” Jaycee asked, sounding skeptical and surprised.
Another dose of his version of normal. “The top floor’s been converted into an apartment. But if you like, I can get you a guest room in the main house.”
She glanced back in the direction of the children and their moms. Then the barn. “Your place will be fine.”
Josh bit back a smile. Barely. That’d been his reaction when he’d first returned home. “The kids grow on you,” he confessed.
At least that’s what he’d heard anyway.
He led her up the side stairs to the studio-style apartment. Even though the barn was isolated, it still had all the conveniences of a real house.
Jaycee paused in the doorway, her gaze moving over the room. But there wasn’t much to see. Other than the bathroom, it was just one big open space, with the modest kitchen and sitting area on one side and his bed on the other. There were clothes scattered on the floor. Dishes in the sink. Just the way he’d left it when he’d gone to work earlier.
“You haven’t been sleeping well,” she commented. Jaycee tipped her head to the unmade bed. The covers were in a tangled heap. His prescription pain meds were on the nightstand.
“Sometimes,” Josh settled for saying.
He went in, too, shutting the door behind them, and he tossed his keys onto the kitchen counter before he set the security alarm. A first for him since the ranch had always felt so safe, but nothing felt safe enough now.
“A security system in a barn?” she murmured.
“Yeah. Mason had it installed a few years ago after some intruders managed to get onto the grounds. Most of the buildings have security.”
That put some renewed fear on her face.
“It’s all right,” he assured her. “It was nothing recent. Nothing to be concerned about.”
But of course, they were both still concerned.
Jaycee inched across the room to the huge bay window at the far end of the room. It was late afternoon, and the butter-colored sun hit her just right to spotlight her.
Josh felt that punch of heat.
A punch he definitely didn’t want to feel but, like the other things going on in his head today, he couldn’t seem to push this one aside.
“Should we try to clear the air?” Jaycee asked with her back to him.
“No.” And he didn’t have to think about it. No way did he want to discuss the shooting with her. Besides, they were well past the air-clearing stage.
She turned, met his gaze. “Then at least let me say I’m sorry.”
He didn’t want to hear it, but it would have been petty to blast her for an apology that he couldn’t accept. Josh was still trying to figure out what to say when she crinkled her nose and slid her hand over her belly.
“Are you okay?” he quickly asked.
“It’s just the baby kicking.”
It didn’t seem to be a painful experience, and she certainly didn’t ask Josh to share it. Instead, she went to the bed and started fixing the covers.
“I think I’ll take a nap, if you don’t mind,” she said.
“Don’t mind at all.” And he went to the bed to help her straighten the sheets. To say this was an awkward moment was a huge understatement. Beds and Jaycee were never a good idea, even when it was the only option they had.
Thankfully, he had an immediate distraction. His phone made a soft dinging sound to indicate he had a text. Josh pulled it from his pocket and saw Grayson’s name on the screen.
This probably wasn’t good news. And it wasn’t short and sweet, either. It had an attachment. Grayson started by saying the reason he didn’t call was because he hadn’t wanted to wake Jaycee in case she was sleeping.
But there was a lot more than that in the message.
“You know the name Bryson Hillard?” Josh asked, reading through it.
Jaycee repeated the name, shook her head. “Never heard of him. Why?”
“The tech found his name on the laptop they recovered from the house.”
Another headshake. “Who is he?”
“A wealthy San Antonio businessman. No criminal
Another dose of his version of normal. “The top floor’s been converted into an apartment. But if you like, I can get you a guest room in the main house.”
She glanced back in the direction of the children and their moms. Then the barn. “Your place will be fine.”
Josh bit back a smile. Barely. That’d been his reaction when he’d first returned home. “The kids grow on you,” he confessed.
At least that’s what he’d heard anyway.
He led her up the side stairs to the studio-style apartment. Even though the barn was isolated, it still had all the conveniences of a real house.
Jaycee paused in the doorway, her gaze moving over the room. But there wasn’t much to see. Other than the bathroom, it was just one big open space, with the modest kitchen and sitting area on one side and his bed on the other. There were clothes scattered on the floor. Dishes in the sink. Just the way he’d left it when he’d gone to work earlier.
“You haven’t been sleeping well,” she commented. Jaycee tipped her head to the unmade bed. The covers were in a tangled heap. His prescription pain meds were on the nightstand.
“Sometimes,” Josh settled for saying.
He went in, too, shutting the door behind them, and he tossed his keys onto the kitchen counter before he set the security alarm. A first for him since the ranch had always felt so safe, but nothing felt safe enough now.
“A security system in a barn?” she murmured.
“Yeah. Mason had it installed a few years ago after some intruders managed to get onto the grounds. Most of the buildings have security.”
That put some renewed fear on her face.
“It’s all right,” he assured her. “It was nothing recent. Nothing to be concerned about.”
But of course, they were both still concerned.
Jaycee inched across the room to the huge bay window at the far end of the room. It was late afternoon, and the butter-colored sun hit her just right to spotlight her.
Josh felt that punch of heat.
A punch he definitely didn’t want to feel but, like the other things going on in his head today, he couldn’t seem to push this one aside.
“Should we try to clear the air?” Jaycee asked with her back to him.
“No.” And he didn’t have to think about it. No way did he want to discuss the shooting with her. Besides, they were well past the air-clearing stage.
She turned, met his gaze. “Then at least let me say I’m sorry.”
He didn’t want to hear it, but it would have been petty to blast her for an apology that he couldn’t accept. Josh was still trying to figure out what to say when she crinkled her nose and slid her hand over her belly.
“Are you okay?” he quickly asked.
“It’s just the baby kicking.”
It didn’t seem to be a painful experience, and she certainly didn’t ask Josh to share it. Instead, she went to the bed and started fixing the covers.
“I think I’ll take a nap, if you don’t mind,” she said.
“Don’t mind at all.” And he went to the bed to help her straighten the sheets. To say this was an awkward moment was a huge understatement. Beds and Jaycee were never a good idea, even when it was the only option they had.
Thankfully, he had an immediate distraction. His phone made a soft dinging sound to indicate he had a text. Josh pulled it from his pocket and saw Grayson’s name on the screen.
This probably wasn’t good news. And it wasn’t short and sweet, either. It had an attachment. Grayson started by saying the reason he didn’t call was because he hadn’t wanted to wake Jaycee in case she was sleeping.
But there was a lot more than that in the message.
“You know the name Bryson Hillard?” Josh asked, reading through it.
Jaycee repeated the name, shook her head. “Never heard of him. Why?”
“The tech found his name on the laptop they recovered from the house.”
Another headshake. “Who is he?”
“A wealthy San Antonio businessman. No criminal