Embracing Today, a firefighter romance: (The Trading Yesterday Series, #3) - Kahlen Aymes (old books to read .TXT) 📗

“Can’t I help?” Dylan asked. “I’m good at getting my PJs on super-fast.”

“It’s getting dark, and you might get hurt out here. I just have to call them. These horses are more like dogs. I just offer them a snack and bang, they’re in their stalls. You can help me tomorrow, buddy. Everyone is tired tonight.”

“Awwww…” he complained.

I chuckled and ruffled his soft hair. “There is plenty of work to be done tomorrow. Get going. Hurry up.”

After Dylan reluctantly did as I asked and he was on his way to the house, I grabbed a handful of alfalfa and started calling the horses, waving it in front of me. “Hup! Come on! Hup! Come on, horses! Let’s go to bed! Hup!”

It wasn’t long and they were trotting toward me and one by one, I got them in their stalls. It was a lot more work than I let on to my nephew, especially with my side still tight from the injury. The wound was healing nicely but most of the flexibility had disappeared from the skin around the fresh scar. When I shut the door to the last stall, Dylan, Marin and Remi were waiting for me outside of the tent. They were all fresh faced from baths in PJs and flip flops. Remi was holding Gem in her arms.

“Your turn to wash up. Your sister, Teagan and Jace are settled. I’ll stay with the kids.” Marin said.

“Are you sure?”

“Pfft. Of course. You need to change your dressing. Can you do it or do you need my help?”

My lips pressed together in a grin. I was scheduled for a follow-up appointment with my doctor on Wednesday to get the stitches out. “I can do it. I wish I could leave it off.”

“You’re not supposed to get the stitches wet, Ben,” Marin admonished.

“Ah. Okay. I can manage.” It was the first time since I’d been wounded that she wasn’t going to help me. “The sleeping bags are laid out.”

“Great!” She rewarded me with a smile. There was something in her eyes meant only for me.

I reached out and grabbed her hand as I passed her. She was herding the kids into the tent and I was leaving to go into the house and our fingers entwined fleetingly, but it was enough to send electricity through my body. I’d been wanting to touch her all night, but we’d been preoccupied with keeping the little ones entertained. Maybe I’d be able to sneak a kiss or two once they were sleeping. I glanced over my shoulder to find Marin watching me go. I couldn’t help but smile at the rush it gave me. Her eyes on me, her hand in mine, the prospect of us… it was enough. It was everything.

MARIN

I had Dylan all snuggled into his own sleeping bag, but Remi was reluctant to go to sleep and lingered, sitting on top of my bag with me.

“Honey, do you want to sleep in the house with your mom?” I asked. Maybe she was reluctant to be away. Earlier in the day and at the bonfire I’d witnessed how close she and Teagan seemed. I reached out and took a strand of her hair in my hand and tucked it behind her ear.

She shook her head. “No, but can I sleep in your sleeping bag with you?” she asked timidly. “Dylan said there are bears and stuff outside.”

“There can be, but Uncle Ben will be with us, and they usually don’t come up to the house. They’re more in the mountains and in Yellowstone. They know to stay away from people. We don’t bother them, so they don’t bother us.” Mostly, I thought.

“Have you seen any?” Remi asked.

“Sure, but not this close to the house.” I unzipped the plush blue bag that my uncle had given me when I was eleven. It was faded blue color, but still warm. I hadn’t wanted a new one, even when he offered. Dylan was using Uncle Leonard’s and Ben had a couple of his own but borrowed three more from his friends for the other adults to use tomorrow night.

Ben had laid the plush comforters I’d supplied from the house on the tent floor and underneath the sleeping bags, so we’d be quite comfortable.

I crawled inside and held it open for Remi to join me. “Grab your pillow and come on over here. I’m excited to sleep out here, aren’t you? It’s cozy.”

“Yes,” she said with a grin. The little girl did as she was told and was soon ensconced in the bag next to me, with my arms wrapped around her.

“Remi, I thought you wanted to sleep with the dog,” Dylan chastised blandly, yawning and half asleep.

“I do, but I wanna talk to Auntie Marin, too. Gem can sleep on my pillow. Come here, Gemmy,” she called to the pup and patted the pillow next to her head, but the dog laid down in on the edge of the sleeping bag. “I can pet her, like this.” Her little hand reached out to smooth over Gemmy’s glossy coat again and again. “See?”

“Your mouth works in your own sleeping bag,” he said wryly. “Gosh, girls are lame sometimes.” Dylan rolled onto his side but was facing Remi and me. His bag was closest to the wall of the tent and Ben’s closest to the door.

“Well, boys are dumb,” Remi shot back, and I decided to distract her before a squabble broke out.

“Whatever,” Dylan shot back.

“You don’t have to be afraid, Remi. Your Uncle Ben is quite protective of you. Mine was of me, too.”

“You have an uncle?”

“Yup, but he died some months ago”

“That’s sad,” Remi said softly. “I’m sorry.”

“It was very sad to lose him, but I’m still happy to have had him. I came to live with him on the ranch when I was a little older than you. He was my favorite person for a very long time.”

“Uncle Ben’s super cool,” Dylan added. “I miss him a