know what you saw in him. But before that, I think I got my fortune told without even being asked.”
Easton laughed. “You met Lady Mallory. Are you gonna die next week?”
“No, thank god. But apparently she knew I was coming and my unrest is at an end. Something about moving from the darkness into the light. I don’t know what the hell that meant. Then she kissed my palm and walked away.”
Easton’s brows rose. “You got a good fortune. You must be somethin’ special. That woman likes to put the fear of God in most people and tell them she sees their untimely demise just around the corner. I was supposed to be crushed by a meteor three years ago.”
“Really?”
“Yup. Can’t imagine how I avoided that. Last month, she changed her mind and told me I’d get beheaded by an ax-wielding escaped psychopath. So, you know, time’s tickin’.”
I chuckled. “Well, she’s strange, and I didn’t understand what she was trying to tell me, to be honest.”
“It’s gossipy around here. But you get used to it.”
“I got that sense. Josiah seems to be at the center of it all.”
“Then you haven’t met Randaleigh McCaffrey. That woman knows everyone’s business. You’d know if you met her. She’s notorious for wearin’ these gaudy sweaters that clash and have baubles and shiny things on ’em.”
I jolted upright and smacked Easton’s shoulder. “I have met her! Last time I was here. At the brewery. I remember thinking the woman was a sight and a half, and I needed sunglasses just to be in her presence.”
Easton nodded while he grinned. “That’s her. Her husband’s nice, though. A regular, normal Joe. But there’s a sayin’ in town about old Randa. If you want a message to get around, you have three ways to do it. Telephone, telegram, or tell a Randaleigh.”
I chuckled just as Percy burst out of his bedroom again, wearing another pair of Levi’s and a Marvel T-shirt. He glowed with his toothy grin as he held out the hem along the bottom and looked down at himself. “This one is so cool.”
“We won’t need to back-to-school shop at this rate,” Easton said.
“I’ve got lots now, East. I even got new socks and underwear. Wanna see?”
He moved to unbuckle his belt, and both Easton and I jumped at the same time, shouting, “No!”
“You don’t need to show off your underwear, buddy. That’s private,” Easton said.
Percy sulked. “But they’re Spider-Man. They’re so cool.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll see ’em when I have to wash ’em.”
With a huff, he returned to his bedroom.
“I bought myself new underwear too,” I whispered in his ear. “Should I assume they’re too private to show you?”
Easton nudged me with a wicked grin. “Later. I’ll make a thorough inspection.” With a glance at the hallway, he leaned in and stole a kiss, wrapping his hand around the back of my neck. His tongue slipped inside my mouth and skated across mine. “Will you spend the night?” he mumbled into our connection.
“I’d love that.”
“Mmm. Me too.”
He kissed me again, and we lost track of time and our surroundings until a jaded eight-year-old whined about grossness.
Chapter Twenty
Easton
Lachlan was at the farm every day over the course of the following weeks. Because I spent a good portion of my time teaching lessons and working with the horses, he tended to wait until later in the afternoon before he showed up.
But he always showed up.
Not once did he mention his work or returning to Edmonton. Fearing the answer, I never asked. I didn’t know what was happening in that aspect, but every day I waited for him to tell me he was leaving.
Dad watched Percy while we had another dinner date in town. This time, we managed it without endless insults and arguing. He’d spent the night a few times, and each time we’d foregone the idea of sleeping in exchange for exploring each other’s nakedness and seeing how many times we could make each other come.
Due to our discovered incompatibility in the bedroom, we hadn’t had full-blown anal sex yet. I wasn’t sure if we would, seeing as we were both pretty hard-headed and stubborn. Regardless, I enjoyed what we had and couldn’t get enough of him. It was harder and harder to keep my hands off him outside the bedroom, but between Dad and Percy, we took a hell of a lot of teasing.
Percy had been living with me for two weeks when I told him Lachlan and I were going for an evening ride and