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“That easy, huh?” I held his gray eyes.
He nodded firmly. “That easy.”
I cradled Sienna to my chest possessively, unwilling to let her go, and helped Trav finish that bottle.
****
It turned out both Trav and Gage were right in their own ways. Sienna wasn’t keen to go back to the house with its smoking stumps, but she did want to collect her things for the creams from the barn. Thankfully, that was left untouched, along with over a generation of equipment, if a little dilapidated, remaining. The house was gone, nothing left, but for a blackened skeleton that stank of hate and death.
She recovered from the last two days a hell of a lot better than I had, but her strange brand of silence that always sat comfortable with me was welcome. She showed, rather than toldme how to make her products, and I helped her bottle, label and box the next two batches, dating each as we stacked them along the back of the barn.
Afternoon fell before I straightened to stretch my back. She’d gone off in search of her badger clan while I made up cheese sandwiches from the hamper Eve provided before we left, stuffing us with food to make sure we were stronger.
I could have told the girl she needed to care for herself, and I hoped to hell that man of hers made an appearance soon, otherwise I feared we’d lose her, too.
My phone rang as I wrapped the cheese up. “Trav?” I opened the call without looking.
“Not Trav, sorry Kyle.” Jimmy’s voice sounded slightly tinny over the line. “Just wanted to let you know all the paperwork is signed off for now. Jamie’s death was ruled a tragic accident, and his father has disowned his existence. Was more disgusted to find out what his son has been doing all this time.” Jimmy paused for a breath. “The boys you saw there with Sienna have been deported off his land and out of Montana. He saw to that, too.”
I let out a breath. “Thanks, Kyle.” Giving my statement to him took more energy than I had at the time to spare, but if it was over, then I was relieved. “Grateful for it.” I reached for the button to end the call, but Jimmy cleared his throat, stalling me.
“There’s one more thing, actually.”
I sighed. “Dammit. I knew that was too easy.”
“Yeah.” Something scuffle on the other end and I imagined Jimmy twirling his hat. “I, uh, managed to get in touch with the niece.”
“Niece?” I frowned. “Shit, you mean Jack’s family?”
“Not in so many words, no. She’s actually a cousin by marriage, a time or two removed. It’s ...complicated.”
“Damn. So, am I keeping Daisy, then?” The thought didn’t sit as poorly with me as I expected.
“Yeah, and the house.”
I swore a penny could have dropped on my truck and be heard in Texas for the stillness that permeated the air around me.
“That one went by me a little fast, Jimmy. Wanna try again?”
“I was present for Jack's will being read, seeing as he had no other kin around and his lawyer was a little lost. He left everything to you, Kyle.”
I stared at my phone and took it off speaker, though there was no one around to hear the conversation. “Come on, Jimmy. I’m no one. That’s not even possible. But I’m happy to take Daisy.”
“It’s not an offer, Kyle, it’s a will,” Jimmy said gently, and I started to understand why he got voted in as sheriff. The kid was as tenacious as he was eager and kind. “I don’t think you get a choice in this. Besides, might be a place for your girl to rest up while you sort out what to do when you’re married and all.”
I stared at the ground. “Jimmy?”
“Yeah?”
“You know something I don't know?”
“Like you love that girl to the end of the earth? Kyle, you got it bad.”
“That obvious, huh?”
“You’re fucked, brother.”
I laughed softly. “I’ll come by the office later. Maybe tomorrow or so.”
