Page 31 of Charming But Reckless

I kept my position for a minute as I let the cold take over my body. The wind helped ease the heat his gaze had sent through me. I was no longer at risk for indecency.

A quick change later, I was back in the kitchen and watching a stoic Harlan showing my son how to scramble eggs. The pair was huddled together near the stove with Sol on a stool that looked custom built.

Orion moved to stand beside me; his arms crossed. “They’ve been really good with him. He’s learned a lot and besides the nightmares, it’s been like any normal kid on a ranch.”

“Nightmares?”

“Yeah. I’ll explain it all later. Let’s get you fed, then later, we’ll let reality creep back in.”

I understood what he meant. None of this felt real. It was too much of a dream for me to find them both in a place as idyllic as this.

We stood watching the two guys in the kitchen finish plating up the food. Once Harlan deemed it ready to go, Sol thanked him with a hug and a wave. He climbed off the stool, then carefully brought the plate over to me.

“This looks delicious!”

His smile grew at my praise, just as I’d hoped it would. My boy had truly done a good job with this meal.

“Can I go play with Dakota?” Sol asked.

Orion sighed, then gave him a nod. “Stick with him and Beau. They could probably use some extra hands.”

Sol ran out of the room at lightning speed. I had to stop eating because I got too choked up seeing him just being a kid again. I’d feared the worst when he was taken. There was no way to know how much he’d be changed when he came back to me.

“It’s amazing to see him like that.”

I turned to Orion. “How so?”

“Because he would barely say a single word before you got here. When we were back in the office, I couldn’t get him to tell me anything. Getting his name took a lot of work and building his trust. Then you got here, and he’s a chatty Kathy.”

Snorting at the nickname, I shook my head. “He’s always been that way. It feels completely insane for me to think of him being reserved. He’s the first to jump in and the first to speak up.”

“That’s not the kid I first met.”

His words sent my thoughts to a dark place. What happened to my son to make him close himself off that way? How bad could it have gotten?

Orion grabbed my hand. “Hey now. Don’t go thinking about that.”

“But you just said?—”

“I know what I said. It’s still not something you should be thinking about. Worrying over it won’t change things. He’ll tell you when he’s ready. You being here is already making a huge difference.”

His words grounded me in the moment. I could do this. I could continue to show up and be there for my kid.

No matter what came next, I’d have his back. He was my whole world.

Looking at Orion, I felt like maybe I should amend that thought. Because while Sol was my primary focus and always would be, my old friend felt like he was quickly becoming a pretty big part of my world too.

A few dayspassed in peaceful bliss. I got back on a normal sleep schedule. We woke up early to eat with the other men on the ranch. I learned about their stories and how they’d all come to find love in a place this secluded.

Sol would play with Dakota during the day. The two got on really well, which gave me a tiny bit of guilt I’d never been able to give him a sibling. Then again, I was struggling as it was as a single dad, what with him being taken. I couldn’t imagine two of my children in that scenario.

The more time passed, the more I realized it wasn’t my fault that he’d been trafficked. It was the fault of the evil peoplewho thought people were property. I’d done everything right. I’d been a good dad.

And still, my kid fell victim to their disgusting ways.

One morning, Orion sat beside me at breakfast and put his hand on my thigh. The touch burned, sending a shooting desire of need up my spine.

I froze, unsure why he’d chosen that moment to do something so bold. When I looked at him, his face was a picture of innocence. He wasn’t even fucking looking my way.

---