Chapter 26

26

He was beyond exhausted, but the fences had been repaired and the cattle had been moved back to where they belonged. Charlie’s pals with the TSP weren’t total newbies with the cattle and had come in handy. Well, most of them. He was still reserving judgment on a few of the guys from Major Crimes. Those punks liked the ladies too much.

Gene’s lady, specifically. And his sister Genesis. The guys flirted like total man dogs, right there in front of Gene and Chad and Charlie and all of Gene’s brothers. They even asked if they could take Chantal and Genesis to the Barratt-Finley Creek for dinner the next day.

Well, that wasn’t going to happen. He’d told one guy that, right there in front of Genesis and Chantal. They’d just snickered at him and laughed.

He took his turn in the barn at the sink, washing up. Gene was going to check on his kid… and hunt down his woman. The barn where her studio was would probably be empty for a while. He could lure her out there and kiss the hell out of her.

He’d been wanting that all day.

He’d come over to the Fields Ranch to use Calvin’s sweet face to capture her for the day anyway. Instead, he’d ended up having to work his ass off. Well, now his woman could make him feel better.

He just had to catch her. And convince her she was his woman in the first place.

He found her in the kitchen, his son on her hip as she supervised two of his sisters stacking dirty dishes on the counter. Gene stood in the doorway and watched as she kissed Calvin on the forehead, just casually.

Like she’d held his son a million times before.

He was starting to suspect she had.

Calvin was more comfortable with her than he was with any other woman on the planet, other than Genesis, Greer, Giavonna, and Ronnie. And Gene’s own mother.

He watched as Calvin rested his head on Chantal’s shoulder and toyed with the end of her red braid. Calvin yawned.

It did something to Gene’s gut, seeing how Chantal cuddled his son.

He wanted that.

Every single day.

Her, him, Calvin… any kids that he and Chantal could have together. If she could have them safely, anyway.

He’d have to ask his brother. Guthrie was an obstetrician; he’d know specifics of how pregnancies worked for diabetic women. Or if she didn’t want to risk it, or couldn’t, they could adopt a couple more kids along the way.

Or they could just raise Calvin together. He’d be perfectly happy with that, too.

Gene just wanted her. More than anything in the world. Chantal, Calvin, a life they could build together.

Just… be together. Have the kind of relationship he saw between his own parents, between George and Ronnie, between Chantal’s parents, and between her brother Charlie and his new wife.

That was all he wanted in the world.

“Hey,” he said softly, as he stepped into the kitchen. “He’s almost asleep. I can take him. I know how heavy he can get.”

And he still worried about Chantal.

She stepped closer until they were out in the hall, and her sister-in-law and niece and two of Gene’s sisters were hard at work cleaning up the kitchen. “He’s fine. I’ll carry him to the guest room once he’s out. He’s napped in there before.”

Gene hadn’t known that. “Just how much time have you spent with my kid, pretty lady?”

“Probably a million times more than you have ever known. I see him every morning, you know. I drive him to preschool at least two or three days a week, too. I’m at your place every morning. I often drive Genny in—and Aubrey drives her home. We drop Calvin off on our way.”

She rocked slightly, his son’s head resting on her shoulder perfectly.

“I know Genny carpools. I didn’t know it was with you. If I had… I would have probably figured a few things out a hell of a lot sooner.”

“Don’t say hell, Daddy. You will have to put a quarter in the jar,” Calvin said around a yawn. Gene winced. He’d thought his boy was asleep already.

“I’m sorry. I forgot. Did you have fun today, kiddo?” He spread his hand over his son’s narrow shoulders. He loved this kid more than words could ever say.

“I was with my Chantal. I missed her when she was gone.” Calvin’s head rested on her shoulder. Gene’s palm rested on his back. They were connected, the three of them. Just the way he wanted them to be.

Gene didn’t stop to think that anyone looking down the hall could see them. Not even for a moment. All that mattered was that they were there, together. He pulled her closer into his arms. He kissed his son on the forehead. “You take a nap, bud. Daddy will be here when you wake, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy. You take care of my Chantal, okay?”

Then Calvin was out.

Gene followed her into the guest room, passing one of Charlie’s TSP pals as he came out of the guest bath at the end of the hall. Then it was just Gene and Chantal. She lowered Calvin to the center of the double bed. “I usually put a few pillows next to him when he’s in here. Genny brings him over sometimes. Your son, Gene Matteo Hiller, is very wiggly when he sleeps.”

“He always has been.” He watched her tuck in his son. Then, when she stood, he pulled her out of the room and across the hall. Into the room that had been hers throughout her childhood. And was where she laid her head at night now. Finally, he had gotten his woman alone. In a house full of people, that had been damned near impossible.

“I have you right where I want you now.”