“Any time.” I wanted to hug him or maybe go for a kiss, but instead I managed an awkward smile.
Cheyenne said, “Good talk, guys. I’m going to, um, go for a long walk around the block. Several blocks.”
Brooklyn said, “Not yet. Not till we get you a phone. But I appreciate the offer. Maybe you can take the crazy twins into the backyard?”
“And Sadie?”
“If she follows them. Don’t try to touch her.”
“Okay. But the vet said she’s just scared.”
“Scared dogs bite. The other two are marshmallows. Take some treats with you.”
When Cheyenne had followed Sadie and the vizslas into the yard and closed the sliding door, Brooklyn turned back to me. “You don’t have to work today?”
“I took the day off.”
He frowned. “Is your head bad? You should sit down. I’m sorry?—”
I waved him off. “I’m okay today, just took vacation time. Although I won’t turn down a seat.” I hobbled to the couch, dropped down with a grunt, and patted the cushion beside me. “Join me?”
Brooklyn approached, looking tentative, and perched on the edge of the couch beside me. We stared at each other in silence.
I’d never been brave, but someone had to go first. “I missed you last night.”
“God, yes. I wished you were here.” Brooklyn slumped.
It felt natural to wrap my arm around him so he could lean against me. “Did you see the lawyer? What happened?”
Brooklyn described the lawyer’s advice and recording their parents making awful threats.
I hugged him against me. “It’s amazing you and Cheyenne are the kind people you are, with parents like that.”
“They weren’t mean all the time, just really strict, especially if we disobeyed Dad. Lots of kids had it worse. Mom would bake cookies sometimes, and Dad taught me to ride a bike and a horse.”
I was glad if he had some good memories. “Do you think it’s risky, them knowing where Cheyenne is? Couldn’t you have used, like, a burner phone?”
“They wouldn’t have answered a burner, and the lawyer said it wouldn’t matter. Part of the petition for guardianship is a required notification to the parents. Wynn was doing the filing today, so they’d have found out anyhow, just one day later.”
“Will that petition change things, if they find out you’re asking to keep her and she’s not willing to come home?”
Brooklyn rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know. The optimist in me says once the courts are involved, they’ll wash their hands of her. But Dad sure hates to be told what to do, and he was furious last night. He might tell Denver to bring her back anyway.”
“I think Cheyenne’s pretty scared, although she’s hiding it well.”
“Me too,” Brooklyn said. “I mean, I think she’s scared too. Not that I am.”
“Uh-huh.” I let a little skepticism into my voice.
After a moment, he said, “Okay. I’m worried too. I don’t think Denver would, like, forcibly kidnap her, but he’s a chip off Dad’s block. He’s likely to yell and threaten.”
“Do you think you should live somewhere else for a while? Shane and Theo aren’t back for a week. You could both come there. Or I have other friends. We can find somewhere.”
“I can’t. I have multiple dogs booked in every day next week.”
“Cancel?”
“It’s my livelihood, and I’m just getting started. If I cancel on people, I’ll lose their business.” He pressed his lips in a thin line and leaned his head against my shoulder. “I’d ask you to come back and stay here, but I don’t want you to think I only want you around to be protection against my brother.”
