Page 27 of Song Bird Hearts (Green River Hearts #4)
Valerie
T rucks kick up dust on the road in, loaded down with supplies and old friends.
People I haven’t seen in years—neighbors, cousins, rodeo rivals, even the twins who used to egg my mailbox every Halloween—pour in like floodwaters.
They bring tools, guns, food, and old grudges ready to be used for good. And none of those people come alone.
When Dakota Steele shows up to my ranch followed by his friends Wiley and Levi, I’m surprised to finally see a face I don’t know. The woman at their side has bright eyes and the swagger to back it up in her cow print cowboy hat, blue streaked hair, and black attire.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Valerie,” she says, her smile infectious. “Big fan. I’m Kate.”
“It’s so nice to meet you, Kate.” My eyes glance to the three men standing around as they help the preparations. “Steele Mountain is taking good care of you, I hope?”
“The best care,” Wiley Carter purrs. His hand traces down Kate’s hip and she smacks it off with a blush.
“Anyway,” Kate says, narrowing her eyes on Wiley. “We just wanted to let you know we’re here to help. I may not be from here, but I’ve made it my home, and I don’t take too kindly to people showing up here and trying to cause trouble.” She leans in conspiratorially. “That’s our jobs.”
I laugh. “Damn right it is.”
But my eyes flick to Knox where he handles someone dropping off what looks like a bunch of high-tech security equipment. If we asked him, he’d say I’m too much trouble.
Kate’s eyes follow mine and then focus back on me. “I got one of those, too.”
I blink innocently. “One of what?”
“The grumpy ones,” she says, glancing at Levi.
I won’t lie. Levi is definitely grumpy. I haven’t seen that man interact with anyone since his rodeo accident, and I don’t blame him.
He’s had a hard go of things. But to think this wildfire of a woman is there to help him pick up his pieces, it makes me happy for him. For all of them from the looks of it.
“Knox isn’t grumpy,” I say, glancing at him again. “He’s just. . .not a fan of trouble.”
“Oh, he’s a fan,” Kate says. “Every time you look away, his eyes find you.” She squeezes my arm and I get the feeling if she could reach my chin, she would have chucked me on it. “Don’t let it get to you, cowgirl. He’ll come around.” Her eyes shift fondly to Levi. “They always do.”
I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be home, how it feels to be a part of something more than just me. I needed this, even if I’m not here under the best of circumstances.
Everything is busy and stays that way for the rest of the day.
Someone is reinforcing the barn doors with reclaimed iron.
Someone else is stringing up cameras and wiring rigs with alarming speed.
And in the center of it all, I stand, my boots planted in the dirt, watching as my childhood home turns into an actual fortress.
I turn to the three men in charge of all this—Knox, Wolf, and Gilden—as each of them watch me with different versions of the same look. Concern. Curiosity. Something quieter and hungrier.
“I have no idea what I’m doin’,” I admit when we’re a little more alone. I rub a hand over my face as I try to make sense of what exactly I’m trying to do. Even Kevin looks at me like I don’t know what I’m doing.
Gilden slings an arm around my shoulders with easy warmth. “Wingin’ it ain’t so bad, mon rossignol .”
“Wingin’ it when it’s life or death is stupid,” Knox growls.
Gilden’s arm stiffens as he glares at Knox. “So is acting like the worlds gon’ end if someone cares ‘bout you.”
Knox looks away on cue, jaw tight. Before it can escalate any further, Wolf reaches out and takes my hand.
His fingers are cool and steady, as always.
He forces me to meet his eyes, and the intensity there should scare me.
Wolf is older than me, than all of us. How old is to be determined since he won’t tell us, but he’s clearly at least in his mid-forties with his hair full silver.
This is a man that should be out having a good time or settled down with a wife of twenty years.
It doesn’t make sense that he’s here, focused on me, looking at me like I’m the prettiest thing he’s ever seen in his life.
“I would die for you,” he rasps. Unwarranted. Uninvited. Just full-on declarations of loyalty I’m not prepared for.
I stop breathing for a second. “No,” I say firmly when I can get my voice to work. “No dying. Me is one thing. But the three of you? You stay alive at all costs.”
The three men exchange glances. No one argues.
“I mean it,” I repeat. “Don’t be heroes. Be here. I need that more.”
Wolf is the one to speak first. “I’m not sure you understand what it is we’re going up against, little star.”
“I do,” I reply. “And I’m still standing here. It changes nothing. No one else dies.”
The loudest honking screech I’ve ever heard interrupts the moment so thoroughly, it makes us all duck like we’re being shot at. I turn, and burst out laughing when I realize where, and what, it came from.
Goosey, White Stag’s resident African Goose and general troublemaker, has latched on violently to Knox’s pant leg.
The goose is the size of a toddler, bulky and determined, as she holds on despite Knox’s jerk of surprise.
Her wings flap indignantly as she tries to cling to his jeans with nothing but beak and determination, completely unfazed by his death glare.
“What the hell is this thing doin’?” Knox grunts, trying to shake her loose.
“That’s Goosey,” I wheeze between laughs. “She doesn’t like many people.”
“I think she likes you,” Gilden laughs, watching with abject amusement. “Seems like she’s very fond actually.”
“He must be her type,” I goad, grinning from ear to ear. “And geese mate for life, so enjoy the ride.”
Goosey honks loudly and nestles closer to Knox who stares down at her in horror. “I can’t have a fuckin’ goose thinkin’ we’re an item.”
Gilden is bent over, laughing so hard he has to brace on his knees. Even Wolf cracks a smile. There’s nothing like watching a large goose fall in love with someone she most definitely shouldn’t fall in love with to really bring the laughter out.
I’m smiling too, but not as bright as I would have before.
The weight of what I have to do next settles heavy on my chest. We’d decided a livestream is best, that it makes it all come full circle for me to challenge them that way.
I’m going to go live and call out the Foundation by name.
A “here I am, come and take me” type moment that could get me killed, or worse, someone I care about.
When I don’t say anything, the tension craws back in with the silence.
Knox, still with a goose attached to his leg, catches me looking at him.
His gaze holds mine, long and taut. Like something is always about to snap between us.
Despite the situation, despite the moment of laughter, looking at Knox is like being on parallel sinking ships.
Neither one of is willing to jump off and swim.
Only one of us is willing to scoop buckets of water to keep from sinking.
“I still think this is a terrible idea,” he says after a moment. “We could go with my idea?—”
“You know the thing about butterfly wings and grizzly bear jaws, Knox?” I ask, staring at him.
He clamps his mouth shut, understanding he doesn’t need to reply for me to answer.
“Both are successful tools for survival. There’s no single, correct way to survive, but there is some knowledge in the fact that both give freedom.
The butterfly still flies. The grizzly bear eats.
” I tilt up my chin. “So your plan may let me live for a while, but if it clips my wings or closes my jaws, is it really living? If I can’t eat and I can’t fly? ”
He stares at me, and in his eyes, some emotion I can’t name immediately flickers.
Acceptance maybe. Not of his feelings, but.
. . of me dying. I can read that there. He thinks I’m going to die.
And that’s okay. I’ll die as Valerie Decatur, the woman my mama raised to be hellfire and honey all in one. I won’t die a ghost of her.
“You should go get ready,” he says, his voice rough. “If you’re still doin’ the livestream.”
He doesn’t know that I see that knowledge there, assumes I’m too blind to see it. That’s okay, too. I’ve got eyes for the both of us.
“Yeah,” I whisper.
It’s too much. The look in his eyes. Goosey still quietly honking at his side. The entire world crashing down around my childhood home. My town preparing for war at my side.
I turn and walk away before Knox can say anything else, my boots crunching over the gravel as I walk away. My body is still a little too tense as I can feel his eyes burning holes into my back.
Behind me, Goosey honks again, and it grinds my gears that the bitch gets to hold him.
I’d give anything to be in her place right now.