Page 74 of A Cowboy's Claim
When Declan offered Sydney the front passenger seat, she rolled her eyes. “Right. Because that makes so much sense. My legs are half the length of yours.”
Declan debated crawling into the back with her anyway, but she bumped him in the side and then crawled into the back seat before he could protest.
He closed the door behind her, settling in the front beside his smirking brother. “Watch what you say,” Declan warned.
“Me? I’m a pillar of society.” Jake peered in the rearview mirror and winked. “I’m glad to see you two looking so…well.”
“Thank you,” Sydney offered primly. “And I’ll just repeat what Declan said. Watch what you say right now.”
“Absolutely,” Jake offered, laughter in his voice.
The rest of the way home he told them about everything that had been damaged in town from the storm. There were a few outbuildings at High Water that needed to be repaired, but other than that, their newer construction had all held up well.
“The community center isn’t looking so great,” Jake said. “Bunch of roofing tiles are gone, and one section of the siding is banged up to hell where a tree branch swung into it.”
“Is the hall still structurally sound?” Sydney asked. “I have a babysitting course to teach there in a week or so.”
“As far as I know, it’s fine to still use.”
For the rest of the story, they waited until they actually got home, and Declan motioned for everyone to join them in the house. “We’ve got something to talk to you about.”
Jake’s eyes widened, but he held back until Sydney and Petra were gone into the house ahead of them. “I assume things went well, but did they go so well you have anannouncementto make already?”
“If it were up to me, we would,” Declan admitted. “But while we’re now together, Sydney is still skittish. She’s got good reasons, so careful with the teasing.”
“Petra said the same thing,” Aiden offered softly. “But good for you, bro. Sydney is a wonderful woman.”
The spot of warmth inside his chest was damn fine, and Declan vowed to work even harder to make this thing between him and Sydney work.
“Thanks, but first we all need your help to solve a problem.”
Gathered in the living room, Declan met each of his family’s gaze in turn. Tansy and Jake had left Jeffrey with Kevin in the barn before returning and claiming one of the couches. Aiden and Petra settled on the other, and Sydney pulled the oversized ottoman into a triangle with the other two seats so she and Declan could sit together and face them.
“Remember that thing we found out about Lexie?” Sydney began.
“About your grandfather being an interfering interferer?” Tansy suggested.
Sydney nodded. “He’s got a long history of that, and he’s messed me up as well. I need your help to find a way out.”
The other four listened carefully as Sydney explained the rules for the financial aid that her grandfather could pull at any time.
Aiden made a face. “He doesn’t sound like a very supportive man when it comes down to it.”
“No, that’s the problem,” Sydney said softly. “He’s very supportive, but in all the wrong ways. Support with requirements isn’t really help. It’s ownership. And it hasn’t helped that for nearly the last nearly fifteen years I’ve heard a steady stream of how wrong it would be to give up my autonomy and my career to be with a man.” Sydney shook her head.
“But now that you and Declan are—” Tansy hesitated, examining them closely. “Please, tell me you’re no longer trying to pretend that you’re not aware of each other every single second you’re in the same room?”
Sydney’s jaw fell open. “You knew Declan and I were seeing each other?”
Tansy’s grin widened. “Well, I suspected, but you just admitted to it, so thanks for the confirmation.”
“Oldest trick in the book,” Petra said sadly, shaking her head sorrowfully at Sydney. “You need to learn not to trust her.”
“Please. I was so out of it regarding my sister Fern’s romance, I’m trying to be more alert these days.” Tansy smirked. “Also, na-na-na-boo-boo. I gotcha.”
Sydney threw a pillow at Tansy. “Fine. Yes, Declan and I are trying to be together. I have hang-ups, so don’t tease him for us moving forward at a molasses-in-winter pace. I did some math on the side while we were stuck in the mountains, and I’ve got enough in savings that I can run the clinic without Grandpa Nate’s help for three months at the most.”
“The options are?” Jake had his notebook at the ready. “You don’t tell him that you’re together?”
