about taking care of horses. I want to have a ranch someday. And I want to have lots of horses. Big, strong ones. And dogs. And chickens. And a cow too.”
“That sounds like a great dream.” Sadly a dream that would never come true. A little pang of sadness tugged at his heart. He’d never gotten this close to a client before. He was feeling emotions he shouldn’t be. Regret. Guilt. He couldn’t afford to let himself be tugged and torn, or he wouldn’t find the strength to do his job when the time came. He lifted his hand to his neck. The chain was still there, invisible to everyone but him. Binding him to his master until the debt had been paid.
Pushing up from the bed, Aeron cleared his throat. “Looks like you’re getting tired. But that’s okay. It’s time for bed.”
“ Okay,” the boy grumbled, his eyelids already falling halfway over his eyes. “Will you at least think about what I said?”
“Think about what ?”
“About Jenny. When she’s sad, I’m sad too. You make her happy.”
Once again, Aeron’s heart jerked. He couldn’t make Jenn happy. At least, he wouldn’t be able to stick around to make her happy for long. Too soon he would be called away again, to help another client pass from this world to the next. And another. And another. For months. Or years. Or decades. He didn’t know. The weight of his debt was measured in the number of links in his chain. For some reason he didn’t lose one for each soul he escorted. Sometimes one would disappear after a client was done. Sometimes none. In total, he had only lost five links. Five. He counted them every time he finished a job. The chain still circled his neck, hung down his back to the ground, and dragged at least several feet behind him.
At this rate, h e wasn’t even sure he would pay off the debt by the time he took his last breath.
* * * * *
Aeron spent the night packing his things and preparing to return home. He was dreading the conversation coming up. But it couldn’t be avoided. He’d learned a long time ago that there was no use trying to avoid the unavoidable.
At the first sign of Jenn being up and about in the kitchen, he went down to break the news.
She was standing in front of the open refrigerator. When she saw him, a beautiful smile lit her features.
Shit, this was going to be tough.
Something was wrong. She could see it in his eyes.
Jenn felt her smile wilting. What could it be? Things had gone so well yesterday. They’d had a nice breakfast, and then Logan and Aeron had enjoyed their boy stuff together.
Surely it had nothing to do with last night… ?
Aeron’s jaw set. “Jenn ifer, I’m sorry, but I have to leave.”
It took a second for his words to sink in. When they did, her stomach instantly tied itself into a knot.
He was leaving?
He was leaving.
No. He couldn’t. Her caseworker would be back. Anytime. If she found out they were living in the house without an adult, Logan would be taken away.
“Aeron, if it’s about what happened last night—“
“No. It’s not that. It’s…” He shook his head. “Sorry, but I’m just not the hero you made me out to be. I’m just a guy who has a job to do and has a life to live. I can’t get tangled up in anyone else’s problems.”
His words were like razors, slicing through her. He couldn’t get tangled up in anyone else’s problems? Well, far be it from her to do that to him. “Fine. Go.”
“ It’s the way it has to be. I’m sorry--”
“Sure. Whatever,” she interrupted. The last thing she wanted to hear was how terribly she’d inconvenienced him. She didn’t want his pity. She didn’t want anyone’s pity. “It would be better if you left before Logan gets up, or you’ll be facing a barrage of questions.”
He almost looked convincingly upset. “I hope you’ll let Logan visit me and Cojack.”
The nerve of this jerk. First he agreed to help her. Then he backed out. But he had the gall to ask if Logan could come and
“That sounds like a great dream.” Sadly a dream that would never come true. A little pang of sadness tugged at his heart. He’d never gotten this close to a client before. He was feeling emotions he shouldn’t be. Regret. Guilt. He couldn’t afford to let himself be tugged and torn, or he wouldn’t find the strength to do his job when the time came. He lifted his hand to his neck. The chain was still there, invisible to everyone but him. Binding him to his master until the debt had been paid.
Pushing up from the bed, Aeron cleared his throat. “Looks like you’re getting tired. But that’s okay. It’s time for bed.”
“ Okay,” the boy grumbled, his eyelids already falling halfway over his eyes. “Will you at least think about what I said?”
“Think about what ?”
“About Jenny. When she’s sad, I’m sad too. You make her happy.”
Once again, Aeron’s heart jerked. He couldn’t make Jenn happy. At least, he wouldn’t be able to stick around to make her happy for long. Too soon he would be called away again, to help another client pass from this world to the next. And another. And another. For months. Or years. Or decades. He didn’t know. The weight of his debt was measured in the number of links in his chain. For some reason he didn’t lose one for each soul he escorted. Sometimes one would disappear after a client was done. Sometimes none. In total, he had only lost five links. Five. He counted them every time he finished a job. The chain still circled his neck, hung down his back to the ground, and dragged at least several feet behind him.
At this rate, h e wasn’t even sure he would pay off the debt by the time he took his last breath.
* * * * *
Aeron spent the night packing his things and preparing to return home. He was dreading the conversation coming up. But it couldn’t be avoided. He’d learned a long time ago that there was no use trying to avoid the unavoidable.
At the first sign of Jenn being up and about in the kitchen, he went down to break the news.
She was standing in front of the open refrigerator. When she saw him, a beautiful smile lit her features.
Shit, this was going to be tough.
Something was wrong. She could see it in his eyes.
Jenn felt her smile wilting. What could it be? Things had gone so well yesterday. They’d had a nice breakfast, and then Logan and Aeron had enjoyed their boy stuff together.
Surely it had nothing to do with last night… ?
Aeron’s jaw set. “Jenn ifer, I’m sorry, but I have to leave.”
It took a second for his words to sink in. When they did, her stomach instantly tied itself into a knot.
He was leaving?
He was leaving.
No. He couldn’t. Her caseworker would be back. Anytime. If she found out they were living in the house without an adult, Logan would be taken away.
“Aeron, if it’s about what happened last night—“
“No. It’s not that. It’s…” He shook his head. “Sorry, but I’m just not the hero you made me out to be. I’m just a guy who has a job to do and has a life to live. I can’t get tangled up in anyone else’s problems.”
His words were like razors, slicing through her. He couldn’t get tangled up in anyone else’s problems? Well, far be it from her to do that to him. “Fine. Go.”
“ It’s the way it has to be. I’m sorry--”
“Sure. Whatever,” she interrupted. The last thing she wanted to hear was how terribly she’d inconvenienced him. She didn’t want his pity. She didn’t want anyone’s pity. “It would be better if you left before Logan gets up, or you’ll be facing a barrage of questions.”
He almost looked convincingly upset. “I hope you’ll let Logan visit me and Cojack.”
The nerve of this jerk. First he agreed to help her. Then he backed out. But he had the gall to ask if Logan could come and
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