Gray quirked a brow. “You say that as if he had an ulterior motive.”
Mom chuckled a little and tapped her nose. “Jack’s currently editing his latest manuscript.”
Ohhh. So Aiden was anxious to get Jack’s notes. Understood. Gray had heard that Jack as an editor was…well, ruthless.
“Anyway, I was thinking.” Mom went over to the cupboards where she kept all her baking supplies. “Isn’t it curious that Darius decided to visit his aunt in Vegas just when dozens and dozens of survivors turned up out of the blue after being set free by ‘mysterious saviors in combat outfits and masks’?”
Here we go.
Gray suppressed a sigh and slid onto one of the stools. “A weird coincidence, maybe.”
Mom glanced back at him with a narrowed-eyed look. “You’re not hiding something from me, are you?”
“And what would that be?” Gray furrowed his brow. “Are you actually implying that Darius was involved in the rescue?”
“Don’t act like that would be out of character for him, Gray.”
He pretended to be at a loss, and he shook his head and twisted the cap off his water bottle. “I don’t know what to tell you, except that he’s coming home tomorrow after spending way too much money on stuff for the cabin.” He took a swig of water. “He legit wanted to buy a tractor, but I put my foot down.”
Mom grew pensive and turned around again to haul out more ingredients.
“Maybe he played me,” Gray mused. “Maybe he told me about the tractor, knowing I would say no, and then proposed we get pigs because surely I couldn’t say no to two things.”
He didn’t know what was worse, the fact that lying had become easy or that he didn’t feel guilty about it. Or maybe that he’d just agreed to let Darius buy…what was it he called them? Feeder pigs? All to cover up a lie.
Mom snorted softly. “He sure is dedicated, that man. But so sweet. Remember when y’all came over a few weeks ago and he said his goal was to have a meal with only things from your place? The way his eyes lit up—and how he gestured with the plate and how big he wanted his pork chop.” She grinned fondly and nodded to Gray. “That’s what the pig is for, I guess.”
Yeah, it wasn’t to keep them as pets.
Even their cats would have a job on their property. Nelson was delivering two kittens and one adult cat in a few weeks, Gray had discovered. Darius had put it in the planner…
“That’s why it would kill me if he was out there riskin’ his life,” Mom went on, bringing flour and sugar and baking soda to the island. “I know that’s incredibly selfish of me after everything he’s done for us, but it’s how I feel. I want y’all to have that life you’re dreaming of—and you have the boys to think about now, too.”
That one sparked a pang of guilt, though it didn’t really matter anymore. It was over. There wouldn’t be another mission. They were done. Safe.
“We’re all about family,” Gray promised.
“Good! That makes me happy,” she responded with a smile. “You’ll need some time once this media circus has blown over so you can start thinking about adopting a granddaughter for me.”
Gray couldn’t help but laugh. “I didn’t know we were doing that.”
He couldn’t even imagine running that topic by Darius.
“Gray, I love you with all my heart, but four boys. Four boys. I have four boys. Don’t I deserve a kick-ass little girl in my corner?”
Jesus Christ, was she serious? Because it sounded like she had it all planned out.
“Mom,” Gray said slowly, hoping that what he was about to say really settled in. “It’s been a year. One year—”
“I’m not saying it has to be now!” She was quick to assure. “Or even very soon. I just wanted to plant the seed, okay?”
He scoffed internally. Plant the seed. Right. Yeah, consider it planted and stomped on. Maybe. Oh fuck.
Mom was the worst.
That night, Gray and Niko had supper together in front of the TV in the main cabin. Gray had a serious case of reunion jitters flying around in his stomach, and he’d spent the evening making sure they had everything they needed for the homecoming of his family the following day. He’d bought everyone’s favorite treats and beverages on the way home from Mom’s, he’d taken out venison steaks to tenderize overnight, he’d put beer in the fridge for Darius, he’d done laundry, and he had changed the linens upstairs. Because there was nothing better than crawling into bed fresh out of the shower with clean sheets waiting for them. Justin, in particular, was a true cuddle monkey, and he and Gray shared the same high standard for how they wanted their sheets nice and clean—and stretched, a concept Darius didn’t understand.