After the Climb (River Rain 0.50)

“Dad, have you ever had this much meat in the house in your life?” Gage called from hanging at Genny’s side.

He ignored his second son.

“It isn’t like every moment we share is going to be captured and disseminated on Instagram,” Duncan pointed out to Sully.

“It also isn’t like our dad is going to call and share he got his heart broken so he needs his boys around, is it?” Sul returned.

Fuck, they were nuts.

But he had good boys.

“Point taken, son, but as you can see, it’s all good.”

“Well, our crystal ball broke so we took a shot,” Gage entered the conversation.

Genny started giggling again.

Then, before Duncan could make note he wasn’t a fan of his son’s smart mouth, when he actually was, seeing as his kid was hilarious, she waded in.

“Okay, we don’t know each other at all, but we’re at a crucial juncture with this meal so it’s all hands on deck. I need water boiling. Spaghetti out. The oven needs turned on to pre-heat for the garlic bread. And we need dishes and cutlery. Then the salad has to be tossed.”

And there was Gen being a mom in his kitchen.

He loved that too.

Gage saluted crisply and declared, “Aye, aye captain. I’m on water.”

He then went to get a pot.

“What’d’ya need the oven set to, Genny?” Sully asked, now having dumped his own bag and he was heading to the oven.

“Four hundred, Sully. Thank you,” Genny answered.

“Get on what Gen wants and then get these bags to the utility before the scent I’m sure that canvas is barely containing breaks free. And for Christ’s sake, pay some attention to the dogs before they explode,” Duncan ordered.

Shasta was actually beginning to keen.

The oven was on, but the water didn’t get put in the pot before the boys focused love on the dogs.

But then they got down to it.

Things got sorted and Duncan was tossing Genny’s homemade Caesar dressing on the romaine while the boys wisely got of the way and had taken seats at the now-set-with-plates-napkins-and-cutlery island and they were watching her.

“So, like, famous people cook food?” Gage asked.

Duncan looked to Sully who was staring at his brother like he wished he wasn’t his brother.

“Not really, I have a cook as part of my entourage that travels everywhere with me, but she has the flu so needs must,” Genny stated breezily.

“Wow, cool, a cook!” Gage exclaimed, likely thinking what that would mean to his eating habits when he was home.

“She’s kidding, Gage,” Sully spilled it.

Gage looked crushed. “You don’t have a cook?”

She swirled pasta at the same time twisting to him and saying, “No, honey. I’m sorry. But if it’ll make you like me, I’ll hire one.”

“If you haven’t gotten it, Genny, he already likes you,” Sully shared.

She winked at Sullivan and turned back to the stove.

“Are Harvey and Beth coming to dinner or something?” Gage asked.

Duncan looked to him. “No.” And when he saw Gage turned on his stool to face the entryway, he knew it wasn’t about the amount of food being prepared that he was asking. So he finished, “Why?”

“Because I saw lights. Someone is coming up the—”

The dogs rushed, barking, and in Killer’s case yapping, to the front door.

He was already out of luck for their evening plans with his boys home.

But with them, he did not feel it would leave long-lasting marks if he took Gen back to the hotel and spent the night with her there at the same time his den was in no danger of being redecorated.

And he was happy to see his sons, especially Sully, who only came home for holidays, and in the case of spring break for the last three years, not even that.

Gen was going to have to get to know them eventually, she seemed relaxed and cool with them there, not nervous or awkward, so Duncan was seeing this as a good thing.

But if Harvey and/or Beth were adding themselves to the mix, he might just lose it.

“See who it is and send them away,” Duncan ordered Sully.

“On it,” Sul said, sliding off his stool.

“You need any more help, Genny?” Gage offered as Duncan dumped in the croutons and parmesan to mix that in.

“You can check the bread,” Gen said.

“On it,” Gage muttered the same thing his brother said, jumping off his stool.

Feeling Genny’s eyes, Duncan looked from his boy to her.

She gave him a happy smile.

She liked his boys.

She liked family.

She liked cooking.

Yeah, this was a good thing.

Her face froze when a female’s voice could be heard crying, “Oh! Look at you precious babies!”

And then dogs barking happily.

He then watched Gen’s eyes get big as she whispered, “Sasha.”

Sasha?

Her daughter?

Suddenly, Genny was racing out of the room.

Duncan looked at Gage. Gage looked at Duncan.

Then they both headed toward the front door.

“Momma!” they heard cried.

Dogs continued to bark excitedly.