Page 15 of A Cowboy's Bride
Declan continued to stare in his somewhat stone-faced matter but with an earnestness that made Petra pause. Jake looked horrified. He’d pasted a smile on his lips that made him look slightly ill.
But it was Danielle who turned the tide for Petra. The older woman was genuinely relieved and happy. “Oh, I am so pleased for you, Aiden. And for you, Petra. Aiden’s a wonderful man.”
“I think so too,” Petra offered sweetly. Only she slipped an arm behind Aiden so she could pinch his butt.
What. The. Hell?
Danielle leaned forward and spoke softer. “I assume this means she knows everything that’s going on with the shelter and all the requirements we discussed.”
“We’re still working through the final details,” Aiden said quickly. “But the bottom line is if you have someone who needs a safe place to hide, we’re ready to have her come to the ranch. Petra will be here.”
The urge to curse the entire group soundly and walk away without another word vanished after hearingneeds a safe place to hide. “Aiden will fill me in on everything I need to know,” Petra assured Danielle.
The older woman nodded firmly and pushed to her feet. “Thank you for the offer of lunch, but with this good news, I’m going to carry on to make sure I get everything done as quickly and quietly as possible. I’ll text the details as soon as I can, Aiden. As always, if you need anything, let me know, and my husband and I will see what we can do.”
Getting Danielle out of the house became a symphony of movement. Aiden tugged Petra farther back into the house, allowing Jake and Declan to escort Danielle to her car.
The instant the front door closed, Petra jerked free from Aiden’s grasp and raced for the living room window.
Aiden ended up right beside her, the two of them staring as if making sure the woman had truly left.
“I’m pretty certain I need to kick somebody’s ass right now,” Petra said as calmly as possible.
“That makes two of us.” The anger in Aiden’s voice was clear. “I’m very thankful you didn’t callbullshitand stop that in its tracks, but trust me, Declan blindsided me as well.”
Petra met his gaze. “Really?”
“He was the only one of us to think fast enough on his feet. I just about messed it up before I realized what he was doing.”
“What the actual fuck?” Jake nearly roared as he re-entered the house hard on Declan’s heels. “They’re engaged? What’s going to happen when Danielle discovers that’s a damn lie?”
“That’s a problem for down the road. We’ll figure it out.” Declan marched up to Petra. “Sorry for dropping that on you. Thanks for not mucking it up. Come have lunch, and we’ll explain what’s going on.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Petra offered. “And for the record, the only reason I’m not hightailing it is that comment about getting somebody to safety. You bought an animal rescue.”
“It still will be, partly.” Aiden gestured toward the table. He waited until she sat before taking a chair opposite her. “But we’re also quietly building a safe house. Somewhere for people who slip through the cracks for whatever reason. We plan to give them a home here for as long as they need.”
“A safe house?” Petra thought through what she knew of the social system. “That doesn’t seem the kind of thing you do within a few months of buying a place without a lot of red tape involved.”
“Which is why we’re avoiding the red tape,” Jake confessed with a grumble before meeting her gaze. His dark grey eyes focused sharply. “Look, I worked in criminal services for over fifteen years, and far too often I saw people who just needed a bit of a break to be able to turn their lives around. But the system isn’t set up to make that happen, either because of a lack of resources or a lack of give a damn.”
“I’ve done a lot of volunteer work with problem teens,” Aiden offered. “It’s nearly impossible for someone who’s willing to put in the work to find a new path when they’re stuck in a bad family or a bad situation that’s not of their choice.”
Declan cleared his throat. “Since we’re spilling all the beans, we’ll let you know that we’ve got the resources to commit to this, and a willingness to make it work, even if it means sayingfuck itto red tape. If that’s not something you’re comfortable with, I get it. But we would ask if you could stretch your morals for a short period of time. One of the parameters we agreed to was always having ladies working the ranch so that any women who needed to retreat had peer support. We’re in the process of hiring a live-in housekeeper and cook, but until they’re in place, it sounds as if we need you.”
“But as Aiden’s fiancée?” Petra glared at Declan. “What the hell?”
This time, it was Jake who sighed. “No, that was a brilliant move. Danielle’s still in the system, secretly working on our behalf. She’s not going to agree to a random woman we temporarily drop into place at a moment’s notice. We’ve helped her help others in short-term situations over the past few years. While she trusts us, she’s also rightly put in checks and balances. We promised she could vet the housekeeper before we brought them on, but a fiancée is different. None of us would get involved with a person who wasn’t able to join our venture one hundred percent.”
Petra sat back in her chair, mind whirling. Of course a fiancée made sense—if she truly was one. “What a tangled mess.”
Aiden leaned forward, hands pressed to the table. “I’ll do anything I can to make this work for you for as long as it’s necessary. Declan’s right. I hope you don’t walk away for the sake of whoever it is that Danielle thinks needs our help in the next twenty-four hours.”
Damn the man. Petra met Declan’s gaze. “First, fuck you. You’re quick on your feet but also a complete jackass. I’m torn between admiring you and wanting to kick you off a bridge.”
“Join the club,” Aiden and Jake said with near-perfect synchronization.
Petra snickered then pointed toward the box on the counter. “You’d better feed me. I think the adrenaline rush is wearing off, and I’m going to balk fast if I don’t get some food into me.”
