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"Alex?" he called in a much gentler voice. "Alex, it's — you're okay. You're safe here."
Eyes the color of a bright copper penny flicked up at him and back away just as fast. Fists clenching, Alex took a deep shuddering breath and then finally looked him in the eye.
Jakob smiled, trying to look as harmless as he could.
"Why don't you boys help set up the game," he offered, still keeping his tone mild as he watched Alex's reaction. "And after — if you aren't all sick of each other by that point anyway — you and Liam can go pick us all up some pizzas. Then… I don't know — Then all of you could throw on a movie or something on the big TV if you like. Ethan and I will make ourselves scarce. I'm sure we can find something to do to keep ourselves out of your hair."
The corner of Alex's lip twitched up into a smirk at that and Jakob frowned, replaying what he had just said at double speed in his mind.
Then he groaned, realizing what he had implied.
And… well — given the events of the morning, it's not like he had any defense here either, was it?
But the rigid line of Alex's shoulders had loosened, his hands hanging relaxed at his sides now as he stood. As if he'd been reminded of where he was, justwhosehome he was in. And that things could be — were — very different here than the house he had so recently had to escape from.
So be it, Jakob thought as he watched the boys drift towards the dining room table and the upcoming game Kiya and Cassie had already laid out. The girls were busy placing tiny figures across a giant board, laying down markers in some particular arrangement across its surface.
Alex shot Jakob a last curious look over his shoulder, before quickly becoming engrossed in the deck of cards Cassie had just handed him to shuffle.
Jakob's cheeks felt flushed at the idle examination, surely as red as the teens' had been a moment ago. But…
If a little embarrassment on my part makes him feel safe here,Jakob thought as he headed into the kitchen to hunt up some coffee and perhaps breakfast,then really — where's the harm?
Because honestly… Alex was handling everything pretty well, all things considered. Better than Jakob would have in his shoes, at least.
Miles better than Jakob haddone, in fact.
Over the chug of the coffee machine came the sound of the kids starting their game; the low buzz of excitement as Cassie donned what Jakob had always called her "Future President’s Voice" as she read out the rules.
His phone dinged, a reminder flashing up on the screen that Nash would be in Jakob's office in twenty minutes to go over the job listing for the potential new ranch hands. Jakob double-checked he had allowed extra time before Owen was due to arrive to discuss repairing the eastern wall of the stables. He had a feeling his assistant manager would probably want to talk about that idea he'd had for adding a riding class to the stable's usual slate, too.
As the smell of the coffee drifted through the kitchen, Jakob could feel the stupid little happy grin creep across his face. He leaned against the counter to poke at the day's word puzzle on his phone, staring at the screen; his thoughts distracted by the knowledge that Ethan was probably dozing in Jakob's bed. Idle plans passed through his mind at what the afternoon might bring; the evening, the next few days, the weeks… maybe months to follow?
He didn't dare let himself dream further than that.
The minor agitation of the letters _ROST staring unhelpfully back at him from his phone warred with the complete and total sense of utter contentment that had spread through him.
Jakob hummed happily.
There was a knock at the door and Jakob glanced over at the clock on the microwave, mentally subtracting an hour since he had never remembered to set it the last time the clocks changed.
It was still too early for classes down at the stable to start. Far too early for guests too, especially this time of year.
He was expecting a delivery from the vet of vitamins for the horses, but that wasn't supposed to arrive until this afternoon. That was probably it. Those estimated delivery times they gave you never did have even a passing familiarity with reality, did they?
"I got it," he called to the kids as he made his way to the front door.
They always wanted him to sign for this stuff. Like it was the secret of the universe inside, and not just horse supplement or whatever.
But when Jakob opened the door, it wasn't to find the disinterested gaze of some bored and indifferent delivery driver that greeted him on the other side of the screen; underpaid and overworked and in a hurry to be off to their next stop.
No. The shoes, the haircut, the way the man stood framed there in the doorway —
Jakob didn't even need to see the black Crown Vic parked in the middle of the gravel drive to know —
It all added up totrouble.
Chapter 33
