Page 51 of A Taste of Whiskey
“Oh,no,” Sasha said, looking uncomfortable at Layla’s prodding. “I’m…” She glanced at Ezra. “Just a family friend.”
Just a family friend, my ass.She wasn’tjustanything, but he couldn’t tell this woman that. He had no idea who she’d blab it to.
“Really?” Layla’s eyes lit up, and she zeroed in on Ezra again. “In that case, we should get the kids together for a playdate. Maybe we can do pizza and a movie one night.”
Fucking secret.“Our schedule is super busy, but I’ll see what we can do.”
“Great. You can get my number off the family roster,” Layla suggested, her eyes remaining trained on Ezra, as if Sasha didn’t exist.
Grinding his back teeth, he put his hand on Sasha’s back. “We should get going.”
“It was nice to meet you,” Sasha said.
“Yes,” Layla said coolly, turning a warmer tone to Ezra. “I look forward to hearing from you.” She called out, “Annie, honey, let’s go.”
“Bye, Gus!” Annie skipped over to her mother.
“Bye!” Gus hollered.
As they walked away, Sasha said, “Someone wants to have an adult playdate with you.”
“That’snothappening.”
GUS FELL ASLEEP on the drive back to the ranch, and Sasha was glad Ezra had taken advantage of that time to hold her hand. He must have brought her hand to his lips and kissed it half a dozen times as they’d talked quietly. When they got home, Gus asked him to make hot dogs over the fire for dinner and begged Sasha to join them and to bring her guitar so they could play together.
Sasha took care of the horses and went to shower. Ezra’s scent lingered in her bedroom, and when she showered, she felt him there, too, bathing her with his caring hands, kissing her beneath the warm spray, and loving her body like it had never been loved before. She wanted to bottle up those feelings and scents so they never disappeared.
They ate by the fire and played I Spy with Gus. Ezra was being playful and silly, saying he spied an ant and a hot dog in Gus’s belly and other ridiculous things that he insisted he saw, which made Gus crack up. When it was time for Gus to go to bed, he turned those big brown eyes on Sasha, asking if she would read him a bedtime story with his daddy.
One story turned into three, but Sasha didn’t mind. She loved listening to Ezra’s deep, soothing voice as he read the last pages ofIf I Was a Horse, Gus’s final bedtime story. Gus was lying between them in his twin bed. His cheeks were sun-kissed, his eyelids heavy, and in his pudgy little hand, he clutched Moxie, the stuffed horse Sasha had given him when he was three. He’d named it after her horse. Its ear was threadbare from Gus rubbing it between his tiny fingers and thumb. He’d done it since the day she’d given it to him, and she’d already had to sew the ear back on once.
She let her mind wander to places she shouldn’t, imagining a future with them. One in which they wouldn’t have to hide that included Sunday afternoons like today and nights like this. She thought about Layla and knew she was probably one of many women who vied for Ezra’s attention. Sasha had wanted to tell her that they were more than friends, but she could never risk everything Ezra had worked so hard for just to stake her claim on him. The funny thing was, while she was jealous of Layla flirting with him, she wasn’t insecure about her arrangement with Ezra. She trusted him and knew in her heart that when he said he’d only be with her, she could take him at his word.
Ezra quietly closed the book, drawing her from her thoughts, and she realized Gus was asleep. He looked peaceful and happy, and so did his daddy, gazing at her like she belonged there. She knew that was her heart running away with her thoughts again, and she needed to get a grip on that. But it felt good, so why not tiptoe in that field while she could?
She started to get off the bed, and Gus’s eyes opened.
“G’night kiss,” Gus said sleepily, reaching for her.
She hugged him and kissed his forehead. “I love you, Gusto.”
“Love you, too.” He kissed her cheek, skinny arms still around her neck. “Can we have a sleepover?”
Yes, please.She looked at Ezra and saw the same desire in his eyes.
“Tomorrow’s a work and camp day, buddy,” Ezra said.
“Another day?” he pleaded.
Ezra’s lips twitched, like he wanted to agree. “We’ll see.”
“Okay.” Gus kissed Sasha’s cheek again. “Another kiss?”
She laughed softly and kissed him again before climbing off the bed. “Good night, sweet boy.”
“G’night, Sugar.”
Gus turned and snuggled into Ezra. He brushed Gus’s hair off his forehead, whispering, “I had a great day with you, buddy.”
