“Babe, I don’t want to do any of this without you. I consider the taco stand our business. You’re the driving force behind everything. You decided on every recipe we use. I can’t do this without you,” Robert explained, twisting his wrist free. He didn’t like the divide Landon had placed between them, making their business only Robert’s accomplishment. Landon knew they were a team.
“I’ll be with you the whole way. We can talk all the time. I won’t be restricted from technology. Call me, text, video call—whatever we need to do. I’ll take leave. I can fly there even if it’s only overnight. You can do this, Robert. I know you can. Bring La Bella Luna back in honor of your father and your grandfather. They taught you what to do. Now, go do it.”
Robert had to say, as a motivational speaker, Landon had a talent.
“What about permission from the Air Force?” Robert hedged, his mind racing over the possibility.
“They’ll give it to me. They had no problem with the taco stand,” Landon said, efficiently cutting through the military’s red tape.
Thinking made his head hurt. He didn’t feel ready for any of this. Landon’s brown gaze remained locked with his. Landon believed his words. He wasn’t backing down. So much to take into consideration. Maybe the taco stand had been a precursor to prove he had what it took to run a restaurant.
“I can see you considering my idea. We don’t want to live in DC after I retire. Minnesota’s your home. You have deep roots there. It seems the best place for us.”
“What about where your home is?” Robert asked, though Texas wasn’t even on the long list of places Robert had ever considered living.
“My home’s with you,” Landon stated quietly, with full conviction, making Robert’s heart melt and a smile to tug at the corners of his lips. He walked into Landon, laying his head on his shoulder. His husband accepted him there, wrapping him in his arms.
“I wanted us to travel after you retire. I’ve got all these plans to take you around the world—see Rome, visit the castles of Germany and Austria. Take a train across Europe. If we buy La Bella Luna, we’ll be tied down again,” Robert said quietly, knowing the lame excuse didn’t hold much merit.
“We’ve got time. We’re still young. Besides, since we’re changing our life course, I need to say, I’ve been thinking about having those babies we’ve talked about.”
Robert had moved to place his lips against Landon’s neck, but pulled back at those words to stare disbelievingly at his husband.
“You never really say anything when I talk about children.”
“You know, I keep thinking you’ll wise up,” Landon explained, a playful smile curving his lips. “I watch you with Kylie. You were born to be a father, and I like the idea of settling down. Roots are becoming more important to me. It’d be nice to have children growing up in a place with so much family history.”
“You have thought about it,” Robert said a little astounded, wanting Landon to expand on those thoughts.
“I think about it every day. I love us. When I found out I made Master, I went from a level ten excitement straight to a zero when they explained the training I had to do. I don’t want to leave you or the taco stand. I do feel like we’re a team. It’ll make it easier on me if you have something you’re working on that you’re good at. Something that’s building our future.”
“I don’t have your confidence,” Robert confessed.
“That’s okay. I have enough confidence in you for the both of us. I think you should call Rodney right now. Tell him you’ll be the buyer. Don’t overthink it.” Landon left him there, starting for the dining room table where Robert had left his cell phone. “I bet he’s hoping you’ll want to buy it.”
“I think I should call Autumn first,” Robert hedged, so uncertain if he could pull it off.
“There’s no need. Call him, Robert. Just do it. Keep La Bella Luna in our family.” No doubt, Landon knew how to work him. He said all the right words. Robert didn’t have Landon’s vision, but he did see the merit in buying the restaurant and loved the life Landon had so plainly set out in front of him. Robert, nodded. It might be a reckless venture, but at least, come whatever may, he’d own his father’s recipes.
After hedging a minute more, Robert said, “I’ll call Rodney and ask him to hold off on talking to anyone else to give me time to talk to Autumn. I feel like she should have a say in this. I’m not sure why. I just do. Then we should probably go to Minnesota and take a look around…”
“Whatever you think as long as you buy the restaurant.” Landon entered his phone’s security code then extended it to Robert. “We’ll just need to move fast; I leave for Oklahoma City next week. I suggest you tell Rodney you’ll buy, then tell Autumn about the agreement in the morning. Her firm can draw up the contracts pretty quickly.”