Guarding His Home

Chapter One

“Apple juice, Daddy. I want apple juice,” Jameson said as he stood in the bedroom doorway holding Roary, his stuffed dinosaur. “I’m firsty.”

Brendan Marshall groaned and looked at the clock.

“Buddy, it’s five in the morning.” He pushed back the covers, got out of bed, and took Jameson to the bathroom to get him some water.

“You can have apple juice with breakfast.” He let Jameson drink before putting the cup back and taking him by the hand to lead him to his room and put him back to bed.

Hopefully, once he fell back to sleep, Jameson would stay in bed.

His son had early-riser tendencies, and Brendan needed those to stay away this morning.

It was Sunday, and Brendan had only been in bed a few hours.

“Night, night,” he told Jameson, who snuggled down under the covers.

“Love you, Daddy,” Jameson said before rolling over.

“I love you too,” he said with a soft sigh, and left the room.

He desperately wanted to go back to bed and sleep for hours, but there was plenty of do.

Still, he returned to his room. He had until seven before he had to get up, and that time felt like gold at the moment.

Slipping under the covers, he lay down and must have gone right to sleep, because the next thing he knew, the alarm chimed, and he slapped it off before it woke Jameson.

He dressed in the early-morning light that was peeping around the curtains and quietly made his way downstairs.

The goddess of coffee had started on time and was ready with a full pot.

He poured a cup and sipped it while he filled his travel mug.

Then he pulled on his boots and a heavy sweater and finished his coffee before stepping outside.

The early October air was crisp and fresh. He inhaled deeply before striding across the yard to the long barn on the west side of the property. The land had been in his family almost as long as Pennsylvania had been a state, and it was in his blood. He hoped it would get into Jameson’s as well.

“Morning, Diane,” he said, taking a sip from the travel mug. “How is Tahara this morning?”

“She’s walking better and doesn’t seem to be in pain any longer. I’m going rest her another week and then we’ll see where she is. I fed and watered all the horses already. I wasn’t sure which ones you wanted put out.” She had more energy than three people, it seemed like.

“You could ride Dandy if you wanted. I know he’s not as polished as Tahara, but a little exercise would do you both good.

” Brendan charged good rates for board and feed.

Part of the deal was that each owner kept their horse’s stall cleaned and helped out a couple hours a week.

Diane always went beyond, so he tried to do the same.

“Thanks, but I think I pulled a muscle the other day, so I’m taking it easy myself. But maybe when I come on Tuesday, if that’s okay.” She put her hands on her hips as if she didn’t quite know what to do with them. “How is that cute son of yours?”

“Hopefully still in bed. He was up a few hours ago.” He yawned as footsteps on the gravel sounded outside.

Michael strode into the barn, smiled, and headed for his horse, Kraken, who was very pleased to see him.

Michael knew what he needed to do, and Brendan left the quiet teenager alone.

He didn’t speak very much to anyone and seemed to prefer his horse to people.

“You look like hell, if I can be honest. What did you do last night? Party? Did you get yourself wasted?” She grinned and rolled her eyes. Brendan was known for being boring in that regard.

“I was working.” He tilted his head, and she followed him all the way through the barn to the very back. Across from the tack room, he unlocked the door and pushed it open.

“Oh, I get to see the secret room.” Her smile dimmed when she saw the power tools lining the wall. “Oh….”

“What did you think it was?” Brendan asked.

The twinkle in Diane’s eyes told him he was in for it.

“Some of us had a betting pool, and my square was sex dungeon.

“I always wanted to see one.” She shook her head.

“A girl can dream.” That probably told him more about Diane than he wanted to know.

She stepped inside. “What are you making in here?” She turned around, and her mouth dropped. “Wow.”

“I began working out here while I was going through the divorce. I needed a way to get through the stress.”

“I love the turned jar,” she said softly, lifting one of the smaller pieces and then setting it back in place. “You should sell these.”

“That’s the plan.” He smiled and motioned to a stack of tubs. “I’ve been building up a stock of sorts.

“What are all these?” she asked as she approached the last set of shelves.

“Experiments. I’m not sure that any of them are working out. I was thinking of some toys for Jameson, but he wants Legos and things like that. So lately I’ve been trying to come up with something else. But I’m just now sure yet.”

Diane nodded, then smiled. “Ask Jameson what he would want you to make for him. I bet he’ll tell you.

” She left the room, and Brendan closed and relocked the door.

Others had arrived and were working with their horses.

Sunday was the one day he did not schedule lessons, thank goodness, so he didn’t have appointments, but there was always plenty of work to be done.

But first, he needed to check on Jameson.

Brendan found him still in bed. He sat on the side, and Jameson stirred, wiping his eyes. “Are you hungry?” Brendan asked. Jameson nodded and went right into his arms. He lifted him, then stood and carried Jameson downstairs and into the kitchen.

“Do you want eggs or oatmeal?” Brendan asked.

“Sammiches,” Jameson said. “With bacons.” Of course—his son was a bacon fiend.

“Okay.” Brendan set about making egg sandwiches, putting bacon in the air fryer and getting out the bread. “I’ll cook, and you go get dressed.”

“Can we see the horsies?”

“After you eat and get dressed.” Jameson loved the horses.

He ran out of the room, and Brendan finished making breakfast. By the time it was ready, Jameson had come back down.

His socks didn’t match, but that was okay—he was dressed, and he climbed into his chair.

Brendan cut up his sandwich and put the plate in front of him with some apple juice.

Jameson tucked right in. “Yummy,” he half sang between bites.

“I’m glad you like it.” He made a sandwich for himself and sat down, eating heartily and reaching for his coffee as the front door opened and banged closed.

He knew that sound too damned well. No one banged that door like Jenn, and the click of her heels was enough to set his teeth on edge. “What are you doing here?” he asked calmly, because he didn’t want to upset Jameson.

“Hi, Mommy,” Jameson chirped. He got up from the table and hurried over to her. She knelt down for a quick hug, but that was it. Jameson returned to the table, watching her.

“I heard that you were seeing someone,” Jenn said as though she had just found out some great secret.

Brendan blinked. “I am?” That was news to him.

“My mama saw you out to dinner with Dwayne Phillips, and according to her, you two looked pretty chummy.” The challenge in her eyes was confusing.

Jenn had never been all that interested in him.

It had taken him three years and Jameson to figure out that what she loved was the horses and very little else.

“Dwayne?” He shook his head. “As usual, you and your mother put two and two together and came up with nineteen.” Dwayne had asked him out for advice on proposing to Melissa.

But Jenn was always about wanting what she thought someone else had.

Before they married, he made sure she knew that he had had relationships with both men and women, but her jealousy only seemed to come out at the thought of him with another man. Not that he had dated anyone.

“Mama didn’t seem to think so.”

He wanted to snap at her because neither of them was the brightest bulb on the string, though they both thought they were rocket scientists. “It doesn’t really matter. Our divorce was finalized six months ago. So what are you here for?” He made a mental note to change the locks on the house.

“Can’t I see my son?” Jenn asked pointedly.

Brendan said nothing, but rolled his eyes. She was only interested in Jameson when she thought he could get her something. She had every-other-weekend visitation, but the last two scheduled visits, she had been out of town.

“I need to make sure he’s all right.” Her eyes grew dark and hard as steel. “I have to make sure that he isn’t being surrounded by anything or anyone that isn’t good for him.”

So that was what this was about. Some rumor got started by her mother, and Jenn was suddenly going to be mother of the year and protect her son from whatever delusion she was under.

“That’s enough. I suggest you leave now.

I didn’t invite you in, but I am asking you to go.

” It was his turn to be hard and strong.

“Jameson, say goodbye to your mommy. She’s got to be going now.

” He waited for her to turn and then walked Jenn to the door.

“Call before you come next time. This isn’t your home any longer, and you have no rights here.

Not that you ever did.” He’d inherited the land and everything on it, and his father had seen to it that Jenn got none of it.

“You can’t kick me out like this,” she hissed.

“Yes, I can, and I am. You need to go.” She had been stubborn before, but this was a whole new level.

“If you want to visit, you need to call. You have Jameson in ten days, and you can spend time with him then. Pick him up on Friday at six and have him back by Sunday at six.” He reiterated the rules to make sure she understood that he wasn’t going to allow her any leeway.

“Or what?” she snapped. “I’m tired of this. I’m going to be calling my lawyer and….”