Page 44 of A Cowboy's Trust
A quiver sounded in Sasha’s voice as she answered. “We thought he was dead.”
“Come here.” Tansy opened her other arm and Sasha immediately slipped in.
The three of them huddled together for comfort as Dixie headbutted them, worried at the high intensity emotion filling the air. “I bet it was scary, but other than Jinx putting herself at risk of hypothermia, you guys reacted quickly. You probably saved his life.”
A ragged sob escaped Jinx, and she burrowed in closer for a moment. Tansy held the girls and let them find their equilibrium, happy for a chance to take comfort from them, as well.
When Jinx’s breathing settled out, Tansy gave one last squeeze then let go. “We’ll wait to talk to Declan, but one thing I know that has to happen next is supper. I had things mostly under control, but let’s go finish.”
Having a tangible task to do helped. By the time Petra and Aiden rushed into the house followed by Kevin and the hands, the girls had the table set, including salads, chutney, and rice. Tansy had the pot full of Massaman beef ready to bring out.
Jake and Declan stepped in front of the fire, and Tansy jerked upright in a moment of panic. Jake’s right eye was decidedly red.
Before she could rush across the room, Sydney reappeared from the back of the house. She joined Tansy, leaning against the counter beside her. “I used your bathroom to freshen up. Figured you wouldn’t mind.”
“Never a problem. What happened to Jake?”
“Jake got hit by an accidental swing from Logan. The kid felt terrible about it. He’s resting now, but he’ll wake up starving. If you have any broth, that’s the best thing for him for a while.”
Taking one final peek at Jake’s face, Tansy mentally went through what she had in the freezer. “I can warm something whenever it’s needed.” She caught Sydney’s fingers in hers. “Thank you for being close by.”
“Glad I could help.” Sydney lifted her chin at Petra, striding determinedly across the room as Aiden darted past to join his brothers in front of the fire. “There’s one curious cat coming our direction.”
“Logan’s arrival isn’t dinner conversation, privacy reasons and all the rest,” Tansy said quietly as she held her hand to Petra and pulled her in for a hug. “I’m okay, the girls are okay, and now you need to pretend you’re okay and make sure dinner conversation keeps flowing.”
For a good solid fifteen seconds, Petra squeezed the stuffing out of her before pulling back and examining her. “I hate it when you’re right.”
“Yet it happens so very often.”
Sydney snickered, pulling to vertical and sniffing appreciatively. She raised her volume to be heard clearly by the entire room. “I hope the smell means that supper is nearly ready. I’m starving.”
Across the room, Declan raised a brow even as everyone headed to the table. “Starving? Really? That means you’ll be eating three tablespoons tonight instead of your usual two?”
Aiden frowned at his brother. “The fact you watch how much we all eat on a regular basis is creepy, bro.”
“Agreed. Also, I eat as much as I need to. More than I need to when it’s Tansy’s curry.” Sydney got ready to pull out the chair at the head of the table, and both Kevin and Declan jumped in ahead of her to help. She rolled her eyes then smiled sweetly, glancing down the table to where Jinx and Sasha sat side by side. “Is Declan still hassling you over breakfast, Jinx?”
“Not since I showed him the nutritional analysis you gave me comparing what I was eating to what he eats.”
Soft laughter rose around the table as everybody settled and the bowls and plates were passed.
“Try growing up with a nurse for a mother,” Petra complained. “One who is blunt, knowledgeable, and far too willing to talk about the important effect of fiber on our systems.”
Just like that, things were under control. Tansy was pretty sure that the ranch hands had no idea someone lay injured at the other end of the house. They’d get to meet him soon enough, she supposed. But right now, Logan deserved his privacy.
The end of the meal rolled around, and through some wordless magic, Kevin took charge of the hands. “All right guys, enough smack talk about who’s the best pool shark. Tournament starts now in the common room. Winner declared before chores.”
The minute they were out the door, Declan motioned to Sasha to get ready. “I’ll take you home.”
Sasha nodded, her fingers linked with Jinx’s for a minute before she lifted her chin. “I know something’s going on here, more than the art studio and the animal rescue, but I won’t tell anybody. I promise.”
Unexpectedly, Jake stepped forward, the gentle smile on his face contrasting with the rising swell of his eye. “We trust that you can keep secrets, Sasha, but you’re young enough that your parents need to be a part of the important ones.”
The tension seemed to drain out of her, and this time when she nodded, her eyes had filled. “Yeah. I’d like it if they knew.”
“We’ll talk to your parents together,” Declan assured her.
Jinx slipped her arms around Sasha and squeezed her tight, then Sasha headed to the door where Declan held her coat ready for her.
