Page 90 of Silas's Sweetheart

Dad wasn’t wrong. Silas had seen firsthand how fraught Oakland had gotten. The unflappable head of security looked fit to be tied, which was something Silas had thought was impossible.

“Where is everyone else?” Popi asked, squinting at the screen. “Did anyone say anything to Jup?”

Silas had stayed up at the ranch house when the others had all gone into Bayfield, looking for some entertainment. He’d encouraged Ziggy to go into town with the others, knowing he’d be in no mood for drinking and dancing. Bayfield had a couple of bars, but the one most popular with the ranch hands was Ranch-Down, a bar owned by Trey, who Silas liked. Trey had worked hard to cater to the townsfolk and made the bar a place folks wanted to visit.

Silas shook his head, then had to push back his bangs when they fell over his forehead, annoying him. “Nope, I mentioned there was an issue but didn’t go into details, though you know Jup. He likely figured it’s worse than I said.”

Popi released a sigh that made Emmy fuss in his arms. “It’s fine baby girl. Great-popi didn’t mean to upset you.”

Silas chuckled at how Dad, even though he rolled his eyes at him, immediately made soothing noises, offering Emmy his thumb to suck.

“I wouldn’t let Frey see you doing that. Haven’t they broken Emmy out of the habit of sucking thumbs that aren’t her own?”

“They have and I keep forgetting, damn. Please don’t tell them I lapsed… again!” he muttered, encouraging her to suck her own thumb.

Silas’s laughter increased at how sheepish Dad looked as he eyed him, assessing if Silas was serious about spilling the beans.

Popi grinned at Silas. “How are things going with Ziggy?”

Despite the newness of the situation between them and usually being more reserved about his personal life, Silas could see how much Popi needed something positive to think about. It wasn’t because he wanted to talk about Ziggy—it wasn’t.

“I told him I loved him,” he blurted out, getting a squeal from Popi and a sharp-eyed look from Dad.

“How wonderful, Silas. My baby declared his love for his omega! Did you hear that, Derick?”

“The entire house heard you, my love,” Dad replied dryly. “I don’t think screeching is going to help Emmy fall asleep, though.”

The little girl in question hadn’t opened her eyes, though she was sucking madly on her own thumb. Popi didn’t look in the least cowed as he cooed, “So the romancing strategy worked?”

Dad choked out a laugh, which Silas pretended not to hear while he considered how to explain he’d done none of what Popi had suggested. Except for being honest, he’d done that.

“Why are you looking like that?” Popi demanded, getting closer to the screen to peer at Silas. “What have you done?”

“I…” The lie burned his tongue at how Popi held his stare, daring him to utter it. “He fainted, and I took care of him. I got Petey to make up a picnic basket.” All the truth.

“He fainted! Is he okay?” Popi gasped, paling.

Silas rushed to reassure him he was fine. “His snake isn’t keen on horses and got a little worked up when Ethan was showing off in the paddock.”

“Understandable, with him being a snake. They don’t really get on with horses, do they?”

“If you figured that out, Popi, why didn’t you think to mention it before?”

Popi’s smile widened. “Now why would I do that when you might have changed your mind about taking Ziggy to the ranch? It worked out, didn’t it, so I can’t see an issue here.”

Silas wasn’t sure whether the smugness annoyed him or amused him. It was a close call when he hadn’t considered how a snake might react to a horse. It was an easy thing to overlook when Ziggy was so big in his snake form and had chased off a bear, wasn’t it?

“Popi, you are a terror!”

He fluttered his eyelashes at Silas. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yes, you do,” Dad said, giving Popi a loving look that came with a thousand happy memories for Silas.

“You’re as bad, Dad.”

“What,” he blustered. “I am not.”

“You keep believin’ that!”

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