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“That’s right. See, things don’t change much around here. History repeats itself.” He smiled. “Come on, let’s go do this.”

“Go do what? If their dads used to pick on you, won’t this make things worse?”

Tanner grinned. “Nope. It took me a while, but I figured things out with them. That’s going to make it easier for you to figure things out with Cody and Wyatt.”

When they got out of the truck, Ashton trudged along beside him looking as if he was headed for the gallows.

“It’s going to be okay; I promise.” He wanted to give the kid a hug to reassure him, but he knew better. The kids would only pick on him more if they saw that.

“They’re all looking at us.”

Tanner plastered a smile on his face and spoke out of the side of his mouth. “I know, that’s what we want.” He rested his hand on Ashton’s shoulder as they approached the gaggle of women waiting by the gates.

“Tanner MacFarland! I never thought I’d see the day.”

Tanner tipped his hat. “Sloane, good to see you.”

She shook her head at him. “What’s going on, Tanner? What are you doing here? Who’s this?”

Tanner kept hold of Ashton’s shoulder. “I’m bringing my boy to school.”

Sloane literally took a step back as she grinned at him. “Yourboy?”

He met her gaze and held it. “Yes, my boy. Ashton, this is Sloane, we went to school together.”

Ashton barely met her gaze as he nodded.

Sloane gave him a brief smile, but her attention was fixed on Tanner. He could see the wheels turning inside her head. There was no question in his mind that she would have already heard about Everly and Ashton, but now, his words had her trying to figure out if Ashton really was his son.

“Yourboy, huh?” she repeated. “Well then, that’s a story I want to hear.”

“I’ll tell you sometime, introduce you to his mom, Everly.”

Sloane nodded happily. “Okay, I’ll look forward to that.” She looked around at the other moms, many of whom were openly staring at them, watching the exchange. “I’m guessing that you came to me because I’m the biggest gossip?”

Tanner chuckled. “I wouldn’t put it that way, but…”

“It’s okay, I don’t blame you. Why take out an ad in the Gazette when I can spread the news much faster for you.”

“Thanks, honey.”

Her smile faded. “There’s a reason, isn’t there? What’s going on? Why do you need people to know?”

He glanced down at Ashton, not wanting to spell it out in front of the kid.

“Ah!” Sloane might be a gossip, but she was sharp. “Who’s been giving him what kind of trouble?”

Tanner made a face.

Sloane shot him an apologetic look. “Let me guess – Cody?”

“’Fraid so.”

“And Wyatt, too, I’ll bet?”

Tanner chuckled. “You got it.”

He ducked his head when she screeched, “Cody, get over here this minute, and bring Wyatt with you.”