Golden Trail
Page 183

Yeah, the couch was comfortable all right. Heaven on earth.
“It means everything,” Jasper retorted to Tripp.
“Guys,” Rocky put in, “I don’t know if you noticed this but there are four people and a dog on this couch and none of us are touching, except, of course, me, your Dad and the dog. I think you and your babes can share.”
“Right,” Tripp grinned at her, seeing Roc curled into his old man and visualizing something else entirely.
Fucking hell.
“I want privacy with my babe, Tripp-o-matic,” Jasper started, “you and your babe take off.”
Shit.
“Same here,” Tripp shot back.
“Jesus,” Layne muttered, thinking of his two hormonal, teenaged boys, he looked down at Roc. “Maybe this couch wasn’t a good idea.”
“They’ll get used to it,” Rocky muttered.
That was what he was afraid of.
“All right!” Vera shouted, pretending to walk down the stairs casually. “The Colts game starts at one and I’m making my Mexican layer dip. I need to go to the store. Does anyone want anything?”
“Mexican dip sounds awesome!” Tripp cried even though he’d downed five pancakes a half an hour earlier.
“I’m good, Gram,” Jasper replied.
Vera disappeared into the kitchen, calling, “Rocky, honey?”
“I don’t need anything, thanks, Vera,” Rocky answered.
“Tanner?” his mother shouted.
“Nothin’, Ma,” Layne returned and Devin came down the stairs.
When he did, both Jas and Tripp went still and their eyes were riveted on Devin. Obviously having missed their ascent, they nevertheless cottoned on immediately to the fact that both Vera and Devin were upstairs, this was unusual and they were up there together for reasons unknown and therefore suspect.
Devin made matters worse when he turned to the crew on the sectional and announced, “I’m goin’ with Vera.”
Vera rounded the corner hitching her purse on her shoulder and her eyes came to the couch. “Be back soon,” she declared on a huge smile and, after securing her purse strap, she gave them a finger wave.
All the eyes on the couch, except Blondie’s, watched Vera and Dev walk to the door, out of it and then they all looked through the window, Jasper even curling up and shifting to get a view, as Devin helped Vera into the Calais, Dev rounded it, got in and they drove off.
Rocky and Layne settled back in but Jasper and Tripp kept their eyes on the window even when Vera and Dev were out of view.
Then his boys’ eyes came to him.
“What was that?” Tripp breathed and Rocky giggled.
“Yeah, I didn’t think Dev even liked Gram and he, like, held her door for her,” Jasper whispered.
“That’s the gentlemanly thing to do, Jasper,” Rocky advised him and Jasper’s eyes cut to her.
“Dev’s not gentlemanly.”
Rocky giggled again.
“How about we let that play out how it plays out,” Layne ordered through suggestion.
“Let what play out?” Tripp was still talking on a breath.
Rocky giggled again.
“Whatever,” Layne muttered, confronted with the possibility of a Devin and Vera couple, live and in person, not knowing how he felt about it and deciding he was just not going to think about it at all.
However, Layne was not going to get this because Roc decided to educate the Layne men.
“A woman doesn’t stop being a woman just because she becomes a grandmother.”
“Roc,” Layne said low as three sets of male eyes focused on her.
“It’s true,” Rocky returned and added, “I think they’re cute.”
“Euw,” Tripp mumbled then Jasper and Tripp stared at her with identical expressions on their face that clearly stated, gross.
“Let’s stop talking about this,” Layne ordered.
“Why?” Roc asked with sham innocence.
“Because she’s my mother, he’s the finest man I know and I want them both to be happy but I still don’t know whether to slap him on the back, threaten him, punch him or vomit on his shoes,” Layne answered.
Rocky’s body started shaking but she managed to get out a strangled, “Okay, sweetheart, we’ll quit talking about it.”
“Obliged,” Layne muttered.
“Dad,” Jasper said in a quiet, guarded voice.
Layne’s eyes went to his boy to see Jasper’s were pointed to the window. Layne looked over Rocky’s shoulder and both Dave and Merry’s cars were pulling to a stop at the curb.
Shit.
“Cool, Dad and Merry are here,” Rocky observed and Layne turned her to face him.
“Roc, I’ve got two seconds but I’m goin’ out there, havin’ a word with your Dad and brother and no matter what you see, I want you to promise to stay here with my boys. Yeah?”
Her eyes widened and she stared at him as she asked, “Why?”
“Just promise and trust me, yeah?”
“Layne,” she whispered.
“Two seconds are up, sweetcheeks. Do I have your promise?” She hesitated so he prompted, “Baby?”
“I promise,” she whispered, he touched his mouth to hers and he moved swiftly off the sectional and to the door, giving both his boys a look full of meaning before he stepped out the door.
He met them both in the yard and Dave spoke instantly. “You aren’t keepin’ me from my girl.”
“No, I’m not,” Layne returned and Dave’s body rocked back.
“You aren’t?” Merry asked.
“I’m not,” Layne answered. “That doesn’t mean we aren’t going to get a few things straight.”
Both men tensed.
Layne spoke. “I was hard on you both last night. I had reason, I think you get that.”
“We get that,” Merry said quietly.
“You stepped over the line,” Dave said antagonistically.
Layne’s eyes cut to Dave. “No, Dave, I didn’t and you know it.”
“You threw a lot of shit in my face, Tanner, and kicked me out of your house without letting me see my daughter,” Dave reminded him.
“Yeah, Dave, it was last night, I remember. I also remember watchin’ Rocky have her episode and I remember it in a way I know I’ll never forget so my guess is, even though it was eighteen years ago, your episode with Rocky lasted two days and it freaked you so you know exactly how I felt yesterday.”