Page 36 of Summer Redemption

“That’s a good name,” I assure him.

“I like it too,” August adds as he pops up on my other side. He gives me a quick side hug and then he’s gone again.

“Well,” I grin down at Mack, “I think he has a name now.”

Macklin grins and nods as he grabs my hand and pulls me away from Huxley. He doesn’t stop until we’re standing at the dining room table.

I glance over at Hux and then around as everyone starts taking a seat. I’m about to make an excuse and leave, but the knowledge that this is my family has me sitting down.

Even though it’s early, the conversation is light and filled with laughter as food gets passed around. Being surrounded by everyone, even though it’s chaotic and loud, brings me peace.

Macklin is begging to go and see the colt while August watches knowing he’ll be going out to the barn as well.

“I’ll need to draw some blood and do a test,” I inform the boys. “It would be a good idea for me to have two assistants.”

The boys light up and nod with so much enthusiasm that I can’t help but laugh. I’ll have the best vet assistants in the history of vet assistants with the two of them.

The conversation shifts to other topics, and I soak it all up. Hux reaches over and rests his hand on my upper thigh. Histouch lights me up from the inside out. It’s not easy to ignore the possession in his touch.

It’s a damn good thing he’s the only one I want to be with.

“Are you moving to the ranch, Sunshine?” Macklin’s question, asked with so much innocence and hope, quiets everyone at the table as all eyes swing toward me.

My cheeks heat and I’m momentarily stunned. Not by his question, necessarily, he’s just a boy and doesn’t understand that some questions are better left unasked. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

“Why are you asking?” Eden prompts her son, her voice gentle.

Macklin shrugs one shoulder like he hasn’t brought the conversation around the table to a stop. “I just figured she was. She’s here a lot and Uncle Hux gets all googly eyed around her like Daddy does with you and Uncle Noel does with Delaney.” He scrunches up his face like he’s thinking really hard about the situation. “Delaney was supposed to leave, but Uncle Noel convinced her and August to stay here with us. When their house is built, Uncle Hux will be all alone here, and he needs Sunshine to move in with him.”

From the mouths of fucking babes.

“We haven’t talked about it,” I tell Macklin, finding my voice and figuring honesty is better than trying to dismiss his question because it comes from a genuine place of curiosity.

“Yet,” Huxley adds on, and I turn my wide eyes to him.

“Has anyone heard from Carson lately?” Noel’s question lands about as gracefully as an elephant, but I welcome the swift, and awkward, change in subject.

When I shoot him a grateful smile, he winks at me and pulls Delaney closer to him before kissing her temple. She’s trying so hard to hide her laughter at my discomfort, but it dances in her eyes.

We’ve gotten the chance to talk and get to know each other over the last few weeks. From what she’s said, Noel was just as persistent with her as Huxley has been with me. She came to the ranch, thinking it was going to be for a limited time. Now she’s here to stay. They plan to travel a little throughout the year so she can continue to work and get other equine therapy programs off the ground, but their home will always Limitless.

I can’t say I blame her for wanting to set down roots here. It’s beautiful and there’s something about the Burns men. Once they set their hearts and minds to something, they don’t let go easily.

“I talked to her a few weeks ago,” there’s a hint of worry in Fletcher’s voice when he answers. “She sounded off, but she wouldn’t talk about it.” He looks at his youngest brother. “She was always more open with you, maybe you should try and find out what’s going on?”

Huxley gets a thoughtful expression on his face. “The last time I talked to her she said she was still doing really well in Denver and loving the shop where she’s working.”

“She became a tattoo artist, right?” I clarify.

The brothers nod and I remember seeing a shop in town I don’t remember being there before I left eight years ago. If it wasn’t open then, I can see why she left Wintervale to follow her dreams. I’ve never seen her artwork, but if she’s doing well in a city like Denver, then I would think she’s good.

“She was gushing about a tattoo convention she had gone to out in Vegas, but wouldn’t tell me much about it,” Hux offerswith a shrug. When he meets Fletcher’s intense gaze, he nods. “I’ll give her a call. I’m sure she’d like to hear about the new colt.”

“You sound like a proud papa,” I tease him.

Something flashes in his eyes, but it’s there and gone before I can identify it. His grin turns teasing, and he winks at me.

“I’m thinking about putting out a birth announcement in the paper,” he jokes.

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