Page 23 of Echoes and Oaths (Guardian Security Dynasty #4)
T hree days later, Jinx sat down on the worn wooden bench outside the small house, the thick night air curling around him, rich with the scent of damp earth and blooming night jasmine.
He could hear Eira’s soft voice floating through the open window, talking to Teo, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
She was such a good mother to his son.
The work on the little ranch was hard. Damn hard.
They were up before the sun to bring in and feed the cows as they hand-milked the small herd.
Eira’s cousin was now fetching the milk while her uncle was with his wife and Eira’s mother.
The woman had continued to decline. After they milked and turned out the cows, they moved to the chickens.
Gathering the eggs was a full-time gig. Having Teo help them with the chore made it all the more enjoyable.
He had a chicken that would come and sit on his lap, and he’d feed them by throwing small handfuls of grain about six inches from his feet.
He’d giggle as they pecked around him. The joy on the boy’s face was mirrored in Eira’s.
It was a memory he wanted to store forever.
He wanted so badly to take Eira away, to wipe out the years of backbreaking work she’d poured into this small farm.
Not her accomplishments. Those were hers and should be honored, but the ceaseless grind that had worn her down.
She was milking cows in the battered barn if she wasn’t feeding chickens or gathering eggs, cleaning, washing, or cooking simple, honest meals, always moving, always working.
Earlier, he’d watched her uncle’s old transport truck rumble down the dusty road.
The uncle avoided him, but the younger family members didn’t seem to care about his reputation.
That was either exponentially stupid, or they’d been told he was caring for Eira, her mom, and Teo.
He hoped it was the latter. People survived by having suspicions and keeping dangerous people at a wide berth.
He waved at her cousin as the truck disappeared into the night.
Eira’s mother had made it clear she wouldn’t return until her sister was better.
So, it would be Eira and Teo alone here for the foreseeable future if Ortega made his move.
Alone? No. Raven would stay nearby, keeping watch during the times Jinx couldn't. She spent nights at the small house, to give Jinx space.
He knew exactly what that meant, but he didn’t fool himself. He didn’t expect anything between him and Eira to turn physical. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
He’d shattered her trust. He was doing everything he could to rebuild it, brick by painful brick.
But trust wasn’t built overnight. And no matter how good his intentions had been, the truth was brutal: By thinking he was protecting her, he’d robbed himself of this time of his son's life, and with the woman he loved.
The creak of the door pulled him from his thoughts.
Eira stepped out onto the porch, holding Teo’s small hand as he toddled beside her. Jinx's heart twisted painfully at the sight.
When Teo saw him, the boy’s face lit up. He toddled straight toward Jinx, patted his knees insistently, and said, "Up!"…or something close to it.
Jinx carefully reached down and scooped the little boy into his arms. He was heavier than Jinx expected for such a small kid, but Teo settled easily into his lap, spinning once like a puppy before curling up against Jinx’s chest with a contented sigh, thumb finding its way into his mouth.
The first time that had happened, Jinx had frozen, gone completely still, unsure of what to do next. Now, he easily draped his arm around the little boy and held him securely. Teo let out a deep, sleepy sigh, opened his eyes briefly, giggled at absolutely nothing, then closed them again.
Eira chuckled softly and sat down beside Jinx on the bench, close enough he could feel the brush of her warmth.
"The stars are always so brilliant here," Jinx said, tipping his head back to stare at the sky. Above them, a million pinpoints of light scattered across the velvet dark, clear and untainted by city glare. "Nothing like this in the cities in America. Too much light pollution."
"They're not as bright in the city. Only the brightest peek through,” Eira agreed.
She tucked her legs up onto the bench, leaning sideways until her feet brushed his thigh.
Without thinking, Jinx reached down, grasped her ankle, and gently pulled her legs across his lap, lifting Teo out of the way to do it.
She smiled softly, letting him arrange her legs as she crossed them at the ankle. Teo patted his mother’s foot and mumbled something around his thumb.
Jinx glanced at Eira, raising a brow. "What did he say?"
She laughed lightly, the sound wrapping around him like a balm. "I have no idea. Sometimes, I think he just talks in … baby."
Jinx chuckled quietly, soothingly running his hand along her calf, savoring the closeness.
"How hard was it for you without me here?" he asked, voice low.
Eira sighed and propped her head against her hand, her elbow resting on the back of the bench. Her silhouette was bathed in soft silver light from the rising moon.
"My mother, aunt, and uncle took care of me," she said simply. "It would’ve been easier with you here, yes. But I managed."
Jinx nodded silently, his hand still stroking her leg with slow, reverent movements. His heart ached at her quiet resilience.
"And how hard was it for you?" Eira asked gently, her voice barely above a whisper .
Jinx shifted slightly, moving his arm as Teo slid deeper into the crook of it, sleeping heavily now. He stared at the boy’s innocent face, his heart squeezing tight.
"You’re the love of my life," Jinx said quietly, lifting his gaze to meet hers. "I never stopped loving you."
Eira’s eyes shimmered, misting over with unshed tears. She blinked quickly, but a few escaped, trailing down her cheeks.
"And I never stopped loving you," she whispered back.
Jinx realized the magnitude of the point they’d just reached, and it damn near choked him. He tried to speak, cleared his throat, and then whispered. "So, what do you want the next step to be?" Jinx asked, his voice low, steady.
Eira shook her head slowly. "I'm not sure … Going to America sounds scary. Do you think my mom and I would even be welcome there?"
Jinx nodded without hesitation. "My company will ensure you have all the paperwork you need to stay legally. And I’ll make sure you have everything you’ve ever wanted."
He smiled, the moonlight catching the softer lines of her face as she looked at him. "I have a small ranch in South Dakota. It’s just a little north of Belle Fourche, a small country town."
"Like this one?" Eira asked, tilting her head.
Jinx chuckled, the sound low and warm. "No, Belle Fourche would feel more like Maracay.
A little town much farther north, Hollister, reminds me of your village.
The land in South Dakota is wild. Wide open spaces, fewer people.
In South Dakota, you can see forever. The stars are just as brilliant as they are here.
The only real difference is the cold winters and the snow. "
"Snow?" Eira’s face lit up, a bright laugh escaping her. "I would love to have a Christmas in the snow!" She paused, then giggled. "Although I don’t have the clothes for cold weather."
"You wouldn’t want for anything," Jinx promised, his voice deep with certainty. "The ranch has about a dozen horses and a growing menagerie of dogs and cats. A couple of mules, too. They were abandoned, left to fend for themselves in a pasture. Skin and bones by the time someone rescued them."
Eira smiled tenderly at him. "So, you took care of them."
He shrugged modestly. "I did."
"How large is your farm?" she asked curiously.
"Ranch," he corrected gently, his mouth curving into a small smile. "In America, when you raise animals, it’s called a ranch. Farms are more for crops."
She nodded, listening intently.
"I’ve got about four hundred acres," Jinx continued. "I’ll need to build a better house for us. A bigger one, so your mom can have her own space, too. But we’ll make it work until then."
"We can ?" Eira asked softly, uncertainty flickering across her face.
Jinx’s head snapped toward her, heart thudding. "I’m sorry," he said quickly. "I didn’t even ask. Would you want to come to America? Would you live with me? Marry me and raise our son?"
Eira stood, carefully lifting Teo from Jinx’s arms and cradling the boy against her shoulder, soothing him back into sleep. "I’ll be right back," she whispered.
Jinx watched her disappear inside, the door closing gently behind her.
He sat there in the dark, staring into the night, cursing himself for being too forward, too assuming.
But when he was near her, everything else fell away.
She made him feel whole. And the addition of Teo only deepened that feeling, anchored it even more fiercely to his soul .
Eira returned about five minutes later, the faint glow of the porch light illuminating her.
"Where’s your friend? Raven?" she asked, glancing around.
"She’s sleeping elsewhere," Jinx answered. "There’s a small house tucked back near the woods just past the village. I used it to stash supplies while still with the cartel. She’s staying there."
Eira leaned against the porch post, crossing her arms as she stared into the darkness. Though he could barely see her expression, Jinx could feel the intensity of her gaze.
"Mateo," she said, trembling slightly, "I love you."
The words struck him like a blow to the chest.