“Sitz.”Sit,Gael pointed to the dogs, and both immediately put their butts on the ground, “Blieb.”Stay.
This was exactly why he had so much trouble getting them to do anything he told them to. “You’re an asshole for teaching them all the commands in German.”
“Shut it.” Gael scowled at the woodpile. “You’re just pissed that they won’t listen to you, no matter what language you speak to them in. What set them off?”
He gestured to the woodpile. “It’s probably a rattler or something.”
“Then get the shovel, dumbass, because we can’t have rattlers here in the yard. One of the boys or a horse will get bit, and then you’ll be bitching about vet bills.”
“I was on my way to the house to see Theo…”
“Cross will wait a couple of more minutes.” Gael pointed him toward the tack room. “If it was urgent, he’d be blowing up your phone already. Get me that shovel, and I’ll start moving logs.”
“Be easier to fucking shoot the damn snake than to whack it with the fucking shovel.” Grumbling to himself, he went back to the barn for the shovel before returning to Gael. “What the hell are you doing?” His brother couldn’t be that stupid, could he? “Why the fuck is your hand shoved into a hole in the woodpile?” He bunched his fist into the back of Gael’s shirt and pulled him back. “Have you lost your damn mind? If you get snake bit, I’m—” He narrowed his eyes at the object in his brother’s hand, “—What’s that?”
“A kitten.” Gael cradled the tiny creature close to his chest, while Trident and Frog shuffled closer, all the while trying to keep their butts on the ground. “It’s not a rattler, it’s a baby kitten.”
Fuck my life. He’s gonna want to bring it in the house.
“Put it back.” He didn’t want to be an asshole, but it was a recently born kitten if its closed eyes were anything to go by. “Its momma will be looking for it.”
“I think it’s Momma might be the dead one we saw on the road yesterday.” Gael scrambled to his feet. “It’s the same color anyways.”
Shit.
I knew it.
He’s bringing it in the house.
Newborn orphaned kittens belonged at the vet’s, right? They needed foster moms, or experienced handlers who knew what they were doing, right? They didn’t need broken-down Operators turned ranchers whose only experience with cats was the mousers in the barn. “What are you gonna do with it?”
“Bringing it to the kitchen, and I’m gonna call the vet.”
Thank fuck.
“Ask her what I can do for it.” Gael was already walking away, “Hurry up, Rowe, I thought you said Theo was looking for you.”
Shit.
“I guess we now own a dang house cat.” He scrubbed a hand over his jaw and glared at the dogs, “This is your fault,” he told the hounds before yelling after Gael. “You want to let the dogs off their stay, or do they got to stay right here until dinner time?”
A piercing whistle was the only reply he got, but Trident and Frog bolted past him as they chased after Gael. “I should have known the kid who rescued rabbits and squirrels would have a damn menagerie as an adult.” He might mutter and bitch about Gael’s soft heart, but he was grateful he still had him. War and the horrors that came with it, including too many close calls to count, had a way of reminding a man to smell the freaking rosesandput up with the indoor cat his brother brought home.
Rowan kicked his boots on the step to knock the dust off them and made his way into the house. He staunchly ignored the kitten mewling in Gael’s hand as he made a fast stop in the kitchen to wash his hands and grab coffee before he walked through the house to Gael’s office.
“What you find, Theo?”
Theo had his phone to his ear. He lifted one finger, asking for silence. “One minute, Mr. Moore,” he said into the phone. “Rowan just came in. I’m going to bring him up to speed.” He punched a button on the phone and placed it on the table. “Enya Moore just called home.” He turned the laptop so Rowan could see the map and tapped the screen where a single green dot pulsed over a street somewhere in what looked like Guatemala.
“I didn’t say that.” Theo pulled the laptop closer to him. “She called from a payphone in Chiquimula. She only had time to say one word before the call ended.”
“What the heck is she doing down in Guatemala?” Rowan wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed. Once he’d talked himself into taking the job, he’d been looking forward to getting back in the field.
That doesn’t make sense.
Unless she escaped, but got caught.
Damn.
