Page 67 of Tempt Me

“Why here?”

Indigo stares at me like I’m cutting out his heart and throwing it in the trash. Though I figured I was doing him a favor by joining him, I’ve obviously interrupted his quiet time. No, no, I realize I’m keeping him from listening to Siobhan.

Petting Sleepy, I let the silence linger between Indigo and me. He still frowns like I’m a dick. I try not to smile, but his gaze is so intense.

Finally, I chuckle. “You’re making me want to cry.”

“Fuck off.”

“Why are you so hostile?”

I listen for Siobhan and hear one of the twins speaking. Her voice seems farther away, and I think they’re heading back toward the houses.

As Indigo’s rage deflates, he returns to stroking the dogs. “It’s weird to be grounded to the farm. I haven’t gone this long without riding in years.”

“Won’t be much longer.”

“You’re just guessing.”

“The feds have enormous resources to hunt down assholes. They’ll figure out who hired the mercenaries.”

“Then, what? If the guy’s arrested, does that really make anyone safe? He’s got to go to trial. He might flee. Lots of shit can happen.”

“I’m trying to think positive.”

Indigo shrugs and disappears into his head. Before he can hide from me, I ask, “I thought the twins were going back to Sync’s place today.”

“He said he’d give up his visitation time, so they could stay here with their mom until Carys has the baby.”

“That’s smart. The twins are on edge, and they do better with their mom nearby.”

“Yeah, but Sync’s niceness wasn’t free. He talked Siobhan into giving him extra visitation time in the summer, so he can take the girls to a kid-themed resort.”

Studying Indigo, I consider how to approach the Siobhan thing.

“Have you ever thought about being a dad?”

Indigo’s eyes open and stare overly direct at me. “I have the dogs.”

“Well, you have one dog. Sleepy is still mine. That doesn’t change if he lives here with you after Hunter and I get a place together.”

“Sure, but I’ll be the one taking care of him. That makes him mine, like how Aunt Fred is our mom because she takes care of us.”

I want to complain. Hell, my mouth even opens to start bitching. Sleepy is my damn dog! I’m not abandoning anyone.

However, I zip my lips when I recall Indigo’s little brother. They were in the system together, bouncing from one foster family to another and then back to their crazy mom. Indigo once said he taught his brother to tie his shoes and ride his bike.

“I was a good big brother,” he mentioned when we were stoned behind the barn.

Once their mom got hit by a bus, there was no more bouncing. His brother was younger, cuter, and less fucked-up, so he got adopted by a family who didn’t want the boy’s bigger, weirder brother.

“You can keep the dogs,” I tell Indigo. “They should stay together.”

“I know.”

“I know you know, but I just decided.”

“You already decided.”

---