Chapter 8
8
P etra had just finished giving Jinx a brief peek into the other rooms, including her own, when a knock rang against the front door.
Jinx instantly hid herself behind Petra's body even though the sound was followed immediately by Danielle's cheerful call. “Hello again, ladies. I'm getting ready to leave but wanted to say goodbye first.”
“Did you need anything else from Danielle?” Petra asked the girl quietly.
Jennifer, or Jinx, as Petra needed to start thinking of her, shook her head.
“Declan needs to talk to you two, but I don't need to be part of that conversation.” Danielle paced across the room, closing the distance until she stood a few feet shy of Petra and Jinx. “You’re safe here. But I hope you'll also find a way to be happy.”
Jinx nodded then wiggled forward far enough to thrust out her hand. “Thank you for believing me. I know you took a big chance to help me, and I appreciate it. I won’t forget.”
Danielle gently shook Jinx’s extended fingers then gave Petra a smile. She mouthed the words thank you then turned to leave.
Just outside the open door, Declan offered Danielle a handshake of his own, waiting until she was to her car before stepping inside. He took slow steps into the room, his stocking feet sliding over the floor with a soft whoosh, whoosh . He tried to make himself as small and unintimidating as possible, which was ludicrous considering the breadth of his shoulders and the sheer bulk of him.
Once more into the breach. Petra offered introductions. “Jinx, this is Declan, Aiden's big brother. Consider him your own Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.”
Declan snorted. “Thanks for that image.”
Jinx tucked herself up against Petra's back again. “Can we talk outside?”
“Let's use the table,” Petra suggested.
They intended the house to be the gathering place for the family and ranch hands. It would be hard to make that happen if Jinx couldn’t even sit at the table without being frightened.
So, once again, Petra took charge. Pointing at chairs, she put the entire massive rough-hewn surface between their current trouble. “Declan, you sit there. Jinx, you get this chair and I'll sit beside you. Sound okay?”
Jinx nodded silently.
Petra sat, Jinx sat, then Declan settled where she’d put him, directly opposite Jinx.
Petra met his eyes. “I asked what she wanted to be called, and she’s decided on the name Jinx .”
Declan raised a brow, but his expression was thoughtful rather than dismissive. “I like it. And that goes with what I needed to talk to you about. We've been thinking about what you should use for a last name. We didn't know you were so young, Jinx. Which means you can’t be a ranch hand. You have to be family.”
The girl’s entire body stiffened, and the fingers in her lap clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. “What kind of family?”
“I was married to a wonderful woman who died three years ago.” Across the table, the huge man softened, his expression so sad Petra wanted to give him a hug. “You could be Sadie’s adopted foster sister, which makes you my sister-in-law. That would put thirteen years between the two of you, but that’s not outrageous in a foster situation. Her parents recently moved to a remote part of Saskatchewan, so nobody would think anything of it for you to come finish your high school here. You could head off to Calgary for University in a few years. It means you don’t have to remember lies about your entire life history. Just the past few years.”
Petra kept her expression as blank as possible, but she had jumped in on the deep end. This wasn't an appropriate time to say something like I didn't know that you’d been married or I'm so sorry for your loss . Because Declan had obviously loved his wife very deeply.
Jinx’s hands loosened, and her chin dipped slowly. “That makes sense. And less lies is good.” She lifted her head far enough to look Declan in the eye. “I'm sorry. About your wife.”
Declan didn't smile, but his lips softened. “Me too.”
Petra's phone buzzed with an incoming message. She slipped it from her pocket and glanced at the screen.
Aiden: When you guys are done talking with D, can you bring Jennifer outside to the barn? We want her to meet the dogs.
Aiden: Oh shit. I hope she's not afraid of dogs.
Aiden: Can you find out, gentle like, and let me know?
She glanced up to discover both Jinx and Declan watching her. Petra laid her phone face down on the table. “Sorry. That was rude. Aiden wants to know if you're afraid of dogs.”
“No.” Jinx blinked. “Should I be?”
Across the table, Declan chuckled softly. “We have some well-trained guard dogs. I bet Aiden thinks maybe one of them could be yours. If you’d like, they could live in the house with you.”
“A dog?” Jinx nodded slowly before breathing out steadily. “I’d like that.” A frown furled her forehead. “What’s my last name going to be?”
“My wife's maiden name was Tremont. You’d be Jinx Tremont. Well, you’d still be Jennifer Tremont for the authorities, but that’s a simple change we can do easily. I think that sounds pretty good, don't you?”
Jinx nodded then eyed the table between them and offered a rueful half smile. “Sorry for being so scared?—”
Declan held up a hand to stop her. “You do not need to apologize. Not now, not ever. I don't think you’ll always feel this way, but until you learn that you can trust us, we’ll have some awkward moments. That’s fine. I swear my brothers and I will never do anything to hurt you, and we will do everything we can to keep those around you from hurting you. No matter what it takes. Maybe that's hard to believe right now, but that's okay. You go on being scared. We won’t take offense. Just let us know if we need to back off and give you more room.” He glanced around at the open dining and family room. “This is where a lot of food happens, so I don't think you'll be able to convince us to not show up here at least three times a day.”
Jinx ducked her chin then deliberately lifted it. “That makes sense. I kind of like food, too.”
“Good. I'm planning on hooking you into being my assistant during my turns to cook around here.” Petra leaned toward Jinx. “I'm not a very good cook, so you might be very happy to help me. It means more edible offerings on my night.”
This time Jinx outright snickered. “Okay.” She tentatively met Declan’s eyes. “Can we go meet the dogs now?”
“Wonderful idea. Let me give Aiden a head’s up that we’re on our way.” Petra grabbed her phone and messaged back.
Petra: The girl who shall henceforth be known as Jinx has informed us that she is not afraid of dogs, and I’ve already called dibs on her being my chef’s assistant. We’re headed your direction. Don't worry about trying not to look scary. Jinx knows to let you know if you're misbehaving.
A moment later Aiden messaged back.
Jinx? I can handle that. Come to the animal rescue building first. She may as well get to know the lay of the land.
Petra nodded as she turned to Jinx. “We’re all set. On to the barn.”
It was clear Jinx didn't have a lot of experience with animals from the way she kept looking around the barn with wide eyes—but wide eyes full of curiosity and not fear.
She let Petra guide her in petting the nose of a horse. She scooped up a couple of the kittens one after the other and gave them cuddles.
But it was when they met the beautiful golden retriever by the fire pit that something bloomed on the girl’s face.
Aiden held the dog’s lead, but it was clear that was more for show than anything else. The dog stopped perfectly when he did, slipping forward silently when he adjusted his stance a few feet to the right.
“Jinx, I'd like you to meet Dixie. Dixie,” Aiden spoke down toward the animal. The dog looked up at him instantly, her full attention fixed intently. “This is Jinx. Guard.”
The dog’s rear wiggled as her tail wagged, but she didn't move from the spot, tilting her head toward Jinx and panting lightly, the edge of her tongue hanging out.
“Put your hand out,” Aiden directed. “Then say, Come, Dixie , and she'll come to you. If your hand is out, she might give you a lick or two, but then she’ll sit down and wait. You take your time getting used to her. You can scratch her along the muzzle or between the eyes if you’d like, but as long as you let her take a sniff and say hello, that's all you have to do.”
“Sound okay?” Petra asked.
Jinx nodded, pushing her hand forward far quicker than Petra expected, though she did swallow big before following Aiden’s instructions. “Come, Dixie.”
Dixie crossed the distance, bumping her nose into the centre of Jinx’s palm. Then her butt was back on the ground, her tail thumping again as she sat and offered a wide doggie smile.
Jinx tentatively lifted her hand to stroke the dog’s head, but Petra’s gaze drifted to the brothers. Watching three grown men try and make themselves smaller was amusing, or it would be if the reason it was necessary wasn’t so sad.
Still, the introduction was going well, and when Jinx looked up at Declan and offered a real smile, hope bloomed in Petra's chest.
“She’s nice. What else do I need to know?”
Declan tipped his head toward his brother. “Aiden will have to teach you. Dixie is his girl more than the rest of ours.”
“But don't worry about that,” Aiden hurried to add as Jinx's expression clouded. “We have other dogs, and we’re going to have more, so it's okay to share one with you. Dixie is a special girl, and the rule is whoever needs her the most gets her.”
“She's a cuddler.” Declan shook his head as if somewhat disgusted. “Dogs aren’t supposed to be cuddlers.”
Jinx dropped her gaze, but Petra heard a snort, and when the girl glanced up at Declan, a bit of amusement lingered in her eyes.
They made their way back to the house. Jinx stuck close to Petra, but with Dixie pacing close enough to brush her legs and nudge her nose against the hand Jinx held at her side, it was a more positive trip than Petra had hoped for.
Aiden and Declan settled onto the bench on the porch to take off their boots when Jinx’s calm seemed to vanish between one breath and the next. Petra glanced around to see what might have caused the change.
“What are you doing?” Jinx asked.
Aiden tucked his cowboy boots under the bench then glanced at her, confusion on his face. “We don’t wear work boots into the house.”
“That’s the surest way to get a towel snapped at your butt,” Jake agreed, using the boot jack to remove his own footwear.
It was the same rule Petra had grown up with, so it was only natural to lean down to prepare to loosen her own laces. She paused though, as Jinx eased her way to the edge of the porch, no longer sticking to Petra’s side like glue.
It was sheer instinct that made Petra straighten at the exact second Jinx twirled and fled down the stairs and onto the gravel, headed for the main road at an all-out sprint.
“ Jinx .” Petra’s shout echoed even as she threw herself off the porch after the girl.
“What the hell?” Jake snapped, trying to jam his feet back into his boots so he could chase them.
Didn’t see that one coming, Aiden thought. He too was shoving his feet back in his boots when Declan laid a hand on his shoulder. “Petra’s got her.”
The three of them stood there on the porch feeling rather useless as the two women talked about halfway down the drive. Jinx stood in one spot, staring at the ground while Petra waved her arms vigorously. No shouting, but obviously some very intense communication, at least on Petra’s part.
“Wonder what that’s all about,” Declan said softly as Petra offered her hand to Jinx. The younger woman reluctantly accepted the grasp and let Petra guide her back to the porch.
Dixie wove in and out of them, worried because something was wrong that she couldn’t see.
When they were within speaking distance, Petra met Aiden’s gaze. “Just a slight misunderstanding. Everything’s okay, but I need Jake and Declan to get in the house and chill for a bit if that’s okay.”
Aiden had never seen his brothers vanish so quickly.
“Aiden is sticking around because I need his help,” Petra said firmly, grabbing him by the hand and pulling him onto the bench beside her. “You can sit there, Jinx.”
She pointed to the bench on the other side of the door. Jinx moved meekly into position.
It felt like a juggling act, Aiden realized. He didn’t want to move too quickly for fear he’d spook the girl, but something wasn’t right. “What can I do?” he asked Petra quietly.
“In the bedroom. There’s a pair of runners on the floor in my closet. If you grab them and a pair of socks, that should be good.” Petra took off her own shoes, speaking calmly to Jinx even as Aiden slipped into the house. “Remember what we said about how it’s okay to get scared? We’re not always going to get it right, but you’ve got to trust us enough to tell us when something frightens you and not just take off.”
Aiden missed what Jinx said in response because he was in the house, waving off his brothers’ questions as he hurried into Petra’s room to find the requested shoes.
It hadn’t seemed as if it was going to be this hard, he realized, rushing back to the porch. This whole trying to help people. Somehow he’d assumed that because they needed help, it would make things roll easier, and maybe in a way he’d be right for some people.
But as he stepped onto the porch and found Petra kneeling in front of Jinx, the girl’s foot in her hand, that’s when it finally sank in that they were starting with someone who might be their biggest challenge ever.
Jinx sat stiffly, staring at Petra.
Petra’s mouth was tight as she accepted the shoes and socks. “You want to tell us both what happened here? Because Aiden and I are a package deal, and I don’t want to have to be the go-between all the time. I know you’ve got things you want to keep secret, and that’s fine for now. But there are some things you need to let the guys know, got it?”
Aiden moved until he was behind Petra, sitting on the edge of the porch at her back. Which was when he noticed that the soles of Jinx’s feet were scarred. Not just faint lines, but worn calluses and ridges, as if they’d been hurt so badly the skin had been damaged.
Fingers curled around his wrist, and he realized he’d been squeezing Petra’s hip. “Who did that to you?” he asked Jinx.
“Me. By running away.” Jinx swallowed hard. “I didn’t feel safe, so I ran. They didn’t like that, so they took away my shoes. The next time I ran, I climbed out my window. I didn’t know someone had broken a whole bunch of beer bottles under it.” She looked up and met Aiden’s eyes. Her gaze slipped to Petra and back. “I still ran because I figured even having my feet all sliced up was better than sticking around.”
Jesus Christ. “We’re not taking away your shoes,” he assured her. “It’s a custom, that’s all. No outdoor shoes in the house. But if you want to have shoes on all the time, you go right ahead. None of us will say a word.”
“You got that?” Petra asked.
The girl dipped her chin.
“We need you to let us know if we’re stepping into something that’s scary for you. We’re not demanding all your story,” Petra said quickly, “but we can’t fix what we don’t know is broken. Give us a chance.”
“Can you do that? Can you try?” Aiden asked.
“I’ll try.” Jinx accepted the socks and slipped them on quickly, all her focus on the footwear until they were tied on tight. She nodded rapidly then looked up at Petra. “I don’t like being so scared. I don’t want to be, but sometimes—” She took a quavering breath. “You aren’t going to send me away, are you?”
“Absolutely not,” Petra assured her. “But we should go claim our lunch before Jake and Declan eat it all.”
“My brothers are a horde of wild boars when it comes to cleaning out the contents of the refrigerator,” Aiden offered with as much levity as he could possibly muster. “Petra’s right. Hesitate too long, and we’ll be scrounging for leftovers.”
They’d barely walked in the room when Petra motioned for Jinx to wait. “Hang on. I too have fancy inside designer wear. I just need a moment to find them.” She sighed then grimaced, making a face at Jinx who hovered near the door. “I have the memory of a sieve at times. Fortunately, I also have technology.”
Petra grabbed her phone and opened an app, then paced forward as if following a compass. The boxes she’d left beside the coat rack were quickly re-sorted as the bottom box was brought to the top and restacked against the wall.
A bright hum of approval rang out as she pulled a backpack free then grinned at Jinx. “I knew they were close. Thank goodness for AirTags.” Petra shook the backpack upside down, and a pair of slippers fell to the floor.
She slipped them on then casually gestured toward the kitchen table. “Ready if you are.”
It was impossible not to gape. Aiden stood for a moment and simply admired the shining dragons adorning Petra’s feet. They were more glorified socks than slippers, with rainbow colours and sets of shimmering wings that extended upward from the surface, as if two dragons were gliding in for a landing.
Jinx stared as well, her mouth hanging open slightly.
“In case you’re wondering, Petra’s one of a kind,” Aiden informed the girl.
Petra pursed her lips and blew him a kiss. “Right back ‘atcha.”
She slipped her arm around Jinx’s shoulders and guided her to the table.
Aiden hurried forward to offer his brothers a reassuring nod. “We accidentally hit one of Jinx’s hot buttons, but it’s dealt with. Also, Jinx has already made a positive addition to our rules. House shoes are now an option here at High Water.”
“We can handle that,” Jake said easily before tilting his head toward the left. “Sandwich fixings are on the counter. Make what you want to eat then join us at the table.”
By the time they all settled, Aiden sat at the head of the table. Petra sat to his right across from Jake with Jinx beside her, directly across from Declan. Dixie rested on her haunches between Jinx and Petra, a look in her doggie eyes as she peered between them as if she couldn’t believe her good luck.
None of them said anything when Jinx secretly snuck the dog bits of her sandwich throughout the meal.
Jake opened one of his unending to-do lists and began reading through it.
Declan listened and nodded, but he shrugged when Jake asked if there was anything he wanted added. “I’ve got enough to do dealing with the animals since we don’t have community volunteers right now.” He eyed Jinx. “Since you don’t seem to have a problem around the animals, I’d appreciate it if you helped me with some of the chores.”
She nodded slowly then glanced to the left when Aiden spoke.
“Chores, yes, but we need to get you registered for school. Which means you need to make your own list, maybe with Petra’s help. What kind of things you’ll need, like clothes and the rest of it.”
Jinx’s eyes went wide. “Is it safe for me to go to school?”
Aiden nodded. “We have to deal with the paperwork, but it shouldn’t take too long. So you have time to make your shopping list.”
“I know somebody we can ask for help,” Petra offered. “It’s been a long time since I was in school, so while I have no problem taking you shopping, I won’t be much help deciding on styles.”
Their newest family member took a small bite then chewed it very thoroughly as if she was thinking hard. “I don’t need anything.”
A snort escaped before Aiden could help it. “Well, that’s a bunch of—” he paused.
“Bullshit?” Petra offered.
This time Jake laughed.
Petra leaned in toward Jinx conspiratorially. “They have an aversion to swear words. I’m pretty sure you’ve heard bullshit before.”
“Both the word and the meaning,” Aiden said. “But our Daddy said we weren’t supposed to say those things around ladies. Which Petra knows and thinks is hysterical.”
“Because it is,” Petra said with amusement. “But back to the point, I agree with Aiden. Jinx, you need stuff. A phone and shoes and all the regular school supplies, and that’s part of what living here means. You get to have the things you need. Maybe that feels weird, but that’s okay. You don’t owe us anything except to try and keep finding the best new life that you can.”
Moisture was gathering in Jinx’s eyes. And while Aiden was one hundred percent on board with positive emotion, it seem like a good opportunity to keep things rolling.
He pushed to his feet, picking up his plate. “If everyone else knows what they’re doing for the rest of the day, I have drywall to deal with.” He came back to the table and laid a hand on Petra’s shoulder, leaning down to speak softly in her ear. “Message if you need me.”
She twisted her head slightly, and their cheeks brushed, and he was far too aware of how close her lips were to his. “Two steps forward and one step back is still forward motion,” she offered softly.
Amen to that.
Declan was beside him as Aiden headed out the door. “That poor kid.”
“She’s got a lot of spunk. I mean, she’s scared shitless right now, but once she gets her feet under her, I think she’ll be okay.”
“I’m glad we don’t have anybody else coming in right now, though,” Declan said. “Except we need to get in touch with Kevin.”
“Jake said he’d be on that this afternoon.” Because having a trained counsellor on the property as soon as possible was a necessary thing.
The afternoon vanished between installing the final drywall and beginning to mud the rooms that would be used for the artists’ retreat. Aiden slipped into the house, intending to grab a quick shower then move his things to the barn when Petra caught him. She motioned for him to join her in the corner of the living room.
He had to ask. “You had AirTags in your slippers ?”
She blinked then offered an eye roll. “No, in my backpack. I have a bad habit of leaving things behind. I got tired of losing stuff, so I’ve gone proactive and sewn them into all my main bags.”
“Makes sense.”
Across the room, Declan was cooking supper. Jinx stood a few feet away at the counter to the side of him, cutting up vegetables for a salad.
“That’s a whole lot more hopeful than I had imagined,” Aiden said quietly to Petra before examining her face. “I didn’t get any messages from you. I assume the afternoon went smoothly?”
She raised her brows. “We had no more panic attacks. Jinx was great helping with the animal chores. When we came back in here to check online for school information, it went better than I expected.” She took a deep breath, her gaze darting to the kitchen as she lowered her voice. “We do have one problem.”
“Spit it out. Nothing worse than my imagination getting fired up.”
Petra glanced at her hands as if examining them closely. “Jinx is happy she gets to have Dixie in her room. Said she’s never had a dog, and it was considerate that my fiancé was willing to share his.”
“Of course.” He caught her fingers in his to stop her from fidgeting. “Petra. What is wrong ?”
She sighed. “Jinx said that between Dixie in her room and you and me in the primary bedroom, she feels safe enough to sleep tonight.”
“But I’m not sleeping?—”
Petra raised a brow.
Okay, he wasn’t always this slow. “Oh.”
“Yeah, oh .” This time she said it with amusement.
His brain whirled through everything that meant. “She wants a guy in the house, but she probably won’t like it if I’m not in the room with you where you can keep an eye on me, right?”
“If we’re thinking through worst case scenarios, yeah. That’s where my puzzle solving went as well.” Petra looked him in the eye. “So, roomie. I guess you may as well move your stuff in with me. But I’m warning you now, I get the right side of the bed.”