“You sound like your grandmother, but it’s cool,” Tate said as he leaned on Vlad’s ride nonchalantly. “We’ll just call Apollo and he can toss one of his shindigs.”
“He’s been looking for an excuse,” Henry confided, looking all kinds of smitten as he spoke about his man.
“Call us when you get back from the wilds. We can hang out.” Ryker tossed his bags into the rear of Alex’s Jeep.
“Totally.” I hugged them all, aside from Vlad who patted my head.
“Stay out of trouble. Tate and I are leaving the country in a few days and I am not flying back to save your scrawny ass from another emu situation.”
“No more emus, I promise.” I wouldn’t rule out a llama, Maddie would love one, but I kept that to myself.
I’d gone behind Joseph’s back, in fact as soon as I could, and set up a fundraising page after debating with Natalie about how she wouldn’t take charity. I listened to all the same stubborn arguments that Joseph made. Then I’d called my teammates and told them all to donate.
By the time I was back home there was fifty-thousand in the account but I wasn’t going to tell anyone what I’d done. I should’ve warned Simon about the fundraiser, because he was home with Natalie so I sent him a quick text that he would read after I was well out of the way.
Joe was waiting when I pulled into the driveway, Simon standing stoically behind him. Alchemy was there in a red caftan and a headdress crafted out of bark and what looked like roadrunner feathers.
“I don’t like this,” my bodyguard said as we piled suitcases, coolers of food, playpens, diaper bags, and a box of stuffed animals into the back of my Dodge truck. “I’m being paid to keep you safe.”
“I’d rather you watch over that old woman,” I jerked a thumb at my grandmother who’d wandered off to wade in the goldfish pond after blessing us all with a dusting of something that smelled like ginger. “Also Natalie and Emma. Joe’s worried about her sugar, and she needs someone to lean on. I think she likes you as much as you like her, and as much as I love Joe.” I walked over to Joe and handed him the high chair which he neatly collapsed and placed strategically among the other items.
Simon’s mouth was open. “You love Joe? And me and Natalie, and… I don’t—”
“Dude, it’s cool. I see love in the air. It’s like my superpower. Just keep them close while we’re gone.” I patted his thick biceps.
He nodded and no other worries about me were voiced.
Once we were ready to roll, I buckled Maddie into her car seat in the rear seats while Joe kissed and hugged his girls. Simon had already been talked into a trip to the zoo, a park, and several playgrounds. Emma had that effect on men.
“There is Internet access at this camp, right?”
“Yeah, but it’s shitty. There’s cell service in case anything happens. Stop worrying. This time away is going to do us both good. You look tight as a piano wire.”
He exhaled slowly as we headed west toward the Sonoran Desert. “I guess I have a lot on my mind.”
“I know. We’ll get our heads sorted out at camp. Did you bring your telescope?”
“It’s in the back beside your guitar case.”
“Excellent. Let’s get some tunes going.” The truck soon filled with Aerosmith’s Rocks album. Maddie dozed on and off, and Joe was quiet for the most part. I let him have his silence. I was kind of withdrawn myself. We’d both been through big losses.
Not to mention I got the feeling I’d fucked up by offering to take away his stress. I’d heard the argument about the insurance, and I could do something about that, but how I’d gone about it was the most fucked-up thing I’d ever done. I wanted Joe to stay because he couldn’t imagine life anywhere else, but not everyone flew through life guided by heart and instinct.
Somehow I needed to appeal to his scientific side and get him to see the two of us, plus Maddie, made sense.
The ride was soothing and uneventful. Joe’s pretty eyes widened when we pulled off the main road and rumbled along a track that led to my cabin. He stared at the small adobe house with the pergola porch and hot tub for at least two minutes. The mountains were off in the distance, and a crooked old tree shaded the porch.
“This is not a mansion,” he muttered. I nodded. “I mean it’s a lovely little home but I just assumed…”
“Yeah, I know. This place is pretty magical, especially at night. I love the desert.” I gave his leg a squeeze then hurried to get the camp open and aired out. It was a small place, no doubt, with two bedrooms, one large bath, a kitchen, and a dining/living room combo. The interior was all cool shades of tan and white with blue accents. We set up Maddie’s stuff and fed her, then put her down for a nap while we tidied up and unpacked our clothes.
“I get I messed things up with you,” I began.
“You didn’t, it’s me, I just—”
“No, I did. I’m too used to being able to buy my way out of issues, but you’re different. This is different. I had this idea that we could… look if you’re not comfortable with sleeping in the same bed we can set up the sofa to—”
He spun from the unpacking, grabbed my hips, and jerked me to him. His mouth landed on mine with a clack of teeth. The man was growing bolder and bolder with each passing day, only of late we’d both been so down kissing had fallen off the radar. Seemed it was back. His fingers bit into my hips as our tongues tangled.
“I want to sleep with you,” he whispered when
