desperate for a father figure Miguel had so cruelly described, but his attraction to Julia had always been separate. He’d just adored her from the get-go.
His fingers tightened on the steering wheel as he allowed himself to face the worst of it. How the hell had Miguel hooked up with Blaine Purvis? He checked the time and made a turn in the road and headed back toward the Gomez Ranch. He needed to talk to someone and he knew Ben and Silver were at their place.
When he pulled up outside the house, he saw Ben riding in on his horse and waved at him.
“Hey, you got a moment?”
“Sure, go into the house,” Ben called out to him. “Silver’s in the kitchen. I’ll be there as soon as I’ve put Calder away.”
“Thanks, Bro.”
Kaiden made his way around to the side of the house, left his jacket and boots in the mudroom, and walked through to the large, warm kitchen where Silver was cooking up something on the range. She wore jeans and a crop top and had her back to him.
“Now, don’t laugh, Ben, but I asked Matilda for her enchiladas recipe, and I think I’ve done a really good job this time.”
“Sounds great!” Kaiden said. “What time’s dinner?”
She jumped like she’d been shot, clutched at her chest, and spun around to face him brandishing the spoon like a weapon and dripping cheese sauce all over the tiled floor.
“Kaiden!”
He smiled properly for the first time in days. “Yup, sorry if I scared you. Ben told me to come right on in.”
“It’s fine!” She looked at the spoon. “Let me just—”
“It’s okay, I’ve got it.” Kaiden ripped off a few sheets of kitchen roll and dealt with the drips. “The dogs will get the rest of it when they come in.”
Silver carefully shut off the gas, poured the sauce over the rolled-up tortillas, and slid the pan into the oven with a relieved sigh.
“I hope it tastes okay. It’s Matilda’s day off so one of us has to cook, and neither of us are great at it.” She glanced at Kaiden. “You’re going to stay for dinner, right?”
“With that recommendation, how could I say no? Do you want me to set the table?” Kaiden asked.
“Sure. I think you know where everything is in this kitchen.”
“I sure do, seeing as I helped you plan it out.”
Kaiden got busy finding glasses, plates, and silverware while Silver worked on a salad and took some garlic bread out of the top oven. He liked the laid-back vibe in his brother’s house, which was a good reflection of both Ben’s and Silver’s personalities.
“When’s your next movie coming out?” Kaiden counted out the forks and knives and set them on the table.
“Not for a few months, thank goodness.” Silver sliced up the fragrant, crusty bread and put it in a covered basket. “I know Ben is anxious about Jeff, so I’m glad we can be around to keep an eye on his recovery.”
She went over to the huge refrigerator and opened the door. “Would you like a beer?”
“Only if you’re having one,” Kaiden replied.
“Well, duh.”
Just as they clinked their bottles together, Ben arrived with his two dogs in tow. He went over to Silver and kissed her right on the mouth.
“Hey, you.”
She kissed him back. “Thanks for not telling me Kaiden was coming. I almost threw a pan of cheese sauce at him.”
Ben grinned. “I only knew five minutes before you did.” He glanced over at Kaiden. “Did you creep up on her or something? Nice.” He helped himself to a beer and sat down at the table with a sigh.
“Everything okay on the ranch?” Kaiden asked.
“Yeah, we’re doing good. How’s it going at home? Is Dad out working yet?”
“I wouldn’t know.” Kaiden shrugged. “I’m spending most of my time down in Morgantown, or out on the Garcia Ranch finishing Juan’s kitchen.”
“You and Dad still not talking?” Ben frowned. “It’s been weeks.”
Kaiden took a sip of his beer as he considered his reply. “I don’t have anything I want to say to him right now.”
Silver nodded. “I know how that feels. It took me months to want to talk to my dad after he interfered between me and Ben.”
“But, it’s not like you, Kaiden.” Ben sat forward. “You’re usually the one we all rely on to fix things with Dad—to make things right.”
“Well, maybe I can’t fix things for myself,” Kaiden said. “Maybe I’m sick of being that guy.” He tried to smile. “Anyways, I didn’t come to