Page 7

Ronan

It’s Raining Men

Instead of staying at the B&B, which would have cost them several hundred dollars each for their own rooms, Ronan suggested packing everything up and heading home. Jude and Fitz agreed with the plan, wanting to sleep in their own beds next to their husbands.

Grabbing the sleeping bags and taking down the tents took about fifteen minutes. Packing the soggy material and the coolers into the back of the SUV took a little longer. Lastly, they’d gone on a drive through the rest of the campground looking for Ronan’s missing tent. They’d found it several roads away, fetched up against a large travel trailer, looking no worse for its journey through time and space. Once it was stowed with the rest of the gear, Fitz drove them to the public bathhouse. He was able to pull right up to the curb and park. Hot showers were only a few steps away.

Thankfully, they’d each left their overnight bags in the car, so there were dry clothes for them to change into after their showers when they were warm, and more importantly, dry.

It was a little after seven when they hit the road home. Jude had cued up his playlist, a different one than he used on the drive to the campground. This one coincidentally started with “It’s Raining Men.” Everyone sang at the top of their voices with Ronan making a video of the sing-along.

As the next song started, “Home Sweet Home,” by Motley Crue, Ronan turned to face Jude, who was sitting behind Fitz in the back seat. “Fitz and I both shared what’s been bothering us lately, but you didn’t say a word about what’s going with you and Cope.”

“I don’t have any problems. My life is perfect.” Jude grinned at Ronan and sang along with Vince Neil.

“Bullshit,” Fitz said, eyeing Jude in the rearview mirror. “You’ve been just as pissy as the rest of us this week.”

Jude sighed and tapped his phone, turning off the music. “There is something wrong, only I’m not sure I want to tell you.”

“I thought we agreed we weren’t angry at each other anymore when we were in the showers.” Ronan had accidentally suggested the truce, while fanning a white towel near his sore nuts, trying to dry them without having to touch them. Fitz saw it as a waving white flag and the armistice started there.

“We did agree. What’s going on has nothing to do with what we were arguing about and isn’t about work.” Jude was silent for a few seconds. “I don’t have the energy to deal with the two of you laughing at me.”

“If the thing on your mind doesn’t have to do with our dumb asses or with work, then it has to do with Cope and the kids. Neither of you laughed when I told you about not wanting to have another baby. I promise we won’t laugh,” Fitz said, elbowing Ronan.

“I swear too,” Ronan agreed, praying he wouldn’t break his word. Jude was a naturally funny guy, but when he was upset, he used humor to help get his point across. Ronan hoped Jude would give it to them straight.

“Okay, it’s about Cope. We’re not fighting or anything like that, but we’re also not getting it on like we used to either.” Jude sounded unsure of himself as he spoke.

“Ten and I aren’t having the kind of sex we did before the kids came either. Back then it used to be every day, sometimes two or three times a day. Now, we’re lucky if we get lucky once a week. We’re both so busy with work and the kids that when we finally drop into bed, all we want to do is sleep.” Things had been better now that Ezra’s night terrors were over, but Ronan wasn’t getting as much action as he would have liked. He absolutely understood where Jude was coming from.

“I hear you, Ronan. It’s not that we’re having less sex than before. We’re having none.”

Ronan wasn’t sure what to say. The absolute last thing he wanted to do was make Jude more upset than he already was. No sex was definitely a problem and he wasn’t sure how to help Jude reignite the spark.

“Are the two of you fighting and one of you isn’t interested at the moment?” Fitz asked, taking the heat off Ronan.

“We’re not fighting. Everything is perfect, just like I said. The kids are great, Wolf’s doing well in school and is gearing up for playing spring soccer. Cope’s been busy at work, but it’s not like Halloween month when he’s working twelve to fourteen hour days.”

“Are either one of you hurt, you know, down there?” Ronan asked. “After what happened to me today with the waders sticking to my balls and then almost getting my dick bitten off by a ravenous rainbow trout, sex is the last thing on my mind.”

“Huh,” Jude said quietly. “I hadn’t thought about that. I’m fine in that department, but I don’t know if Cope is.”

“That could be the root of the problem. The only way you’re going to know for sure is to talk about it honestly,” Fitz suggested.

“You’re right. I know you are, but I don’t know how to start the conversation. I know I’m hurt and embarrassed. Maybe he is too and if he is, I don’t want to make him feel worse.” Jude sounded absolutely miserable.

“We can take the kids if you two want to go away for a weekend,” Ronan suggested. He knew Everly and Ezra would be excited to have Lizbet and Wolf stay with them for a few days. Hell, you could take him to Bare Necessities!”

Jude burst out laughing. “I’ll talk to Cope when we get back. Thank you for listening to me and not being dickheads.”

“You know,” Fitz began, “we’re only human. We all have bad days, though usually not all at the same time. I’m sorry I was such a dick about the McClellan interview, Ronan.”

“Same here,” Jude agreed. “I’m also sorry I didn’t tell you about my snafu with the calendar program.”

“We’ve been talking about getting a new system to track our schedules, maybe this is the push we need to implement that plan.” Fitz eyed Jude in the rearview mirror.

“I’ve got an idea on how we can get McClellan to reconsider sitting down with us,” Jude said. “There’s a note in the file about Marie possibly having a lover, a guy by the name of Martin Frain. Why don’t we call the husband back on Monday and apologize for missing the meeting and let him know Frain gave us some information that puts the bullseye firmly on him and we want McClellan to corroborate the new evidence, but that we understand if he doesn’t want to help clear his own name.”

“That’s diabolical. I love it!” Ronan grinned. “I can sell the hell out of that story.”

“I’m sure you can,” Jude agreed. “What are you sorry for?”

“Me? Nothing! I’m a perfect little angel!” Ronan snickered.

“More like a perfect little troublemaker.” Jude rolled his eyes.

“Seriously, though, I’m sorry about being suspicious of you two after the parent/teacher meeting with Miss Jacobs.” He’d never had better friends in his life than Jude and Fitz. The fact that he suspected either of them of hurting Everly for even one second broke his heart.

Fitz set a hand on Ronan’s shoulder. “I would have felt the same way if it was Aurora, Ronan. I don’t blame you for that. Not one bit.”

“Same here,” Jude agreed. “I just wish you could have come to me and told me what was going on.”

“I appreciate you guys being so supportive, but now that we’ve got the Kumbaya portion of the program out of the way, how are we going to get back at our husbands for sending us to a nudist colony to settle our differences? Ronan asked. He had a few ideas of his own, but was curious to hear what his friends had come up with.

“I’ve got the perfect idea,” Jude said before laying out his plan.

Ronan was on board the second Jude started describing what he wanted to do. When he finally managed to stop laughing, he called Ten to let him know they were on their way back because of the weather and would arrive within the next half hour.

According to Ten, the kids were upstairs asleep and Ten, Cope, and Jace were watching a movie together. The setup was almost too perfect.