Page 36 of A Cowboy's Bride
He was still muttering curses under his breath when he bumped into his brother in the barn. Which meant he literally bumped into his brother, nearly sending Jake sprawling to the straw. “Jackass. ‘Aiden can bring his guitar,’ huh?”
“Hey, you’re the talented one in the bunch. Figured it’d be a pity to let all your fancy training go to waste.”
Jake danced out of Aiden’s swing radius, but it was all in good humour.
They made the rounds together to deal with the few chores that were there for the animal shelter.
There weren’t that many animals in the barn yet. The couple they’d bought the rescue from had done a great job finding homes for most of the creatures before they’d put the ranch up for sale. The fact that the Skye brothers hadn’t minded the remaining animals being included had been unusual.
Not many people would want to take on a full-time nonprofit facility along with buying a ranch.
“We’re waiting until next spring to get the animal rescue fully back into gear, right?” Aiden asked.
Jake nodded. “Declan already put out the word that if there’s an emergency we’ll take the animals on, but we need to get the rest of the renovations and moneymakers in place first.”
Which meant it was barely half an hour later after taking care of the mostly cats and few horses that Declan had already added to their own rides.
Jake went off one way to get the fire started, and Aiden went the other to grab his guitar. As soon as he had helped arrange chairs around the fire pit, he ignored everything else and sat down and began to play.
His mother had started him on the guitar, and after she passed, Jeffrey had gone out of his way to make sure the lessons continued. Aiden had enough years under his belt that once he got going, he could stare into the flames and let the music flow over him.
The fire pit was tucked to the side of the building in a bit of a dip. The lay of the land cut off some of the expansive views but meant they could be here even when the wind picked up, nestled into a safe place where they could just be.
A place to relax and brush off the stress of the day.
Jinx. The first to come to High Water. The first to join the family, and the song under Aiden’s fingers changed from something light and soft to mischievous and fanciful. As if fairies flitted about the place, bringing magic around him.
Which was when the girls arrived. Admiration danced in Petra’s eyes as she lowered herself into the chair next to him, Jinx on her other side. Dixie twisted on the spot then settled on the girl’s feet, while Petra lifted something small and woolen from a basket she placed on the ground.
His brothers arrived. Declan opened his pocketknife, sitting forward to continue working on a tree stump he’d found. He was about halfway through making the small face of a gnome peek through the rough bark.
Throughout it all, Aiden played. The classical music that shouldn’t fit so well in the setting, and yet did, swirled around them with an easy rhythm. The pulse of his fingers carried on the air and created magic as the sun dipped behind the mountains and the sky slowly filled with a rich gold.
The expression on Jinx’s face was as awe-inspiring as the sunset. As if she couldn’t believe where she was or how much her life had changed.
When she leaned her head against the high back of the Adirondack chair and closed her eyes, fingers stroking slowly over Dixie’s head, Aiden smiled.
There might be a whole hell of a lot of other things to figure out, including getting Jinx’s story straight so that the lies that would have to be told to the community would work, but right here and right now?
This was the bit of family that he’d dreamed about creating. This was why they were here.
They sat for nearly an hour. Jinx wiggled to new positions a few times, including getting up, stretching, and walking around the backside of all their chairs with Dixie pacing at her side.
Aiden played. Petra stitched. A small light hung around her neck aimed down at her fingers and highlighted them as they moved with an easy rhythm. Declan’s fingers flowed over the wood as well, and between the three of them, they created an artistic symphony, each in their own way.
Jake? He had a notebook in his lap, writing a few lines then closing it. Opening it, writing a little more. Between each time, he stared into the fire, head bobbing to the beat of whatever Aiden played.
Once he knew where all his people were, Aiden let himself drift with the music. An easy, contented act until he discovered he was staring at Petra most of the time, admiring the way the light shone off her hair. Appreciating the little frown she got as she recounted stitches or something then smiled contentedly and turned her work.
The fire crackled, and somewhere in the distance an owl hooted. The small noises of the fall mixed with his guitar and added to the concert.
Petra glanced up and smiled at him, and inside, something more than heat pulsed. It was odd. Her being here, pretending to be part of his family—it was a complete lie, and yet felt like an utter truth.
Aiden let the swirling confusion in his gut tangle with the music and slide away for now.
Petra was the first to make a move to end the evening. She gathered her project and slipped it into the basket. “I know Jinx doesn’t have school yet, but we may as well establish a good routine. Time to get ready for bed,” she informed the girl.
Which was brilliant, Aiden realized. A chance for them to escape the guys’ company without Jinx getting triggered.
