I squeezed her shoulder and then grabbed hotpot holders and the casserole dish. I set it carefully on the risers on the table’s surface just as Hadley muttered, “Kiss-ass” under her breath. The tension between my eyes throbbed.
Mom set a salad and the garlic bread down and then slipped into her seat. “So, how was everyone’s day?”
Silence met her query. I hurried to fill it. “Three calls from Ms. Pat about her missing cat.”
Dad chuckled. “It might be worth some taxpayer money to get that cat a tracker.”
“It always comes back,” Hadley muttered. “She should just leave it be.”
Mom’s hand tightened on her water glass. “She’s worried about her.”
“I bought a new horse,” Dad interjected, steering the conversation in a different direction.
For the first time in the evening, Shiloh’s gaze sharpened, focusing in on Dad. “Where?”
“Ramsey Bishop.”
I set down my beer. “He let you come out to his place?” Ramsey brought the term loner to a whole new level.
“No, he brought the gelding here.”
“There aren’t any new horses in the barn,” Shiloh argued.
Dad smiled. “I’m not hiding him from you. Ramsey wants a few more weeks to finish the training.”
“No one has a way with horses like he does. Especially the wounded ones,” Mom said. “I might want to connect him with Everly.”
My spine stiffened. “Why?”
“Because Everly’s going to turn that property into an animal sanctuary.”
“How do you know that?” It prickled something in me that my mother had more information than I did about the woman I’d somehow become fascinated with.
“I went out to see her today.” She shot a pointed look in my direction. “Someone had to make up for how rudely my son treated her.”
Hadley choked on her water as she laughed. “I think Everly can handle herself. She was ripping Hayes a new one the last time I saw her.”
Mom’s eyes hardened on me. “Really, Hayes? That girl has been through enough. I expect you to get a new attitude, young man.”
Hadley snickered. “Uh-oh, she brought out the young man. You’re in trouble now.”
Before my mom could turn her ire on Hads, I cut in. “I know I messed up.” Both women turned their gazes on me. “I know it’s bound to bring up some tough stuff.” I looked at Shiloh, whose eyes narrowed. “I didn’t want anyone getting hurt. Especially you.”
Shy shoved back from the t
able, taking her plate and not saying a word. Koda trailed after her.
“Shit,” I mumbled.
“Let her go,” Mom said, patting my arm.
Hadley’s mouth pressed into a hard line, but she didn’t say a word.
“So, she’s making a sanctuary.” I couldn’t quite wrap my head around that. It was certainly needed. The sheriff’s department got called out on all sorts of animal abuse and neglect cases, and there weren’t a lot of options for where those animals could go afterwards.
“Makes sense,” Dad said. “I heard she got a job with Miles, working as a vet tech.”
Mom assembled the perfect bite of salad on her fork. “From what I can tell, he’ll be lucky to have her.”