Page 43 of Stud Ranch

“Shaw?” Her voice wobbled.

“I do care, you know. I am interested in our daughter’s life. It was just too damn hard not being with you.”

The croak in his voice had Dylan’s gut in knots. Sloane’s eyes brimmed with tears.

“How did you two meet?” Dylan’s question brought both of his lovers out of their heads enough to focus on something besides their past, something he knew they needed right now.

Shaw’s lips quirked at one corner. “It was at a party. She was there with some famous people.”

“Celebrities,” she explained to Dylan. “Shaw liked my butt.”

Dylan chuckled, but Shaw’s expression grew serious.

“Nope. I fell for those eyes. It was always about your eyes.”

A long heartbeat stretched between them.

Dylan’s quip cut through the moment. “It’s the boobs for me.”

They both laughed, and he joined in too…but he would always be on the outside.

* * * * *

Shaw spotted the cabin first. Dylan stopped riding and brought a hand up to shade his eyes against the glare of the sun.

“Damn, they really did fix up that old cabin,” Dylan said.

“Yeah, it looks like they doubled the size at least.”

“What is it?” Sloane stared over the pasture at the log cabin perched at the edge.

“Some former Boot Knockers live here. The ranch bigwigs put them in charge of the herd.”

“So they left behind their other duties on the ranch?” Curiosity burned in her tone.

“Yup.” Shaw’s idea to ride to this pasture had been for the scenery alone, born from the desire to give Sloane a good memory to take home with her. Now that they were here, it seemed rude not to stop in and pay a visit to their friends.

“C’mon.” He spurred his horse, sending it into a light trot.

Dylan and Sloane trailed behind him at a slower pace. When he reached the edge of the pasture, the taller grasses transitioned to a small patch of mown lawn.

A familiar man walked around the back of the house and stopped in his tracks. A huge smile spread over Piers’s face when he spied Shaw.

“I didn’t expect company today!”

Shaw dismounted and walked straight over to his buddy. They clasped hands and Shaw brought him in for a bro-hug.

Piers thumped him on the back. “Damn, it’s good to see you. Everything’s okay on the ranch, right? They told me Avril had her baby boy—not that you’d know anything about that.”

Shaw scrubbed a finger over the bridge of his nose. “I might.”

Piers had been in the conference room when Shaw burst in to tell everyone that Avril’s water broke.

Piers chuckled, then looked past him as Dylan and Sloane entered the yard. “I see you brought Sylvee some company. She’ll be thrilled.”

He threw a wave to Dylan and Sloane before walking to the front of the cabin. He opened the door and called inside. Seconds later, a woman and man exited, beaming at their unexpected guests.

Shaw turned, arm out to invite Sloane closer to meet the others.

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