“My sister. She brought Sky for me. I don’t have my own trailer. I could unload her at the gate if you don’t want—”
“It’s okay.” The words were out before I could stop them, pulled from my mouth by the anxiety coming off Shiloh in waves. “She can help you get settled.”
“Thanks,” Shiloh said softly.
I hit the button for the gate. “Follow the road to the barn.”
She didn’t respond, but I saw her drive through the entrance. As she disappeared from camera view, I lifted my gaze to the road and let out a loud whistle. Kai came charging out of the trees and ran to my side.
I sank my hand into his fur and scratched behind his ears. “You’re gonna lose your mind in a second.” If I wasn’t careful, Kai might leave me for Shiloh completely.
Kai’s ears twitched, picking up sounds that I couldn’t hear yet. My eyes stayed fixed on the road, straining for the first sight of her. It was a bad sign—thiswantburied so deep.
The silver truck rounded the bend, an SUV with a trailer following behind. Kai tensed at my side, bracing. I scratched behind his ears. “You’re fine.”
Shiloh pulled to a stop in front of me and slid from her vehicle. Those hypnotizing eyes glinted in the morning light, and my blood heated again. Kai let out a sound that was a cross between a howl and a bark, and then he charged.
The smile that split Shiloh’s face was a vicious punch to the gut. She sank to her knees, holding out her arms to my dog. Kai launched himself at her, almost knocking her over. Shiloh laughed as he licked her face. “I missed you, too.”
That one sentence had my gut twisting in a way that wasn’t entirely painful.
Hadley Easton climbed out of her SUV, her gaze firmly affixed to the scene in front of her. “Is that a wolf?”
“Half wolf,” I said, my voice tight.
Her focus lifted to me. “Is he going to eat her?”
I scowled at Hadley. “No, but he might eat you.”
Hadley’s brows lifted but there wasn’t fear there. Instead, amusement laced her expression. “Then I guess I should keep my distance.” She turned back to her sister. “Where do you want Sky?”
Shiloh pushed to her feet and looked at me. “Is it okay that I brought her?”
“I assumed you would. I’ve got a stall ready.”
Shiloh nodded and climbed into the trailer. She and Hadley worked together in a way that told me they’d done it countless times before—a silent rhythm that spoke of comfort and ease. I was glad she had that, at least one family member who didn’t seem to push her into a mold she didn’t want to fit into.
I motioned them into the barn, showing Shiloh the stall for Sky. While they settled the mare, I grabbed the trunk and tack from the trailer.
“You don’t have to do that,” Shiloh said.
I simply shrugged and placed the saddle and bridle in the tack room. When I stepped back out into the barn, I froze. Shilohhad her head bent to Sky’s. They were forehead to forehead as she whispered something that no one but the two of them could hear.
“She has a way with them. She always did, but it became more after the kidnapping.”
I was never unaware of my surroundings, but I’d been so focused on Shiloh that I hadn’t heard Hadley approaching.
She looked up at me. “I think this is going to be really good for her. She could learn a lot from what you do here.”
I shot her a sidelong look. “You’re not trying to convince her that it’s a horrible idea?”
Hadley’s lips twitched. “Nope. She knows what she needs.” All humor fled her expression. “You might want to watch out for Hayes and my mom, though. They’re less keen on the move.”
My back teeth ground together. “I don’t give a damn about what they think.”
“That’ll come in handy. And maybe some of it will rub off on Shy.” She turned to her sister. “Show me your new place.”
Hadley’s voice broke the trance between Shiloh and Sky, and I fought the urge to growl at the younger woman. I wanted her gone. She might be Shiloh’s younger sister but having her in my space made me twitchy.