Texas #4
Jack and Riley Campbell-Hayes begin a journey that will change their lives forever.
Set against the backdrop of the Double D, the cast of the Texas books face changes that won’t leave a single one of them untouched.
Jack and Riley want to extend their small family of three. Their first choice is surrogacy with Jack as the father and when all this begins smoothly both men can't help but contemplate at what point would things go wrong. After all, their lives are far from normal and nothing is ever smooth.
Add a small four year old boy in foster care into the mix and suddenly things become a whole lot more complicated.
Add a small four year old boy in foster care into the mix and suddenly things become a whole lot more complicated.
Not only was this an amazing entry in the lives of Jack and Riley, but a true testament of family and that family isn't always about blood or perfect. Jack and Riley compliment each other so completely that it's hard to remember how they were when they first got their start in book 1. Even though this book centers around the new additions to their family, the boys haven't lost any of their passion, lust, or love for each other. They can still get the other worked up with just a look.
Overall Series Re-Read Review 2018:
I seriously have no idea what more I can say about Texas that I haven't already. This is the series that brought me into the world of published M/M genre so Jack & Riley Campbell-Hayes and the Double D universe will always hold a special place in my heart. No matter how many times I read this series, I always smile, cry, laugh, and just completely escape into their world. I may never experience that first time adrenaline rush but it still gets my blood pumping and heart racing. Texas is not just Jack and Riley's journey, yes they are the primary leads but we also get to see their children, their family, their friends all navigate life on and off the ranch. The Double D has a way of bringing people together, giving them hope and purpose, a fresh start, a place to grow and become who they are meant to be, but at the heart of each story is just that: heart. When RJ Scott wrote The Heart of Texas, I doubt she had any idea what she started, how far it would go or how many people it would touch but I'm just glad she gave life to Jack and Riley and everything that came from their love. This is one series that isn't getting old any time soon for me.
I seriously have no idea what more I can say about Texas that I haven't already. This is the series that brought me into the world of published M/M genre so Jack & Riley Campbell-Hayes and the Double D universe will always hold a special place in my heart. No matter how many times I read this series, I always smile, cry, laugh, and just completely escape into their world. I may never experience that first time adrenaline rush but it still gets my blood pumping and heart racing. Texas is not just Jack and Riley's journey, yes they are the primary leads but we also get to see their children, their family, their friends all navigate life on and off the ranch. The Double D has a way of bringing people together, giving them hope and purpose, a fresh start, a place to grow and become who they are meant to be, but at the heart of each story is just that: heart. When RJ Scott wrote The Heart of Texas, I doubt she had any idea what she started, how far it would go or how many people it would touch but I'm just glad she gave life to Jack and Riley and everything that came from their love. This is one series that isn't getting old any time soon for me.
Audiobook Overall Series Review 2019:
As I've said many times before, RJ Scott's Texas series was the first published M/M genre book that I read so they will always hold a place of pride in my heart. No matter how many times I read or listen to the journey Jack and Riley Campbell-Hayes, their friends and family take I never tire of it. The characters and the paths they take are so real, so honest, the good and the bad, the heartache and the healing, it never fails to put a smile on face.
As for the audio versions, I can't imagine anyone other than Sean Crisden bringing these stories to life. Sean's voice make Jack, Riley, and the whole Texas family(which grows with each entry because its not just blood that connects everyone) real. Honestly I felt as if I looked up I'd see Jack with Solo Cal out in the yard or Riley on the floor with his maps.
If you haven't read/listened to Texas before I highly recommend giving it a go but it is a series needed to be experienced in order. I warn you though Jack and Riley can be addictive, you'll never want to say goodbye and now thanks to audio you really don't have to😉😉.
Chapter 1
~October~
Jack knew exactly where he would find Riley. This early in the morning, if the bed was empty of his husband and Hayley was missing as well, then Riley would be out behind the house in the newest addition to the Double D. The pool. Seventy-five feet of water and Jack loved to watch Riley carve his way through every inch of the distance. The extra part to the ranch had been Riley’s idea, and he was teaching Hayley to swim. Having the two of them in the wood and brick building was enough of an excuse for Jack to grab some coffee and go to join them after finishing early morning chores. He had used the pool, but it wasn’t really his thing to swim up and down. He preferred getting his exercise with his clothes on. Unless, of course, Riley was involved, then clothes off was the default setting. Riley, on the other hand, was evidently half fish, and Hayley appeared to have inherited that part of her Daddy.
Today was the first meeting with the clinic, and neither he nor Riley had really slept last night. They’d talked until the early morning—going over what they wanted so they’d be ready. The reality of a ten am meeting in downtown Dallas was enough to shake Jack. He couldn’t believe they were finally doing this, but he and Riley were in total agreement. They wanted a brother or sister for Hayley, whatever they had to do to get there.
He pushed through the new door from the back of the house into the pool atrium. This was where the showers were and the changing area if it was needed. He toed off his boots and socks. This next thirty minutes was his idea of a break after his early chores. The sound of Hayley squealing had him smiling, and he arrived just as she flew through the air and sank beneath the water with a splash. Riley grinned up at him. He didn’t look tired; if anything he looked energized and happy.
Jack couldn’t help smiling back. His husband was so damn sexy, all wet and gorgeous. “Is that some new swimming technique you’re teaching?” he asked.
“It’s called the patented Daddy dive,” Riley said seriously. Then he ducked under the water to hide as Hayley rose to the surface spluttering and laughing. She dived under again almost immediately and didn’t notice Jack watching. He made himself comfortable on one of the recliners and waited. Hayley had a few minutes before she needed to get ready for school, and he hated being the one to spoil her fun.
“Pappa!” she shouted and splashed over to him as soon as she caught sight of him. “Did you see? I can hold my breath for hours and hours now.”
“I saw,” Jack said immediately. Then he looked pointedly at his watch and saw her wrinkle her nose in reaction. “Time to get ready for school.”
“Already?” she whined. Even her whine sounded like Riley when he was forced out of bed early.
“Sorry, babe, remember Robbie’s taking you to school this morning and he’s already in the car.” He added the last with a wink.
“He so isn’t,” she said and stuck out her tongue. She didn’t argue though and was out and giving Jack a damp hug before running into the main house for a shower and to get dressed. Riley floated to the edge of the pool and leaned on the side with his head on crossed arms.
“Mornin’,” he said. “Where’s my kiss?”
Jack shrugged and pointed to his lips. “Up here on the side of the pool like every other time you ask.”
“Damn it, Jack, one day you’ll get close enough, and I’ll pull you into this pool with me.”
“We have a perfectly good shower, you know,” Jack replied. They exchanged the same words every morning, and the familiarity of them made him smile.
Riley wrinkled his nose, and for a second he looked exactly like Hayley, or rather Hayley looked like him. Then he added something new to the morning exchange. “I was thinking…”
“Always a bad thing,” Jack smirked.
Riley ignored him. “We should lock all the doors and make love in the water.”
Jack sat upright on the chair. “We don’t have the time,” he said quickly. Thank God his brain was thinking better than his cock, which was already showing definite interest in getting near Riley in the pool.
“Not today.” Riley heaved himself up and out of the water in a smooth movement, then shook his hair like a shaggy dog. Jack jumped when splatters of water hit his skin. Then he inhaled sharply as Riley took the few steps closer to him. “I’d want to take it slow and take my time bringing you to the edge so many times you’re begging me.” He was thick and erect, and the tight swim shorts left nothing to the imagination. Water sheeted down six four of toned muscled perfection, and Jack’s jeans were suddenly the tightest they’d ever been. Over three years and he still couldn’t get enough of the man who was the other half of him.
“Jeez, Riley,” Jack breathed. “We only have a few minutes, and we need to get Hayley…”
Riley stopped right in front of him and placed his hands on his hips.
Jack wriggled in the seat, and then in a smooth move he stood and had semi-naked Riley in his arms. There was only so much temptation he could take before his iron will snapped like brittle candy. They kissed hard and fast, and Riley walked them back until Jack felt the door handle against his ass. Maybe they couldn’t go slow, but they could sure get each other off in the space of a few minutes. Effectively blocking the only exit apart from the fire door, no one could accidentally come in and find them; no one would know what they were doing. They could kiss and Jack could slip a hand into Riley’s shorts as easy as anything. As soon as his fingers pushed past the cotton and closed around Riley’s hard cock, he sighed into the kiss. He wanted this so badly. Riley was his addiction and every day, every hour, every goddamned minute, he wanted to connect with him.
Riley used a knee to encourage Jack to spread his legs a little, then shuffled to slouch a little—just enough so that when Riley pulled at buttons and cotton, he could have Jack’s cock rubbing against his own. Jack smacked his head back against the wall and whimpered with a curse on his lips. Riley took immediate advantage. He locked his lips to Jack’s throat and began to bite a path of kisses and touches from throat to chin and then back to claim Jack’s lips again.
“I love you,” he whispered before deepening the kiss. Jack slipped his other hand between them and yanked at the cotton that pressed into his fingers. Finally he could move his hand under to gently play with Riley’s balls as they moved against each other. Riley’s breathing hitched, and he let out his own whimper at the touch. They knew each other so well, which buttons to press, where to touch, and all too soon Riley was spilling over Jack’s hand with Jack not long after. They stood in the embrace against the wall for a few seconds before they separated. Riley glanced down at his hand and grimaced.
He looked over his shoulder at his pristine pool, his pride and joy, then back at his hand.
“Maybe we should stick to the barn,” he said.
Jack couldn’t help but laugh. “Guess no sex in the pool after all, then,” he said.
Riley quirked a smile. “No.” They kissed and Jack couldn’t have been more in love at that single moment than he had ever been.
“I love you, het-boy.”
They kissed again but this time when Riley pulled back, he looked thoughtful. “You ready for the meeting?” he asked gently.
Jack sighed. “As ready as I’ll ever be to justify why we want to grow our family.”
“I don’t think it’s like that. I don’t think we’ll need to justify a damn thing,” Riley said fiercely. “And if we do, then we leave and we find somewhere else to help us. It’s that easy. I need to eat,” he added.
“You always need to eat,” Jack said.
“Today is a day for bacon,” Riley said firmly. Then with a grin, he indicated they should go through the door, and Jack followed. They stopped at the sink and washed their hands; then with a few more snatched kisses they made their way to the kitchen.
Riley fell on the coffee as if he hadn’t had any in days. Jack watched from his seat where he nursed his own coffee as Riley virtually inhaled the first cup followed by two muffins and the bacon he fried on the stove.
“Done?” he asked wryly as Riley slid into the chair opposite him.
Riley patted his flat stomach. “Done,” he said.
“Daddy, can you tie this for me?” Hayley, dressed in the navy and red uniform of the Bryant Faraday School for Girls, came and stood next to Riley. She handed over a bright red tie.
Without argument or discussion, Riley pulled back Hayley’s long blonde hair and tied it expertly with a few twists of his hands. Jack tried but he never quite managed to get her hair looking quite as cute as Riley did. Riley grabbed her in for a close hug, but she pushed him away quickly.
“Don’t crease me,” she said quickly. “We have school photos today.”
Riley pouted his best daddy-pout. “Can I at least get a kiss?” Hayley placed a smacking kiss on his cheek, then stepped back.
“Do I look okay?” She smoothed a hand over her skirt and frowned down at herself. Jack thought she’d never looked prettier than at that moment.
“Gorgeous, sweetie,” Riley offered. “No running off with the photographer.”
“I’m only a kid,” she huffed. Seeming to need some more reassurance, she turned to Jack. “Pappa? What do you think?”
“Always gorgeous,” Jack replied. He got a similar kiss to Riley’s, and then she left the kitchen in a hurry.
“Remind me to clean the shotguns for when the boys visit,” Riley said with a small groan.
A knock on the door interrupted what Jack was about to say and was followed by Robbie poking his head around the corner. “Mornin’, did we need anything besides me checking on the feed order?” he asked.
“Nope, we’re good,” Jack answered. “Thank you again for taking Hayley to school.”
“No worries. Tell her I’ll be in the car waiting.”
Robbie closed the door behind him, and Jack looked pointedly at Riley. They’d spent a long time talking about building another place on the property for Robbie and Eli—after all, they couldn’t live the rest of their lives in the apartment over the barn. The only thing stopping them was Riley talking to Eli. Jack could swing Robbie by saying it was part of his salary here, but Eli would know different. Riley was an open book, and his sweeping statement about building a place for the new couple had been met by an outburst of stubborn pride from Eli.
“I’ll talk to Eli,” Riley said quickly. “As soon as this morning is out of the way. Okay? I promise.”
“And you actually will?” Jack asked.
“Daddy, sign this,” Hayley interrupted, and Jack could see the relief clearly written on Riley’s face. Riley and Eli arguing wasn’t a nice thing for anyone—each was as stubborn and intractable as the other.
“What is it, hun?” he asked as she laid the paper flat on the table. Jack glanced at the heading and groaned inwardly. Careers day meant only one thing to Riley. Him standing in front of a room of Hayley’s classmates talking about ethical oil exploration and coming home to say he’d watched each one of them die a death through boredom. Riley could talk passionately to adults all day about what he did, but he seemed to struggle with Hayley’s cohort. Last time he’d nearly convinced Jack that it was his turn to go and, in his words, do something horsey. Because, as he pointed out, little girls liked horses.
Unfortunately for Riley, Jack had been away delivering Catty to her owners, which left Riley home alone with nowhere to hide.
“Are you sure you want me to do this again?” Riley asked carefully. “Last time I could swear your friend Abbey was sleeping through the whole thing.”
“’Course I want you to,” Hayley said immediately. “You could make a ‘hunt the oil’ game up or something. Or Pappa can do it—he can talk about the horses.” She glanced at Jack, who smiled at her. Every so often he realized she hesitated before asking him to do things at the school or helping her with her homework. He didn’t have to have a degree in childcare to know what that meant, and he resolved to sort out the issue. He wanted Hayley to look on him as a dad that didn’t just deal with the fun stuff like horse riding. But first he couldn’t resist teasing Riley.
Jack nodded. “Hunt the oil sounds good.”
Riley looked at him meaningfully and narrowed his eyes. He knew Jack was laughing at him, and Jack really tried his hardest to not let the mirth escape.
“If it’s okay with you, Hayley, I’d love to take my turn,” Jack asked.
“Are you sure, Pappa? I know you’re busy and all…”
“I would love to. Maybe after school we could write down some ideas?”
“That would be so cool,” she said. Then she pushed the piece of paper to him, and Jack scribbled his name at the bottom and indicated in the information box what he would be talking about. Then she dropped the bombshell. “Megan Hunter’s dad is on the same morning as you.”
Riley snorted into his coffee. “Aiden Hunter, the actor? The one from the action films with the multimillion dollar box office returns. The one married to the model. That’s Megan’s dad, isn’t it?”
“Yep, Megan’s really cool.”
Jack listened with dread growing in the pit of his stomach. Riley had lucked out on this one. Jack was going up against an actor? How sexy could he make horses compared to red carpets and action movies? Hayley grabbed the letter, kissed both her dads goodbye, and left. As soon as they heard the car leave, Riley collapsed in hysterical laughter over the table.
“You are so screwed,” Riley said between crying with laughter. “You against Aiden Hunter. At least I had Emma Granger’s mom, and she’s a professor of physics and was as dry as a cracker.”
“I might be ill that day. Or I’ll send Robbie, he can take Eli and some models,” Jack said thoughtfully.
Riley stopped laughing. “You wouldn’t?”
Jack stood and stretched tall. He needed a shower and to get dressed for this meeting. Walking behind Riley, he dug his fingers in his husband’s hair and used the grip to tilt his head back. The kiss was long and drawn out.
“I wouldn’t,” he said as he pulled back. “I’d do anything for our daughter. Even go up against a Hollywood sex god.”
When he saw the sappy look on Riley’s face, he knew he’d said the right thing. He was still feeling a million feet tall after being on the receiving end of one of Riley’s beautiful smiles as he walked down the corridor to the bathroom. Half an hour to make himself look less cowboy and more responsible dad, and he’d be ready to go.
He showered quickly and shaved as close as he could, and then he stood uncertainly in front of the closet he shared with Riley. His side was jeans, one suit, a couple of shirts. What would Riley wear? He’d probably dress in one of those damn suits of his. Gently, Jack ran his hands over the sleeve of the nearest one, then sniffed it. The scent of Riley was on everything, and he couldn’t get enough of it.
Time to act like a grown up, he told himself. He was a horseman but he also ran a successful business. Decision made, he pulled out his only suit jacket and pants, and he dressed quickly before he could change his mind. He was fiddling with the tie when Riley came back in the bedroom. Glancing in the mirror, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, and he stopped with the tie.
“What are you wearing?” he asked incredulously. Riley was in dark jeans and a button-down shirt. Jack turned to face his husband.
Riley shook his head. “I could ask the same thing.”
Jack went into defensive mode. “I wanted to show them I wasn’t just some cowboy—I didn’t want to let you down.” Damn. He never meant to add that last part.
Riley crossed the room and placed his hands on Jack’s arms. “And I didn’t want to come over as being up myself.” He rested his forehead against Jack’s and chuckled under his breath. “What are we doing here?” he asked wryly.
“Being something we’re not.” Jack closed his eyes. “They’ll see right through it, won’t they?”
“Change for me,” Riley said quickly. He released his hold on Jack, then rummaged in the closet before pulling out dark jeans and a white button-down. Finally he dragged out Jack’s best boots and stood back.
Jack considered the clothes, then looked at Riley. Copying his husband’s actions, Jack located the suit he loved Riley in most and a shirt, then added a tie to the pile.
“Change for me,” Jack repeated. “Let’s be who we are from the start.”
Riley stole a quick kiss, and then in a rush of skin and curses, the two men stood next to each other in the mirror. Jack never grew tired of seeing Riley, but looking at them side by side, with Riley in the dark suit, his blond hair short and spiked in a tidy style, immaculate and cool, and him in his jeans, his face smooth but his dark hair a little more unstructured, Jack had only one thought in his head:
We fit.
The nerves grew as they left the Double D, and neither of them spoke as Riley drove his 4x4 down the potholed road that led to the exit of the ranch. Jack vowed that this time next week those damn holes would be fixed after all these years. Riley stopped the car at the junction and crossed his hands on the steering wheel.
“You okay?” Jack asked, concerned.
“Yeah. No.” Riley sounded as confused and concerned as Jack felt. “What if we don’t find anyone, what if no one wants to carry a child for us, because of who we are?”
Jack wanted to join in with the questioning. After all, it was only what he felt in his own head, but instead, hearing Riley vocalize the same thing gave Jack the perspective to see things more clearly.
“What’s not to like?” he began. “And Riley, if we can’t do it this way, then we can adopt, whatever, but we’ll always have Hayley.”
Riley nodded, and then after a short pause he took the turn toward the city. Only when the Dallas skyline came into view did they begin to talk again. This time, instead of worries and concerns, they began to talk about possibilities.
Jack relaxed back in his seat as tension seeped away.
After all, what could go wrong?
~October~
Jack knew exactly where he would find Riley. This early in the morning, if the bed was empty of his husband and Hayley was missing as well, then Riley would be out behind the house in the newest addition to the Double D. The pool. Seventy-five feet of water and Jack loved to watch Riley carve his way through every inch of the distance. The extra part to the ranch had been Riley’s idea, and he was teaching Hayley to swim. Having the two of them in the wood and brick building was enough of an excuse for Jack to grab some coffee and go to join them after finishing early morning chores. He had used the pool, but it wasn’t really his thing to swim up and down. He preferred getting his exercise with his clothes on. Unless, of course, Riley was involved, then clothes off was the default setting. Riley, on the other hand, was evidently half fish, and Hayley appeared to have inherited that part of her Daddy.
Today was the first meeting with the clinic, and neither he nor Riley had really slept last night. They’d talked until the early morning—going over what they wanted so they’d be ready. The reality of a ten am meeting in downtown Dallas was enough to shake Jack. He couldn’t believe they were finally doing this, but he and Riley were in total agreement. They wanted a brother or sister for Hayley, whatever they had to do to get there.
He pushed through the new door from the back of the house into the pool atrium. This was where the showers were and the changing area if it was needed. He toed off his boots and socks. This next thirty minutes was his idea of a break after his early chores. The sound of Hayley squealing had him smiling, and he arrived just as she flew through the air and sank beneath the water with a splash. Riley grinned up at him. He didn’t look tired; if anything he looked energized and happy.
Jack couldn’t help smiling back. His husband was so damn sexy, all wet and gorgeous. “Is that some new swimming technique you’re teaching?” he asked.
“It’s called the patented Daddy dive,” Riley said seriously. Then he ducked under the water to hide as Hayley rose to the surface spluttering and laughing. She dived under again almost immediately and didn’t notice Jack watching. He made himself comfortable on one of the recliners and waited. Hayley had a few minutes before she needed to get ready for school, and he hated being the one to spoil her fun.
“Pappa!” she shouted and splashed over to him as soon as she caught sight of him. “Did you see? I can hold my breath for hours and hours now.”
“I saw,” Jack said immediately. Then he looked pointedly at his watch and saw her wrinkle her nose in reaction. “Time to get ready for school.”
“Already?” she whined. Even her whine sounded like Riley when he was forced out of bed early.
“Sorry, babe, remember Robbie’s taking you to school this morning and he’s already in the car.” He added the last with a wink.
“He so isn’t,” she said and stuck out her tongue. She didn’t argue though and was out and giving Jack a damp hug before running into the main house for a shower and to get dressed. Riley floated to the edge of the pool and leaned on the side with his head on crossed arms.
“Mornin’,” he said. “Where’s my kiss?”
Jack shrugged and pointed to his lips. “Up here on the side of the pool like every other time you ask.”
“Damn it, Jack, one day you’ll get close enough, and I’ll pull you into this pool with me.”
“We have a perfectly good shower, you know,” Jack replied. They exchanged the same words every morning, and the familiarity of them made him smile.
Riley wrinkled his nose, and for a second he looked exactly like Hayley, or rather Hayley looked like him. Then he added something new to the morning exchange. “I was thinking…”
“Always a bad thing,” Jack smirked.
Riley ignored him. “We should lock all the doors and make love in the water.”
Jack sat upright on the chair. “We don’t have the time,” he said quickly. Thank God his brain was thinking better than his cock, which was already showing definite interest in getting near Riley in the pool.
“Not today.” Riley heaved himself up and out of the water in a smooth movement, then shook his hair like a shaggy dog. Jack jumped when splatters of water hit his skin. Then he inhaled sharply as Riley took the few steps closer to him. “I’d want to take it slow and take my time bringing you to the edge so many times you’re begging me.” He was thick and erect, and the tight swim shorts left nothing to the imagination. Water sheeted down six four of toned muscled perfection, and Jack’s jeans were suddenly the tightest they’d ever been. Over three years and he still couldn’t get enough of the man who was the other half of him.
“Jeez, Riley,” Jack breathed. “We only have a few minutes, and we need to get Hayley…”
Riley stopped right in front of him and placed his hands on his hips.
Jack wriggled in the seat, and then in a smooth move he stood and had semi-naked Riley in his arms. There was only so much temptation he could take before his iron will snapped like brittle candy. They kissed hard and fast, and Riley walked them back until Jack felt the door handle against his ass. Maybe they couldn’t go slow, but they could sure get each other off in the space of a few minutes. Effectively blocking the only exit apart from the fire door, no one could accidentally come in and find them; no one would know what they were doing. They could kiss and Jack could slip a hand into Riley’s shorts as easy as anything. As soon as his fingers pushed past the cotton and closed around Riley’s hard cock, he sighed into the kiss. He wanted this so badly. Riley was his addiction and every day, every hour, every goddamned minute, he wanted to connect with him.
Riley used a knee to encourage Jack to spread his legs a little, then shuffled to slouch a little—just enough so that when Riley pulled at buttons and cotton, he could have Jack’s cock rubbing against his own. Jack smacked his head back against the wall and whimpered with a curse on his lips. Riley took immediate advantage. He locked his lips to Jack’s throat and began to bite a path of kisses and touches from throat to chin and then back to claim Jack’s lips again.
“I love you,” he whispered before deepening the kiss. Jack slipped his other hand between them and yanked at the cotton that pressed into his fingers. Finally he could move his hand under to gently play with Riley’s balls as they moved against each other. Riley’s breathing hitched, and he let out his own whimper at the touch. They knew each other so well, which buttons to press, where to touch, and all too soon Riley was spilling over Jack’s hand with Jack not long after. They stood in the embrace against the wall for a few seconds before they separated. Riley glanced down at his hand and grimaced.
He looked over his shoulder at his pristine pool, his pride and joy, then back at his hand.
“Maybe we should stick to the barn,” he said.
Jack couldn’t help but laugh. “Guess no sex in the pool after all, then,” he said.
Riley quirked a smile. “No.” They kissed and Jack couldn’t have been more in love at that single moment than he had ever been.
“I love you, het-boy.”
They kissed again but this time when Riley pulled back, he looked thoughtful. “You ready for the meeting?” he asked gently.
Jack sighed. “As ready as I’ll ever be to justify why we want to grow our family.”
“I don’t think it’s like that. I don’t think we’ll need to justify a damn thing,” Riley said fiercely. “And if we do, then we leave and we find somewhere else to help us. It’s that easy. I need to eat,” he added.
“You always need to eat,” Jack said.
“Today is a day for bacon,” Riley said firmly. Then with a grin, he indicated they should go through the door, and Jack followed. They stopped at the sink and washed their hands; then with a few more snatched kisses they made their way to the kitchen.
Riley fell on the coffee as if he hadn’t had any in days. Jack watched from his seat where he nursed his own coffee as Riley virtually inhaled the first cup followed by two muffins and the bacon he fried on the stove.
“Done?” he asked wryly as Riley slid into the chair opposite him.
Riley patted his flat stomach. “Done,” he said.
“Daddy, can you tie this for me?” Hayley, dressed in the navy and red uniform of the Bryant Faraday School for Girls, came and stood next to Riley. She handed over a bright red tie.
Without argument or discussion, Riley pulled back Hayley’s long blonde hair and tied it expertly with a few twists of his hands. Jack tried but he never quite managed to get her hair looking quite as cute as Riley did. Riley grabbed her in for a close hug, but she pushed him away quickly.
“Don’t crease me,” she said quickly. “We have school photos today.”
Riley pouted his best daddy-pout. “Can I at least get a kiss?” Hayley placed a smacking kiss on his cheek, then stepped back.
“Do I look okay?” She smoothed a hand over her skirt and frowned down at herself. Jack thought she’d never looked prettier than at that moment.
“Gorgeous, sweetie,” Riley offered. “No running off with the photographer.”
“I’m only a kid,” she huffed. Seeming to need some more reassurance, she turned to Jack. “Pappa? What do you think?”
“Always gorgeous,” Jack replied. He got a similar kiss to Riley’s, and then she left the kitchen in a hurry.
“Remind me to clean the shotguns for when the boys visit,” Riley said with a small groan.
A knock on the door interrupted what Jack was about to say and was followed by Robbie poking his head around the corner. “Mornin’, did we need anything besides me checking on the feed order?” he asked.
“Nope, we’re good,” Jack answered. “Thank you again for taking Hayley to school.”
“No worries. Tell her I’ll be in the car waiting.”
Robbie closed the door behind him, and Jack looked pointedly at Riley. They’d spent a long time talking about building another place on the property for Robbie and Eli—after all, they couldn’t live the rest of their lives in the apartment over the barn. The only thing stopping them was Riley talking to Eli. Jack could swing Robbie by saying it was part of his salary here, but Eli would know different. Riley was an open book, and his sweeping statement about building a place for the new couple had been met by an outburst of stubborn pride from Eli.
“I’ll talk to Eli,” Riley said quickly. “As soon as this morning is out of the way. Okay? I promise.”
“And you actually will?” Jack asked.
“Daddy, sign this,” Hayley interrupted, and Jack could see the relief clearly written on Riley’s face. Riley and Eli arguing wasn’t a nice thing for anyone—each was as stubborn and intractable as the other.
“What is it, hun?” he asked as she laid the paper flat on the table. Jack glanced at the heading and groaned inwardly. Careers day meant only one thing to Riley. Him standing in front of a room of Hayley’s classmates talking about ethical oil exploration and coming home to say he’d watched each one of them die a death through boredom. Riley could talk passionately to adults all day about what he did, but he seemed to struggle with Hayley’s cohort. Last time he’d nearly convinced Jack that it was his turn to go and, in his words, do something horsey. Because, as he pointed out, little girls liked horses.
Unfortunately for Riley, Jack had been away delivering Catty to her owners, which left Riley home alone with nowhere to hide.
“Are you sure you want me to do this again?” Riley asked carefully. “Last time I could swear your friend Abbey was sleeping through the whole thing.”
“’Course I want you to,” Hayley said immediately. “You could make a ‘hunt the oil’ game up or something. Or Pappa can do it—he can talk about the horses.” She glanced at Jack, who smiled at her. Every so often he realized she hesitated before asking him to do things at the school or helping her with her homework. He didn’t have to have a degree in childcare to know what that meant, and he resolved to sort out the issue. He wanted Hayley to look on him as a dad that didn’t just deal with the fun stuff like horse riding. But first he couldn’t resist teasing Riley.
Jack nodded. “Hunt the oil sounds good.”
Riley looked at him meaningfully and narrowed his eyes. He knew Jack was laughing at him, and Jack really tried his hardest to not let the mirth escape.
“If it’s okay with you, Hayley, I’d love to take my turn,” Jack asked.
“Are you sure, Pappa? I know you’re busy and all…”
“I would love to. Maybe after school we could write down some ideas?”
“That would be so cool,” she said. Then she pushed the piece of paper to him, and Jack scribbled his name at the bottom and indicated in the information box what he would be talking about. Then she dropped the bombshell. “Megan Hunter’s dad is on the same morning as you.”
Riley snorted into his coffee. “Aiden Hunter, the actor? The one from the action films with the multimillion dollar box office returns. The one married to the model. That’s Megan’s dad, isn’t it?”
“Yep, Megan’s really cool.”
Jack listened with dread growing in the pit of his stomach. Riley had lucked out on this one. Jack was going up against an actor? How sexy could he make horses compared to red carpets and action movies? Hayley grabbed the letter, kissed both her dads goodbye, and left. As soon as they heard the car leave, Riley collapsed in hysterical laughter over the table.
“You are so screwed,” Riley said between crying with laughter. “You against Aiden Hunter. At least I had Emma Granger’s mom, and she’s a professor of physics and was as dry as a cracker.”
“I might be ill that day. Or I’ll send Robbie, he can take Eli and some models,” Jack said thoughtfully.
Riley stopped laughing. “You wouldn’t?”
Jack stood and stretched tall. He needed a shower and to get dressed for this meeting. Walking behind Riley, he dug his fingers in his husband’s hair and used the grip to tilt his head back. The kiss was long and drawn out.
“I wouldn’t,” he said as he pulled back. “I’d do anything for our daughter. Even go up against a Hollywood sex god.”
When he saw the sappy look on Riley’s face, he knew he’d said the right thing. He was still feeling a million feet tall after being on the receiving end of one of Riley’s beautiful smiles as he walked down the corridor to the bathroom. Half an hour to make himself look less cowboy and more responsible dad, and he’d be ready to go.
He showered quickly and shaved as close as he could, and then he stood uncertainly in front of the closet he shared with Riley. His side was jeans, one suit, a couple of shirts. What would Riley wear? He’d probably dress in one of those damn suits of his. Gently, Jack ran his hands over the sleeve of the nearest one, then sniffed it. The scent of Riley was on everything, and he couldn’t get enough of it.
Time to act like a grown up, he told himself. He was a horseman but he also ran a successful business. Decision made, he pulled out his only suit jacket and pants, and he dressed quickly before he could change his mind. He was fiddling with the tie when Riley came back in the bedroom. Glancing in the mirror, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, and he stopped with the tie.
“What are you wearing?” he asked incredulously. Riley was in dark jeans and a button-down shirt. Jack turned to face his husband.
Riley shook his head. “I could ask the same thing.”
Jack went into defensive mode. “I wanted to show them I wasn’t just some cowboy—I didn’t want to let you down.” Damn. He never meant to add that last part.
Riley crossed the room and placed his hands on Jack’s arms. “And I didn’t want to come over as being up myself.” He rested his forehead against Jack’s and chuckled under his breath. “What are we doing here?” he asked wryly.
“Being something we’re not.” Jack closed his eyes. “They’ll see right through it, won’t they?”
“Change for me,” Riley said quickly. He released his hold on Jack, then rummaged in the closet before pulling out dark jeans and a white button-down. Finally he dragged out Jack’s best boots and stood back.
Jack considered the clothes, then looked at Riley. Copying his husband’s actions, Jack located the suit he loved Riley in most and a shirt, then added a tie to the pile.
“Change for me,” Jack repeated. “Let’s be who we are from the start.”
Riley stole a quick kiss, and then in a rush of skin and curses, the two men stood next to each other in the mirror. Jack never grew tired of seeing Riley, but looking at them side by side, with Riley in the dark suit, his blond hair short and spiked in a tidy style, immaculate and cool, and him in his jeans, his face smooth but his dark hair a little more unstructured, Jack had only one thought in his head:
We fit.
The nerves grew as they left the Double D, and neither of them spoke as Riley drove his 4x4 down the potholed road that led to the exit of the ranch. Jack vowed that this time next week those damn holes would be fixed after all these years. Riley stopped the car at the junction and crossed his hands on the steering wheel.
“You okay?” Jack asked, concerned.
“Yeah. No.” Riley sounded as confused and concerned as Jack felt. “What if we don’t find anyone, what if no one wants to carry a child for us, because of who we are?”
Jack wanted to join in with the questioning. After all, it was only what he felt in his own head, but instead, hearing Riley vocalize the same thing gave Jack the perspective to see things more clearly.
“What’s not to like?” he began. “And Riley, if we can’t do it this way, then we can adopt, whatever, but we’ll always have Hayley.”
Riley nodded, and then after a short pause he took the turn toward the city. Only when the Dallas skyline came into view did they begin to talk again. This time, instead of worries and concerns, they began to talk about possibilities.
Jack relaxed back in his seat as tension seeped away.
After all, what could go wrong?
Writing love stories with a happy ever after – cowboys, heroes, family, hockey, single dads, bodyguards
USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott has written over one hundred romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.
She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.
Texas Family #4
Texas Series
Legacy Trilogy
