Ty had seemed jumpy all morning as it was.
Ty frowned and poured his own coffee as though in protest. But then Michael wasn’t worried about the caffeine intake at all since Ty put an unholy amount of milk and sugar in the mug. “I don’t know. A couple of guys started a coffee shop on the edge of town two years back and they were rude to Stella, and they disappeared. If Stef wants me gone, I’ll be gone, and I might not be like in another town. I might be fertilizer. Have you seen how nice the plants are around here?”
“That’s because my gardener is excellent at his job,” a deep voice said. Stef Talbot walked in dressed in khaki slacks and a collared shirt, boots on his feet. He had dark hair and piercing eyes that let a man know Stef was in charge of most of the world around him. “Though you should know I did get rid of those men who thought they could come into my town and ignore our town ordinances.”
“We have ordinances?” Ty asked. “Because I was unaware we believed in those.”
“We do.” Stef stepped up to the coffee urn. “Including not insulting the women of the town or making fun of our more eccentric citizenry. However, I assure you those enterprising young men aren’t buried in the rose beds. I simply bought the building they were housed in and kicked them out. I believe they tried to move their shop to Pagosa Springs before they found all their bank loan prospects had dried up. So sad.”
Ty had gone a little pale.
“He’s not kicking you out, Ty.” One of the things he’d started to suspect was that Ty was an overgrown Golden Retriever. Handsome. Athletic. Looked like he could take down the world if he wanted to, but he almost never wanted to. Sometimes that dumbass loyal Golden needed a Rottweiler best friend. “If he tries, I’ll kick his ass. I assure you I still know how to do that. I’m much better since Henry taught me a few things. Stop intimidating him, Stef.”
Ty stepped up as though he’d been given the go-ahead to have some confidence. “Yeah. Mike’s the only one who gets to intimidate me.”
A smile curled Stef’s lips up. “Then half my work is done here.” He moved to the table as a chime sounded through the house. “That should be Max and Rye. I also invited Jamie and Noah along.”
Max Harper strode into the dining room, a baby strapped to his chest. The little guy was facing in and curled against his dad’s body. “This better be good because Rach found out she’s pregnant, and she is pissed. I’m pretty sure we’re never allowed in the house again, much less back in bed. I thought we should stay in the house so she can’t lock us out, but Rye insisted on giving her space.”
“She’s not going to lock us out,” Rye said with a sigh. “She’s just surprised, and we’re both going to have to man up and get deballed.”
Max put a hand on his baby’s back. “No, we don’t. That’s why I stole Ethan. She’s got to let Ethan back in so she can feed him. We’ll slip inside and then never leave again.”
“Yes, I believe you’re making the point,” Stef said with a shake of his head. “Your wife managed to get pregnant before the last baby is off the breast. If she asks me for help, I’ll have you kidnapped and get the job done before you know it.”
“But I wore a condom and everything.” Max gritted his teeth. “Damn my strong sperm.”
“Hey, I can do it for you for free.” Noah Bennet walked in beside his brother. “I’m a doctor.”
James Glen had on jeans and a T-shirt, and his hair was still slightly damp as though he’d come here straight from a shower. He’d very likely been up since the crack of dawn working at the ranch he owned, and he’d had to clean up before coming here. “He’s excellent, Max. He can have that problem solved for you in no time at all.”
“He castrates bulls.” Max moved away from the newcomers. “Rye, we should run.”
Noah snorted and poured himself a glass of juice as the housekeeper walked in and began setting up the warm portion of the buffet. “Calm down, man. Your balls are safe.”
“Not from Rachel, they aren’t,” Rye said with a frown.
“Are you three okay?” Stef looked concerned again.
Max held up his free hand. “We’re fine. Financially fine. Emotionally fine. Like Rye said. We’re surprised is all, and yes, I’ll be getting my balls scooped and taking care of everything. We talked about having one more, though we didn’t think it would happen so soon.”
Michael had thought he would have a couple of kids by now. He’d thought he would be married and moving on with his life.
Lately he’d started to wonder whether or not Lucy wanted kids.
Ty snorted as he drank his milk and sugar with a hint of coffee. “Max is getting his balls scooped out. That’s pretty funny.”
Of course, Lucy already had a kid. He stared at Ty until Ty sobered.
Michael turned to Stef. He needed to set some ground rules. He got that there was a way to do things in Bliss, but he wasn’t simply going to roll over. He might not be here all that much longer. No more than a month or two. Six at the most. “All right. We’re here. You have until I’m finished with breakfast to say what you want to say and then Ty and I are leaving.”
“We are?” Ty asked.
“Well, I’m leaving and I have the keys to your Jeep, so if you want access to your vehicle, you’re leaving, too.”
Ty frowned. “That doesn’t sound fair, but I do need the Jeep, so I’ll go with you. Stef, you should talk fast. He eats like he’s in prison, and I think he should be full because he ate everything in my apartment this morning, but he might be able to handle more.”
“Well, you didn’t have all that much.” Ty’s place might be neater than his, but it was pretty spartan. Still, that second bed had been comfortable and warm, and despite the fact that he’d lain in it and stared at the ceiling for the longest time trying to decide what he wanted, it hadn’t been the worst night of his life.
He’d kind of enjoyed sitting with Ty and watching the late football game while they ate turkey sandwiches they’d made down in the lodge’s kitchens. It had been nice. It had been comfortable.
It had felt like they were…friends? He wouldn’t not call them that, but there had oddly been something more.
He didn’t trust the feeling but he also couldn’t shove it away, so he was making a few changes. That’s what he’d decided the night before. It wasn’t going to be forever, but he could make sure Ty and Lucy would be okay.
He moved to the now set up buffet and filled a plate with bacon and eggs and some delicious-smelling hash browns.
“I thought he didn’t eat a lot.” Rye Harper was watching him, murmuring to Stef. “I’ve watched him walk into Stella’s, order a burger, and barely touch it.”
“It’s probably because Hal doesn’t like to actually cook beef.” Max didn’t seem at all worried that he had a sleeping baby on his chest. He just moved in behind Michael and started heaping on the food.
“I wasn’t hungry then.” It was as simple as that. “I’m hungry now, and I’ll stop at the Trading Post and get Ty some food. All he’s got is a bunch of canned soup and tinned chicken and cheese.”