Page 78 of A Rancher's Vow

Hell, no. “Your tone of voice says you’re about to try to deliver a sex talk. If so, I don’t need it, don’t want it, move along.”

Caleb outright laughed. “Yeah, no. If you’re not clear on that topic yet, I’m not saying a thing unless you straight up ask. I was thinking about your time down at Crooked Creek. I guess the fact I haven’t heard from Uncle Frank, complaining about your attitude, means I can thank Charity for keeping you on the straight and narrow.” He offered Dustin a wink. “Or for distracting you enough you behaved.”

God.That was both funny and slightly skin-crawling. “I don’t want a lecture, but I don’t know that I’m ready for you to tease me about sex, either.” Dustin grimaced as a shiver rolled over his head and shoulders.

As they closed the final distance to the house. Caleb leaned in close and murmured, “Bad move. Never let a person know what makes you nervous.”

“Ass.”

But the teasing felt good. As if a new page had opened between them in spite of the age difference. Less with Caleb as a father figure, more as simply brothers.

After one final pat to his shoulder, Caleb paused with his hand on the back door. “I do like her. She seems like a good person.”

“Charity’s the best sort of good,” Dustin responded. “She’s kind, but not nice. Can kick some ass when needed—including mine. Right now, I want to be her safe place.”

His brother dipped his chin slowly before meeting Dustin’s gaze. “Then the Stones will be there to make that happen. Whatever she needs.”

The pulse inside his chest made Dustin stand up straighter. “Appreciate it.”

Childish laughter rang out when the door swung open. Four-year-old Tyler rushed forward and caught Caleb around the knees. “Dapa!

Caleb chuckled as he swung his son in the air. “Kiddo, you gotta pick one name. Daddy or Papa. Either works.”

In the mud room beside them, Emma’s white-blonde curls bounced as she turned from hanging up a coat. She tousled Tyler’s hair as she passed. “Face it, Papa. You’ve got three kids and three names.”

“Heck, he’s got more than that. Four, maybe five or six if I remember correctly,” Dustin told her before meeting Caleb’s confused gaze. “You said something about never letting on where to hit you…”

“Dustin…” Caleb warned.

Emma all but bounced with glee. She could have been three instead of thirteen as she leaned into Dustin and loudly whispered, “Spill. What other names?”

He opened his mouth as if to answer, then winked at Caleb. “Maybe some other time.”

A heavy sigh escaped Emma, and she mock pouted, her lower lip sticking out slightly. “Meanie.”

Dustin hugged his niece and changed the subject. “Where’s Charity?”

Emma slipped her arm around his waist and inched him toward the living room. She spoke quietly as he matched her extremely slow pace. “I’m sorry her place got messed with.”

“Me, too.”

Emma turned her big blue eyes on him. “It’s kind of scary.”

He wasn’t going to downplay that part, especially to a woman, no matter that she was young. “Nothingkind ofto it. Scary as hell, I agree.” He leaned down and kissed Emma’s temple. “That’s why Charity will stay with us at Silver Stone until we know who did it. She’ll be safe.”

“Good.” The depth of conviction in Emma’s tone made him smile.

She was a fierce thing these days. Might still look like a cherub with the bouncy blonde curls, but she had a hot temper when it came to anyone being mean to others.

Made sense, all things considered. She’d had a ton of bullshit handed her way when she was just a kid. Horrid stuff that he’d been totally oblivious to. And damn if that didn’t make him want to hug her all over again.

So he did. Just pulled her in tight and squeezed her, continuing repayment for all the times he hadn’t been there for her when she was little.

She squeezed him back with easy affection that made his heart happy. “Thanks, Dust-man.”

He chuckled. Yeah, Caleb wasn’t the only one with more nicknames than he could count. “No problem,monkey.”

She stuck out her tongue as she left him beside Charity.