Page 85 of A Cowboy's Bride
Petra headed straight for the staircase, ready to race up.
Aiden caught her by the hand, holding her back. “Go slow. If by some chance there is someone with her, we need them not to panic.”
She nodded, fear in her eyes.
“And I go first.” He cut off all debate by stepping in front of her and gliding quietly up the wooden staircase.
In the hayloft, the light was more muted. A single beam of light shone in the casement window and across the bales. Movement in the corner of his eye made him freeze with Petra tight against his back.
A mama cat strolled into view, tail raised high. The very tip flicked with annoyance.
Aiden relaxed slightly when the cat lowered her tail and sauntered over, coming to tangle herself around his ankles affectionately.
Which meant the place was empty except for Jinx, he was almost certain.
Still, they stayed quiet as they paced forward, the app showing them closing in on the AirTag.
They stepped around the corner of the bales, and there was Jinx, arms wrapped around her knees as she sat on the floorboards, her backpack beside her and head drooped toward the ground.
“Oh my God. Jinx. You’re safe,” Petra whispered. She darted forward and dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around the girl.
A soft sob escaped Jinx as she buried her chin against Petra’s neck, weeping loudly.
“She okay?” Declan paused beside Aiden.
“She doesn’t look hurt, but we need to talk. Maybe just Petra and me?”
“Sounds good. I’ll go tell the others.” Declan paused and patted his brother on the back. “You tell that girl to get her ass back home where she belongs.”
He said it loud enough Jinx heard, and she turned her face toward him, eyes swimming with tears as another ragged sob escaped.
“I mean it. If you got scared or something, that’s okay. But you remember we can’t make things better if you don’t tell us what’s gone wrong.” Declan dipped his chin then turned on his heel and headed down the stairs.
Jinx laid her head against Petra’s chest and cried quietly for a while longer. Aiden searched his pockets but had no luck finding any sort of tissue to offer.
So what. She was a little wet and soggy, but she was there and safe, and now he needed to make this better. Aiden sat cautiously, resting a hand gently on her back. Just staying there, waiting.
It took a few minutes until her sobs turned into uneasy, shaky breaths. She dug into the backpack and pulled free a wad of Kleenex, drying her eyes and blowing her nose.
Petra leaned back, anchoring herself against Aiden. “You know what? Declan’s right. We promised to talk things through, didn’t we?”
A sharp, angry snort escaped Jinx. “You mean talk about things like the fact you two are only pretending to be engaged?”
Aiden bit back a curse. “Heard that, did you?”
Jinx wiggled her way upright and stared at the wall behind Petra’s shoulder. “I had tucked our sleepover stuff into Declan’s rooms. When everybody left to go outside for the fireworks, I slipped in so I could grab a thicker coat, and suddenly you guys were in the next room, shouting at each other.”
Petra made a face. “Normally I would argue that it wasn’t actually shouting but a very loud discussion, but I’m sorry we upset you. That wasn’t a conversation meant for anybody else to overhear.”
“Of course not. But it doesn’t change anything because now I know you lied.” Her voice sounded weary now, as if she’d lost all hope.
Dammit. Jeff would’ve said this was a clear example of why keeping to the truth was always easier. “We did lie, but with the best of intentions.”
Jinx twisted, tears streaking her cheeks. “I get that. Danielle told me that she wasn’t going to leave me anywhere that I wouldn’t be safe. She assured me that she was leaving me with a nice couple who were engaged, and that he had two brothers, and that all of you were the salt of the earth, whatever that means. But youliedabout being engaged.”
“Because we wanted you to have somewhere safe to go,” Petra insisted. “It wasn’t a lie that hurt anyone. It was so that we could help you?—”
“But it hurtyou,” Jinx sobbed. “It made you have to pretend to like each other and want to be with each other when that’s the last thing you want. I can’t do that to people I like. I can’t hurt you like that.”
