walnut tassies and mint forgotten cookies and biscochitos.”
“Oh, now you have my belly all wanting cookies.”
“Jewell’s cookies are amazing. She’s very into baking, which is nice for me.”
“Sounds like it.”
“I bet she makes you cookies, Mr. Simon,” Chloe said. “She’s nice like that.”
“She so is,” Mickey added. “It’s fun to be at the Leanin’ N, but I love going home to our place too. It’s right.”
“I can’t wait to see it.”
They all sipped coffee and fell into singing, and before they could blink, they were at the Leanin’ N, all packed up, and Geoff was there, pushing a big care package into Michael’s hands. “So you don’t have to cook today.”
“Oh, honey. You are my favorite chef ever.” He hugged Geoff tight, kissed one cheek. “You should come out on your next day off, and we’ll go play darts.”
“I would love that.” Geoff patted his back, then moved to hug the girls, then grabbed a surprised Simon. “I’ll see you guys again soon, okay?”
“We love you, Geoff!” the girls called, and then Ford and Stoney got their hugs.
“Don’t be a stranger,” Ford said, with a naughty as hell grin on his face.
Michael rolled his eyes and fought his blush as he got the girls and Haley and bags into the SUV and figured out the dual DVD deal for them. Lord have mercy. They chose Brave, which would work for him, and Simon grinned.
“I like that one.” Simon’s gray eyes were lit up, and he was kinda…bouncing like Chloe.
“Come on, y’all. Let’s go home.” He was half-excited to show his home off, half-ashamed, because it was a little three-bedroom, two-bath ranch house. Nothing fancy. It was clean, and there were no holes in the walls, but it wasn’t a mansion in the Hollywood hills or nothing.
“Okay!” The girls drummed on their legs, and Simon hooted. The ride back down the mountain was so damn pretty now he wasn’t worried about getting a vehicle or anything, and Michael grinned when Simon’s hand covered his on the console between them.
“This is a nice vehicle. Comfy. I may have to look at the budget to get one.”
Simon nodded. “Does it handle well? I like the seats.”
“So far so good. Are there seat warmers? That would be cool this winter.” He was so figuring out how to afford one of these.
Simon fiddled with some controls. “Oh! Hot butt. Yep.”
He tried not to snort, honestly he did, but it was too funny not to. “Good to know.”
“Yeah. That has some distinct possibilities.”
Oh, now he was blushing. Simon had a way of making things sound so freaking hot.
It seemed to take no time at all before they were pulling into their long driveway, the gravel ma
king the SUV shimmy a little. Nothing like his old truck there. “Here we are, home sweet ranch.”
It wasn’t fancy—there were no gates or circular drives, but they had roses by the front porch and rocking chairs, bicycles and a big swing set and a little playhouse.
The front fences looked good too, so no one had been messing with stuff. Good deal.
“Haley, we’re home!” Chloe squealed, and Haley barked, her tail beating against the back of the seat she was clipped to.
“Y’all go ahead and take her in. I’m going to grab the food, and I’ll be right behind you.” He handed Mickey the house keys and kept the fob deal for the car in his pocket.
“Yessir.” Mickey took the keys, so solemn, and the little parade headed off.
Simon watched them, smiling. “I love your roses.”
“Thank you. The pink ones came with the house. I plant a new bush every year.” He was up to number five now.
“Yeah? The yellow one is the newest, huh?” Simon helped him haul bags into the house.
“Yes. Chloe picked it out. She sings to it.” He unloaded food into the kitchen, then his equipment, then the suitcases.
“Does she? That’s too cool. I used to sing to my fern. I had one on the bus.” Simon grimaced. “One of the cleaning people got pissed at management and poured bleach into it.”
“Oh my God!” He couldn’t imagine. “People suck. You can bring your things back here in my room.”
He was at the end of the hall, his room simple—a big bed, a dresser, a TV. It was decorated with pictures of the girls, of Rhi.
Simon followed him, looking around curiously, his expression softening when he saw Rhi’s photo. “God, she was something, huh? I’m so sorry.” Simon gave him a hug, warm and there and holding on a minute.
“She was. She didn’t hurt, the doctor said. It just happened. She was taking a nap while I watched the twins, and she never woke up.”
“God.” Simon rested his head against Michael’s shoulder. “I guess that’s the way to do it, right? I can’t imagine, though, babe.”
He didn’t have to imagine. He’d been there, the whole time. He’d been the one who found her, he’d been the one who dealt with the aftermath, and he’d been the one to raise the babies. He was proud of himself, he guessed, for not lying down and dying too.
He patted Simon’s back, not quite knowing what to say, and Simon pushed back enough to kiss him gently.
That was kind of the perfect answer.
“Daddy! Daddy, can we go play outside?”
He eased back, but only a little. “Sure, but I’ll need your dirty laundry in a bit, okay?”
“Mickey is already putting it in the basket.”
“Well, make sure it’s up high so Haley can’t get your undies.” Haley was obsessed.
“Daddy!” She looked at him, then at Simon. “Ont-day alk-tay about-ay anties-pay!”
“Sorry! Sorry.” He pretended to lock his lips.
Simon waited until Chloe had skipped off before chortling. “You taught your kids pig-Latin?”
“Their gran did.” Michael held up his hands. “I had nothing to do with it.”
Wait until Simon heard the twin-speak, which was like pig-Latin but not, and was so damn fast it was like listening to a fast-forwarded tape.
The girls had been way more self-conscious at the ranch. Here at home, they would slide right back into it.
He stretched, going up on tiptoes. “Smells kinda musty, huh? I’ll open a few windows.”
“So do the girls share a room?”
Michael nodded. “Yeah, they sleep in one room and play in the third bedroom. My office is the dining room, and we eat in the kitchen.”
“This is a great house, Michael.” Simon moved close, hand sliding over his belly.
“It’s mine.” He hummed, his body responding eagerly. “God, I want you.”
“I know.” Simon swayed closer. “I want you too, babe. Tonight, huh? And then I have you for days.” Those clever, callused fingers slid over his skin, dipping into his waistband.
“Yes…” God yes. He felt like a kid again, eager and fumbling and a little desperate for touch.
Haley barked, which almost had him jumping out of his skin. “Did they leave you inside, little bit? You want a cookie?” He hadn’t had his cuddle time with the mutt, and he would bet she was a little grumpy and jealous.
“Do you just let her out?”
“I have a backyard. That’s her domain.” He led them back out to the kitchen, and he grabbed Haley a cookie and opened the doggie door.
She munched her way through the cookie, then sprang out the door, running and barking like a fiend, that hound dog bay unmistakable.
Simon walked around, peeking at his little setup in the dining room, the worn-out sofa in the front room. His recliner “This is all so—”
“Normal?” Boring? Simple?
“Yeah, but homey. Loved.” Simon shrugged. “Maybe I sound silly. A designer did my place, and it’s cold as hell. My bus is better, but they fly me a lot of places now.”
“It is. With two little girls, I live in a swirl of glitter and sprinkles.” He grinned at Simon, suddenly feeling proud and a little sorry for the king in his castle.
“I like it.” Simon’s stomach growled, and he flushed. “Wow. Sorry.”
“You want a peanut butter sandwich? Or we can crack open the food from the Leanin’ N.”
“Oh, we can save that for supper. A peanut butter sounds grand.” Simon was just grinning to beat the band.
“Good deal. I always have the fixin’s for PB and Js. Always. That, sausage biscuits, and chocolate pudding.”
“Chocolate pudding?” Simon blinked. “I think I was twelve the last time I ate that. Well, except for that one buffet in Vegas. One of my band guys had a, um, themed birthday party.” Simon’s cheeks reddened, so that must have been some night.
“My kiddos love it. They eat it like it’s going to suddenly disappear, leaving them puddingless and forlorn.”
“Oh no! Never that.” Simon took the knife Michael handed him and started spreading peanut butter on bread, a little assembly line. The girls would want some too.
He pulled out strawberry jelly, grape, mixed fruit, and blackberry. Surely there would be one that suited Simon.
“Is that blackberry?”
Bingo. This was like a dream. A little domestic scene right out of his secret fantasies. Okay, so he was a weirdo to dream of both hot sex and homebody Simon. Sue him.
Like they were surrounded, the girls came in, and he made one strawberry, one grape, cut them in half and gave each girl two pieces.
Simon munched his way through two sandwiches, and only gave one bite to Haley. Good deal. He loved Simon’s body, but the guy needed more than one sandwich now and again.
“Okay, girls. Let’s start packing for camp,” Michael said when they were done. This process would take hours.
“You have to wash my jean shorts!”
“I need my blue T-shirt!”
“Can I bring my bear?”
“We need swimming suits and water shoes!”
Ah. Right. The joys of fatherhood.
Simon was in for quite a lesson. Michael figured his reward would come tonight.
He was gonna earn it.
Chapter 12
Simon woke up a little sore but smiling so hard his cheeks ached too. The girls had finally gone to bed about midnight, and he and Michael had had some adult time.
Today was all about the adult time once they dropped off Chloe and Mickey.
He could hear the girls, both of them excited and jabbering, loading up their bags in the car. There was the scent of sausage on the air, and he was in a warm, comfortable bed.
Haley jumped up on the bed with him, wiggling and wagging, coming to lick his face, and Simon chuckled. “Hey, old girl. How’s it going this morning? You looking forward to some quiet?”
He’d bet she’d look for those girls and pout wh
en she realized they weren’t home. Haley loved her girls.
Simon got that. He was falling for them too. And damn, if they didn’t look like him. Now that his mom had put that thought in his head…
There was a double-paned frame on Michael’s dresser of Rhi with the babies in the hospital, and one with her hugely pregnant. The frame was homemade, with October written in fancy script over the top.
October. That was…the timing worked.
He shook his head. Surely Michael would say something, right? If it was true. Maybe he was working up to it. Maybe Simon’s mom was just nuts.
Maybe he was losing his mind, stressing this out when there was a house of happiness waiting for him.
“Simon! Honey, breakfast is ready. I’m going to have to get the girls on the road soon.”
“Coming!” He rolled out of bed, sniffing his pits. Yeah, he could wait to bathe as long as he applied deodorant. He dressed in a flash, then trotted out to the kitchen.
Chloe bounced over to him. “We’re going to make s’mores and sleep on a cot and swim and shoot arrows and have the most fun with our friends! Will you miss us?”
“I will. I’ll still be here when you get back, I think, so you can tell me all!” He hugged her tight.
“Oh, I will. You can’t leave before we come home.”
Mickey came over. “No, you promised another jam session. That was the most fun.”
“It was. I promise, huh?” He hugged Mickey too. “Did you eat?” He could grab a piece of fruit or something if they needed to head out. Then he would go for a jog. Geoff’s cooking was something else, and his jeans were snug.
“Daddy made sausage biscuits.” Chloe brought him a coffee in a travel mug. “Coffee for Mr. Simon!”
“Thank you, baby girl. I appreciate it.” Sausage biscuits would be so worth the extra few minutes of jogging.
“I did. We can eat them in the car. Did y’all pick movies for the drive?” Michael came in, and the sight of his cowboy in his element? That was the hottest thing ever, and he’d slept in the man’s bed last night.
God, he was never going to want to go home. Not with Michael looking so fine in his faded Wranglers and old boots, a henley shirt taking the place of his dressier starched button-down.