Page 47 of Echoes and Oaths
CHAPTER 16
Three 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 thelittle 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 pulledher 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.
