Kyron, page 16
She nodded cheerfully. “That just means there would be more animals getting help.”
He smiled. “It’s all about the animals for you, isn’t it?”
“Well, it needs to be about the animals, not about me,” she declared honestly. “And I do know that I need to bring some kind of balance into my world. I just haven’t managed that yet,” she muttered, shoving her hands into her pockets, as she continued to stare around in amazement.
“I bought my place quite a while ago. As it happens, I bought it off my grandfather,” she added—something else they shared in common. “He didn’t like the property and didn’t want anything to do with it, and my grandmother was more than happy to let me have it. Although I still paid pretty close to market value,” she muttered.
Miranda continued. “My parents didn’t have the money then, but apparently my grandfather had stashed away quite a horde of cash for my grandmother, for when she was left all alone, if that were the case. When he passed away, she found it and was in a pretty sweet situation.”
Kyron turned toward Miranda. “Now I’m going to ask a personal question. Do you have a mortgage on your place?”
“A small one,” she replied, with a nod. “I would love to get rid of that, but, if I go bigger, then chances are I can’t avoid a mortgage.”
He shrugged. “Maybe you should contact a Realtor.”
“That wouldn’t make me terribly happy because they are like bloodsuckers,” she noted, with a laugh. “They’ll take a chunk of whatever money I make off my place, and I just don’t know that I can afford that.”
“But maybe they can save you money on the other end,” he argued.
“I don’t know. Maybe. I’ll have to see.”
He nodded at that.
“Your fences look decent though,” she stated, as she looked around. “Just a couple of those back ones need work.”
“I can fix those myself,” he noted, as he studied several panels that were down.
“It’ll take longer to walk all of this,” she admitted, “but you could cross fence it.”
“I know,” he murmured. “We can close up a couple fences near the house and let the dogs have room to play and roam outside. Then, as I get these external fences fixed up, it will expand everybody’s outdoor living space tremendously.”
She nodded enthusiastically. “Well, you wanted a project.”
“Did I say I wanted a project?” he asked, sending her a sideways look.
“Yes.” She nodded, looking at him. “Just not quite so clearly as you probably expected.”
He snorted. “Are you always this enthusiastic?”
“Always. Except for when I’m not,” she quipped, her mood plummeting. “Like when I think about my home situation.” She shrugged. “But I will solve it, just like I’ve solved everything else.”
When their initial inspection was finally done, he said, “Come on. Let’s take Beth and Travis back. We have a long list of things to work on. Plus, I don’t want to leave Grace too long.” As they headed back, he suggested, “If we want to hit a grocery store, I’ll pick up steaks for dinner and get the other groceries that we need.”
She nodded. “Well, I won’t say no to that.”
“Good. I’m a guest, but I won’t take advantage of your hospitality.”
“Hey, groceries are always welcome,” she stated, with a laugh.
With that, they made a quick stop on the way back to Aspen at a grocery store.
As he parked, Miranda stated, “I don’t want to leave the dogs alone in the truck.”
“Got it. Are you okay to be left with Beth?”
She nodded. “Beth’s a sweetheart.”
“Maybe so, but you also know what would happen if somebody approaches you?”
“I’ll keep the windows closed then,” she promised, “and you won’t be that long.”
With that thought, he raced inside, picked up coffee, fresh vegetables, milk, cheese, a lot of staples that he hadn’t seen at her place, what he needed for their steak dinner tonight, plus hamburgers with all the fixings for tomorrow. At the last minute he tossed in dog treats and dog food. If he was using her dog food, he needed to replace it.
By the time he got near the exit, he heard the dogs frantically barking outside. Quickly pushing the cartful of groceries outside, he checked out his vehicle, and she was inside, but somebody was slamming on the door beside her. Beth fiercely barked, and Travis was excited as well.
Racing over, Kyron quickly gave Beth a command, and somewhat reluctantly she laid down, silent and confused, and Travis followed her lead. Then Kyron turned his attention to the man. Must be her crazy neighbor, Old Man Macintyre. “What are you doing?”
At that, the grumpy older man turned and looked at him. “None of your fucking business! Now get the hell away.”
“Well, that won’t happen,” he said, as he went to the back of the truck and unloaded the groceries, “but you better stop tormenting Miranda,” he snapped. “I don’t know what your deal is, but this will never be okay.”
Macintyre stopped and asked, “Who in the hell are you?”
“What’s it to you?” Kyron asked.
“If you’re her latest boyfriend, then you’re just another guy who’ll get sucked in by a piece of tail, then ends up having to pay for dog food for her whole bloody nightmare of an illegal rescue,” he snapped, snorting.
At that, with the groceries completely loaded up, Kyron turned, faced Macintyre. “Are you the asshole who shot at her this morning?” he asked, his tone low and hard.
The other man backed up. “What do you know about that?”
“Oh, don’t you worry,” Kyron stated. “I know plenty, and so do the cops. If you think you’re getting away scot-free on this one, you’re wrong.”
“You can’t do anything about it,” Macintyre stated. “My gun accidentally discharged. And, hey, accidents happen.”
“No accident happened,” Kyron argued. “And it will not happen again.”
“And if it does?” Macintyre asked, giving Kyron a sneer.
“I’ll make sure that it’s more than your rifle that I’ll break over a block of wood,” he stated.
Macintyre’s eyes widened. Then he started to bluster, “Are you threatening me?”
“No, what I’m doing is letting you know that I will protect this woman and the animals on that property, and, if you think anything else is going on here that you feel like insulting her over, I suggest you run it by me first,” Kyron snapped, “because I can tell you right now, I won’t tolerate any of it.” Then he looked from Macintyre to Miranda, who sat staring at the two of them, and he saw the fear in her eyes.
“The fact that you actually attacked an unarmed woman and are running around shooting dogs,” Kyron added, “is absolutely despicable. But I get it. Slime is found all over this world. Just some of it landed beside her place.”
Macintyre glared at him. “You don’t know anything about me. All you’re concerned about is this bitch here,” he muttered at the vehicle. “Don’t worry. You’ll learn what she’s really like soon enough.”
“Yeah, and why don’t you tell me right now,” he demanded. “You seem to have a lot of hate for her. What’s it all about?”
“Those animals are everywhere. They bark all the time, I don’t even know what the deal is with the horses on the other side. If the owner knew that she was feeding these horses there all the time, I’m sure he’d have a shit fit too,” he replied. “I have a good mind to go over there and tell him what she’s up to.”
“Well, you could, but she leases that land from him. So seems he’s totally okay with the agreement they have,” he explained. “But, if you feel like that’s something you want to do, fly at it. Still, you haven’t told me anything that’s changed my mind about who she is and where she is coming from.”
“Of course not,” he sneered again. “Women like her always convince guys like you to belly up for them. You’ll learn soon enough, just like everybody has.”
“I don’t think anybody learned anything bad about Miranda. Her standing in the community is just fine,” he retorted. “You’re just a sour old man who hates life, who hates everyone, and somehow thinks that reality should be how you want it to be, instead of the way it actually is.”
Macintyre continued to glare at Kyron, but the old man backed away.
“Keep on backing,” Kyron yelled, “and, if you ever bring that rifle into my view again, anywhere near her property, making threats or taking potshots at her or me or any of those animals, you’ll be dealing with a hell of a lot more than you bargained for.”
“And there go the threats again,” the other man replied cheerfully. “I’ll just go have a chat with those cops she called on me and let them know she’s got you harassing me too now.”
“Are you sure you really want to go there?”
“Why not?” he asked, with a smirk.
“Be sure and introduce yourself to my brother while you’re there.”
That wiped away the man’s smile.
“Not only is he a cop but we don’t take well to bullies,” he muttered. “And that’s what you are. You threatened a woman. You shot at her, and nobody on the planet believes it was an accidental discharge. So if you are stupid enough for there to be a next time, believe me. There’ll be a hell of a lot more pain in your world than you’re ready to deal with.”
“Who the hell are you anyway?” asked Macintyre. “You’re just nothing but her latest winter ski buddy,” he sneered.
“Oh, I’m hell of a lot more than that,” he replied. “I haven’t been home in a long time because I’ve been off in the navy, but you can bet I’m home now, and I’m here on behalf of the War Dog Department. So this shit of yours won’t fly. So lay off or face the consequences.”
And, with that, the older man shot him a hard look, then turned and stumped off.
Turning back to the truck, Kyron quickly opened the door. “Are you okay?”
She nodded immediately. “He’ll never stop though, will he?”
Kyron studied her for a long moment, looked back at the old man, and then shook his head.
“Instinct tells me the answer to that question is no. For some reason, he’s got a hate on for you, and it’ll take a lot more than just me warning him to keep you safe.”
“Great.” She blew the loose strands of hair off her face. “Maybe I will call that Realtor.”
“I suggest you do,” he added, “and maybe you can negotiate a smaller fee.”
She gave him a wry look. “Yeah, right. This is Aspen.”
He nodded. “Good point.” And, with that, he quickly checked on the dogs, then hopped in and drove home.
Chapter 11
While Miranda was broiling the steaks in the oven, foregoing cooking outside on the barbecue, with her lunatic neighbor running free, Kyron sat nearby at her kitchen table, working on his list and periodically making calls. She was still absolutely stunned that somebody could have a place so beautiful and not even have been there for the last ten years. She understood, due to his circumstances, but still, she found it heartbreaking. Today had been a hell of a day and would have been worse if she hadn’t postponed the hay order even then she had to call and give the new address. Not that she wanted to fob that job off on Kyron while she was at work but she couldn’t even begin to deal with a truckload of hay right now.
When she realized Kyron was currently on the phone with his brother, she tuned in a little bit closer. Some fascinating family dynamics were going on there that she’d never seen before. Her parents didn’t appreciate anything that she was doing in her world either, but she hadn’t had to deal with the same level of animosity. Mostly now all she got was the cold shoulder.
But the fact that she and Kyron had so much in common made her smile. The fact that he was also a hell of a good man and had gone to bat protecting her several times already had helped as well. He was one sexy male, and, though she’d been too busy to even really notice men for what had seemed like a very long time, it was slightly troublesome that her perspective had changed so drastically.
When he finally got off the phone, he looked over at her. “I told my brother that I would be staying here for a few nights with the dogs and that I’d be over to collect my personal belongings.”
“And was that okay with him?”
“As long as I promised to show up for dinner with the parents,” he winced.
“Well, maybe you should go, just to see if they are as bad as they were before,” she murmured.
“I told Allen I would, as long as I could bring somebody.”
She looked at him, startled. “Who?”
“You, who else?” he replied quietly.
She slowly turned to face him, her hands at her hips. “Are you trying to hide behind me?” He burst out laughing, then got up, walked over, and pulled her into his arms. Stepping back, she said, “Oh no, you don’t. I’m not such a pushover as all that.”
“Is accepting or giving a hug being a pushover?” he asked. “I just wanted a hug.”
And that made her feel terrible. “Do you say things like that on purpose just to make me feel bad?” she asked, as she stepped back into his arms.
“Nope, not to make you feel bad at all,” he replied. “But I actually meant it. Seems like a long time since I’ve had a hug. My grandfather was really good with them. My parents, on the other hand, didn’t give me the time of day.”
Her face pinched at that. “You know what? It might be better if I don’t come with you.”
“Why is that?” he asked curiously.
“Because I already don’t like them.”
“And maybe it’ll be good then,” he added, “because you’ll get a better opinion of them and can understand me a little more.”
“Is that important?”
“Absolutely it’s important,” he replied. “If you’re convincing me to stay here, I think it’s only fair that we stay as friends.”
“Agreed,” she murmured, looking at the floor. “I’m not sure exactly what we are right now as it is.”
He laughed.
“I would say more than friends, but we haven’t known each other very long, and we bonded over an animal,” she added, with an eye roll.
“Is there anything better than that?” he asked.
“No, maybe not,” she agreed, “but I know, for a fact, my family won’t appreciate it.”
“No, probably not,” he stated, grinning. “Is that a problem?”
She stared at him and then slowly shook her head. “No, I guess not.”
“And what about your grandmother?”
“Oh, you’ll like her,” she said, instantly brightening.
“But will she like me? That is the question,” he added.
“I think so.”
All without any idea that Miranda would find out the next day.
Monday morning, As she finished cleaning up the kitchen from breakfast, she watched from the window as Kyron finished the chores outside. She heard the doorbell, frowning, as she walked over to see her grandmother standing there, with an older gentleman. She reached out and gave her a hug. “What? No warning phone call?” she asked, in a joking voice.
“No, definitely not,” her grandmother stated. “The last couple phone calls I’ve made to you have seemed kind of … cryptic. Your side of the conversation has been a bit of a mystery. So I decided to come and to see for myself what was going on.”
Miranda stared at her grandmother, nonplussed, and then looked over at the older man beside her. “Are you Uncle John?”
He nodded slowly, a smile lighting up his face. “I am.” He held out a hand, but, when she stepped forward, her arms opened to hug him. He immediately accepted that too.
“It is lovely to meet you after all this time. Come in, come in.” And then, as he passed by, she added, “And thank you so much for the generous check, by the way.”
“You’re more than welcome,” he replied. “I understand you need more.”
“Don’t we always,” she quipped, with a sad smile. “There are always more animals in need.” As he stepped farther inside her house, he was completely overwhelmed by the dogs. With a few sharp commands, she managed to move them back and away, so that everybody could come easily inside.
“Grandma, how did you know I would be home today?”
“Oh, I heard about the pipe bursting and flooding the store.”
Miranda frowned. Wow. Her grandmother may be better connected to the community than Miranda was.
“Are they always in the house?” her grandmother asked anxiously.
“Not always, but, with the weather, plus I’ve got fences down,” she added, “not to mention the fact that I have a neighbor running around with a gun, threatening to shoot everybody. So I’m generally keeping everybody in for now.”
“Oh, gosh,” her grandmother replied. “Didn’t the police talk to him?”
“Yes, they did, and then he harassed me at the grocery store too. What he didn’t know, however, was that Kyron was nearby and quickly set him straight, but I don’t know that he’ll listen to him either.”
“Kyron?” her grandmother asked delicately.
Miranda stared at her and flushed. “The man who came to Aspen, looking to find a missing dog from the K9 War Dog program,” she explained, “which we did find, by the way.” She ushered them into the kitchen, and her grandmother immediately sat down at the big table.
“This is a beautiful house, but it does need a lot of work,” her uncle noted.
“Definitely, but it isn’t worth putting the time and effort into doing the work here, when I need a bigger property anyway, not to mention getting away from my crazy neighbor,” she muttered.
Her grandmother nodded. “You definitely need to make some decisions.”
“I know. I know.” She raised both palms. “That’s been brought home to me more than a few times lately, particularly now that my neighbor has gone round the bend,” she muttered.
“It sounds serious that he’s actually threatening to shoot you,” her great-granduncle noted, staring at her with concern.
