Page 14 of A Cowboy's Bride
Declan put his coffee cup down on the island and headed toward the front door. “No use in standing here wondering.”
Aiden met Danielle as she stepped from her car, glancing around at the house and barn. In her late fifties, she was neatly dressed in a smart outfit that would fit equally in a family setting or a boardroom. He’d met her while volunteering with troubled teens at his previous job in the Crowsnest Pass area, and he knew she had a passion for doing what was right, even if it meant colouring outside the lines.
“Danielle. Good to see you again.”
“And you.” She gave him a quick hug. “I know this is sooner than you expected, but I was passing through after a meeting in Calgary. I thought I’d take a chance and see how things were going.”
“We’ll let you take a look around,” Aiden suggested. “If you’ve got any suggestions, you let us know. There’s been a lot happening and some things to catch you up on, but first off is making sure you’re okay with our plans.”
Danielle greeted both Jake and Declan then opened the trunk of her car to display a pair of boots. “I know it’s probably the least ready, but I’ll admit that the animal rescue holds a great deal of charm for me. You got any cats or dogs around for me to say hello to? My husband is allergic, so this is the only chance I get for some creature cuddle time.”
Declan tilted his head toward the barn. “Come on. I’ll give you a tour and show you what we’re planning for the men’s dorms.”
“When you’re done, come back inside. You can check the house then join us for lunch,” Jake offered. “I ordered more than enough, and she’ll be bringing it by just before noon.”
“Wonderful.” Danielle took another quick glance around before holding up her boots. “Let me change, then I’ll be ready for my tour.”
Wasn’t much they could do in the living room to make it cozier. They had chairs at the kitchen table and not much else yet, so Aiden didn’t bother trying. Danielle understood how this worked. How you could only do so much at a time.
Jake put plates and cutlery on the table, though. “We should at least try to make a good impression,” he mumbled when Aiden laughed. Then they both worked on their own tasks until Danielle and Declan were back.
Aiden took her for a quick walk-through. He was very thankful they’d tucked away all their stuff because with the new beds all made up with comforters in a soft blue, everything looked, well, pretty. Welcoming.
Danielle stopped and looked at the primary bedroom for the longest time then joined them at the kitchen table. “Okay, in case you’re worried, I’m impressed. I can tell you’re serious about making this a place of refuge and a stepping stone to better lives. Thanks for keeping my trust.”
“Making High Water a safe spot for those who need it is our priority,” Declan assured her.
“Whatever checks and balances you need in place, we’ll go along with,” Jake repeated. “We want that, so that everyone feels safe.”
She met Jake’s gaze. “Thank you. I know, and I wouldn’t have started this in the first place if I didn’t trust you all at a gut level. So here’s where I admit I came over with an ulterior motive. I know you absolutely are not ready—there’s no way you could be.” Danielle paused and seemed to go off in a different angle as she directed her next question at Aiden. “When does the housekeeper move in?”
Some sixth sense made him hesitate. He didn’t want to admit they’d had zero luck in finding someone. “Not for a bit.”
Danielle sighed, settling back in her chair as if exhausted. “It was a long shot, but I had hoped that by some miracle you already had someone in place.” She met each of their gazes in turn. “There’s a young woman I heard about who’s in a bad situation. She’s sixteen, and I’d like to get her out in the next twenty-four hours, but I can’t bring her here unless you have a woman on-site.”
The front doorbell rang followed by the door slowly swinging open and Petra walked in, arms wrapped around an enormous box. “Hey, guys. Sorry about that. I leaned on the door, and it opened. I brought lunch.” Petra spotted Danielle and blinked. “Hello. I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Beside Aiden, Declan had bolted upright and now shot to his feet. He hurried forward and took the box from Petra. “Perfect timing. Thanks so much.” He spun and dropped the food on the nearest counter then to Aiden’s surprise, his brother wrapped an arm around Petra’s shoulders and marched her to the table right beside Aiden’s chair. “Petra, this is Danielle.”
“Nice to meet you,” Petra said. She smiled, but her confusion was clearly rising.
A hand landed on the back of Aiden’s collar as Declan all but hauled him to his feet. Not knowing what was going on, Aiden went willingly enough and ended up standing beside Petra.
His brother stepped back and gestured to the side. “Danielle, I’d like you to meet Petra. Aiden’s fiancée.”
It was partlyher fault for not paying attention. Petra had been more interested in sneaking a peek at Aiden than giving the other woman at the table her full attention. But—what?
“Um—”
“Like Aiden said, there’s been a lot happening, and this is part of it.” Declan twisted to face her and Aiden, winking with the eye that was away from the older woman. “Isn’t that right?”
Petra still wasn’t totally sure what she had heard. It sounded an awful lot like the wordfiancée, but that made no sense.
The next moment, though, Aiden slipped a hand around her waist and tugged her against him. “I’m thrilled that Petra said yes.”
He turned and pretended to nuzzle her neck even while whispering frantically. “Please go along with this. I’ll explain everything as soon as I can, but it’s important.”
Well then. Petra glanced between Danielle, Declan, and Jake, noting with some amusement that each of them had a vastly different expression on their face.
