“Where are the others?” Laura asked when she finished writing. “I thought I heard Elliott a bit ago.”
“He got upset and came in with Keane,” David said.
Laura looked up. “Upset? Why?”
“Someone mentioned the kidnapping and human trafficking.”
Laura’s mouth thinned. “Elliott still has trouble dealing with it. Keane will settle him. How are you two doing? Ben, I notice you’re here without Angus or Colt. How do you feel?”
“I was doing fine until just a few minutes ago. Now, I’m missing them.”
“Do you want me to take you home?”
“Not yet. I told Angus I could do it.”
Laura smiled kindly. “Angus will understand. I’m sure he’s worrying about you right now. Colt, too.”
“They have a lot of work to do on the ranch. I’m in the way.”
“I can’t imagine them telling you that.”
“No, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true,” I said.
David patted my shoulder. “I remember feeling that way. It’s why I made a point of always cooking the meals and taking on the chickens and the garden. I wanted to be useful.”
“I don’t know what I can do,” I admitted. “I’m not good at anything.” Nose stinging, I stared at the table. I did not want to cry, but my emotions were everywhere these days.
“That’s not true. You were so good with your pet rat. He lived so long. It’s like you had the magic touch.”
I groaned. “Don’t start. I do not have special powers that heal.”
“Okay, but you are good with animals, and we have plenty of those on the ranch. Why don’t you take on the hogs?”
HLooking horrified, I said, “No way! I’m scared of them.”
David laughed. “Okay, yeah. How about the goats, then? They’re kind of smelly, but what animal isn’t? And the little ones are adorable. Mention it to Colt. He’s the one who usually takes care of them. That will free him up for other things.”
Maybe that was a good idea. And I did like the goats. They had weird eyes, but they were sweet. “Okay. Thanks, David.”
“No problem. And I’m sure there are things you can do in the house, too.”
I thought about it. Up until then, everyone did their part to keep things in order, and I helped David deep clean.
“What if I take over our part of the house?” I suggested. “It would be less for you to do, and I’ll still help with the kitchen work and the guest rooms.”
“It’s a deal,” David said, and shook my hand.
Keane wandered in and sat down with us.
“Where’s Elliott?” I asked.
“He’s having a session with Gail. He wouldn’t stop crying. He has…flashbacks.”
“Why do Riku and Zeke antagonize him?” David asked.
“They think they’re doing him good in the long run,” Keane said.
A hard knock on the back door startled us all. Eric looked at Laura. “Who could that be?”