Page 54 of His Boys to Protect

Sky: Trust me, you do NOT get in the way of Charlie and his coffee! LOL!

Sky: But, seriously, there are actually studies that suggest coffee might have a different effect on neurodivergent brains compared to neurotypical ones. Coffee doesn't amp him up. If anything, it calms him down.

Ward had made a mental note to remember that.

He kept chatting with Charlie over breakfast, then had to put his phone aside to get ready for work. Ward didn't want to start off the week by being late. Hearing his phone vibrate, though, was painfully hard to resist.

Ward checked his phone one last time as he got into his truck, knowing he wouldn't be able to wait.

Charlie: Are you going to work now?

Me: Yeah. Just about to head out.

Charlie: Okay. Drive safe. NO TEXTING.

Charlie: You're not driving yet, are you?

Charlie: Don't read this if you are.

Me: No, not driving yet. But I do need to go.

Charlie: Okay. NO TEXTING.

Me: I promise.

Ward set his phone down, turned up the truck's stereo so he wouldn't hear if the phone vibrated, then headed off to work.

The air was foggy, and it only grew thicker as he left the city limits and turned onto the country road that led out to Vista Robles Winery. To either side of him, the oak trees and bare grapevines were hazy and faint. Ward resisted the urge to pull over and take some pictures for Charlie. He wondered if the boy would like it, seeing the land all sleepy and quiet like that.

Then Ward wondered what Skylar would think.

Geez. He had it bad.

He slowed down as he approached the entrance for Vista Robles, not even able to see the sign until he was right on top of it. Ward turned onto the property, drove past the tasting room, and wound his way through the vineyard until he reached thebarrel room and storage warehouse. Attached to that was the winemaker's office.

Ward spotted a sedan parked in John's usual spot. He was pretty sure that was Adam's car. He'd seen the boy drive John to and from work for a while after John's old truck got destroyed in a fire back over the summer. Ward pulled in next to the car, then hurried inside. He wasn't late, but he wasn't as early as he'd planned to be, either.

When he opened the office door, John and Adam sprang apart from a heated embrace.

John coughed. “Morning.”

“Morning,” Ward replied.

“Hey, Ward,” Adam said. The boy didn't look nearly as embarrassed at being caught as John did. If anything, Adam looked deliriously happy. Not a care in the world.

“Your truck okay?” Ward asked John.

“Oh, yeah. Had to take it in for an oil change after that trip to Idaho–”

“Because heaven forbid Daddy go onemileover the recommended service interval,” Adam interrupted with a teasing grin.

John narrowed his eyes at the boy, but there was a hint of a restrained smile on his face, too. “So we dropped it off this morning, and Adam drove me here,” John finished.

“Ah–”

“So?” Adam asked, cutting Ward off. “How was your date? Did you wind up seeing Sky? Was it super hot? Tell meeverything.”

Ward felt his cheeks turn red.

---