Page 96 of Cowboy's Last Stand
“Stop!”Jason barked.“Get out of the way.”
“But I want to help,” Marcus argued.
“Marcus—” Natalie warned.
“No!”Jason said shortly.
The boy stomped down the steps while Jason and Natalie maneuvered the loveseat through the doorway.
“Over there,” Jason said.“By the fireplace.”
They placed it on the floor with a final heave.Then Natalie collapsed on the loveseat and buried her head in her hands, giggling hysterically.Jason leaned over the side of the couch and laughed with her.The tension between them had reached its breaking point.The physical exertion, paired with a close call, had made them both giddy.
“I told you he’d be the death of me,” she choked.
“You didn’t say he’d be the death ofme,” he replied, shaking his head.“What did he ask you last night?If you had a tummy ache?”
The memory of the interruption brought fresh gales of laughter from her.Jason hadn’t laughed then because he’d been too sexually frustrated, but he laughed now.Jesus.The kid’s timing was unbelievable.
When they were calm again, Natalie studied him with smiling eyes.“People don’t understand what it’s like to be a parent because it’s made of moments like this.You have to experience it firsthand.”
Jason felt a strange sensation inside his chest as if a fist had squeezed his heart.He didn’t know how to be a parent or a partner.He just wanted to be there for her and Marcus, and she was letting him.She was taking him into her confidence, sharing her world with him.He found it humbling and endearing.
She rose to study the space.She touched the retro dining table and the fringed lampshade.“These are my grandparents’ antiques.”
“Yes.”
She moved toward the mattress, toeing it with her shoe.“You’re going to sleep here, by the window.”
He didn’t say anything.The arrangement spoke for itself.
“Some real sheets and blankets would help.”
Jason agreed, from an aesthetic standpoint.He’d planned to bring in his sleeping bag, which probably smelled like wood smoke and dirty socks.Although he liked the idea of pretending to be outdoors, near an open window and a blazing fire, the camp gear didn’t inspire romantic thoughts.Nor did it offer hints of stability.“Do you have extra sheets?”
She nodded.“I’ll bring them up.”
While she disappeared into the house, Jason pulled Marcus aside.“Your mom wanted me to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“She thinks you heard me say I wanted to hurt someone.”
“I did hear you,” Marcus confirmed.“I’m going to help you kill the firecracker man, but we have to keep it a secret.”
Jason wanted to smile because the kid was so goddamned adorable.He realized that he hadn’t just fallen for Natalie.He was all the way gone for Marcus too.
“Mom doesn’t like killing because she’s a girl.”
“Killing people is illegal.Do you know what that means?”
“It means we’ll go to jail if we get caught.”
“Right.”
“So we can’t get caught.”
Jason cleared his throat.“I have a better idea.”
