CHAPTER SIX
Nova
Nothing about Waylon Archer was typical, and that extended to the kinds of animals he raised.
Most of the ranches around here were for cattle, with the occasional horse ranch.
But not Waylon’s. He raised alpacas, goats, some adorable, shaggy sheep breed, a small herd of yaks, and a handful of mini-Highland cows.
He specialized in cheese and shearing for yarn and other fibers.
“Did you know that alpacas all poop in the same place?” Owen broke into my thoughts. “They have like one spot where they pile it.”
My nose wrinkled. “I don’t want to visit that spot in the pasture, okay, Bubs?”
He grinned. “It does kinda smell.”
“Don’t tell Waylon that,” Dex said as he rounded a curve, the main ranch house coming into view. “He uses it for the garden.”
“Gross,” Owen muttered. “There’s poop on our lettuce?”
Dex went on to explain fertilizer to Owen, but I was too busy taking in the house to listen closely. It didn’t matter that I’d seen it half a dozen times now; I was still awestruck.
Waylon had built it with the help of a few friends. Apparently, they had kept adding on as time went by, leading to its sort of ramshackle look. But it worked. The sage-green siding. The wraparound porch.
But the scene stealer was the massive oak tree that erupted straight out of the house itself, making the home seem almost magical.
And maybe it was. Brae had shared that the Archer brothers had come to live with Waylon when they were anywhere from eleven to eighteen.
She hadn’t shared what had happened to their parents, but I knew it couldn’t have been good for them to end up living elsewhere.
Waylon had made a safe and secure home for the brothers, and you could tell by how close they all were that he’d done an amazing job of being a parent to them.
And I had to imagine that growing up in a house like this one had been a trip and a half for a kid because the outside had nothing on the inside.
As we headed up the walkway, a massive Irish wolfhound ambled toward us. She came straight to me, leaning against my thigh. My hand instantly dropped to give her some scratches. No human beings touched me, but this sweet pup didn’t have any such reservations. “Hi, sweet Lucy girl.”
“You know,” Dex began, “I used to be her favorite. But I guess her affections are fickle.”
A laugh bubbled out of me, and it was so damn nice to feel it—the rumbling authenticity of a real laugh. “I guess she just has good taste,” I shot back.
Owen snickered. “She got you, bruh.”
Dex grinned, holding the screen door open for our group.
As we stepped inside, I smelled the scents of true home cooking and heard a bickering argument from the back of the house.
“I’m telling you. That sighting over in the Mojave Desert was the real deal,” Maverick said.
“Please,” Wylder huffed. “You’re the prime target for all those supermarket gossip mags, aren’t you? Do you believe Taylor Swift is the leader of the Illuminati?”
“I mean, if anyone would be the perfect cult leader …” Mav shot back.
Waylon grunted. “That song about players playing is a bop.”
Wylder groaned, but Maverick just laughed.
We made our way through the house and toward the voices. Every time I came here, I discovered something new. It made sense because the interior was like a chaotic work of art with the countless clocks Waylon had made over the years covering the walls.
The furniture in the living space wasn’t something any designer would’ve put together, but it somehow worked in a way that was all Waylon. A brightly striped chair paired with a pastel flowered couch and a couple of antique wooden chairs. A rustic church pew that had been refinished as a bench.
Today’s discovery was a rainbow clock covered with different animals in every color—bulls, alpacas, goats, yaks, sheep, horses, dogs, cats—and tucked away in one corner was Waylon’s true love … Bigfoot.
I grinned as we headed into the kitchen. This house was the coolest.
“I’m telling you, something went across that trail cam I set up in the northwest woods,” Waylon said as he rested a hand on his rounded belly covered by his Carhartt overalls.
Wylder sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I’m sure something did go across your trail cam. A deer or a bear. Maybe a cougar.”
Brae’s whole expression brightened. “A sighting?”
“It’s gotta be,” Owen cheered. “He knows we believe, so he’s not afraid to show himself.”
Dex groaned. “Please, don’t you three start.”
Waylon narrowed his gaze on his nephew. “I will not tolerate Bigfoot disrespect in this house.”
Maverick let out a low whistle. “You did it now. Grounded for sure.”
Wylder snickered. “Maybe his punishment should be helping you set up Bigfoot trail cams.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Waylon agreed. He turned to me. “How was the first day?”
Waylon was the ultimate grandfatherly figure, complete with hilarious Bigfoot conspiracy theories. But his warmth and welcome were always like a balm.
“I think I did pretty good.” I glanced at Wylder. “But you might want to ask the man in charge.”
Wylder’s lips twitched. “A-plus for sure.”
A hint of relief washed through me at that.
“I knew it,” Mav said, popping the cap off his beer with the edge of the kitchen counter. “Heartbreaker on the loose. Bet those tips were sweet.”
I chuckled. “Not sure about that, but I definitely got to meet some characters. Did you know the owner of the Grit & Grove was abducted by aliens?”
Maverick grinned. “Hal? Oh yeah, he’s a believer. Big-time.”
The mechanic had told me all sorts of tall tales, but they were kind of amazing.
Wylder groaned. “The stories only get more outlandish when he has a couple of beers.”
“Hey,” Mav cut in. “If you got anally probed, it would stick with you, too.”
“What’s anally probed?” a new voice cut in.
I turned to see Skylar with a look of confusion on her face. She looked awesome with her combat boots, princess dress, fairy wings, and camo headband.
“Maverick,” a deep voice growled.
That timbre had goose bumps rising on my arms, and my gaze instantly cut to the owner. Kol stood behind his daughter, glowering at Maverick. The muscle along his jaw pulsed, making the thick scruff twitch.
“Hey, man, I didn’t say any bad words,” Mav argued.
“You said butt probe,” Owen cut in. “And stuff’s not supposed to go there. Only come out.”
Wylder started coughing in an attempt to hold back his laughter, his face turning beet red.
Skylar’s nose wrinkled. “Joey tried to stick a race car up his pooper when he was four and had to go to the doctor to get it out. Lacey told me her mom told her.”
Mav grinned. “Gotta be careful when it comes to—”
“Maverick,” Kol thundered.
“What?” Mav asked with faux innocence. “What’d I say?”
I sat out on the back deck, watching Sky and Owen race around the yard with Tink the mini-Highland cow and Pepper the goat running after them.
Skylar’s fairy wings had made it onto Tink at some point, and Pepper wore a purple feather boa with sparkles.
The land around us had descended into twilight, the sun sinking behind the horizon and making me just the slightest bit twitchy.
But someone had hung patio lights around the back deck and on two of the trees, casting out the worst of the shadows.
I inhaled deeply, the scents of pine and fresh, clean air filling my nose. It was beautiful here. Peaceful. Even with the occasional shriek from Sky or Owen.
Skylar raced toward me. “You need some flair.”
My mouth curved. “Tell it to me straight, sister.”
“This!” She pulled off the bright-pink feather boa she wore and draped it over my shoulders.
I stilled for a moment, unsure if the contact would be too much, but it wasn’t. Sky’s hands hadn’t grazed my arms, just the boa. And in a way, it felt like the closest thing I’d come to a hug in over a year.
I drew my hands along the feathers, relishing the tickling sensation. “This is the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a long time. Thank you.”
Skylar beamed at me, sheer pride on her face. “You’re welcome. You look happier now.”
I looked happier. Hell. If even an eight-year-old was seeing the cracks in my facade, I needed to up my acting game. Or, better yet, find somewhere to let my mask down.
“You know, I think doing something to help another person find their happy is one of the best things you can do,” I told her honestly.
Skylar’s whole face brightened. “Really?”
“No lies detected.”
She giggled and glanced over at Owen, who was trying to headbutt Pepper playfully. “He’s happier, too, now that you’re back. So I guess you give happy, too, Supernova.”
And with that, she took off running back toward Owen.
I simply stared after her, leveled by a pint-sized princess with a badass commando streak. I wanted to be a happiness giver. But lately, it felt like all I did was induce stress.
My gaze dipped as my finger slid across my phone screen. A new phone. Because my old one was still in an evidence locker somewhere.
A chill skittered down my spine, but I steeled my muscles and fought it off. Instead, I focused on the listing in front of me. A studio apartment above one of the shops in town. No full kitchen but a kitchenette with a refrigerator and a hot plate.
Not ideal, but I could make it work. And it was only two blocks from the Boot. That was a plus. Then, I took in the price. Nine hundred dollars a month. And that didn’t include utilities.
My shoulders slumped. I wouldn’t be able to afford that anytime soon. Especially if I needed to hand over the first and last month’s rent.
“Apartment hunting?” A low voice cut into my swirling thoughts.
I didn’t jolt, a rarity for me when I got surprised, because it felt like I knew that voice like the back of my hand. My gaze flicked up to find those hazel eyes, the ones that held both darkness and light if you looked closely enough. “Snoopy and bossy? What a combo.”
Kol grunted and lowered himself onto the deck next to me.