by Tate James
“Should I solve it for you?” Annabeth wasn’t sure exactly what she would do, but the brothers were already going to be helping her so much, her getting rid of these people was the least she could do.
Andrew cocked his head toward her. “How?”
A wicked smile crossed her face. “Oh, I’ll think of something.” She stepped forward, bringing Andrew with her.
John gave a relieved smile when he spotted Andrew. “My boy. There you are. Talk some sense into these two, will you? It’s unnatural to turn away visitors.”
“Especially when they’ve been practically attacked by that unruly pack of animals,” Barb put in.
Carter’s and Jake’s scowls deepened and fists curled. Annabeth needed to move fast.
“Should I apologize?” She stepped forward, cutting between the crowd to stand in front of Carter. She had a feeling he would be the first to act in the heat of the moment. “Annabeth Lorrie. The person Ed mentioned. And I am not a tenant. I own that land now.”
She extended her hand and very deliberately did not smile.
Good manners kicked in and John reached out, taking her hand in a firm grip. “John Neirguard. This is my wife Barb and my daughters Tiffany and Misty.” He released her. “And no, no need for you to apologize.”
At that she did give him a smile. But this was the one she’d use right before ripping into those foolish enough to cross her. “Oh, good. Because for a minute there I was afraid my boys here had neglected to tell me something important.” She let out a soft laugh, only partly needing to fake it as she noted Tiffany’s wide eyes. “But I see it isn’t anything like that. Now, if you’ll excuse us, our evening was just beginning. And I’m not sure it would be… appropriate for you and your family to join us.”
She let her words sink in, mildly surprised at the direction her inner imp had decided to take. Well, it will set tongues to wagging, that’s for sure.
The brothers shifted behind her, and a heavy hand landed on her shoulder. She half expected it to push her out of the way. Instead, it pulled her into a firm chest. “That’s right,” Jake said from above her. “We’re busy tonight.”
Tiffany’s mouth twisted and she shot a glare at Annabeth that should have left laser burns seared across her face. Barb humphed, and John’s face turned an alarming shade of deep red. Misty—and what unfortunate names those girls were given—snort-coughed and turned away.
Annabeth had a feeling she would like Misty.
She didn’t say another word, just raised her brows and waited.
“Yes, well.” Barb cleared her throat. “Maybe tonight wasn’t the best to drop by. We’ll, um, leave you to it.” Her mouth opened then closed then opened again and she shook her head. “Let’s go girls.” Barb turned away and clomped down the steps. “John!”
John gave a rough cough and went after his wife.
Tiffany glared some more—ooh, scary—sent what she surely thought must be a seductive smile toward Carter, and sashayed down the steps and toward her family’s car, and older Toyota RAV4. Misty followed, but not before shooting Annabeth a grin and a thumbs up.
“Do come out to my place some time!” Annabeth called out just as they were piling into the car. “I’m sure you know the way.” She raised her hand and gave them as big wave, keeping it going until they’d pulled out and were well down the drive.
“Damn, woman.” A second hand landed on her other shoulder and Carter tugged her toward him and away from Jake. “So, what inappropriate things are we getting up to for the rest of the night?”
Annabeth twisted to glare up at him. He grinned down at her, the earlier stiffness and hostility having vanished.
Andrew hit the back of Carter’s head and the crazy brother’s grin only widened. “Hey, you can’t blame me for teasing about this one. She started it.”
Jake snorted, then nodded. “Yes, she did start it.”
“And I am ending it. Now.” Andrew’s tone was firm, but there was a hint of laughter underneath.
Oh, god, what had she managed to get herself into? Now that the Neirguards had been dealt with, her inner imp had deserted her for the depths of hell, leaving her to handle the aftermath. Hopefully that aftermath was just coping with a few bad attitudes from one family, and the brothers’ teasing. Worst case, though, tongues really would start wagging, and that could make her new life here difficult, especially in a small town and community. If she’d still been in Houston it would have been easier… And why was she thinking of this as though what she’d implied were real? A few rumors could easily be set straight, especially since there was no truth behind them.
Her worry must have been clear in her expression, because Andrew took her elbow and nudged her away from his brothers. “Unfortunately…” he started, leading her back into the house. Carter and Jake followed right behind, along with the pups. Andrew steered her to a brown leather sofa and sat her in the middle before taking a seat to her left. Jake and Carter, their expressions sober, each sat in matching chairs beside the sofa.
“Unfortunately,” Jake took over for his brother, “the Neirguards are not known for keeping their mouths shut. And Tiffany is…”
“I told her already,” Andrew said, picking up one of the pups who’d sat at his feet. The bundle of fur escaped his arms and tumbled over to Annabeth, then laid his head on her thigh. With a smile she dug her hand into the soft ruff around his neck.
“That’s Minnow. He’s got a bit of a white spot on his tail and back left foot.” Andrew gave the dog’s back a brisk rub.
“You told her.” Jake’s tone was flat. “What did you tell her, and why would you tell her anything?”
Well, the asshole is back. Or maybe he never left. “He just told me she was your ex.” Then she smirked. “And his.” She pointed to Carter. “You two like to have a bit of fun?”
Andrew groaned. “Do not get this one started.” He waved a hand at Carter.
“No.” Jake stood and went back to the kitchen.
“Is he pouting?” Annabeth’s worry fell away as she enjoyed the banter.
“Hah! Jake doesn’t pout,” Carter said, slumping back in his chair in an easy sprawl. “Jake broods.”
“Ah. Of course. Brooding. A skill every man must have.”
Andrew and Carter laughed. “I’ll have to practice mine, then,” Andrew said.
Jake returned and handed her the tea she’d left behind when the visitors came. “And back to the Nierguards.”
The worm of anxiety was back, working its way through her stomach and up to her throat. “Are they really going to be a problem? It was a joke, and fairly mild at that.”
“If it was just Misty, or even Barb—who, despite the… disgruntlement she showed tonight, is fairly easy going—it all would have been laughed off as soon as they hit the highway. But with John and Tiffany there… Well, John is about as conservative as they come, and Tiffany has been trying to snag Carter for nearly a decade.” Jake resumed his seat and one of the pups, this one with a black collar, came to sit at his feet.
The third pup must be Carter’s. This one lounged under the coffee table, feet out in a lazy sprawl.
“So, what you’re saying is…?”
“We cross our fingers and hope John is more interested in not pissing us off than he is in defaming you for his pride.”
“And,” Carter added, “that Tiffany is more interested in keeping her Houston exploits from her parents than she is in being vindictive.”
“Hmmm…” Annabeth moved her fingers to just behind Minnow’s ear, and the pup let out a groaning whine of pleasure. Pride and vindictiveness. Those were dangerous traits to deal with, even when your mouth wasn’t running away with itself. And people with those traits would find ways to come at you, even if it was indirectly. “So, basically I’ve landed in a small and conservative town, and no matter what I do, someone will say something about anything.”
The brothers laughed at that, and warmth bloomed in Annabeth’s chest. She liked the
sight of the three of them together, similar in looks but all so different, and laughing. She pretended for just a moment that they were happy, and it was because of her.
Then she pulled herself back to reality. “Will they be a problem for my plans?” That was the truly important question in all this.
“John knows a couple of the County Commissioners, but that shouldn’t affect anything, because we’ll be making sure all your documents and submissions are in order when it comes time for permits.” Jake leaned forward to prop his elbows on his knees, fingers laced together. “And barring any legal or zoning issues, the commissioners can’t really stop you. Their authority doesn’t extend that far.”
Annabeth nodded, willing to take his word for it. Her mind wandered back to Ed’s words that morning, how the brothers were stubborn. At the time it had sent frustration running through her, but now that they were on her side, it was comforting.
“Well,” she said, leaning over to set her glass on the coffee table. “I should get going. I’ve got quite a bit to do.” She dislodged Minnow, who groaned and rolled onto his back, and then she stood.
The brothers all stared up at her for a beat then rose. “I’ll see you to your car,” Andrew said. She gathered her purse from the side table she’d set it on and was almost to the door when she paused.
Idiot. I’m a scramble brained idiot. “I don’t have any of your contact information.” She made sure her voice was loud enough to be heard back in the living room. “Hell, I had to get your address from Ed earlier today. Jake ran out of the hardware store like his ass was on fire.”
Andrew’s lips tipped up. “Did he now?”
A minute later, three cards were thrust into her hand. “Here,” Jake said, his voice low. “I put my personal email on there as well. Send me your info. I’ll get you the name of the surveyor who can do the topography. That you’ll need to pay for, but I’ll explain the situation to him and I’m sure he can work with you on the price.” His tone was matter-of-fact.
She studied the three of them once more. Yes, they were stubborn, and assholes half the time—or in Andrew’s case adorably awkward—but they were good men under all that. “Thank you,” she said, and she meant for more than the business cards.
It was Andrew who answered. “You are very welcome, Annabeth Lorrie.” He finished walking her to her car. As she drove away she could see them still in her rearview mirror, the house lights shining behind them. She burned their silhouettes into her memory, something telling her she’d be remembering this night for a long time.
8
interlude
Did you see? Minnow could barely contain himself. He ran in circles around his brothers, who watched him lazily from where they lay in the yard.
We saw. Midas snapped at Minnow’s back legs as he raced by, mildly interested in a game of chase. Maybe. Later. After a nap.
That was smart. What you did earlier. Harley had to admit that tripping one of the humans into her, to get them close, had gotten some good results.
They’d also been able to see what the soul leashes did with the female Bethie around. They’d snapped tight, straight to her, like when Minnow’s human used the lead ropes to keep them all close when they played.
She didn’t have a soul leash, though. Midas cut straight to his worry.
No. She did. Minnow flopped down between his two brothers. It was short. And wiggly. Like…
Like the piece of snake we found? The one without a head? Harley raised his head and peered in the direction the female had gone.
Yes! Like that. It was hard to see. But it wrapped around my human’s soul leash. I saw it good when they were playing on the ground together. Minnow hopped back to his feet. Do you think she’ll bring treats again? The mean one only let me have one.
My human is not the mean one, Harley shot back, jumping to his feet and snapping at Minnow.
Midas just laid his head on his front paws and sighed. He hadn’t seen the female’s soul leash. But he had seen his human’s own straining toward her, just like it did with the brothers.
He’d have to keep an eye on this. The Margie spirit dog may have been convinced this was meant to be, claimed they were fated, but Midas had yet to see the proof.
Yes, he’d keep an eye on that female. Though, he did like she way she’d protected their territory from the pack that attempted to invade…
9
annabeth
A satisfied smile curved up her lips. “Thank you, Steve. I really appreciate it. And, yes, I’ll tell Jake.” Annabeth ended the call with the surveyor and sat back in her office chair. Whatever Jake had told that man, it had worked a small miracle. The survey company had agreed to provide a tree and topographic survey, fully verified and sealed, for half the usual price. And for a property this size, that was a substantial chunk of money.
One more thing I can cross off the to-do list. It was a list that was growing longer every day. It seemed for every item she completed, four more cropped up to be dealt with.
Today, her main goal today was finally reviewing the bylaws she’d drawn up, and finalizing everything to file for incorporation. It was maybe a little early in the process, but it would take about six months to get approved for non-profit status with the IRS, and the sooner she got that going, the better.
You still have to find board members. She sighed and pushed away from her desk, rising to pace over the rug in the center of the small room. It was a secondary bedroom, the smallest of the three, and on the second floor. She’d chosen it as her office because of the view of the rear yard. When the shelter was done, this window would look right down over it.
Maybe the brothers would agree to be on the board? No, she was already imposing upon them too much. Despite being here for nearly a month, she still hadn’t met more than a handful of the people in town, which made it distinctly hard to ask people to be on the board of her shelter.
An image of the bulletin board in Ed’s store sprang to mind. It was worth a shot. Who knew, maybe she’d luck out and find a few like minded people who were willing to work with her. Or, I could just ask Ed if he knows anyone that may be interested. Or I could ask Sally. Annabeth had a feeling Sally would delight in being asked to help.
Decided, Annabeth grabbed her phone and purse and headed downstairs. She’d head into town, see Sally and Ed, and possibly strike up a few other conversations, be generally friendly and neighborly, and work up some good will.
She was just locking the door when a large gray truck pulled into her drive and onto the small concrete parking pad.
Mental note: ask Carter and Jake about expanding the drive and parking. The facility itself would need its own parking, but another space or two for the house itself would be even better.
Andrew jumped from the driver’s side and waved. “Annabeth! I’m glad I caught you. Do you have some time this afternoon?” he asked with a hopeful and eager expression.
One of the Peterson brothers was seeking her out. Interesting. She wasn’t quite sure where she stood with them, even after the informal turn her visit to their house had taken. Was she a client? A friend?
Client. Remember, you are a client only, and you are going to keep it that way. The cautionary voice was back. Or maybe it was the piece of herself too scared to open up fully and let another person in. Whatever it was, it was getting weaker, the admonitions and warnings faint against the intriguing puzzle that were these triplets.
She met him halfway across the yard and tilted her head back slightly to meet his gaze. The gold in his iris was especially bright today, and his hair, with those wild curls, shifted softly in the breeze. And how is that for poetic thoughts? Next thing you know I’ll be writing sonnets to him. She snorted and Andrew’s gaze narrowed. “What?”
Annabeth shook her head. “Nothing. Stray thought.” Grasping the strap of her purse, she shifted her weight to her left leg and cocked her hip. “I might be able to make some time. What did you need?”
“Well, somet
imes I get calls. I mean, I’m known for having a soft heart, you see.” His cheeks colored. “For strays. I mean for strays. And I just got a call about a pittie someone dumped out near RR 26. The Johnson boy picked it up. I was going to go over and see what state it’s in. I thought it would be good experience for you to see the kind of intake exam you would want to be doing, and I could show you some animal first aid.”
He’d come to ask her in person? “You could have called.”
His flush deepened. “Yeah. Um, yeah, I could have.”
“I just mean that I might not have been here.” This was a great opportunity. As she’d told Jake, she’d done some volunteering, but she’d never been in on the intake at any of those shelters. She’d contacted a couple of places about putting in some more hours and apprenticing, but going with Andrew now would allow her to ask all the questions she could think of.
“So, you want to come with?” He shifted from foot to foot.
“I want to come with,” she said with a smile. “Is there anything I should grab?”
“No. I have what we’ll need in the truck. You can drive with me, and I’ll drop you back later, if that’s all right?” He was already walking back to his truck before he finished speaking. He didn’t stop at the driver’s side, but continued around to the passenger door and pulled it open, gesturing for her to climb in.
She took the hand he offered and allowed him to help her in. His palm was rough with calluses, just like his brothers’. Heat spread through her as she settled into the seat, and buckled in. Moments later he was beside her and starting the truck.
Low hills and scattered trees rolled by as they drove in silence. Part of her expected to be uncomfortable, or anxious for conversation to fill that silence. It was just the opposite though, and she allowed herself to relax.
After a bit, Andrew turned on the radio, tuning into one of those XM stations. An 80s ballad spilled from the speakers and he began humming. When the chorus hit he let loose with a rough tenor. Annabeth found herself humming along with him as they drove, her fingers tapping to the rhythm. When the song ended, their gazes caught and they grinned at each other.