Page 86 of Dr. Stone
“I see you two have formed a bond over aviation now, eh?” I said, walking out and joining the two guys who filled my heart with so much happiness.
“Oh, we’re best buds now, Mama,” Jace said.
“You found the way to each other’s hearts,” I smiled.
The way to each other’s hearts and mine, I thought.
Jace looked sexy as hell in his boardshorts and gray t-shirt. My eyes went straight to my favorite thing about him in a tee—those biceps straining against the sleeves, his chest perfectly defined beneath the soft cotton. Those damn muscles had kept me busy all night, and if I didn’t stop thinking about them, I’d probably call in sick just to demand we pick up where we left off.
“What time did you get up?” I asked, shifting gears. “I’m so sorry I slept through Brandon waking up. I didn’t hear a thing.”
Jace scooped Brandon up like he’d been doing it his whole life, kissed my cheek as he reached me, then gently transferred Brandon into my arms. Together, we headed inside to the chef’s kitchen, just left of the sliding doors that opened to the patio where I’d found him earlier.
“He’s already had breakfast. I made him oatmeal after he saw the box in my pantry and was wiggling and pointing at it. I figured he must’ve had it before, and I wasn’t wrong because he devoured it quicker than I devoured mine,” Jace chuckled. “Are you up for some oatmeal?”
“I’m just going to grab a power bar or something from the house,” I said, smacking his tight ass when he walked by. “You gave me the need for protein consumption this morning,” Iteased. “I need to run, though. I’ve got to get us ready for the day.”
“Well, change into something light and breezy, baby,” Jace said with a knowing grin, “because I called your boss, and you got the day off because you’re such a good girl.” He winked, then tossed a grape from the bowl on the kitchen counter into his mouth.
“You, what?” I asked with a laugh.
“You have the day off. Ash is delighted with the plans I’ve made for the three of us today, and she said the sitter was happy to take my two-pound nemesis as well,” he chuckled.
“You even got Duke all set up?” I asked in disbelief. “You’re going to pull me out of the real world and get my head so stuck in the clouds that I may never come back down to reality again.” I sighed. “And what about you? Don’t you have to work? Or did you call in sick or something, because if so, Jake will know you’re lying…”
“I go on-call for a seventy-two-hour shift tonight at seven,” he said. “This will be the last time I can spend with you for the next couple of days.” He stepped forward, kissed me again, and ruffled Brandon’s hair. “I don’t want to miss a moment with you if I don’t have to, and Ash was thrilled with the idea.”
“You, Dr. Stone, are blowing my mind.” I smiled and stepped forward to hug him with my free arm. I kissed his cheek and looked into his vibrant eyes, “Well? Now that’s all squared away, what unexpected treat do you have planned for us?”
“That’s for you to find out once Jake drops off the Range Rover,” he said, grabbing an apple, chomping into it, smiling, and brushing the tip of his finger over my nose.
“Jake is dropping off Ash’s car?” I cringed at how inconvenient and imposing we were becoming to our friends these days.
“Trust me, Jake makes my sorry, love-struck ass pay for putting him out,” he said, taking another big bite of his apple. “It gives him the perfect excuse to manipulate me into handing over whatever car he wants from my collection—again.”
I shook my head, “Oh, man. What are they going to do with us?”
“They’re just happy that we managed to get together like they all wanted.” He glanced down at his watch. “That’s the gate, Jake’s here. You can either leave your car here, or give me a minute to transfer toys, then I’ll give you a ride to your place, and we’ll head out from there.”
“I’ll go now. I need to give Brandon a quick bath and pack some snacks for this fun little day you’ve planned for us.”
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known,” he said, kissing my cheek before he turned to head toward his garage entry.
I was parked near the path that led down to his private marina access, so I’d have to thank Jake and Ash later for everything they’d been doing for Jace and me during these spontaneous adventures that Jace had planned.
Within the hour, Jace, Brandon, and I were loaded into Ash’s car. Honestly, having friends who went so far out of their way for us felt surreal. And then there was this man beside me—someone I hadn’t expected much from—now lowering every wall he had to make this work. He wasn’t just interested in me; he was falling for Brandon, too.
Part of me was terrified. Because here I was, looking at an insanely attractive man who seemed to be falling too hard, too fast…and everyone knows how that story usually ends. I wanted to tell us both to slow down before this thing derailed completely. But damn it, I was addicted to the rush of riding alongside him.
At least he was on call tonight. It would give us space to breathe, to process, to find a steadier pace. I knew what people would say about how I was handling this—that I was uptight, too cautious. But I had to protect my son and myself. Most single moms didn’t bring someone new around their child until things were much more serious than Jace and I were. I couldn’t afford to lose myself in a fantasy. Brandon needed a mother who stayed grounded, not one swept away in reckless love. Those days were behind me.
“Oh, my goodness,” I said with intrigue and delight as we pulled into the parking lot of our destination. “You brought us to the science museum? What made you think of this?”
“After seeing how excited Brandon was with that airplane this morning, I couldn’t resist making a couple of calls and bringing him here.” He smiled at me, “I think he’ll like the planetarium exhibit, too.” He glanced back at Brandon, sound asleep in his car seat, “If he wakes up, anyway.”
“He’ll wake right up,” I said, leaning over to kiss him. “You’re adorable, and thank you for thinking about him instead of just me.” I smiled, then turned to step out of the car before I was stopped by Jace’s strong hand.
My eyes met his. “I wouldn’t have this any other way with you,” he said. “The way I see it, you and Brandon are a package deal, and I need to work for the privilege of being with you both.”
