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“Goat,” Wes repeated while tapping his screen.
“No! You’re writing pig.”
“That says goat, my friend.”
“No.” Matt reached for the phone. “P. I. G. Pig.”
Wes kept his phone out of reach. Matt crawled over his lap to grab it. Wes switched hands overhead, but admitted, “You’ve got me.” He typed again. “Goat.” A moment later, goats bleated from his phone. “Guess you’re right. Goats don’t oink. That’s definitely a chirp.”
Matt fell over in a fit of giggles, sliding off the couch in the way only a little kid could.
Her heart warmed and squeezed and did a little pitter-patter that was too close to the way it flipped when he’d taken her hand in the parking lot before chimichangas. Bailey crossed her arms over her chest, half holding herself, half knowing there wasn’t enough silliness in this house. Even Mrs. Lacey was laughing loudly, something she rarely did until they set foot off the Cosgroves’ property.
Wes scrubbed Matt’s head as he stood up. “We have to roll. Lemme know if the goats oink or chirp.”
Matt ran to Mrs. Lacey, begging her to take a video at the zoo and send it to Bailey and Wes as they returned to the front door.
Wes glanced at her overnight bag and backpack, which held her laptop, files, and recording equipment. “That’s all you have?”
“Yup.”
He grabbed it. “I’ll meet you outside.” Wes lifted his chin to Matt and Mrs. Lacey. “Have fun. Send the video.”
After a minute of saying goodbye to Matt, she climbed into his truck, still chuckling at his last words about bird chirping. Leaving her son with Angus and Kimbra was never easy, but he would always be safe with them. Matt might not enjoy the rules against touching anything, the formal manners, or the kid-unfriendly food, but he would have activities to keep him busy and Mrs. Lacey to sneak him chicken nuggets if the dinner menu didn’t suit.
Wes had already plugged their destination into the GPS. “Four hours, twelve minutes. Let me know when you need to stop.”
The truck slowed before the automated gate swung open at the bottom of the driveway.
“You’re really good with kids.”
“Am I?” He chuckled as he accelerated down the road. “I’m pretty sure the first time I met Matt, he wanted to run out the door when I walked in.”
“Eh, yeah. He’s gun-shy when it comes to men, I think.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Lack of experience with the good ones? I blame Angus and Erick. Angus is aloof and a machine. He’s one of those people who had kids because he was supposed to. Someone to carry on the precious Cosgrove name and take over the family businesses. And then there’s Erick. You know him. Consummate jerk. Know-it-all. Mansplainer.”
Wes’s laughter deepened. “He is all of those things and more.”
“Can you imagine if he were your uncle? Anyway, no need to bore you with extended family headaches.”
“I don’t mind listening. What about on your side? Was Caitie your only sibling?”
“Yes. Just Caitie. No one else. No uncles or aunts. No cousins. No other guys for Matt to notice.” She smoothed her dress with her hands. “Angus and Erick were nothing like Ryan, and I worry they’re the barometer of men Matt compares other guys to.”
“You have to fix that.” Wes checked his mirrors as they pulled onto Interstate 66. “Not that I’m telling you how to parent.”
“I’m working on it.”
His eyebrow lifted as he glanced over. “I thought you said you weren’t dating?”
“Oh, God. I’m not working on it like that.” Her cheek flamed. “I’m making sure to have playdates arranged by dads as well as moms. The children’s librarian near us is a wonderful guy. And I’m crossing my fingers that kindergarten opens us up to a larger social circle. Is that strange?”
“That you want Matt to see healthy men in his life? Absolutely not. I’m lucky as hell that my best friend growing up had an amazing family. His parents showed me what a happy household could look like. What a bunch of brothers—plus me—could be like. None of that toxic crap. Toughness without being a danger. Brent and I were always big guys, and his dad very much made sure we were aware of ourselves.”
“What does that mean?”
