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Slowly, he sat up, his face heating when he saw the backpackon the floor. It was raggedy, and one of the cans of stew had fallen out. Therewas a big man in jeans and a T-shirt, and a Stetson covering his dark hair. Anda slightly smaller, younger version of the man beside him. Jack and Josh.
“I’m sorry for stealing, Mr. Barnes.” There was a certainamount of resignation in his soul. Whatever happened next, he would take it. IfBarnes called the sheriff, at least he would have a place to stay.
“The food is out here for anyone who gets stuck overnight,”Barnes said.
Josh’s lips curled slightly. “I think technically Grim hereprobably felt pretty stuck. Did you get lost?” Josh tilted his hat toward hisfather. “Don’t be afraid of him. He’s a big old teddy bear when it comes tostrays. Did your stepdad finally kick you out? Everyone around town knowsyou’re the only one with a lick of sense in your family, so it was inevitable.Is he the one who gave you the shiner?”
Grim. He’d hated the nickname, but it sounded right comingout of Josh’s mouth. It didn’t sound mean coming from him. And what had hemeant by everyone in town thought he was the sensible one? His stepfather andbrothers always told him how dumb he was. He touched his left cheek and winced.“I told him I wanted to go back to school. He disagreed with me. I tried totell him I could make my own decision. He took exception to that.”
“It looks like he beat the shit out of you,” Josh said, andhis father winced but let it go.
“Do I need to get the sheriff involved?” Jack asked, lookinga whole lot like Jared’s nickname.
The thought had Jared getting to his feet. “No, sir. I’ll beon my way.”
“Grim, he wasn’t going to call them on you,” Josh said, hisexpression serious. “He was going to report your stepdad, but if he didprotective services would be notified and then we have to worry about you goinginto the system because I don’t think your momma is going to stand against herhusband.”
“No, she won’t.” Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. If he had aroof over his head and food in his belly, it might not be terrible. But hedoubted his stepfather would accept the outcome. “He would find a way to get meback and… I don’t know if I’d survive the next beating.”
Barnes was quiet for a moment, then looked to his son. “Yougot any problem with what I’m thinking?”
Josh smiled and seemed to light up the small space. “You andPops have been worried about him for a long time. He seems like he could usesome help. And you know Mom and Livie will have a ton of fun buying himclothes.” He grimaced. “Sorry, buddy, that will be a nonnegotiable fact oflife.”
“The truth is your mother has also been worried about whatwent on in that house. She tried to tell Margie she could come to us if sheneeded help, but I think she’s too scared.”
Mrs. Barnes had worried about his mom? “She is, but it’smore than being afraid of my stepdad. She’s sure if she doesn’t do what hesays, she’ll go to hell.”
A long sigh came from Barnes’s chest, and kind green eyespinned Jared. “I’m sure your stepfather’s said a lot about my lifestyle. I needto know if you’re afraid of me, son. I’m going to ask if you would like to stayhere for a while, but I don’t want you to be afraid to say no. I’ll still helpyou, but I’ll find someone you feel more comfortable with.”
Now that he was standing in front of the man, he wasn’tafraid at all. He remembered how Jack Barnes would come to the little schoolroom out at the resort his mom had worked at and play with the kids. He wouldtake them all out to the stables and let them see the horses. “You’ve beenkinder to me in five minutes than my stepfather was my whole life, Mr. Barnes.But taking me in could cause some trouble for you. If he knows you’re helpingme, he’ll likely try to force me to come home.”
“Let me worry about that and you worry about the two womenwho are going to make you over.” Barnes shook his head. “They’ll probably tryto force you into dress shoes.”
“Yeah, you should think this through, Grim,” Josh joked witha grin.
But he was tearing up. All of his life he’d looked over thefence separating his stepfather’s land from the Barnes-Fleetwood Ranch, andwhile his stepfather preached heavily against the family, the well-kept fenceseemed like a barrier to a better life.
Suddenly he didn’t mind the nickname. Grim was what he wasmost of the time, what he felt when he’d looked over that fence and saw JackBarnes and Sam Fleetwood riding across their land, laughing and joking withtheir ranch hands. What he felt when he saw Abigail hugging her kids like theywere her whole world and he knew no one would hug him because affection spoileda child.
His stepfather had always told him this world didn’t matter.This world was only a way to get to the next.
But everything good seemed to be across that fence, and nowhe’d been invited in.
“I could work.” He didn’t want the man to think he would bea layabout. “I’ve worked my stepfather’s ranch sinceI was a kid. I know what to do. I could be one of your hands.”
Barnes stepped up, clasping Grim’s shoulder. “You will, butonly the way Josh works. Part time, and no cussing if you’re not working. Atleast not around Mrs. Barnes. You’ll go back to school with Josh and Olivia. Iknow this will be hard to believe, but I have been worried about you, son. Sam,too. We’ve talked more than once about what we would do if you came to us andneeded help.”
“Why?” Such a simple question, but it was the whole world tohim.
“Because we’ve needed help before,” Jack replied. “I’ve beenin your shoes. I’ve had nowhere to go and no one to depend on. I’ve been hungryand scared, and I’ll be damned if I let another kid go through that alone. LikeI said, you are welcome to stay here. Not as a worker. Not as a guest. If youwant, this can be your home, or I’ll find you a place somewhere else if youwant out of this town. If you want a fresh start, I’ll find a good place foryou in Dallas or Austin.”
“I don’t think I ever got started here, Mr. Barnes.” Orrather he had and then he’d gotten off track. He’d been young, but he stillremembered how it felt to be Josh’s best friend.
Was it wrong to want to see if they could be friends again?Would he be a burden to all of them?
Josh held out a hand. “I know this is going to sound weirdto you, but I always knew somehow we would be friends again. Come on up to thehouse and we’ll get some real food into you.” He shook his head his father’sway. “What is wrong with you, old man? Tinned beef stew? No wonder you can’tkeep ranch hands.”
Grim braced for Barnes to erupt. If he’d talked to hisstepfather like that, it would have meant an immediate beating.
