Page 61 of Ridin' True

Marlowe and I exchanged another glance, but she was quick to look away before she hurried inside. Jed, his hand still at my back, led me to the edge of the patio.

His backyard was huge. To the left, a few feet away from the fence, was the skate ramp he built for his son. To the right, on a bed of gravel, was a firepit with six Adirondack chairs circled around it. The rest of the yard was covered in thick, healthy grass.

Roy and Benson had moved to stand by the firepit. Maverick and another Stallion I hadn’t met yet were sitting, all of them with beers in hand. Racing around in the grass with Nerf guns were three more kids.

“Ax, Otto, MK, come ‘ere,” Jed hollered.

The kids all stopped and looked our way, their cheeks rosy from excretion. The little girl with adorable curly hair came racing toward us first. The two boys were quick to follow.

“You’re pretty. Who are you?” she asked without preamble.

Laughing, I replied, “Oh, thank you. I’m Alexia. Who are you?”

“Mary-Kate.”

“She’s Mustang’s daughter,” Jed added helpfully.

“Ah—Mustang, as in Steel Mustang, as in Tess’s man.”

“Daddy and Tess are getting married and I’m gonna have a baby sister. Or brother. I don’t know which yet. It’s my Christmas present.”

“Wow, that is anawesomepresent,” I exclaimed.

“Who are you again?” asked the blond-haired, blue-eyed boy who was the spitting image of his mother.

“Ax, this is my friend Alexia. Alexia, Axel.”

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” I greeted.

“Cool. Uh, dad? Is it time to eat yet? I’m starving.”

“You’re not starvin’. I feed you every hour,” teased Jed, playfully hooking his arm around Axel’s neck and pulling him into his side. “But yes, food’s ready. All of you go wash up. Winnie and Jenna will help you with your plates.”

None of them needed to be told twice.

I watched them go and then asked, “Who was the third one?”

“That was Otto, Bull and Winnie’s youngest.”

“Ah, got it,” I said, smiling up at him. “Well, that was painless.”

He furrowed his brow. “You were worried?”

I scoffed. “Jed, they’re your world. Of course, I was nervous. Still am, as a matter of fact. I don’t want them to think I’m lame.”

His face softened as he drawled, “Darlin’, you’re not lame. Quit your worryin’. And while you’re at it, try not to be so cute. Can’t kiss you like I want ‘til later. Now, you hungry?”

Speaking through a grin, I teased, “Starved.”

Allthekids,includingMarlowe, ate their dinner on a blanket in the grass. The Stallions—Shep,also known asHank,being my newest acquaintance—ate around the firepit. Somehow, Winnie, Jenna and I ended up inside, around the kitchen island.

It was probably because of the margaritas.

I was in one of two chairs tucked under the lip of the island, Winnie in the seat beside me, while Jenna stood opposite us. She was, in fact, very impressed with Jed’s blender and intended to add it to her wedding registry. That was to say, whenever she got around to creating oneorif she didn’t end up buying it herself as a housewarming gift for her and Kade.

Maverick decided he didn’t mind if I called him Kade.

I’m pretty sure he just didn’t want to be left out after he learned I was calling everyone else by their given names.