hay for the horses.”
Damien looked over his shoulder at the little guy who was picking up a long, rake-like tool and heading into one of the stalls. He seemed to know what he was doing and didn’t really mind. Which was yet another testament to how good of a mother Jemma was. The boy understood responsibility and teamwork and Jemma wasn’t afraid to give him work to do.
He wondered if Adriana had any chores. Probably not, he suddenly realized. The child was surrounded by servants who were paid to anticipate her needs. What chores would she possibly be allowed to do? Granted, the girl was only three years old, but it looked like Dylan was well used to accomplishing his chores. He supposed it was time for him to shift his parenting style in regards to Adriana. Jemma would help, he thought with admiration and respect. He watched her walking in front of him, admired the gentle sway of her hips and her sexy figure. She was the complete package, he realized. And he wanted it all!
“I’ll start dinner,” she said.
Damien stepped into the kitchen as well. “What can I do to help?”
Jemma was surprised that he would even offer and more than a little disconcerted that he was so close. “You could chop up the onions,” she offered as a way to get him over by the kitchen table instead of right next to her.
He took the onion and chopped it up. And then the celery, the carrots and potatoes. Anything she handed to him, he chopped up and she dumped into a big pot for soup. Adding chicken and bits of spices she’d grown in her back yard, she put a top over the pot just as Dylan walked inside. “Ready,” he said and jumped up onto his chair in the kitchen. “Can I have cookies?”
“Go wash your hands,” Jemma told him then looked at Damien. It was time, she knew. But her heart ached at the idea. Dylan wasn’t just hers anymore! It would never be just the two of them again.
With a deep breath, she pulled herself together.
“It’s going to be okay, Jemma,” he said and handed her a cookie, winking at her to help her smile.
Jemma looked down at the cookie and had to laugh. She gave Dylan cookies when he scraped his knee or when he’d done something good as a reward. “Yeah. I guess it will be.”
“We’ll make sure it is,” he told her, squeezing her hand gently.
“You guys aren’t going to kiss or anything,” Dylan asked, disgust apparent in his tone.
Jemma jumped and stepped back from Damien, but he took her hand again and pulled her closer. "Yes. We might. Do you object?” he asked.
Dylan went over to the cookie jar. “I just don’t want to see it,” he told her.
Damien chuckled at the boy’s reaction but he slipped an arm around her waist. “I think your mother has something to tell you.”
Dylan looked up at him curiously. “You have an accent,” he said as he sat down at his chair again. “Where are you from?”
“I grew up in Italy but I’ve lived all over the world.” He paused, looking at Jemma before he asked, “Would you like to visit Italy some day?”
He heard Jemma’s sharp intake of breath, but squeezed her hand gently, trying to tell her that things would be okay.
Dylan shrugged his shoulder. “Do they have horses and puppies in Italy?” he asked as if those were the most important criteria for a place having any interest.
“Yes. Of course they do.”
“Then yeah. Probably.” He continued to eat his cookies.
Jemma took a deep breath. “Dylan, do you remember our conversation about your father that you and I had about a year ago?”
Dylan looked up, his eyes starting to narrow. “Are you my dad?” Dylan asked, his cookie frozen halfway to his mouth as he waited for an answer.
Damien looked down at Jemma who was biting her lip and fighting tears. He wrapped his arm around her waist and squeezed gently. “I am,” he replied. “And I’m honored. I didn’t know that I had such a fine young man for a son,” he said and sat down at the table across from Dylan who still had forgotten about his cookie.
Leaning forward slightly, Dylan’s eyes widened even more as he asked, “So are you going to teach me how to hunt and fish and go camping?”
Damien laughed. “Yes. I can teach you to fish. I’m not so sure I can hunt very