Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

A mes dragged his sorry ass back into the ranch at about two thirty in the afternoon on a Monday. At least he thought it was a Monday. He’d kind of lost track of time.

No one could even blame Big Jack, who had been the one driving the trailer full of zebras and oryx, ostriches and one kangaroo. They were rescues, destined for an exotic animal sanctuary run by one of the bosses’ friends in Montana. And someone had T-boned the damn truck.

Ames had arrived to a full-blown rescue op, with about ten local wranglers already on scene. But he was the freakin zebra whisperer. And oryx. And kangaroo, apparently. No one whispered to ostriches, and sadly, one of them hadn’t made it through the crash.

Big Jack had also needed some help with hospital stuff, and then there was the fact the truck and trailers belonged to the ranch…

But he was home now, and while he was a touch road-drunk and more than a little…crusty, all of the remaining animals had been delivered to the sanctuary, and he was ready to beg the bosses for a few days off for a job well-done.

As soon as he stopped in to see Sophie and Nathan, who should’ve been working at this time of the day. Sophie tried hard to finish her summer class early in the day to help Nathan with the supper stuff.

The new pups were in a small run right outside the kitchen door, and they set to barking as soon as Ames walked up.

Lord have mercy. Look at those beasts. They were goofy little fuzz balls.

Still, he knew Sophie was pleased as punch, and he figured that Nathan wasn’t too mad, really. In fact, he’d seemed to like the idea of the puppies, and he was keeping them at his neat little house.

Ames had tried explaining that he didn’t exactly mean to spring them on Nathan.

Except, he had, but not like that.

He had intended to be home and sort of go, “Here. Here’s a puppy for you. I’ll keep it over at the house, and you can visit it whenever you want to. That way we can get it all trained up, and maybe you could stay over here while I’m training it.”

But, if wishes were horses…

“Hey, you hooligans.” He reached down to them to let them smell. The little boy, Thorn, backed up, butt sliding on the ground, crying out for help. This little girl, though, that brave beast jumped right up on the side of the pen and growled, warning him away from her baby brother.

“Hey, why are y’all growling?”

“Since when did you say y’all?” he teased, and little Honeysuckle jumped a mile and peed.

“Hey, Uncle!” Sophie gave him a cheery wave, her eyes shining, then she bounced over for a hug, flour on the tip of her nose. “Welcome home. You need some food? Chef’s teaching me how to make pie crusts, but we had calzones for lunch and there’s still some left.”

“Calzones, huh?” That sounded good.

“Yes, Chef says that people aren’t coming in to be regular right now, with it being summer and all. So we’re making things that people can take and eat however they need to. It’s not as fun as making a plated lunch, but it’s still good. We’re working it out.”

“Do I hear Ames?” Nathan peered out over the top of Sophie head. “Well, hey, stranger. Come on in, I’ll get you a Coke. What kind do you want?”

“I’ll take a Dr Pepper, if you got one. The rumor is there’s calzones.”

And also, I don’t suppose that you’re mad at me… He chuckled at himself. They weren’t not talking, right? They’d talked a lot while he was gone. Sort of. In fits and starts.

“There are. I’ve got one pepperoni, one sausage and onion, and two—no three veg. Apparently veggie calzones are not the big seller this time.” Nathan handed him a cold can of Dr Pepper, winking at him. “It’s good to see you.”

Oh now, that suited him down to the bone. “It’s good to be seen, and I’ll take a veggie and a sausage and onion, please. I’m hungry.”

“Dude! Dude, you owe me five bucks.” Sophie beamed at Nathan. “Seriously, I said the sausage should be gone first. Sausage are gone first, so hand it over.”

“Oh, listen to you.” Nathan didn’t seem upset, though. He was laughing, and he handed over a crisp five-dollar bill without argument. “I thought for sure it was going to be the pepperoni.”

“Sausage is big in these parts.” Ames popped open the can of drink and downed a third of it. “Permission to enter the kitchen and wash up?” Ames asked.

“Granted.” Nathan and Sophie moved to let him in. “I’ll get your plate done up. Sophie, you need to get that dough together before your butter melts.”

“Oui, Chef!” She hurried back to the counter to do something with flour and butter and whatever. The only thing Ames knew about pie crust was that he loved it around fruit.

“We’re having dough day,” Nathan teased, artfully arranging calzones and sauce on a plate for him. Even when the food was delicious and simple, Nathan was amazing with it.

Well, okay, a turkey sandwich was a turkey sandwich, but these calzones looked and smelled amazing.

“Thanks, babe,” he murmured, and he wanted a kiss. Badly.

“Turn your back, Sous.” Nathan said, and Sophie turned around with a giggle. Then he got a kiss—not gross, but enough that he knew he’d been missed.

Ames took it and gave as good as he got because damn, he’s missed this man. And he’d been worried about spending so much time away when all of this was so new.

They pulled apart, and he grinned. “So how’s it been going?”

“Well, like Sophie said, it’s been pretty slow. Miss Nanette would like a weekend off soon, so I think I’ll be at the big house for a weekend.”

“Wow, look at you. You gonna make them eat kangaroo?”

“I understand King Ranch Casserole has been requested, but I have cooked kangaroo, believe it or not. A number of times, in fact. It’s all right. I prefer venison, though. It’s more versatile.”

“King Ranch Casserole, huh?”

“Yeah, it works out because that way I can make up the casseroles, leave them over there, and the guys can throw them in the oven whenever they’re ready to eat. As opposed to me actually missing an entire weekend, for instance. From what I understand, both Ryder and Kase can make a mean omelet, and one of the two of them makes pancakes.”

“That makes sense.” It seemed to him that most cowboys could, at least, make one breakfast meal and one thing that they could cook on the grill without seeming like an idiot. It didn’t have to be anything fancy, something solid enough to work if you were having a cookout nobody would tease you and if you were wanting to get married they wouldn’t run screaming.

Also, he supposed that it was a good thing to be able to feed yourself. “Everybody’s got their one thing, don’t they?”

“They do. So tell me. Mr. Ames, what is your one thing that you can cook?”

He tried to think. He did pretty good with basic stuff, and he never was going to starve, but hmm, what was the special thing that he did?

Maybe his breakfast strata, although that was on the fancy side and he didn’t want anybody to think he was uppity, but still… “Well, I am the king of midnight pancakes. But I make this breakfast thing with meat and bread and—You kind of put it together the night before and then you eat it the next day. My mom taught me to make it. We always had it Christmas morning.” This was weirdly embarrassing.

“Granny’s Christmas breakfast casserole!” Sophie’s eyes lit up like he’d promised her diamonds. “You know how to make that, too?”

“Yeah, yeah, I do.”

“So can we have it this year? I don’t know how to make it. I mean, I’m sure there’s a recipe online, but you know, they’re all different. And I want it to be like hers.”

“Well, I can do that.” Now, somehow it didn’t feel quite as ridiculous. It felt sort of important.

“Food memories, man, those are some strong things.” Nathan grinned at him. “I mean, part of it’s just that it’s about smell, right? Not to mention because smell memories are the strongest. The food’s got that, plus the taste, the sight. It hits all the all the sensory buttons. It fucking rocks, man. I can’t wait to taste it.”

Okay, so that meant that Nathan intended to be there until Christmas.

He’d take that as a win.

“Well, then, breakfast strata for Christmas morning it is. I’ll have to go into Santa Fe to get the fancy cheese.” He winked, trying to share the joke with them both.

These were the things he wanted to share with Nathan. He wanted to share them with Sophie, too. Remind her where she came from without being an ass about it, because sometimes where she’d come from wasn’t a great place.

But that was a lot to think about right now, considering that he’d just gotten back from a zebra road trip. He had plenty of time, and it wasn’t necessarily this moment that he had to think about Christmas, although Christmas had a way of sneaking up on a man if he wasn’t careful. So he’d have to think about it a bit.

“What else can you cook?” Nathan asked.

“Oh, I don’t know. I guess I can do things like eggs and bacon?”

“Eggs are proof that there’s a God and we’re loved,” Nathan said. “Good egg cookery is a great skill. What else?” That steady gaze sort of burned right into him, so intent.

“Biscuits.”

“You do make fine biscuits. On a campfire, no less,” Nathan pointed out. “What else. Wow me.”

“You mean things that I have to like season? Believe it or not, I’m really, really good at fried potatoes.”

“Oh.” Nathan gave him this glance. This sort of not-quite-sexual look, but it was close.

“Like, hash browns, or?—”

“No, no. Well, sure, I can do hash browns too. That’s easy. They’re already cut for you, and you open a bag. But no, I’m talking about the kind of big kind of potatoes where you have to chop them up and put them in the oil and fry them yourself. Season them up good. I could do that.”

“Yum.” That was the expression he wanted to see on Nathan’s face. A little admiration, a little laughter.

“Wait, can you make Granny’s enchiladas?” Sophie asked.

He kind of laughed. “Well, that one you might have to help me with, but I bet together we can come up with something to make them taste like they’re supposed to. I can make your mom’s spaghetti sauce too.”

Her eyes went wide. “Wow. That’s cool. I mean, your mom only opened a jar of Ragu.”

“Yes, your mom was the one who made the really good sauce.” And he’d taught himself how to do all that because to begin with he’d missed home like a sore tooth. They grinned at each other, and Nathan laughed.

“Well, I can see that we have all sorts of things to put into the personal rotation,” Nathan said.

“Sounds good, man. Sounds really good after maybe I take a nap. I don’t suppose you’d be interested in hot tub and a nap?”

“After Sophie gets done, makes her pie crust, and we clean up, I would love to.”

“I’ve got the bottom crust in the pan, Chef, and the apples are ready to go. I used cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, allspice, and a little pink peppercorn in the filling.”

Pepper? Good Lord and butter…that sounded, not pleasant.

“All right. Well get it in the pie crust, top it off and let me see.” Nathan winked at him as he wiped off counters and straightened things as they waited. The man was never still, not even when he was sleeping, and Ames loved that he knew that.

Loved that he understood that Nathan needed to be held at night, so he could snuggle in and get rest.

“You ready to get home?”

He nodded. “How long will the pie take to cook?”

“Too long. Y’all can take it home and she can cook it there.”

He nodded, because he knew that Sophie would want to come to the house tonight. Hopefully Nathan did too. They could all ride over together with the puppies.

Oh man, the puppies.

Thank goodness he’d been putting in bibs and bobs of everything since he found out he was going to pick them up. He had pens and beds and crates and bowls—all of it stored back in his garage. He’d have to grab enough puppy food to last until tomorrow morning when he ran out to the feed store.

“Pop the pie in the cooler bag. We’ll take it to the house to cook for dessert if you want,” Nathan said, shooting him a quick curious glance. “I can make supper tonight. If you’d like.”

“Whatever you figure, babe. You know what is in the fridge. You’ve been stocking it.” He offered Nathan a grin. “Why don’t you pack a bag for a couple days?”

Why don’t you just come and stay? He didn’t say that one out loud, but he wanted to. He didn’t want to think about the whys and the wherefores and all that because moving in was a big thing, and he had Sophie now, and…he didn’t know what to do.

He did know what he wanted to do, and that was to bring Nathan home where he belonged.

He wasn’t sure that Nathan with all of his cosmopolitan Austin ways would appreciate that primal urge that he had to wrap him up and keep him forever, but that was the truth.

“Hey, babe, where you at?” Nathan’s voice was warm, and…loving. The word was loving.

“I was thinking about bringing you and the puppies home to stay.”

Those words fell out of his mouth. They plopped onto the counter like a turd in a punch bowl, and he couldn’t believe it.

This wasn’t him. He didn’t just say things.

But he did mean it.

Nathan didn’t even hesitate, simply gave him a nod like he was on the back of a bronc and wanted the gate to open. “Yeah, you think there’s room for us there?”

“I think there might be. Does this mean that we’re dating?”

Nathan shook his head. “No, no, I swore off dating.”

That wicked little grin sure enough flipped his switch like nothing else. It said all the things—all the things they were never going to say out loud in this kitchen with Sophie sitting right there and watching them like a hawk. That little grin made private promises right out in public.

“Well then, I guess we won’t be dating, but there’s room for you. How long will it take you to clean out your tiny house?”

Nathan’s eyes rolled like dice. “Approximately seventeen seconds. All my stuff is in storage.”

“Excellent. Let’s grab whatever we can in seventeen seconds and head home, huh?” That prospect made all the shit from the last little bit worth it. All the zebras and ostrich bites and worry.

“I’ll get a bag, really. I can grab the rest tomorrow. You’re tired.”

That he was. “You’re right about that.”

“Pie is in the bag,” Sophie said. “You need me to clean anything else, Chef?”

“Just start the dishwasher, kiddo, then head for the truck. We’ll be there in a moment.”

“Okay.” Sophie suited actions to command, starting the dishwasher, then grabbing her phone and making her way outside.

“Want to come help me pack a bag?” Nathan waggled his eyebrows, and Ames hoped that meant a few more quick kisses while they were tucked away from prying eyes.

“I do.” He took Nathan’s hand, and he got no resistance as they walked to Nathan’s tiny house.

They got inside, and Ames reeled Nathan in to take the kiss he so desperately wanted. He’d never asked anyone to move in with him before. This was a first, and it seemed to him like he needed to mark the occasion somehow.

“Mmm.” Nathan wrapped both arms around his neck. “We both need a shower.”

“Well, at least it’s even, then.” He thought Nathan smelled damn good. Like apples and spices.

“I fucking missed you, man.” Nathan nipped at his bottom lip. “I started worrying. It was hard not knowing. I mean, you know, we’d just walked in from our weekend together, and we hadn’t even put the horses away when you were gone, you know?”

“I know. It sucked. That’s how it works, huh? This is a ranch. There’s always something.” He prayed Nathan could get used to it.

“Not too different from a restaurant, maybe more animals. Well…alive ones.” Nathan winked at him, then dove back into another kiss. The way that Nathan’s tongue pushed between Ames’s lips made him shake inside.

His cock filled, his balls heavy with how bad he wanted. “Babe, you keep pushing me like this, and I’m going to embarrass myself.”

“I just wanted you to understand that—” Nathan stared into him, so open, so eager. “I didn’t come here to fall in love. None of this was what I expected. And… I’m glad you’re home, I guess. I started to imagine that things were—I swear I’m not clingy.”

Ames wasn’t sure that he agreed with that. He’d held the man while he slept, but that was okay. Everybody needed the secrets they kept from themselves.

That was part of what a lover did, he reckoned. Get those secrets and honor them.

“I’m glad I’m home too. I don’t mind traveling, but I prefer it to be a little bit more planned out with fewer ostriches.” He stole another hard kiss, and then swatted Nathan on the butt. “Come on, let’s get your stuff together. I really want to get you and those puppies home. I want to get into a shower with you and love all over you.”

“I am in. Just let me grab some clothes.” Nathan grabbed a big duffel bag and started emptying drawers. “What did you think of them, the puppies? Were they amazing?”

“They’re gorgeous. I’m glad that you didn’t completely short out when they showed up.” He’d already hashed this all out over the phone, of course, but it was different face-to-face. “They were supposed to be this neat surprise all set up at my house. Congratulations, we have puppies! Then suddenly I’m gone. They need the whelping box back, and Kase is coming to you and handing over dogs.”

“It was an amazing thing,” Nathan agreed. “I mean, I’ve had more fascinating situations with my employers here…”

Ames snorted, tickled. “You are a good sport.”

“Even if I hadn’t liked dogs—which I didn’t know that. I mean, maybe I don’t like dogs, but puppies are awfully cute—but at any rate. Sophie was so excited.” Nathan shook his head, peering from the closet. “It was… I couldn’t disappoint her. She’s had some hard blows, and she deserves the good stuff.” Nathan headed for the little bathroom. “Did you know that she’s got a girlfriend?”

“What?” Ames didn’t know how to feel about that. She was awful young to have a girlfriend. “That seems pretty fast. Who is it? Is she nice? Have you met her? Have they been alone together? Have you explained that this is…there are certain ways that I mean…”

“Oh, Uncle Ames. Breathe. She doesn’t live here. She lives two towns over. It’s about a fifteen-minute drive. They all met when the bunch of them went to the movies. They have been on two group dates. She’s going to ask you if they can come and spend the night maybe sometime next weekend. There’s also a…some sort of a trail ride thing that’s going to be happening right before school starts, officially. A bunch of the kids are going on it with the bosses, and she would like to go on that with her friend as well. Cool, huh?”

He stared at Nathan, tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. “Whoa, whoa. I don’t know that I’m ready for her to be sixteen.”

“Good luck with that.” Nathan winked at him. “Uncle Ames.”

“That’s some kind of evil, springing that on me,” Ames groused.

Nathan gave him a big old grin. “I am. I can’t help it.”

“So what are we gonna have for dinner?” Ames asked Nathan.

“I don’t know. I guess that depends on the puppies.”

Ames squinted at his lover. “We’re gonna eat the puppies?”

“Don’t make me beat your ass, man,” Nathan threatened. “It’s a lot of work, and my arm’s tired from chopping all day and rolling out dough.”

“Did I ever eat?” He couldn’t remember. He thought he’d had a plate in his hand at some point, but…

Nathan shook his head. “No, you handed it to Sophie. She wrapped it up for you along with the pie crust so that you could take it home and eat it when you got there.”

“Oh well, no wonder I’m hungry.” Ames figured he’d gotten so excited about the conversation with Nathan that he’d forgotten everything else.

“Anyway, we’re not going eat puppies, but if they take a long time to get settled, then we’re gonna have something like sandwiches or an omelet. But you know, if they’re out like a light from playing all day, then I’ll make you a steak or something.” Nathan was nothing if not practical about everyday food.

Ames moaned. “You know, there are precious few steaks in Montana, considering that it’s supposed to be cattle country and all that. I would love a steak.” And he would take care of the puppies.

“Well then, that’s probably what I’ll make. We’ll see.”

Ames would take a ‘we’ll see’. In fact, he figured he would take that for the entire situation. Nathan was coming home with him tonight, and they were going to have a shower together, and that was all that mattered.

Even if he wasn’t ready for Sophie to have a girlfriend.