Chapter 6
6
S ydney lifted the box Petra pointed to obediently, but her expression matched the tone in her voice. Kind of a mix between disbelief and amusement. “You’re moving into Tansy’s grandma’s old house.”
“You’re holding my bathroom stuff, so yes. Follow me. Tansy said she’d be here in five, so please hold your questions so I only need to explain once.”
“Fine,” Sydney offered smoothly. “Do I need to grab the bottle of tequila I have in the truck for this conversation?”
“You have truck liquor? Is this something I should be worried about?” Petra stopped in her tracks and eyed her friend. “I’m not even kidding. Not one bit.”
Sydney waved off the concern, pushing Petra into the house with the box in her arms. “I have it in case I get to some old-timer’s place and they’re being a pain in the ass about accepting treatment. Plus, it’s cheaper than whiskey, so I don’t feel bad making them do a shot or two then pouring the extra over a site I need to sterilize quickly.”
Petra could only imagine a small-town doctor getting away with that kind of medical treatment. Unorthodox, but what needed to happen to help.
Like the concept behind High Water .
At least her conscience had no problem fully jumping into the deception. Now to make sure the other most important people in her life were in the know and on board.
They were back at the truck, grabbing the third and final load, when Tansy pulled up in her extremely beat up minivan. She scooted over and grabbed a suitcase, shaking her head even as she did so. “I am so looking forward to you explaining what's going on. Because that text message you sent saying to get our asses over to the animal rescue and be prepared to zip our lips and swallow the key was cryptic, even for you.”
“It will all make sense,” Petra promised.
Sydney's head swung to the side as she eyed the three trucks parked on the far side of the gravel beside the newly renovated second building. “The guys aren't helping you move?”
“They would have, but Aiden suggested I give you two a call.” Which was a brainwave Petra appreciated immensely the more she thought about it.
He’d also muttered something about staying out of range of Sydney’s knife skills until the coast was clear, which was extra smart on his part.
“I don’t mind being grunt labour, but please satisfy my curiosity, ASAP,” Tansy ordered. “Also, I have a pie in the van if we need it.”
Sydney's laugh was quick and sharp. “Be careful. Petra’s going to be worried that you have van pie. That's a dangerous habit. It could become addictive, you know.”
Tansy lowered her voice to a hush. “It started innocently enough. It was just a few apple turnovers, and the next thing I knew I was hauling out the pecan and pumpkin every night.”
Which meant the three of them were all laughing as they stacked the boxes labeled coats and shoes beside the door then carried the final suitcases into the primary bedroom.
Petra patted the bed. “Sit.”
Sydney lifted a brow then spoke to Tansy. “This must be big. She's making sure we're stable so we don't fall over.”
Another snort escaped. The tension that had slowly built as Petra considered how to tell her friends was dissipating quickly because of who Sydney and Tansy were.
Still, Petra made sure they were solid before she sat on her suitcase and faced them. “I'm moving in to help the Skye brothers with a small deception for a good reason. We're all trusting you with a big secret, but I know that you’ll be one hundred percent behind what I'm about to tell you.”
It didn't take long to share the outline of what was going on, mostly because both Tansy and Sydney kept their mouths shut, although Tansy wiggled a whole bunch, pinning her lips together to keep from blurting out questions.
But when Petra stopped and looked at her friends expectantly, there it was. The exact response she’d hoped for.
Sydney dipped her chin firmly, although she still looked a little worried. “I've got your back. Plus, you tell the boys that if they need medical assistance for any of their ranch hands, especially the ones who are too skittish to hit the hospital, they should let me know right away.”
Which was something Petra hadn't thought about, but she was sure the guys would be grateful for. “I'll pass that on.”
Tansy lifted her chin. “You have my full support, which means the guys do as well. We can keep our mouths shut. This sounds like something that could make a big difference in people’s lives. That's worth a little lying, I think.” She glanced around the room and out the window before meeting Petra’s eyes again. “Two questions, though. How does this work with the thing brewing between you and Aiden?”
Petra considered the question seriously. She did like the man, and the very hot and needy thing between them was real, but neither of them were adolescents without any control. “The pretend engagement and me living here is a temporary situation to help somebody who needs it. If there's going to be anything between Aiden and I, it can wait until a more appropriate time.”
Tansy muttered something soft and low, too quiet for Petra to catch, but Sydney heard because she snickered. “True.”
“Share with the whole class,” Petra warned.
Her friend’s grin widened before Tansy admitted, “I said good luck with that . I mean, did you see the heat waves coming off the two of you? The sexy pheromones were nearly overwhelming.”
Of course, she hadn't seen them, but Petra had felt them and knew exactly what Tansy was talking about. Still?—
Petra sat up straighter and bullshitted her way ahead. “What's your second question?”
Clearly an attempt to avoid the discussion, but thankfully Tansy went along with it. “I'll give some thought to suggestions of who they might hire for a housekeeper and cook. Can you tell Declan to get in touch with me? I need to know a few more specifics about salary and the rest of it.”
Another brilliant idea. “Of course, but I think it'll be Jake giving you a shout. He seems to be the one dealing with those details.”
Tansy shrugged. “That’s fine. Now, let's get some unpacking done so we can move on to the apple-pie-eating portion of the evening.”
It was just that simple.
Shortly after ten, Tansy’s red taillights disappeared in the distance as she turned onto the main highway and headed back into Heart Falls.
Sydney watched her leave before examining Petra one last time. “It seems you’ve got your heart set on this, but I hope you know we’ll be looking out for you.”
“I wouldn't want it any other way,” Petra told her friend earnestly.
She stood on the porch for a while once they were gone, staring at the mountains to the west. The sky was fully dark with stars sparkling here and there, poking through the clouds. Off in the distance, coyotes howled, and a few remaining crickets and frogs serenaded the night. She hadn't seen hide nor hair of any of the Skye brothers, but a scent of smoke carried on the air, which she suspected came from a fire pit.
She could go track them down but decided against it, turning back into the house and taking a slow stroll through the entire place.
She peeked into the nearly empty kitchen drawers and cupboards. The place was bare bones to the extreme, but it wouldn't take long to make it cozy, especially if another woman was around to help.
Petra peeked into the room they'd set up for the new ranch hand, standing for a moment and sending all the positive energy possible into the space. Hopefully the young woman would find peace and courage and even laughter during her time at High Water.
Walking a little farther, Petra cast a glance into the room where Aiden’s things were neatly organized. He didn't have a ton of stuff, but then, she only had what fit into her truck. Not a lot to show for over thirty years of life.
Yet far more than some of the ranch hands would show up with.
The thought put her world into a whole new perspective.
She pulled the door closed on her own room and set about unpacking, followed by a quick shower then crawling under the brand-new sheets on the queen-size bed.
It might have been minutes later, or hours, but she was warm and snug and mostly asleep when footsteps sounded in the hall and the door to Aiden’s room closed.
She fell asleep wondering if the sense of being in the right place was so crystal clear because it was real or because she wanted so badly for it to be true.
Aiden woke the same way he’d fallen asleep—far too aware of the woman in the room next to his. Whatever Petra wore for cream or used as a shampoo was enough to make his whole damn body sit up and take notice.
He dressed quickly and headed to the kitchen. Maybe if he made the coffee, it would push the scent of her from his head.
Once the regular coffee pot was up and running, he checked the meal schedule on the fridge that Jake had made and started hauling ingredients onto the counter.
He had ham frying in the electric skillet and pancake batter ready to go when the first of the family showed up.
“Everything ready?” Jake asked as he sniffed appreciatively.
“I’ve got the pancakes under control. You can pour the orange juice. Did you see Declan yet this morning?”
“He gave me a wave and said he’d be in soon. Petra awake?”
Aiden checked the heat on the griddle then turned it down a little. “I didn’t hear anything yet. How ‘bout you text her and tell her breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes?”
“Will do.”
They went about their tasks quietly. Jake finished then filled his coffee mug and dropped into a chair at the table.
Aiden glanced at him. “You’re brooding.”
Jake glared back then released an enormous sigh. “God, I hope this works.”
“You need to trust karma a little,” Aiden offered with as much positivity as possible. “One person at a time. One day at a time.”
“I know, and I believe in what we’re doing.” Jake made a face before meeting Aiden’s gaze. “I thought we’d have more time before things got rolling. I mean, we won’t have the artists’ retreat rooms ready for months. I’m guilty of using that as my target to get my head wrapped around…everything else.”
“I hear you.” Aiden flipped the pancakes on the grill and considered. With Jake’s need to get everything lined up properly, and all his checklists done, the huge change in plans had to be making his brain whirl. “If I can offer a suggestion?”
Jake snorted. “I recognize that tone. Don’t try to counsel me, counselor.”
Amusement rose. Maybe in some other life Aiden would have taken official training. For now, all he did was run on gut instinct. Still, people seemed to listen when he followed through on his hunches. Part of the reason they were here in the first place, setting up High Water.
“Advice as your kid brother then. We have all the time in the world to get everything in place for the paying guests. The ranch hand who’s about to arrive? She’ll need things to do to distract her.” Aiden watched as Jake’s eyes widened with understanding. Jake was great at lists. Not so great at remembering the human element that went with them. “Danielle will give us the details we need to know to keep the woman safe and help her to find her independence, but too much time to wallow in memories of what went wrong is not what we want.”
“Solid thinking. I’ll make a list of current chores that even a newbie can handle on their own. Good idea?”
“It’s a great place to start,” Aiden said.
Jake’s gaze darted to the side, then he rose to his feet as Petra entered the room. “Morning.”
Petra pulled to a stop. Her smile took in Jake before her gaze bounced to Aiden, who’d just transferred the first batch of pancakes to a plate. “Morning. Anything I can do to help?”
“I’ve got it under control. I’m first cook today,” Aiden informed her. “Grab a coffee then go ahead and relax. Declan will be here soon.”
“Okay.” She stepped past him, opened the right cupboard, and grabbed a mug.
Nice. She was already figuring the place out. “I take it you got settled in fine? How did it go with your friends last night? Other than the thumbs-up you sent—thank you for that.”
“Really good.” She filled her cup then turned back to the table and paused. “Jake, I hope you don’t plan on standing every time I get up from the table.”
“Just when it’s the polite thing to do,” Jake assured her with a grin.
“You’ll get used to it.” Aiden poured the next batch of batter and flipped the ham as he spoke. He glanced over his shoulder in time to see Petra’s amusement as she found a seat and Jake settled back in place. “Our dad was a stickler for manners. If Jake kept his ass in a chair when there’s a woman standing in the room, Jeff would reach out from beyond the grave and whack him one upside the head.”
“A love tap I learned to avoid quickly while he was raising us to not be hellions,” Jake informed her.
“If I’m supposed to be family, you don’t need to be formal around me,” Petra reminded him.
“Not being polite to family is worse than not being polite to a stranger.” Declan spoke firmly as he closed the door behind him and stepped across the room in his stocking feet. “Morning, Petra. Were you comfortable last night?”
“The room is great. And I love that you have chickens and roosters. My parents had them on the farm, and I’ve missed waking up to the sound.”
Ha . Aiden loaded the ham onto a plate and set it on the table then paused to smirk at Jake. “See?”
“You’re an ass,” Jake told him mildly.
“I’m an ass who’s right,” Aiden retorted before nudging the ham plate toward a confused Petra. “Jake thought we should avoid having roosters around because people don’t like them.”
“No,” Declan corrected. “I’m pretty sure he said he didn’t want them around because he doesn’t like them. Which is why I made sure we had a nice big flock with a rooster in his prime.”
Petra snickered even as she stabbed a piece of ham then passed the plate around the table. “Oh, family.”
The remainder of the meal flew past, a small mountain of pancakes consumed along with all the ham slices Aiden had cooked. Petra shared the offer from Sydney for her silent doctor services and Tansy’s offer to help find a housekeeper.
“You’ve got good friends,” Jake said quietly.
“The best,” Petra agreed. She patted her stomach. “That was delicious, Aiden, but don’t expect me to eat that much every morning. I’m not a hard-working cowboy.”
“No, but you are part of the household now.” Declan looked thoughtful. “You need to tell Jake your favourite meals so they get added to the rotation.”
“Jake’s our planner of plans,” Aiden explained.
She smiled. “You’d all better hope my favourites aren’t your least favourites.”
“It’s food.” Declan shrugged. “There’s not much you could put on the table that we won’t demolish.”
“Speaking of which…” Petra turned to Jake. “While you’re adjusting the menu plan, you can add me as a cook. Same number of meals as you’re each doing.”
Declan shook his head. “We don’t expect you to?—”
“If I live here, I expect to do my part,” Petra cut in. “Also, which of you is the master planner for how much I’ll owe for room and board?”
“Fuck that.” Aiden couldn’t stop himself. A sharp kick in the shins just made him swear again as he glared at Jake. “Petra’s heard swearing before, and it was called for.”
“No swearing at the table. No swearing in front of the ladies.” Jake turned an angelic smile on Petra. “But I agree with Aiden. You’re helping us a lot. We don’t expect you to pay for the privilege of living with us.”
“I’d be paying for rent and food no matter where I lived,” Petra pointed out.
“Not here,” Declan added his voice to the chorus. “If you want to help cook and clean up until we hire a full-time person, it’d be appreciated, but not expected.”
She lifted her chin firmly. “Fine. I won’t fight you on the rent issue, but I want on the schedule. It only makes sense, you know. The young woman who’s showing up will expect me to do some work around the place.”
True. Aiden started stacking the plates. “You got time to do a revamp, Jake?”
“Yup, along with that chore list we talked about.” Jake shoved back from the table and nodded politely at Petra. “We’ll work you being head chef for a few meals into the next rotation since we’ve already done groceries for the next week. In the meantime, feel free to cook treats. We’ll all do that at times.”
“No problem,” she assured him.
“I’ll be back later to hang up extra hooks at the entrance. Probably shouldn’t overwhelm the woman.” Jake slid out the door.
Petra raised a brow. “Is he talking about me, or the new ranch hand?”
Declan made a soft noise of amusement. “Both?”
Aiden outright laughed.
“I’m headed out as well. Let me know if you need anything.” Declan slipped from the room as silently as he’d entered it.
Aiden grabbed the plates in front of him and headed for the sink, speaking over his shoulder to Petra. “You’re welcome to help me clean up, or do you have things to do this morning?”
“I have no other tasks for the next week except settling in here. What time do we expect Danielle to show up?” Petra stepped in front of the sink and got the hot water going.
“Should be around ten from her text this morning.”
She nodded. “I’ll wash, you dry and put away until I figure out where everything fits.”
Aiden grabbed a dry cloth and stood ready, leaning back on the counter as she squirted soap into the water and got started on the glasses. “We’re running on the most basic items right now. Declan suggested we wait for the cook to decide what else she, or he, needs. So cleaning up should be simple. We have an industrial size washer on order, but it won’t be here for a while.”
“Breakfast plates for four is not a lot to hand wash,” Petra said as she dove into the task.
“Dishes for five starting tonight. If we end up with a full house at some point in the future, we could have up to twelve at the table.” He grinned as she whistled. “Yeah. That’s why the dishwasher’s on the way.”
Petra washed quietly for a bit then met his gaze firmly. “I’m glad to be a part of this. I’m glad to be here at the start of High Water.”
The sincerity in her eyes was pure.
A sudden spark of something hot and soft flared in his chest. Nothing sexual, even though she still pushed all of his buttons with her soft grey T-shirt and faded jeans over gentle curves. The sensation of being part of something bigger than he’d ever expected was there, and the sense of rightness.
It wasn’t just about the sexual tension between them, and that was good. “I’m glad too.”
The doorbell rang, shattering the peaceful connection.
An instant later, the front door cracked open, and Danielle called a greeting. “Hello. Anyone here? We’re early.”