Page 24 of Treasure and Tarot (Echoes of Secret Springs #1)

Chapter

Nineteen

C olton was…well, he was settling in at Sebastian’s house.

He was going to have to commandeer a room for his office if he was going to stay, and he was pretty determined to do that, so he needed to poke into some nooks and crannies and see what was what.

He really didn’t want to have to climb to the third floor or the attic, but there wasn’t really room to put a tiny house in the bitty backyard, which they would have called a garden a la the Brits back in the day.

He pondered the kitchen, hands on his hips. There was a mudroom with the laundry area in it. Maybe they could move the laundry area to the second floor so no one had to haul stuff up and down stairs, and then put his office out there…

“What are you studying so hard?” Sebastian asked, coming to settle at his desk. He had some calls to do while Abby was down for her nap, and Colton was going to go to lunch with Gent over in Secret Springs.

“Oh, just plotting my takeover of some first-floor space.”

Sebastian chuckled. “Three days and you want to tear out the laundry room?”

“Well, maybe I should rent office space somewhere.”

Now Bastian frowned. “I wasn’t?—”

“I know. I just mean I’ll probably have to have some meetings. Not just Zoom. That way we wouldn’t have people tromping in and out.” Colton was still learning, and so was Bastian. The only one who had adjusted immediately to him “moving in” was Abby.

She loved having them both there as well as having them mostly to herself. Although she had gained a whole herd of uncles.

“What about at the house the guys are thinking of renting?” Sebastian asked. “There’s bound to be space on the ground floor there. It’s a Craftsman house, not a company store shotgun like this one.”

“Yeah. There’s a nice study on the ground floor in that house…”

“Well, if Gent really does intend to buy something instead of renting it, when you needed a real office, you could go there. And we can set you up a corner of the front parlor or the dining room for a workspace like mine.”

“You wouldn’t mind?” Colton asked.

“Nope.” Sebastian gave him a bright smile. “I just want you to be happy and comfortable. I know the stairs…”

“Twice a day, three tops if I take Abby up for her nap? Not a problem. I mean, the real family room is up there, right? But trudging up and down to do Zoom calls and all? Might be good for me in the long run, but not right now.” He grimaced.

“I just want you to be happy, you know? Here. Like you’re at home. Did Gent get settled into the hotel with the guys?”

Colton nodded. Gent had driven in from Glenwood late last night and had gone to the hotel and crashed. “He did. He’s doing good. He sent me a text this morning saying, don’t call, we’ll talk about lunch instead. How’s your day going?”

He wrapped one arm around Sebastian and drew him in. He loved this—just spending time with Sebastian, touching him, connecting.

“Good. I met with a client earlier, and then I worked on one of my podcasts, recording my readings, you know? I have one more client this afternoon, and then I’m done for the week.

Unless someone calls with an emergency.” He heard singing from upstairs, and Sebastian smiled. “Abby sure is glad to be home.”

“Yeah, she seems to be such a cheery little girl.” It was fascinating to see her in her own milieu.

She played constantly with her babies and with her little doll house, or coloring and Play-Doh and went up and down and up and down and up and down.

He wasn’t sure how Bastian had managed it all those years by himself.

“Yes, she’s pretty good. I’m so glad that the terrible threes are almost over, because she seems to be way more subtle than her brain has let her be recently.

She’s so glad to have her babies back. Are you going to be home in time for supper?

Are we going to have company?” Sebastian gave him a glance.

“It’s weird, huh? I don’t know how this works.

Like I know the guys are here a lot, but I don’t know how much to cook or even if I should cook.

Or am I a good cook? I mean, I’m all right, I think. I like to cook.”

“I bet you are. I know you like to feed people.” Colton smiled. “You’re very nurturing. I would bet that Gent ends up here for supper, and if he does, the guys will too. Do you need me to shop over in Secret Springs? I think Gent is craving David’s pizza.”

“Well, we could go there tomorrow, have a long lunch instead?” Sebastian sounded hopeful, as if he just wanted to be home.

“Hey, that’s a good idea. That way, he can just rest this afternoon and come to supper. Let me text him.” He liked the idea of not having to leave the house today.

“Sounds good to me. What do you want me to cook? Chicken spaghetti or lasagna?”

“Chicken spaghetti. I’d never had that until you made it for me, and I think the guys will love it. Lasagna we can do one day when we can let it sit overnight. It’s better that way.” Colton wanted to rub shoulders with Sebastian and make his granny’s sauce when they did lasagna.

“Sounds good to me. I have all the ingredients here too.” Sebastian came and sat on his lap. “Do you think Gent will like us?”

“I know he will. He seems gruff, but he’s a family guy at heart. He mother-hens the crew all the time. He has twenty-three nieces and nephews.”

“No shit?” Sebastian slapped his hand over his mouth. “Sorry!”

“Hey, she’s not here.” Colton winked at Sebastian.

“But I get what you mean. Yeah, he has six brothers and sisters.” He shook his head.

Gent came off as an island, but he did holidays at his family’s place outside of Telluride.

Gent spent most of his time in California right now, but he was in a rental.

Colton would bet it would take no time for the man to come back to Colorado.

“That’s great. I always wanted brothers and sisters. What about you?”

“I didn’t.” Colton swallowed hard. “My folks…well. You know how they are now. They were harsh when I was a kid. Pushing me to do what they wanted, not what I did. Belittling me if I did things wrong. I didn’t want a brother or sister to suffer that.”

Shit, that sounded so damn whiny. But it was true. And now? He wanted family. Lots of it.

“Oh, my family life was good. Seriously. I felt so lucky.” Sebastian pressed one hand on his chest. “I feel lucky right now.”

“I do too.” He bent to kiss Sebastian’s lips. “So, let me text Gent real quick to tell him dinner tonight, lunch tomorrow, and then we can go check on our girl?”

“She is so ready to hang out with her Papa. She’s going to ask for hot dogs for lunch. You can tell her yes.”

“Okay, cool. I like those.” Colton winked. “Do we air fry them? How does she like them done?” He just needed to shoot off a quick text to Gent, and then one to the guys.

“She wants hers boiled. I do mine in the air fryer until they’re crispy…”

“Got it. Just in case I ever have to do them.” He knew how to microwave boil a hot dog. He’d even done them in boiling water in a Thermos. When a guy traveled as much as he did, he got creative.

“What about you? How do you take your hot dogs?”

“Oh, I like them almost black and split.” He grinned. “With mustard and pickles.”

Sebastian laughed. “Okay, wild with the pickles.”

“You should try it sometime. Pickles are amazing.” He loved dill ones. Cornichons. Bread and butter. Weird pickled veg. All sorts.

“Well, I like a dill spear with my sub sammy, but?—”

“Mmm. Chicago dog. You’ll have to try it sometime soon.”

“Daddy! I’m hungry!”

“Coming, baby doll!” Sebastian waved him back. “I’ll get her. You start hot dogs.”

“You got it, baby.” He felt…like a dad. It was wild. He was making hot dogs for his omega and his little girl. It wouldn’t be this easy, he knew. There would be growing pains. But this was amazing.

He grabbed his phone.

Supper 2nite w the fam?

Sure. What do I bring?

Hes making chicken spaghetti

Soooo…

So grab some damn beer and some chips and salsa. Chicken spaghetti has Ro-Tel and stuff

can do. what time

6

what does the little girl like?

She’ll have buttered noodles and bread. But she loves those weird frosted cookies at the coffee shop next door to the hotel

Xavi would put Gent on the right path.

k. Cu@6

“Papa? Daddy says to ask you for doggie dogs!”

“Does he? I think we can do that. Do you like them boiled?” He wondered if she’d ever had hot dogs shaped like an octopus.

“In water wif cheese!”

“You got it.” He beamed at her. “I like pickles on mine. Do you like pickles?” He waited for her to ick that right out.

“Yes! I love pickles! Yummy!” Oh, that was glorious, the way she lit up.

“Well, maybe you can try a bite of hot dog with a tiny bite of pickle, huh?” He wasn’t sure how she would feel about microwave water hot dogs so he put on a pan to boil.

“Okay!” She crawled up into her little booster chair. “Can I have a drink?”

“What kind of drink?” He’d seen at the hotel what Sebastian would let her drink, but he was curious to see what she would ask for.

“Milk?” She beamed at him. “In my purple cup?”

“You got it.” Her purple cup was on the drainboard, so he filled it about three-quarters full with milk before securing the lid. “Ta-da.”

“Tank you.” She beamed at him as if he was the most brilliant human in history. It was an awesome feeling.

The first time she cried on him he would probably have a nervous breakdown.

“Do you want to play outside?”

“Later, baby girl. After your hot dogs.” Sebastian winked at him and grabbed a glass of tea. He’d brought a load of laundry down with him, which was clearly what had taken him a moment.

“Okay!” She swung her feet, but she wasn’t kicking, so he let it go. So did Bastian.

Gent had always said with the nieces and nephews that a man had to pick his battles, and he was going to start that out like he could hold out.

He grinned. He had no idea what he was doing.

Sebastian touched his hip on the way by, and it didn’t matter that he was clueless. This was the best life he could ever imagine, and he was going to grab it with both hands and hold it tight to his chest.