“I know Carlos was a surprise. Hell, he was a surprise to Shannon and me when he appeared out of thin air, holding a machete, but the man has worked harder than any man I’ve ever known, and all he’s asked for is food and shelter for him and his son,” Calvin informed Jared, knowing he and John would want a private accounting of how the stranger was now part of their community.
Jared nodded his head and smiled. “It isn’t an issue with me, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Calvin looked relieved. “I knew you’d see value in him. I should have known the man who brings home children could see the need for an additional set of grown hands around here.”
Jared scowled. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he fired back at Calvin.
Calvin smiled wickedly and winked. “You’ve brought two home; I’d say you’ve formed a habit, kid.”
Jared snorted as he wheeled about and headed off to complete his business. Jared stopped a short distance away and, without looking over his shoulder, responded, “You should talk. I rescue children, sure, but you, Calvin, have a record of taking in young good-looking women.”
Calvin didn’t respond as Jared zipped up, turned and took half a step before freezing. Shannon stood motionless on the front steps leading from the porch to the yard. If Calvin had a wicked smile before, his expression was downright devilish now as he stood looking back and forth between a stunned and embarrassed Jared and a curious Shannon.
“Preying on naïve younger women, are you, Calvin?” Shannon said in a singsong voice before shooting Jared a smile he couldn’t quite interpret. Shannon spun and walked back into the house with what Jared felt was a hair more hip movement than he was used to from the woman.
Once Shannon was inside, Calvin covered his mouth and laughed long and hard as Jared stomped past the old man on his way back into the house, where he was sure he would feel awkward after he’d placed his foot down his own throat.
Back inside the house, Jared went straight to Essie, fussing over her hair and asking about the bear in an effort to assimilate into the group without feeling uncomfortable. Jared and Essie remained seated in a chair in the corner of the living room as the conversation around them quieted after the great meal combined with the later hour caused everyone to begin winding down for the evening.
Calvin had returned and was talking to Stephani and John about the Tongans while Devon sat not far away, disengaged from any of the conversations.
“So, they had a smoked deer?” Calvin asked. “Where were they getting water?”
“Dunno.” Stephani shrugged. “We drank punch—I guess they had to get water for that, but I didn’t ask.”
“They have a well,” Devon said quietly, his chin resting in his hand.
Every head in the room turned and stared at the teen. “How do you know that?” John asked, his eyes narrowing not in suspicion, but more in curiosity.
“I just know. It’s in a shed in the backyard,” Devon said, looking like he wished he’d kept his mouth shut now that he was the focal point of the conversation.
Jared leaned forward. “There was a shed in the far corner.” He shifted his gaze to Devon. “Have you been in the yard?”
Devon stared at Jared for a moment, then slowly nodded.
“Were you invited?” Jared prodded.
Devon shook his head this time, a look of guilt washing across his boyish face.
“There are no secrets here, kid,” John interrupted. “Why were you in that yard, and how did you get there without getting killed?”
Devon looked like a trapped rat as he went from being a quiet unnoticed teen in the corner to the center of attention. “I—ah, used to sneak in there and take food they left out. I saw them get water from the well. They rigged some kind of pump and get water that way,” the teen finished, waiting for the adults to ridicule him for the theft, but it never came.
Jared looked at John and shook his head. “This kid is something else,” Jared said in amazement.
John agreed by shaking his head in disbelief. Although John wasn’t privy to the Tongan property’s layout, Jared had explained it to him, and the fact that Devon was able to move in and out of secure areas the way he had since the event brought an idea to John’s mind. Tomorrow after he’d chewed Jared’s ass for endangering Stephani, he would also talk to him about the awkward, sneaky introvert being used to scout their own perimeter. The teen seemed more comfortable when he was working alone and had proven he could get in and out of places even John doubted he could have accessed.
Jared went back to murmuring with Essie while the rest of the group returned to their hushed conversations. Jared held his breath as Shannon rose from the kitchen chair she’d been seated on and walked straight over, dropping onto the arm of the chair Jared was in.
“Essie, take one of the candles and go get your bear and other things ready in your room,” she said with a warm smile.
Essie hugged both Jared and Shannon before scampering off down the hall. When the child was gone, Shannon looked down at Jared.
“That was the best thing I’ve heard in a long time,” she said with a whimsical look. “Don’t feel weird that I overheard it. I needed it. A lady needs a compliment every now and again, and well, lately, compliments have been few and far between if not outright extinct.”
Jared swallowed hard, then moved over, allowing Shannon to slip down into the chair next to him. “I didn’t know you were there. Sorry about that,” he said softly.
Shannon scrunched her nose. “Did you hear anything I just said?”
“Yeah, I, ah, I just didn’t want you to think I was—” Jared was cut off as Shannon placed a slender finger
