Page 15 of Charming But Reckless

When I arrived a few hours later, I was met with Jackson’s easy grin. “Hey there, city slicker,” he teased.

“Are we already starting the name calling?” I grabbed my bag from the back and met him at the bottom of the steps to the main house.

“Not name calling, just facts. You don’t even have any boots on. How will you make it around here?

I rolled my eyes at his dramatic tone. Yeah, I wasn’t a ranch hand, but I could survive here. I’d made it in far rougher places.

The only thing I needed to do was blend in. I could let myself settle into the stay until I reached some kind of lead. Then I’d take to the road to get answers.

Speaking of which, I realized I probably wouldn’t be staying at the main house. Not because I wouldn’t be welcome, but because the hands usually stayed in the bunkhouse.

“Should I move my truck?”

He shook his head. “Not right now. Let’s get you inside and fed. I’m sure you’re hungry. Besides, Beau is barely containing himself from tackling you. He’s excited to have another person here for a visit.”

I laughed at that. I could imagine Beau being eager to have someone around. He’s always had a larger-than-life personality.

“Not sure how long I’ll be here,” I said as a reply.

Jackson nodded. “That’s fine. Sean and Atticus are cool with visitors and friends coming by. Keeps everyone in a good mood to have company. Besides, with the way the market has grown, we’re used to not being alone anymore.”

I followed him up the stairs and inside the front door. I dropped my bag by the entry before taking in the space. What I saw warmed my heart.

Beau was on the floor wedged between Sol and Dakota. All three were working on a gigantic puzzle.

“We’ve almost got the edges done. Then we can focus on the middle part,” Dakota told the others.

“That’s right, big guy. We’ll have this baby done in no time. Then we’ll tell Daddy Jackson who’s the boss.”

Jackson cleared his throat, which drew their attention our way. Beau grinned, having obviously known we were there. Dakota chuckled at his parents, obviously used to their dynamic.

The reaction that interested me the most was Sol’s. He didn’t seem surprised, nor was he bothered at the romantic teasing between the men. In fact, he looked more settled than he had in any of the updates I’d gotten.

I guess you couldn’t capture contentment in a photograph. Not truly, anyway.

“Hey there. How's it going?” I eased into a chair across from where they were working.

Jackson moved past me toward a hall I knew led to the kitchen. “I’ll grab you something and be right back. Harlan always has leftovers.”

I smiled in thanks before turning back to the group. Beau and Dakota went back to their puzzle, both ignoring the obvious tension in the room.

Could I be too much of a reminder of what happened to him? Or was the look he threw my way curiosity because he wanted to know if I’d found his father?

Sol’s stare lasted until Jackson brought back my plate of food. I dug in right away, my hunger worse than I’d realized. When I finished, I went to the kitchen to clean up behind me. That and I needed a moment just to figure out what came next.

There were so many questions I had for Sol. I knew he could lead me to his dad if only he’d speak to me.

But I also knew how hard what he was going through was. If he didn’t want to talk as a way to deal with his trauma, then I owed him the time and patience to wait.

In the meantime, I’d keep hunting and doing what I could to find answers. If it went on for too long, I’d make a contingency plan for Sol’s care.

Maybe I could become his guardian? Could Tank convince a judge that it was a good idea?

I jolted at the idea.

Was I even fit to be a parent? It wasn’t something I had on my mind often. Honestly, it had been years since I last considered it. And back then, we’d been on projects nearly back-to-back, so it was an obvious no.

Children need time and attention. They needed patience from their caregivers. I couldn’t provide that with my work at NightShade.

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