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“That bad, huh?” Lola asked.
Shawn made a face. Which made everyone laugh again. Even Kylee, though she tried like hell not to.
Eventually, Lola asked, “What can I get everyone this morning? The cinnamon rolls and blueberry kolaches are fresh. All the other specials are on the board.”
That was when Kylee saw George Carson. Fisher watched as her blue eyes went round and her body stiffened. Her gaze darted to Shawn, then Fisher, then to Carson. She wanted to leave, every muscle in her body was coiled tight and ready to run. Did she think he’d start something with Carson? Or was she worried about Carson being the instigator? Either way, he should reassure her that everything was all right.
Kylee wasn’t the only one who saw Carson. “When did he get here?” Archer snapped. “Did he apologize?”
Fisher shook his head. “Water under the bridge, Archer.”
“Maybe for you.” His brother’s voice was hard.
Fisher smiled then. His brother was thinking about Carson’s work ethic and the jeopardy he’d put Archer’s horses in. Not the fact that he’d treated his brother like a punching bag. “If I’m okay with the man getting his breakfast, I think you should be, too.”
Kylee frowned at Archer—and it warmed Fisher’s heart. He winked at her, wincing as it pulled against his healing cut. She winced, too, making him smile. She shook her head then.
“What?” Fisher asked her.
She looked at him, a long assessing look, before answering, “I’m still adjusting to the norm here in Stonewall Crossing.”
“I like it,” Shawn piped up.
“I do, too,” Fisher agreed.
Archer sat stoically while George Carson left, carrying a large pastry box with him. He did notice Kylee’s posture relax once the door closed behind Carson’s back.
“Have you lived here your whole life?” Shawn asked.
“Most of it,” Fisher said. “Went away for a few years for college, served in the reserves—canine corps unit, of course—but that’s it.”
“Where’d you go for school?” Shawn asked. “Travel with the reserves?”
“You ask a lot of questions,” Archer commented.
All eyes turned on Archer.
“That’s not bad,” Archer clarified. “It’s a sign of intelligence.”
Shawn nodded. “Oh.”
“He was in gifted and talented classes when we...at his last school,” Kylee nodded. “He gets bored easily.”
Archer nodded. “Need to keep him busy.”
Archer’s words had Kylee stiffening and Fisher’s protective instincts on the rise. Archer hadn’t meant to sound critical, he just did—that’s the way he always sounded. But Kylee didn’t know that so she might take Archer’s comment personally. In the time he’d spent with her, he’d learned one thing for certain. Kylee was doing the best she could for Shawn—she always would.
Fisher glanced at the letter on the table, the one Shawn kept glancing at. “What’s that?”
Shawn offered it to him, leaning back so Lola could serve them their breakfasts. “Thank you, ma’am,” Shawn said to Lola, before turning back to Fisher. “A camp. Kylee doesn’t want me to go—”
“I didn’t say that, Shawn.” Kylee sighed. “It’s just...it has to cost something or have some sort of catch or condition or something.” Her blue eyes searched his, curious.
Fisher’s heart hurt for her. He and Renata had puzzled over every word of the letter. Instinct told him Kylee would throw the letter away if it came across as a pity offer.
“What camp?” Archer asked.
“Horse camp,” Shawn offered, taking a big bite of his blueberry roll.
