AlexOliver meandered out onto the dock, Damion’s watchful eye on him. The fishing hadn’t been quite as exciting as Oliver had obviously thought it was going to be. He’d grown bored after thirty minutes and began throwing rocks into the lake. That wasn’t exactly conducive to actual fishing.“He’s a really good boy,” I commented.“Yes, he is.”“I guess the fishing thing isn’t for him.”He laughed. “It’s probably going to be one of those things that he has to warm up to.”Oliver sat down on the dock, swinging his legs back and forth. Where he was sitting was over the dry land. “He needs more stimulation. He’s smart.”Damion nodded. “Yes. He loves constant input. He likes to read and watch television at the same time. Fishing is probably something he will appreciate when he gets older and needs to shut off his brain.”“I agree. Fishing is one of those things that you can do and not think about it. Then again, that can be a bad thing because your brain thinks about everything else.”“You

DamionI had to get a load of laundry in before I headed back out to work on a portion of the fence that had blown down in a windstorm the other night. It was always something. I had planned to run up to town while Oliver was in school, but that wasn’t going to happen.Being a single parent had been a learning curve but being a single parent and trying to run a farm in the middle of nowhere was proving especially challenging. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the grocery store was closer than thirty miles or if there was a fast-food joint for those nights I was so damn tired I didn’t want to cook. I kept telling myself my grandpa managed, but holy shit, it was hard.Every day felt like a struggle. I had to admit, at the end of the day and all the challenges I overcame, I did have a feeling of accomplishment. I just wasn’t sure it was enough. Would it be enough for me in a year, two years? I couldn’t shake the feeling of being pulled away.I started a load of laundry before grabbing a so

AlexI sipped my soda, letting the sugar infuse my bloodstream with a jolt of energy. I had been dragging ass and needed a little boost. I had wandered into the diner after picking up some stuff at the hardware store that doubled as the grocery store and UPS drop-off. I took a big bite of the BLT and slowly chewed while spacing out and looking out the window. I was bored. I needed to find a job, but I was reluctant to do so.I didn’t want to find a job that would hog all my time and pull me away from Damion. I knew it was wrong and knew I couldn’t just stop working and make my world revolve around him, but I didn’t want to take a job in another town or another state. The last time had been brutal. Things had been good between us and I didn’t want to ruin it.I also feared that leaving again would be the thing that pushed him all the way over to the leaving side of the fence he’d been walking on. I knew he wasn’t committed to staying. I shouldn’t be so invested in what he decided to do

DamionI had my earbuds in, listening to one of my favorite podcasts from back home while I rode around on the tractor taking care of the fence. It was mildly relaxing to be completely alone, working without anyone expecting anything of me. I didn’t have a deadline. I didn’t have twenty people depending on me to tell them what to do and how to do it. I tried to tell myself it was a lifestyle I could get used to with some time.Something in my peripheral vision caught my eye. I turned my head to see Alex’s truck headed toward the house. I smiled, happy to see her. I checked the time and decided there was enough time for some afternoon delight before I had to go pick up Oliver. I lifted the neckline of my T-shirt and gave it a good sniff. I didn’t stink.I hadn’t been doing anything especially strenuous and hadn’t broken a sweat. I turned the tractor, steering it back to the house to meet her. I was looking forward to a steamy kiss and hopefully a little bit of hot sex. It had been too

AlexWatching him ride a horse was doing something for my libido that wasn’t healthy. I had seen plenty of men riding a horse, but watching Damion do it was making me feel very wet. Despite his initial awkwardness, he rode with grace and ease. He looked like he had been riding all his life. Technically, he had ridden the first half of his life.“Did you and Oliver ride a lot?” I asked him as our horses enjoyed a lazy trot along a trail that would lead us out to public lands.“We did when I was younger. Usually on the weekends, we’d go for a nice, long ride. Sundays, really. Sundays were the day he kind of took a step back. We had to get up early and get chores done, but then the rest of the day we kind of took it easy.”I smiled, picturing the two of them riding and spending time together. “I think this is something Oliver would really enjoy.”“I think so too,” he replied. “I’m not ready to take him on any trails. He needs to learn to ride first.”“I’m happy to help,” I offered.He lo