“Because we look great?” Drew retorted, and Vortex shook his head.
“Are you jealous?” I teased, and Vortex snatched me up.
“Of those two douches? Nah, I got the best woman already,” Vortex replied.
“Yup, remember that, when all these women come on to you,” I sniped. While I kept my tone light-hearted, there was a little worry. Vortex was garnering just as many looks as Drew and Bow.
“Horse?” Declan asked Drew, and Drew pointed to the stables.
“Want to see some?” Declan began tugging Drew in that direction before he’d even finished speaking.
“Damn, this is the most animated I’ve seen him,” Papa exclaimed.
“Declan clearly loves the Wild West, and the Black Hills are notorious for it,” Vortex mused. “How’s he settling in?”
“He’s not,” Dad admitted. “Declan has nightmares, no doubt about the crash, and he also wets the bed in fear. Nothing settles him. He constantly needs to know where Amy is.”
Dad exchanged glances with Papa.
“What is it?” I demanded.
“Amy, darling. How do you feel about Declan?”
I took my time answering that. “I’m falling in love with him, in all honesty. He’s such a sweet boy.”
“Have you considered adopting him?” Papa suggested.
“I wouldn’t get approval. I’ve no job, no real home, and the apartment isn’t suitable for a kid. We couldn’t live there,” I replied after considering that.
“But if you had a home? Would you?” Vortex asked intensely.
“Probably,” I admitted.
“Let’s grab Declan, I’ve something to show you,” Vortex said and snatched my hand. He jerked his head for my dads to follow, and we walked across to rescue Drew and Bow from Declan.
Chapter Sixteen.
Vortex
Declan clung to mine and Amy’s hands as he swung between us. There was no denying Declan relaxed around her. Declan had clearly bonded with Amy and needed her. We headed down the alley that led to the schoolhouse, then past it to a road lined with houses.
“What’s this?” Duke asked with interest.
“These were part of the town. They’re owned by us. The original plan was to keep sixty for the club and rent the rest out to employees and renters. But that’s changed slightly. There are two streets down here we’ve claimed. They contain eighty semi-detached homes. We planned to knock each pair into one house, which offered us forty.
“Nanci pointed out, with kids, legacies, and growth, that wouldn’t be enough. We’d grow old, and young’uns would come in. Now, we’re keeping the majority for the club. There are seventy-five houses on the other side of Main Street; we’re going to rent those out to staff and long-term renters. There’s a section behind them where homes had collapsed. Nanci applied forplanning permission to build another thirty properties and also twenty cabins,” I explained.
“Okay, how’s this concern us?” Phil asked.
As we’d been speaking, we’d been walking down the road. A converted house sat beautifully restored on the other side of the street. By knocking the two houses together, it made the new house huge.
“Inglorious. That’s Razor, and that’s Chill’s.” I pointed to those next to it. Inglorious had the end plot with extra land.
“This is mine,” I said, turning to face the wreck behind me. It was identical to Inglorious’s and had the same amount of acreage. In fact, my land joined Inglorious’s plot in a lopsided square shape, missing the top and one side longer than the other.
“It’s a disaster, son,” Phil stated.
“Work starts on it Monday. I’ve the spare key to Inglorious’s. Want to see inside?” I asked.
