“You don’t look like brothers,” Huck said, shaking hands solemnly.
“Half brothers,” Mack explained. “Different mothers, same questionable taste in dangerous careers.”
Saxon nodded at the boy with professional courtesy. “Pleasure to meet you.”
“Are you a cowboy too?” Huck asked.
“Private investigator,” Saxon replied. “Think of me as a detective who works for regular people instead of the police.” He turned to Rowan, however, and cocked his head. “See? I blend.”
Rowan rolled his eyes.
“Cool!” Huck turned back to Rowan. “Can we start with the hard stuff?”
“Absolutely.” Rowan handed him a small screwdriver. “First rule of security installation—measure twice, drill once.”
For the next hour, Rowan worked with Huck to install the remaining sensors while Saxon and Mack helped organize equipment. The boy proved surprisingly adept with tools, his small fingers perfect for threading wires through tight spaces.
“Like this?” Huck asked, carefully connecting red wire to red terminal.
“Perfect. You’ve got natural instincts for this kind of work.”
“My dad was good with his hands too.” Huck’s voice carried casual pride. “Mom says he could fix anything.”
The words hit Rowan harder than they should have. Every kid deserved a father to teach them things, to show them how to be a man.
“I’m sorry you lost your dad,” Rowan said quietly. “Losing a parent is hard.”
“Did your dad die too?”
The question caught Rowan off guard. “Yeah. I was just a little older than you when it happened.”
“How?”
“Horse kicked him in the head.” He sighed. “It was an accident. He was trying to break a wild stallion, the animal got out of hand.”
He left out the part where his dad had died saving Rowan’s life. Stepping in front of the horse and taking the kick meant for him.
Huck’s eyes went wide. “That’s scary.”
“It was.” Rowan set down his tools, giving the boy his full attention. “After that happened, I spent a lot of time here at your mom’s ranch. Your great-grandfather was…he was kind to me when I needed it most.”
“Grandpa Elway was the best.” Huck’s face lit up. “He taught me everything about horses and roping and being strong when things get hard.”
“He taught me those things too.”
Huck grinned.
They worked in comfortable silence for a few minutes, Huck’s small hands steady as he helped position the final sensor. Something about the boy’s focus, his determination to get everything exactly right, struck Rowan as familiar.
“There.” Huck stepped back to admire their work. “Think that’ll keep the bad guys out?”
“I think it’ll give us fair warning when they try.” Rowan tested the connection on his phone. “Nice work, partner.” He held out his hand, and he and Huck did the Delta Snake handshake.
“I can’t believe you taught him that, Hammer,” said Saxon. “Now he’s an official Trouble Boy.”
“Why does he call you Hammer?” Huck asked.
Saxon answered for him. “It’s a nickname from the military. When you focus on a problem and don’t give up until it’s solved, they say you’re like a hammer hitting a nail. That’s our man here.”
