Page 18 of A Cowboy's Claim
“People have a way of doing that at times. Even the best of us,” he agreed.
“Well, sometimes all it takes is a little time and thinking it through. I’m sure that helped. Plus, I told them their inheritance currently comes to about a thousand bucks each.”
Declan chuckled. “I’m glad they came to their senses. Spending time with you is a privilege. You’re special, Mrs. Yemen.”
“You’re not so bad yourself,” she returned with a wink before patting the nearest horse on the butt affectionately. “Thanks for taking care of Salt and Pepper. It makes me happy to think they’ll live out their days with some comfort.”
“I’ll do my best to make that happen,” he promised.
Which meant when Jake and Aiden caught up with him, Declan was in the barn, currying the new residents. It was a peaceful activity he enjoyed, the steady repetition and the calming presence of the animal under his care leveling his mood.
“Good news,” Jake announced, easing back against the stall wall.
Aiden stood beside Declan and stroked a hand along the horse’s withers. “Hello there, sir. You are one fine looking animal.”
“Pepper’s been well cared for,” Declan said. “What’s the news?”
“Our misbehaving ranch hand from the other day has been relocated to a secure halfway house in Manitoba,” Jake informed him. “It’s not putting him back into the prison system, but it will keep him out of our hair for the immediate future. Hopefully if he’s kept moving in the right direction for long enough, he’ll decide it’s far more worthwhile to keep on the straight and narrow.”
“Good.” Declan considered for a moment. “I’m guilty of thinking everyone who comes through these doors is eager to make a change.”
“For ninety-nine out of a hundred, that’ll be true,” Aiden suggested. “The problem comes when they have enough bad habits from whatever trouble they were in. They don’t see a different way forward. I think that’s what Russ’s issue was.”
“And he was deep enough into dangerous territory to have formed some very bad habits.” Declan shook his head slowly. That was the part that was worrying him. “I know there’s no way we can permanently keep High Water off the radar—we’re relying on the goodwill of everyone who comes through the door. If they don’t keep their mouths shut, we could have more issues as we go forward, not less.”
The three of them fell silent.
“Do we stop what we’re doing?” Jake asked. “I’m not saying that on a whim.” Anger heated his eyes. “Russ threatened my son. And now every time Jeffrey scurries off alone—and it’s going to take time to teach him to stop running wild—I’m terrified someone might be waiting to snatch him. I don’t want to live like this.”
“We get where you’re coming from,” Aiden offered slowly. “We all have people in our lives now who mean everything. The idea of Petra being hurt makes me wake up in a cold sweat. And then there’s Jinx—that girl doesn’t need any more bullshit in her world.”
Declan’s thoughts instantly went to Sydney. She was as much a part of High Water as everyone else, even though she didn’t live there.
“Let’s really consider the question,” Declan said slowly. “Do we stop what we’re doing? Find a way to slow down? Make the limits of who comes in a lot more stringent? Jeff gave us the means to open a place where we can help people. But helping people shouldn’t mean putting our family in the crosshairs.”
Aiden folded his arms over his chest. “Those are all the right questions, but I don’t think this is a decision we should make in the barn or in a hurry.”
“I don’t think it’s a decision we should make without including Tansy and Petra.” Jake raised a brow. “Because I would very much like to not worry about what’s going into my food for the next, say, five years.”
“Good point,” Aiden muttered. “They are the vengeful type, aren’t they?”
“That’s why you’re all so perfect together,” Declan deadpanned. “Let’s put this on the agenda for a serious discussion. Because we set up High Water. We can make her whatever she needs to be.”
His brothers wandered off, and Declan got back to the task at hand, hesitating when something crashed a few stalls over from him.
He paced slowly around the corner, wondering if one of the barn cats had knocked gear off a hook. He was still partially hidden behind the bracing wall when he spotted Logan moving quickly down the passage that led away from the office.
Huh. He hadn’t realized that camp was over so soon. “Logan?”
The kid shot nearly three feet off the ground, twisting midair as if he hadn’t seen or expected Declan to be there. “Oh, hi.”
“You all back already?”
Logan shook his head. “I needed to grab some things. I wasn’t very good at packing.”
Declan nodded, but a thread of unease tugged at him. Something about Logan’s story didn’t quite ring true. His extra gear would be in his room or in the tack room.
Declan didn’t push, though. There were times the kid tightened up so much he seemed semi-terrified. It wasn’t a reaction Declan enjoyed bringing out in others.
