Page 59 of Redemption Ridge Vol II

She kissed his cheek, and they resumed walking. “You’re not the only one who needs to change their thinking. Relationships require effort from everyone. We’ve learned from our mistakes, right?”

“Definitely.”

“Then let’s just promise to do better from now on,” she said.

Tyler held out his pinky and said, “I swear.”

His mom hooked her little finger around his. “I swear too.” They shook to seal their commitment. “Care to saddle up and take a ride with me?”

He’d only planned a quick visit with the horses, but he couldn’t refuse the invitation.

It was after twelve by the time they finished their ride and aftercare for the horses. The weather was unseasonably warm but breezy, so his cheeks were pink when he caught his reflection in the downstairs bathroom mirror. He’d ducked in to wash up before heading to the kitchen to help his mom put a light lunch together for everyone. That was the plan until Owen stepped inside the bathroom and closed the door. He wrapped his arms around Tyler’s waist and rested his chin on Tyler’s shoulder.

“Damn, you look good, baby,” Owen said huskily. “You only wear that sweet flush on your cheeks when you’re riding horses or me.”

Tyler held his gaze and noticed the way Owen’s midnight eyes twinkled with love and happiness. It reminded him of their life-changing time in the photo booth two months prior. Tyler had entered that night feeling like Owen was slipping away from him and ended it with tremendous revelations that put them on the path to this exact moment. Tyler felt seen, understood, and accepted in ways he had never dreamed possible once he left home. Turning in Owen’s embrace, Tyler kissed the lips he loved so much. “Speaking of riding,” he said, “we’re moving into a different guest room with a queen bed.”

Owen huffed out a sigh and shook his head. “I started a list of space puns we could use for the rest of our stay.” He leaned forward and nuzzled his nose against Tyler’s neck. “I’d planned to change the lyrics to Elton John’s ‘Rocket Man’ tonight.”

Tyler chuckled and said, “I’ll tell her we changed our minds.”

Owen growled and grazed his teeth against Tyler’s neck. “A queen, you say?” Their bed back at the ranch was only a full, so the added space sounded like a luxury. “Can I still spoon you?”

Tyler slid his hand down and grabbed Owen’s ass. “Only after I fork you.”

Owen snorted, then kissed a path along Tyler’s jawline. “Looking forward to it.”

“Maybe we can skip lunch and take a nap,” Tyler suggested.

Owen dropped his arms and stepped back, taking his delicious body heat with him. “Or maybe we wait until bedtime so we’re not too obvious.” He gave Tyler one last kiss and eased toward the door. “Besides, I get to see you all the time. You only have two more days with your family before we head back to the ranch. Soak it all in, baby.”

“Fine,” Tyler said with an eye roll. “Be practical.”

Owen was right, and Tyler knew it, so he threw himself into activities with everyone. The kids had an endless tank of energy, fueled by holiday excitement and his mama’s Christmas cookies. It was both strange and beautiful how easily he reconnected with his family after nearly two years away. There were obvious changes to everyone’s physical appearances, of course, but they’d all grown and matured into better people. Tyler squabbled with his siblings over petty things, as they’d done when they were younger, but the good-natured jabs landed differently. When his brother accused him of cheating at Go Fish, instead of getting offended, Tyler simply dared him to prove it as he slipped the card Owen needed to him under the table.

Tyler took pictures of the food his mother prepared and texted them to Harry. She’d asked him to bring an authentic Texan recipe back to the ranch, and his mother was excited to oblige the request. By the time they finished eating, Tyler was nearly in a food coma. Owen revived him by whispering a few lines to his new “Rocket Man” song, and the kids kept him awake with their incessant requests to open gifts. The Booths had switched to a kids-only rule for buying presents once their family started to burst at the seams. Many of his siblings were on tight budgets with growing families, and his parents had never put emphasis on material things, anyway. Tyler and Owen bought the older kids their own pair of skates, knee and elbow pads, and helmets. They’d purchased age-appropriate toys and clothes for the infants from a list his mother provided. The roller skates were a tremendous success, and his dad decided they’d turn the unfinished part of the basement into a mini rink so the kids could work out some of their excess energy.

But first, his mom had a surprise up her sleeve. “I wanted to change things up slightly this year because I finally have my entire family here.” She passed out a wrapped box to everyone, including the grandkids. “Go on,” she said. “Open them.”

They pulled out matching pajama sets for the entire family. She’d chosen green and plain flannel bottoms with beige Henley tops featuring evergreens and woodland critters wearing festive holiday hats or scarves. Not a single person groaned about the cheesiness because they knew what the moment meant to her.

“Pictures, dessert, and then skating in the basement,” she said.

The festively decorated staircase made the most sense to use as a backdrop for a group their size, so they lined up in rows while their dad put his camera on a tripod and set the timer. He took his spot between his wife and father on the first step, and they all hammed it up for the camera. It took four or five tries before they got an image where everyone was looking at the camera and smiling. Tyler had told his mom that Owen loved pumpkin-flavored anything, so she made a special pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust just for him.

There was grumbling among the siblings that Owen was their mom’s new favorite. She didn’t bother to correct them, so Tyler figured there might be some truth in their accusations. He certainly couldn’t blame her infatuation. Owen’s expression upon first bite was pure bliss, and it only made the siblings want it more. He ended up sharing because he was a wonderful person and wanted to remain in their good graces.

By the time they made it up to their new room, the guys were too stuffed and tired to fool around…much. They settled for long kisses, light petting, and deep conversation. Tyler told Owen about the big talks he’d had with his parents, and Owen shared the reading therapy plans he’d put together with his mom’s help.

“I’m going to enroll in an extensive program for adults,” Owen said. “Wendy helped me find the nearest center, and it’s the one by Keegan’s therapist.” He got quiet and introspective for several long moments before breaking the silence. “I’ve stared at that building so many times while waiting for Kee and wondered what would happen if I found the courage to walk inside and ask someone for help. I’m finally ready. After I get better at reading and writing, I’ll start GED classes. Those will last another three months before I can take the test. It’s likely I’ll still need some dyslexia tools for the exam, but I won’t know which ones until I’ve completed the therapy.”

Tyler hugged him tighter and kissed his cheek. “That’s wonderful. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you. I never would’ve reached this point if not for you and your mom.” Owen rose up and looked over at the bedside table. “Hey, it’s midnight.”

Tyler snuggled closer and whispered, “Merry Christmas.” He reached for the lamp to turn it off, but Owen stopped him by squeezing his ass.

“It’s about to get merrier,” Owen replied huskily. “I brought a special gift for you.”