“I’d have to argue that point. You’re smart, clever, and possess a meticulous mind when it comes to facts, data, and organization. Being detail-oriented isn’t a bad thing, Ford. I wish I had a tenth of your attention to accuracy.”
“Yeah, your cabinets are a disaster.” I knelt down to pet Lady through the fence, her fur soft as satin, even if it was a little grimy. “Will she be okay?”
“I think so. I’ll keep an eye on her for a few days while I reach out online about a lost dog. If no one claims her within five days or so, I’ll call the closest animal welfare agency to come pick her up.”
I ran my fingers along her nose, making her whiskers twitch slightly. “If no one claims her in five days, I’ll take her.”
A long, long, long silence fell over the garage/office. I could almost feel his dark, dark eyes boring into me.
“That’s a big decision to make, Ford. Perhaps you should talk to Baker before you commit to taking in an abandoned dog. She’ll need attention while she heals, and she was seen threatening livestock, so she might not be a good dog to have around goats.”
“She’s a good girl. I can feel it in my heart. I’ll talk to Baker, though.” I gave her one final pat on her head. Even asleep, her tail wagged merrily. I rose, turned to look him in the eye, and made a firm announcement. “Tomorrow I’m going to tidy your supply closet. I would do it tonight, but I have to go to Dodge and Ollie’s for dinner.”
“Okay,” he replied with a wry sort of snort. “I look forward to you coming in and tidying up my chaos.”
I looked forward to it as well, and seeing Lady, of course. Visiting with Dodge and Dahn was also something to look forward to. Talking to Baker? Yeah, not so much.
5
Chapter Five
My mom always says clearing the air before you go to bed is best.
So, I knocked on Baker’s bedroom door at eleven o’clock that night. I could hear soft rumblings from behind the door as I waited in the quiet hallway. Even Bella was in bed, no sewing on this night, so the old farmhouse was soundless. It still creaked in the wind as old houses did, but I’d grown used to the sounds of a home settling in for the night. It was a lot quieter here than back in Brooklyn.
The door opened softly. Baker, clad in fleece pants and a heavily washed Pawnee Nation College tee, stared at me with sleepy confusion.
“Something wrong with the goats?” His voice was craggy with sleep. I could hear Hanley’s soft snores floating out of their shared room.
“No, they’re fine. I just checked on them.”
“Okay.” He propped a shoulder against the doorframe as he scratched at his backside. “Is the house on fire?”
“No.” Ugh, this was harder than I thought it would be. Still, I had to make peace so I could bring up Lady, who was resting nicely. I knew because I’d texted Aiden three times since I left the veterinary clinic. He was nice about my texts. Even showed me a picture of her outside making a piddle after having some water and a light dinner of boiled chicken and white rice dog food. “I know you didn’t really mean to say you thought I was a dim bulb.”
“I never said you were a dim anything. I just…” He exhaled and stepped out into the hall, making sure to get his bare feet on the worn runner. After closing the door, he ran a hand through his already messy hair then caught my gaze. “Ford, I didn’t mean to insinuate that I thought you weren’t able to make your own decisions. I know you’re a man fully grown and don’t need the advice of some washed-up, ex-drunk, half-brother rained down on you. I only wanted to make sure you knew Aiden is a player. He’s not the kind of guy who will settle down with one man.”
“People said that about you,” I pointed out. At least two dozen Bastian Grange natives, who had known Baker his whole life, had said they never thought they would see the day that someone would put up with Studebaker Bastian’s horseshit. Which was the same thing as saying they didn’t think he would ever be monogamous. Sort of. “I’m not marrying him. I’m just working at his office to help him out.”
He gave me a long, studious look. “Right. Okay. Forewarned is forearmed, as Granny likes to say. Just be aware he has a list of one-night stands that reaches from the Grange all the way to San Francisco. I don’t want to see you get hurt. You and Bella have kind of grown on me.”
I nodded. Message received. “Bella grows on good people really fast.”
“That she does.”This is awkward. “You do too.”
Incredibly awkward now.“So yeah, we’re good now then?” I asked.
“We’re good.”
“Cool. Night.” I gave him a thump on the shoulder. I wanted to ask about Lady so badly, but it was late. We’d just made up. Kind of. I’d ask about the dog over breakfast, where I would hopefully have some backup.
“Night.” There we stood. “Did you want to talk about something else?”
I rolled my lips over my teeth, shook my head, and then headed off to bed. I’d barely gotten the bedroom door shut when I exhaled a long-held breath. I had a moment of pride over how well I’d kept things to myself. Dog things. Aiden things. And Bella said I was the worst secret keeper in the world. Not true! I was keeping all kinds of secrets—some were just darker than others.
***
I was awake before Granny the next morning.
