“You ready?” Antonio asked, as he moved out of the doorway, once more allowing sunshine to slice into the room.
Jake shrugged. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
The barn was nice if one could say that about a barn. Big. Clean, though there was still the smell of animals and hay and other aromas he didn’t want to identify. Stalls, empty now, lined the walls on either side of a central corridor. Birds twittered from the rafters, and another cat, this one black with a splotch of white on its head, ambled along the top of the wooden plank between stalls, then jumped to the ground, sure-footed and agile. In moments, he was winding his way around Jake’s feet, purring.
Still, he had nothing to judge by. He wouldn’t know a good barn from a bad one. His experience was more toward saloons and gaming halls, where tables covered in green or red felt had been the norm, rooms filled with cigar and cigarette smoke, the triumphant shouts of men winning a hand or groaning with disappointment when they lost, and the occasional report of gunfire when there was doubt between the two. “For right now, until you learn to ride and go out with the boys, you’ll be mucking out the stalls and making sure everything in the tack room is orderly and in good repair. I’ll show you how.”
They exited the barn and stopped at one of four paddocks. Several horses were in one of the corrals, gathered in the shade of the building, two of them much larger than the others. Draft horses, he assumed, the kind that pulled wagons or plows.They rushed to greet Antonio, who indulged them with quick scratches on their noses or behind their ears. “In the morning, after the boys have left, you’ll bring the remaining horses here. Make sure there is hay and plenty of water.” He pointed to the trough and the water pump. “The hay is in the barn, up top.”
In the other enclosure was a cow. “You don’t have to milk the cow. That particular chore belongs to Savannah and Miguel, Teddy’s children, with me supervising. We’ll just keep it that way…for now.”
Jake didn’t know how to milk cows, although, as with everything else, he could learn. He was just glad he didn’t have to.
They walked a few steps across the barnyard toward the chicken coop, where behind the fence chickens pecked the ground. A rooster was perched on the roof of the coop, surveying his domain. He crowed, obviously unaware that it wasn’t morning, but late afternoon, almost evening, then set his eyes on Jake. Even from this distance, Jake sensed malevolence in the beady-eyed stare. It was enough to make him take a step back.
Antonio, obviously having witnessed him stepping back, snorted. “That’s Lucifer. Meanest rooster I ever knew,” he explained, giving Jake proof of what he already suspected. “There’s a shed behind the coop where we keep the grain. You won’t have to collect the eggs, but you will have to feed them every morning, just watch yourself with him. Lucifer has a habit of sneaking up behind you. Ain’t so nice when he starts pecking at your legs.”
A group of men rode into the barnyard, kicking up dust. Three separated themselves from the rest and slid from their saddles, then began walking their horses toward the barn, conversing with each other.
“Ah, the boys are back. Wait here.”
Jake watched the big man amble over to the three. Hats were removed as Antonio approached and he was struck by the similarities between the men. There was no denying they were brothers. All of them had dark hair, nearly pitch-black, and all were tall, almost as tall as he was. He suspected they were Miss Evie’s previously mentioned nephews, Teddy, Esteban, and Heath, simply by the deference and respect Antonio showed them.
He observed as they gathered around Antonio. There was a lot of hand gesturing, accompanied by some of the older man’s deep, rich laughter.
“Herwhat!” The tallest of the three brothers exploded, and shot a glare in his direction while Antonio continued to talk. Unlike the rooster who had stared him down, there was no malevolence in that look, but there was enough suspicion in this young man’s expression to make Jake question the wisdom of his choice to stay. And he knew, without being told, the man was the eldest, simply by the weight of his stare and the explosion of his voice. “Lucy! That little scamp!”
“Now, don’t go losin’ your temper, Teddy. Nothing’s been done that can’t be undone,” one of the other men spoke in a calm and soothing tone. He appeared to accept the situation with humor, if the huge grin on his face was any indication. Jake pegged him as Heath, though he had no way of knowing for certain. He was obviously the peace-maker, and someone who might, one day, become a friend. The third must be Esteban, who said nothing. There was no suspicion in his direct perusal, but there was a frank assessment, and somehow, Jake thought he came up lacking, as if Esteban knew the truth of his past and why he was there. He had faced that expression across a card table before. The man could be won over. Maybe.
“Wasn’t plannin’ to, Heath, but if you think, for one moment, I’m going to allow?—”
Antonio cut him off. “It’s done, boys. Your aunt is allowing him to stay. She’ll decide whatever it is she’ll decide. Who knows, there could be another wedding here. Or maybe it won’t work out, but it’s her decision. Just remember, she’s spent all her life raising you boys without a thought for herself.”
“There was Marshal Tom,” Heath added. “TiaEvie wasn’t the same after he died.”
“No, she wasn’t, but I still don’t like him here. We don’t know anything about him, except he ain’t no cowboy. Look at the way he’s dressed.” Again, this coming from Teddy, accompanied by another expression of distrust as he placed his hands on his hips and stared him down.
Jake held his ground. He’d never been one to be bullied —something he learned early on in the boys’ home—but he did know how to fall back and regroup.
“You don’t have to like it,” Antonio stated.
There was definite tension as the four men approached him and Antonio performed the introductions. Teddy, the most vocal of the three, extended his hand, and said, “I’ll be watching you, Hannigan. You do anything to hurt my aunt, even the smallest thing, and you’ll be answering to me.”
Jake simply nodded, taking the threat for what it was. He had no doubt the man would be as good as his word.
“I’m Heath.” The youngest of the three held out his hand with a wide smile. “You ready to work?”
Though he wasn’t, Jake said, “I am.”.
The last man, Esteban, hadn’t spoken and still didn’t speak, but he nodded and held out his hand. Teddy might be the boss and the most outspoken, but this was the man he’d have to win over…that is, if he intended to actually marry Miss Everleigh Miller.
Evie watched from the kitchen window, dish towel in hand while Jake was introduced to her nephews. There were no punches thrown, no open hostility, but she could see there was tension. It was almost palpable through the open window.
“Esteban isn’t happy. Neither is Teddy. Only Heath seems to be alright with Mr. Hannigan being here.”
Hilde handed her a pot to dry. “Did you expect anything different from Heath? Out of all of Gina’s boys, he is always the easiest going. The happiest.” She pulled the plug from the sink and allowed the water to drain then wiped her hands on her apron, but her focus never left the window or the spectacle outside. “Uh oh, here they come.” Without another word, she scurried out of the kitchen, leaving Evie alone to face her nephews.
She draped the dish towel over the back of a chair, poured herself a cup of coffee, sat down at the table and waited. It wasn’t long before the door flew open, and Teddy stood on the threshold, his brothers behind him.
