After the Climb (River Rain #1) - Kristen Ashley Page 0,72
didn’t take her eyes from Duncan.
“My son is throwing away five years of education,” she retorted.
“Right, this is why you need to get a lock on it.”
“It’s no biggie anyway, Momma. He’s quitting so he can go to vet school.”
Gen’s body twitched and then she turned to her daughter.
“Sorry?”
“He got in at Purdue,” Sasha shared.
“No shit? Righteous,” Sully said.
“I know,” Sasha replied. “I’m super proud of him. It’s a really good school.”
“I know,” Sul told her. “I go there.”
“Really?” she cried.
“Yeah,” Sul confirmed.
Sasha turned to her mother. “Momma! Awesome! He’ll know somebody!”
“They actually haven’t met yet, Sash,” Gen, visibly calmer, noted.
“So? We’re all gonna be family, right?” Sasha returned.
The air in the great room went static.
But Gen looked to Duncan with an expression of I’m worried this is too soon.
And Duncan had to admit his expression was probably the same.
“God, stop being dorks,” Gage broke it. “It’s not like we’re two and we don’t know what’s going on. She’s cooking in your kitchen, Dad. And when we showed, you didn’t hike our asses to the den to have ‘a talk’ about how we shouldn’t read anything into this and to be nice to her. Genny cooking dinner was just happening and you started making the salad. And I don’t know that cat,” he pointed at Cookie, “but I do know it isn’t ours and you didn’t get another cat because you were being hardass about getting another pet, so it’s obviously Genny’s. And so there’s the cat and you already know this Chloe chick and gave her the Bowie story so the mingling of families has happened. We’re with the program so you can relax. Yeesh.”
“Yeah, you can relax, yeesh,” Sasha agreed and then, “Cookie!” and off she went to Cookie.
“Okay, I don’t know about you all, but if I don’t eat this food soon, I’m gonna die,” Sul declared.
“Totally, there’s, like, a hundred meatballs here and I feel like I could eat a hundred and five of them,” Gage said.
Sully had the garlic bread out.
He also was intent to get control of the situation.
Which was what he did.
“Gage, get that meat off the heat. And Sasha, when you’re done greeting Cookie, can you check the pasta?”
“I’m all over it,” Sasha agreed.
Gage was already yanking off paper towel to put on a plate to drain the meatballs.
“Did I see stables?” Sasha asked, approaching the kitchen.
“Yeah,” Sully answered, putting the bread in a basket Gen had ready.
“You have horses?” Sasha sounded excited, or more excited than what was apparently her resting state.
“Three of them,” Gage answered.
“Rad!” Sasha cried.
“You ride?” Sul asked.
He felt a touch at his waist and looked down to see Genny closing in.
She moved in farther, her arm around him.
He slid his around her shoulders.
She dropped her cheek to his chest.
“Totes!” Sasha chirped.
“Take you out tomorrow. You can ride Streak. He’s Dad’s. Great horse,” Sully told her.
“Cool!” Sasha exclaimed, fishing out a thread of pasta to test.
“Ready to eat?” Duncan murmured to Genny.
She tipped her head back.
He sucked in breath at the happy radiating from her face.
“Yes, darling,” she replied.
With that happy, he couldn’t stop himself
He bent and touched his mouth to hers.
When they made to get a move on, Sasha peeped, “You guys are so cute!”
“Gag,” Gage muttered.
Sully started chuckling.
“Pasta’s done!” Sasha announced.
And all was well in the world.
Chapter Thirteen
The Interview
Imogen
The next morning, I was mostly awake, just snoozing, when I heard the mug hit the nightstand.
So I opened my eyes and was thus able to see Duncan aiming his ass to the bed in the crook of my body.
I lifted my gaze to him.
“Hey,” I whispered.
Something moved over his face, it was big, beautiful, profound.
Being in his bed, with him bringing me coffee and sitting right there, there was no doubt, I felt that something too.
“Hey,” he replied.
I got up on an elbow.
“Animals are fed. Kids are fed,” he stated. “They’re already out on the horses. You do your slow morning. I’m going to get a shower in and hit some work. When you’re sorted and the kids are back, we’ll decide what’s up for our day.”
“Okay.”
He bent and kissed my forehead.
Then he got up, murmuring, “Coffee on the nightstand.”
I looked to the coffee, then watched Duncan stroll through his magnificent room to his even more magnificent bathroom.
I then aimed my eyes out the window to his resplendent view.
I was there, and not in the hotel, because of the kids.
This happened last night. After dinner. After Sasha asked if they had any games. After Gage and Sully