“His dad’s a senator, and I’m pretty sure he’s in touch with his family. Maybe he can find something out.”
“You may be on to something,” I said. “We’ll see what the others have to say about your idea.”
We all traded kisses and settled down to sleep.
Chapter eleven
Colt
Early the following morning, David, Ben, Laura, and I drove to the Borders’ property. David put Ollie into a carrier strapped against his chest and brought a blanket to set him on under a tree while he and Ben worked on the garden.
I saw right away that Angus, Maddox, and Laura hadn’t been exaggerating about the old homestead—it was literally falling apart. We had to step over a big hunk of the chimney to reach the path to the front porch. How disappointed this family must have been to have bought it and moved there only to find it in this shape. I was glad we were going to help them.
“Be careful,” Laura warned as we approached the dilapidated porch. “Stick to the edges.”
We carefully mounted the steps, then took a circuitous route around a large hole to the front door, which was cracked and weathered. When I knocked, I heard footsteps inside and then the door swung open to reveal atall, handsome, alpha woman. She smiled at Laura and introduced herself to the rest of us.
I judged Nova Borders to be a good two inches taller than I was, which would put her at approximately six foot one. She wasbuilt leanly and plainly was accustomed to hard work outdoors, judging by her tanned skin and defined arm muscles. Her long, yellow-blond hair hung in braids on her shoulders, and she wore an old pair of jeans that had been patched at the knees and a green shirt that made her eyes, which I judged to be hazel, appear to match her shirt. Immediately, her pheromones began a silent battle with mine for dominance.
I clasped Ben’s hand firmly in mine as I introduced him as my mate, my alpha instincts gearing up in the presence of a strange alpha so close to my new mate. Not only was I very aware that Angus expected me to keep our omega safe, but I had sworn to Maddox to do the same with David. Realistically, I knew Nova Borders had no interest in our omegas other than curiosity, but I couldn’t fight instinct. Fortunately, having Angus and Ben’s scents on me from our bed went a long way toward helping me to relax.
Moving closer to David, I said, “This is David. I believe you met his mate, Maddox, yesterday.”
When Nova saw me relax, she smiled, greeted David and Ben, as well as Laura, whom she’d met the day before, and invited us all inside.
The interior of the house was just as bad as the exterior. Unlike Angus’s ranch house, this one had two floors. It must have come furnished because no way would anyone drive the distance the Borders had carrying a couch and chairs that looked like the sagging eyesores currently in their living room.
“I see the utility company came through and turned on the electricity,” Laura said, looking up at the ceiling light, the bright bulb visible inside where a piece of the glass dome was missing.
“Yes. Please thank Angus for me for calling them. Our cell phones were dead yesterday, but they’re charging now,” Nova said.
“Ben and David want to help with the garden,” I told her.
“That would be wonderful. It’s behind the house, and there’s an old shed you’re welcome to get any tools out of that you need. I have a sack of seeds in there, too.” I suspected this woman did not take help easily, but the sheer enormity of being surprised with the crumbling ranch had convinced her to take all she could get.
Nova looked at Ollie, asleep against David’s chest. “Would you like to put him down on our bed? Eric can tell you if he wakes up. He’s doing some work at his desk.”
“I was going to set him on a blanket under a tree, but that would be more comfortable for him, if you’re sure,” David said shyly.
“Of course.” Nova led him to the room, and l glanced at Laura, who nodded and followed so David wouldn’t be uncomfortable. While Ben and I waited for David, we both looked around. The living room was free of dust, someone obviously having vacuumed and wiped down the furniture. The federal-blue carpet was worn and thin with parts of the floorboards visible beneath it. A spring had burst from the arm of a tan chair with several dark stains on the upholstery. A large trashcan stood in the corner full of broken blinds, pieces of wood, and other trash.
When Nova, Laura, and David reappeared from the hall, David immediately came to stand beside me, and I heard Nova asking Laura to check on Kate, her daughter. Belatedly, I remembered Angus telling us the little girl had fallen through the front porch the day before, hence the hole in the porch we saw coming in.
“I was about to ask how she was doing,” Laura said. “Has she had a headache or any other symptoms?”
“No, she seems to be fine. I just worry.”
“That’s understandable.”
Nova looked at me. “You are welcome to go on out to the garden.”
I nodded. “Thanks, we will.”
Laura followed Nova down the hall, and I led Ben and David outside again. We circled the house to the large garden at the back, unsurprised at the mess it was in, as we’d expected as much. Seeing the weeds and tangled overgrowth was a little daunting, however.
“Let’s check out the shed,” Ben said, crossing to the slightly lopsided building and pulling open the door. Something let out a howl and streaked out, causing Ben to jump back, hand on his heart, and me to lunge toward him to pull him out of harm’s way.
“It was a cat,” David said, watching it disappearing into the bushes. “Poor thing probably got closed in there.”