Page 31 of A Cowboy's Bride
“Wonder what that’s all about,” Declan said softly as Petra offered her hand to Jinx. The younger woman reluctantly accepted the grasp and let Petra guide her back to the porch.
Dixie wove in and out of them, worried because something was wrong that she couldn’t see.
When they were within speaking distance, Petra met Aiden’s gaze. “Just a slight misunderstanding. Everything’s okay, but I need Jake and Declan to get in the house and chill for a bit if that’s okay.”
Aiden had never seen his brothers vanish so quickly.
“Aiden is sticking around because I need his help,” Petra said firmly, grabbing him by the hand and pulling him onto the bench beside her. “You can sit there, Jinx.”
She pointed to the bench on the other side of the door. Jinx moved meekly into position.
It felt like a juggling act, Aiden realized. He didn’t want to move too quickly for fear he’d spook the girl, but something wasn’t right. “What can I do?” he asked Petra quietly.
“In the bedroom. There’s a pair of runners on the floor in my closet. If you grab them and a pair of socks, that should be good.” Petra took off her own shoes, speaking calmly to Jinx even as Aiden slipped into the house. “Remember what we said about how it’s okay to get scared? We’re not always going to get it right, but you’ve got to trust us enough to tell us when something frightens you and not just take off.”
Aiden missed what Jinx said in response because he was in the house, waving off his brothers’ questions as he hurried into Petra’s room to find the requested shoes.
It hadn’t seemed as if it was going to be this hard, he realized, rushing back to the porch. This whole trying to help people. Somehow he’d assumed that because they needed help, it would make things roll easier, and maybe in a way he’d be right forsomepeople.
But as he stepped onto the porch and found Petra kneeling in front of Jinx, the girl’s foot in her hand, that’s when it finally sank in that they were starting with someone who might be their biggest challenge ever.
Jinx sat stiffly, staring at Petra.
Petra’s mouth was tight as she accepted the shoes and socks. “You want to tell us both what happened here? Because Aiden and I are a package deal, and I don’t want to have to be the go-between all the time. I know you’ve got things you want to keep secret, and that’s fine for now. But there are some things you need to let the guys know, got it?”
Aiden moved until he was behind Petra, sitting on the edge of the porch at her back. Which was when he noticed that the soles of Jinx’s feet were scarred. Not just faint lines, but worn calluses and ridges, as if they’d been hurt so badly the skin had been damaged.
Fingers curled around his wrist, and he realized he’d been squeezing Petra’s hip. “Who did that to you?” he asked Jinx.
“Me. By running away.” Jinx swallowed hard. “I didn’t feel safe, so I ran. They didn’t like that, so they took away my shoes. The next time I ran, I climbed out my window. I didn’t know someone had broken a whole bunch of beer bottles under it.” She looked up and met Aiden’s eyes. Her gaze slipped to Petra and back. “I still ran because I figured even having my feet all sliced up was better than sticking around.”
Jesus Christ.“We’re not taking away your shoes,” he assured her. “It’s a custom, that’s all. No outdoor shoes in the house. But if you want to have shoes on all the time, you go right ahead. None of us will say a word.”
“You got that?” Petra asked.
The girl dipped her chin.
“We need you to let us know if we’re stepping into something that’s scary for you. We’re not demanding all your story,” Petra said quickly, “but we can’t fix what we don’t know is broken. Give us a chance.”
“Can you do that? Can you try?” Aiden asked.
“I’ll try.” Jinx accepted the socks and slipped them on quickly, all her focus on the footwear until they were tied on tight. She nodded rapidly then looked up at Petra. “I don’t like being so scared. I don’t want to be, but sometimes—” She took a quavering breath. “You aren’t going to send me away, are you?”
“Absolutely not,” Petra assured her. “But we should go claim our lunch before Jake and Declan eat it all.”
“My brothers are a horde of wild boars when it comes to cleaning out the contents of the refrigerator,” Aiden offered with as much levity as he could possibly muster. “Petra’s right. Hesitate too long, and we’ll be scrounging for leftovers.”
They’d barely walked in the room when Petra motioned for Jinx to wait. “Hang on. I too have fancy inside designer wear. I just need a moment to find them.” She sighed then grimaced, making a face at Jinx who hovered near the door. “I have the memory of a sieve at times. Fortunately, I also have technology.”
Petra grabbed her phone and opened an app, then paced forward as if following a compass. The boxes she’d left beside the coat rack were quickly re-sorted as the bottom box was brought to the top and restacked against the wall.
A bright hum of approval rang out as she pulled a backpack free then grinned at Jinx. “I knew they were close. Thank goodness for AirTags.” Petra shook the backpack upside down, and a pair of slippers fell to the floor.
She slipped them on then casually gestured toward the kitchen table. “Ready if you are.”
It was impossible not to gape. Aiden stood for a moment and simply admired the shining dragons adorning Petra’s feet. They were more glorified socks than slippers, with rainbow colours and sets of shimmering wings that extended upward from the surface, as if two dragons were gliding in for a landing.
Jinx stared as well, her mouth hanging open slightly.
