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“Hey, Hugh, got a sec?”
Heff paused from unloading the back of the old pickup and turned to face Tori. Since Church and Brian had struck up a mutually beneficial agreement, they’d decided to salvage what they could from the old stables at the resort and donate it to Happy Trails. He was happy to do it too. He liked Brian, Tori, and even the kid, Danny. Bonus: they weren’t crawling up his ass about why he’d been begging off team meals at Franco’s.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“One of the breeders showed up early, and I need to talk to her. Would you mind keeping an eye on the boys for me for a few minutes?”
Heff didn’t hesitate. “Sure, I can do that. Where are they?”
“In the barn. They know what to do. I’d just feel better knowing someone was close by.”
He nodded. “Go do what you gotta do.”
“Thanks! I won’t be long, I promise.”
Heff walked over to the barn, where the two boys were focused on their tasks. Danny, he already knew, but the other kid, he’d only seen from a distance—most recently here, at the ranch, but before that, through Sandy’s kitchen window when he’d done his bit of recon that night. It seemed the universe was determined to keep Sandy Summers in the forefront of his thoughts, no matter how hard he tried not to think about her.
He observed from the doorway for a few minutes. Danny was shaking out saddle blankets, and the bigger kid was sweeping the floor in precise, controlled movements. Danny was talking a mile a minute about his new horse but paused when he noticed Heff standing there.
“Hey, Mr. Bradley. Have you met my friend Kevin?”
“I haven’t,” Heff said, moving farther into the barn. “But what did I tell you about calling me Mr. Bradley?”
“That I should just call you Hugh. But Mom says I should show more respect than that.”
He appreciated that Tori felt he was deserving of that respect, but at the same time, he wondered when the hell he’d gotten old enough for a kid to call him Mr. Bradley. It felt strange. Too formal. He rarely interacted with anyone outside of his team, and they all called him Heff. Tori was one of the few who actually called him by his given name.
“Well, I guess she has a point. Showing respect is important. But when it’s just us guys hanging out, you can call me Hugh, okay? It’ll be our secret.”
“Deal.” Danny grinned and turned to the other boy. “Kevin, this is my friend, Hugh. He helps out around here sometimes too.”
“Hi, Kevin,” Heff said, addressing him. “You can call me Hugh too, if you’d like.”
Kevin said nothing, didn’t even look his way, continuing to sweep with small strokes of the broom.
“Don’t mind Kevin,” Danny said, turning back to Heff. “He doesn’t talk much.”
“That’s okay. Talking is overrated anyway,” Heff told him. “Now, music, on the other hand ...”
Danny’s eyes lit up. “Do you have your phone?”
“Of course,” Heff replied, smoothly extracting it from his pocket. “The usual?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Heff tapped the screen a few times, bringing up one of the many seventies music playlists he’d created. Soon, the sounds of the Bee Gees filled the small space, and Danny was moving in time with the beat. Heff joined in, showcasing some of his best Saturday Night Fever moves. By the third song, he thought he’d even seen Kevin swaying a little.
“Having fun?”
Heff turned around to find Tori in the doorway, her eyes twinkling. He grinned sheepishly and turned down the music. “You weren’t supposed to see that.”
She laughed. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
“Well, guys, it’s been real, but I’ve got to get back to work. Later.”
“Bye, Hugh! I mean, uh, Mr. Bradley,” Danny called out.
Tori was trying hard not to smile as she followed Heff out of the barn. “Thanks, Hugh.”
“Anytime.” He grinned back at her. “That new kid, is that the one you were talking about?”
Tori nodded. “Kevin? Yep. We’ve agreed to do a trial period, but honestly, I can’t see it not working out. He seems to be handling it well, and Danny loves having him around.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it.”