to look at him again. “Do you mind if I bring a pony back for Mercy? We have an old guy by the name of Taco that lives for little kids. I thought it might be fun for her.”
Lora blinked, obviously startled. “I think she would absolutely love that. Thank you so much.”
Chad nodded once and headed toward the kitchen, glad that she’d gone along with the fun surprise. Flynn sat at the kitchen table, dismantling his sidearm. There were pieces scattered everywhere and music played softly from his phone, but he looked up when Chad entered the room.
“I’m going to run down to the house and talk to my dad. Do you need anything?”
The SEAL shook his head. “Nah. I’m good here. Rachel’s on the girl. I think Harper went walkabout.”
“He did. I suggest you do the same when you’re exterior.”
Flynn gave him a lazy salute and focused back onto his scattered pieces.
As Chad headed toward the truck, he spied Mercy on the swing set with Rachel watching over her. They both waved as he pulled away. When he glanced into the rear view mirror, Lora had stepped out onto the front porch to watch her daughter. The late April sun was shining on them, highlighting their golden heads.
Chapter Six
H is mother was ecstatic to see him again, though she was disappointed he was the only visitor. He stayed long enough to catch up with family gossip and to try to impress upon her that he didn’t want anyone to know he was at the ranch, but he didn’t think she got the message.
“But surely you wanna see Tara Johnson? She married that Clapper boy for a while but it didn’t work out.”
Chad cringed at the thought of the heavy cloud of perfume that followed Tara wherever she went. She’d been one of the worst when he’d come home to recover after he’d gotten out of the hospital. And while she seemed to have a heart of gold, she’d been so pitying toward him that it had turned his stomach.
“Mama, I appreciate that you want me to reconnect with people around here, but I’m down here for work. I’m protecting a woman from her abusive ex, and that ex can’t have any whiff that she’s here, or he’ll come down after her.”
His mother frowned. “Tara Johnson does not know this woman’s husband, so how would he know?”
Chad could only shake his head at his mother’s stubborn streak.
“Don’t call her, Mama.”
He allowed a little of his sergeant’s voice to come out and she seemed a little startled. Before she could recover, he stood up from the table. “I’m going out to the barn to see Dad. Hey, do any of the grandbabies have any spare clothes around? Lora and Mercy only brought a few changes of things. And maybe some boots?”
Mama stood up, a smile creasing her face. “I have just the thing. I always keep clothes here.”
Chad knew she did. The Lowell homestead was the hub of the family. He’d be surprised if he didn’t see one of his brothers or sisters today. And it seemed like there were always kids around.
“I’ll be back in after I talk to Dad.”
But his mother had already disappeared down the long hallway of the house.
His father was in the main barn, as Chad had expected. His older brother Brock was there as well, bent over the rear hock of a sorrel gelding tied in crossties. The horse had cut his hoof just above the coronary band and Brock was bandaging the wound. He glanced up when Chad walked in, but didn’t stop what he was doing.
“Hey, Dad. Brock.”
“Chad.”
He stood quietly beside his dad, absorbing the relaxed atmosphere inside the barn. Horses chewed hay in their stalls, or hung their heads lazily over the stall doors. He could fee the tension easing out of his body.
They watched Brock finish wrapping the foot, then stand up. Chad felt the drag of Brock’s eyes as he surveyed him up and down, lingering on his legs.
“Pretty boots. How you doin’, little brother?”
Chad cringed at the derision he heard in Brock’s voice. “Fine, Broccoli. How are you
Lora blinked, obviously startled. “I think she would absolutely love that. Thank you so much.”
Chad nodded once and headed toward the kitchen, glad that she’d gone along with the fun surprise. Flynn sat at the kitchen table, dismantling his sidearm. There were pieces scattered everywhere and music played softly from his phone, but he looked up when Chad entered the room.
“I’m going to run down to the house and talk to my dad. Do you need anything?”
The SEAL shook his head. “Nah. I’m good here. Rachel’s on the girl. I think Harper went walkabout.”
“He did. I suggest you do the same when you’re exterior.”
Flynn gave him a lazy salute and focused back onto his scattered pieces.
As Chad headed toward the truck, he spied Mercy on the swing set with Rachel watching over her. They both waved as he pulled away. When he glanced into the rear view mirror, Lora had stepped out onto the front porch to watch her daughter. The late April sun was shining on them, highlighting their golden heads.
Chapter Six
H is mother was ecstatic to see him again, though she was disappointed he was the only visitor. He stayed long enough to catch up with family gossip and to try to impress upon her that he didn’t want anyone to know he was at the ranch, but he didn’t think she got the message.
“But surely you wanna see Tara Johnson? She married that Clapper boy for a while but it didn’t work out.”
Chad cringed at the thought of the heavy cloud of perfume that followed Tara wherever she went. She’d been one of the worst when he’d come home to recover after he’d gotten out of the hospital. And while she seemed to have a heart of gold, she’d been so pitying toward him that it had turned his stomach.
“Mama, I appreciate that you want me to reconnect with people around here, but I’m down here for work. I’m protecting a woman from her abusive ex, and that ex can’t have any whiff that she’s here, or he’ll come down after her.”
His mother frowned. “Tara Johnson does not know this woman’s husband, so how would he know?”
Chad could only shake his head at his mother’s stubborn streak.
“Don’t call her, Mama.”
He allowed a little of his sergeant’s voice to come out and she seemed a little startled. Before she could recover, he stood up from the table. “I’m going out to the barn to see Dad. Hey, do any of the grandbabies have any spare clothes around? Lora and Mercy only brought a few changes of things. And maybe some boots?”
Mama stood up, a smile creasing her face. “I have just the thing. I always keep clothes here.”
Chad knew she did. The Lowell homestead was the hub of the family. He’d be surprised if he didn’t see one of his brothers or sisters today. And it seemed like there were always kids around.
“I’ll be back in after I talk to Dad.”
But his mother had already disappeared down the long hallway of the house.
His father was in the main barn, as Chad had expected. His older brother Brock was there as well, bent over the rear hock of a sorrel gelding tied in crossties. The horse had cut his hoof just above the coronary band and Brock was bandaging the wound. He glanced up when Chad walked in, but didn’t stop what he was doing.
“Hey, Dad. Brock.”
“Chad.”
He stood quietly beside his dad, absorbing the relaxed atmosphere inside the barn. Horses chewed hay in their stalls, or hung their heads lazily over the stall doors. He could fee the tension easing out of his body.
They watched Brock finish wrapping the foot, then stand up. Chad felt the drag of Brock’s eyes as he surveyed him up and down, lingering on his legs.
“Pretty boots. How you doin’, little brother?”
Chad cringed at the derision he heard in Brock’s voice. “Fine, Broccoli. How are you
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