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“Yes. Because I secured that door from the inside myself, and it’s undone now.”
He let out a long breath. “Thanks,” he said quietly. “For having a brain that’s still working, I mean.”
She reached up and cupped his cheek, but only said briskly, “Let’s go.”
They ran back to her place and got into her truck. He would have preferred to drive only because he needed todosomething, but he knew it would be foolish. She’d grown up on the ranch and knew every inch of it, and he... he was just that faker who pretended to be a cowboy in front of a camera.
Finally, because he had to vent some of the roiling emotions inside him, he asked, “Your mother said Shane... as in the police chief? He really rolls out just like that?”
“He’s not coming as the police chief, he’s coming as our neighbor. They’re just over the big hill to the west.” She shot him a sideways look. “And he always likes a chance to take a horse out and jump a couple of fences.”
Jackson’s eyes widened, looking out at the pouring rain. “He’s riding over, over fences? In this?”
“Saves a half an hour cutting across the neighbors, and nobody in Last Stand is going to deny him permission. Not Shane Highwater.”
He knew enough about the man now to know that was likely true. He sure as hell wouldn’t want to try to face down the guy who seemed to make heroics a habit.
“And,” Nic added before he could ask, “Kane’s no soft, studio-type music star. He’s had a hell of a life, and he’s as tough as he needs to be. And his Lark’s a treasure, and I feel stupid because I didn’t think of her before, when Jeremy was so... withdrawn.”
“Why?”
“She used to be a child services officer, but she was too good at it.”
He blinked. “Too good?”
“As in, she poured her heart and soul into it, and it ended up eating her alive. So now she works for a local adoption agency. But she hasn’t forgotten a thing about dealing with scared kids, so she’s coming with Kane.”
A flash lit up the sky to the east, and Jackson found himself mentally counting down to the first rumble of thunder, even though he couldn’t remember the formula for telling how far away the lightning had been. But even without that, it was too close for comfort.
“She’s coming out in a thunderstorm? But... she’s never even met us.”
She gave him another look, but this time it was with a gentle smile. “You’re part of Last Stand now. That’s all it takes.”
He gave a slow, wondering shake of his head. “This place...”
“Yes, it’s pretty special.”
He lapsed into silence, because he didn’t know what to think, let alone what to say. He’d never known this kind of feeling before, this sense of... community. He and Tris had always been tight, but that was different. That was family.
Back in L.A., he hadn’t even known his neighbors, even beforeStonewallhad launched and they’d been living in that apartment in Burbank. And after, when they’d bought that place with some property around it—a couple of acres didn’t mean much here, but it had there—it had been much the same, strangers among strangers. Whether it was ranch life, or simply Texas, he didn’t know, but he did know it was utterly, completely different.
And Jeremy had taken to it like he never had anything else. For that alone, he had been ready to risk whatever legal hammer Swiff might bring down on him. But now there was Nic, and he could no more see himself walking away from her than he could see dragging his son away from this place where he’d found such peace and happiness.
Where he himself had so unexpectedly found those things... and more. So much more than he’d ever expected.
He didn’t know how to feel when their foot-by-foot check of the pecan grove turned up nothing—glad that there was no sign Jeremy had been here, or afraid that he had been and all trace had been wiped out by the heavy rain. But there was no sign of Pie, either, and at least the bright white on the pony would be more visible. Assuming anything would be in this downpour.
This dangerous downpour, he corrected, as another flash lit up the sky. This time the thunder was quicker, sharper, and even to him, obviously closer. And there were people he barely knew,people he hadn’t even met, risking themselves out in this, for Jeremy.
When they got back to the barn, there were a couple of new vehicles parked over at the house.
“That’s Chance’s SUV, with the open horse trailer,” Nic said. “He must be already out there. And that’s Maggie with Mom on the porch, making more calls. And if Maggie Rafferty calls, the whole town will answer.” Jackson felt like he should go over and thank them, but the ticking of time was pounding in his brain. And again, as if she’d read his thought, Nic added, “Time enough to talk later. Let’s get mounted up. We’ll need to stop by your place and pick up something of Jeremy’s for scent, because I’m guessing Chance brought a dog.”
In the barn, saddling up her Sass and the ever-willing Shade, he kept glancing at her. There was no hesitation in her, no indication that she was wary of riding out into that storm. Instead, she was gathering up anything that might be useful, from a flashlight to a first aid kit, and loading them into the saddlebags she’d tied on behind her saddle.
And finally, he simply had to grab one of those precious ticking moments.
“Thank you,” he said, not even trying to keep the volatile tangle of tension, fear, and gratitude out of his voice.
