Page 107 of From the Ashes
“No, baby. We won’t be mean. We love your dad, and although our family looks a little different than most, we’re still a family,” she assures him.
“Does this mean I get a mom andtwodads? Who live on a farm? And have horses that I can visit all the time?”
Alexis and I share a look before she laughs. “I guess it does.”
Oh boy, how do I break this news to Phoe?
“Hot damn!” Colton yells.
Alexis immediately opens her mouth to reprimand him, but I remind her, “You said he gets a pass today.”
She cuts her eyes to me before looking back at Colt. “One.That was yourone pass, young man.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he says, finally returning to Roxy’s mane.
I pull Alexis into a full-on embrace as I whisper into her hair. “I will never be able to thank you enough.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Just show up for Colt, that’s all I ask.”
“Consider it done.” Turning back to my son, I ask if he’s ready to ride.
“Finalllyyyyyy,” he says with a grin like he’s been waiting a thousand years for this.
I have a little trouble getting the girth tight enough because of my wrist, but my left hand does a decent enough job for a walk around the ring. At the absolute most, we’ll trot, but this old girl isn’t getting out of control. I climb on first—being in a saddle is always weird after training bareback—and then help Colton climb on in front of me.
My boots are in the stirrups because his legs aren’t long enough to reach, and his short legs dangle over the broad mare’s back.
“I’ll lead her to the ring and then you can take over once we get there. That sound okay?”
He nods.
“Oh, wait, let me grab a picture,” Alexis says, holding up her phone. Colton and I dutifully face her. I’m looking at Colt’s smile when she presses the button.
“Send that to me, will ya?” I ask.
“Already done. I’ll see you guys out at the ring.”
The feeling of being back on a horse is overwhelming enough, but to do it with my son in my arms…and having himknowhe’s my son…there are no words I could use to capture the peace and joy in my heart right now.
The restof the day seems to fly by. After riding horses for two hours, swimming in the pond in his underwear, and getting his butt handed to him by Phoe in cornhole, Colton is completely tuckered out by six.
It’s been one of the best days of my life.
We say our goodbyes to everyone until only Knox is left. Phoenix and Kevin are cleaning up while Knox and I relax with a beer on the porch.
“Kid’s pretty awesome,” Knox says gruffly, making me laugh.
“Thanks. Wish I had literallyanythingto do with that, but outside of knocking up an amazing woman, I can’t honestly say that I did.” When he doesn’t even offer a grunt in response, I press for more. “What’s your story?”
He looks over at me, obviously debating whether or not he’s going to say anything. I see the slight shrug of his shoulders and can almost hear him mutterfuck itto himself as he starts.
“I was married once to a woman who loved the idea of me, but never truly loved me. I wanted a big family. She didn’t. One day, she up and left. Only way I knew she wasn’t coming back was because of the note on the kitchen counter that saidThis isn’t working for me. Her ring was on top. Lost my dad a year later, and it’s kind of been survival mode ever since. I’m too old to be at the fire station like I am, but I probably would’ve drowned in the bottle if I hadn’t found the boys.” He grows quiet and picks at the label of his beer bottle. “Although, now it kind of feels like it did when my dad died. Everyone’s all paired up but me. I don’t see Hudson and Jake nearly as much as I used to, and I suspect you and Phoe will get busy with your own thing soon enough. Besides, Jake barely works a shift at the fire station anymore, I suspect Hudson will quit soon so he doesn’t have to leave Shannon and the kids alone overnight once the new baby comes, and Phoe’s out so he can go on the road with you. Just a lot of shit is changing for me.”
“Hey man, you’re welcome here literally any time,” I tell him, surprised by how much I mean it.
He snorts. “And have front row seats to all your raunchysex and Phoe’s inability to keep his hands off you? I’ll pass. Besides, I’m starting to feel too old for this crowd.”
“Age is just a number,” I tell him quickly, but it doesn’t take a genius to realize he isn’t buying it, so I try a different tactic. “Knox, let’s be real. You’re hot, you’re in good shape, you have a boat and own your own company. You’re a catch. The only person standing in your way is you.”
