Reese saw the men put on their game faces. He felt their closeted anger. So, Shay had a father who was less than nice. Was that what accounted for the tension he’d felt from her out in the hall, then? He watched her progress as she took her seat at the head of the table. She’d quickly changed from her white, frilly blouse to a pale pink sweater. She looked flustered. Clearly she was unstrung, because as she nervously moved the silverware around the plate, he saw a slight tremble in her fingers. What the hell kind of father did she have?
Garret brought over her Cornish game hen and with a flourish, he placed it on her plate. “For you, mademoiselle,” he teased, giving her a grin.
“It looks wonderful,” Shay said, leaning down, inhaling the aromas rising from the steam. There was half a sweet potato, slathered in butter and sprinkled with brown sugar, next to the hen.
“Oh,” Harper drawled, “don’t tell this Army doggie anything nice. He’s already got a swelled head.”
Jeering, Garret took off his apron, set it on the counter, and sauntered over, sitting next to Noah. “You squids from the Navy will never make up for who we are, so go right ahead and call me a doggie, but I know the truth. Special Forces rock.”
Harper gave him a smug look. “Shucks, and here I thought I had it right. It’s us squids that risk our butts to save your sorry hides once you’ve been wounded in a battle and are lying out there bleeding—”
“Guys,” Shay said, holding up her hands, “enough, okay? Let’s eat in harmony. There are enough battles every day. I don’t need it here at the dinner table.”
Harper flushed. “Sorry, Shay. You’re right.”
Garret gave her a soft look. “Peace, Shay. We’ll be good.”
Reese said nothing, consuming the feast with relish. Shay’s cheeks were pale and he saw the darkness remaining in her eyes. The vets quieted, all of them digging hungrily into the food. Garret had made fresh bread, two loaves, sliced them up, and most of it disappeared in ten minutes. He knew the men worked hard, dawn to dusk. None of them were slackers.
“How’s the accounting scavenging going?” Shay asked him, trepidation in her eyes.
“Still putting it all together,” Reese said, well aware of her concern. He hoped the soothing quality in his voice eased some of her anxiety.
“No surprises?” she asked between bites.
“Not so far.” Reese looked up and across at Garret, warning him not to say anything. The operator gave a slight nod. Shay was rattled enough. She didn’t need to know anything right now.
While in the office, Reece had heard more about Garret being a Special Forces weapons sergeant. Typical of all operators, he didn’t give anything away until Reese had buttonholed him on it. That explained Garret’s sharp intelligence. The men in those units were considered the best of the best in the Army, right up there with Delta Force operators.
“I had a good meeting with Sarah and her deputies this morning,” Noah told everyone, moving to another topic.
“Tell all,” Shay urged, excitement in her voice.
“I had three trail-trained horses saddled and tied out in one of the paddocks when they arrived. Sarah walked around them, checking them out closely. One of the deputies rode each one in the corral. Sarah watched how they moved and handled. They are all five years old, so they’re mature and steady for trail work.” He smiled a little at Shay. “Sarah liked all of them. I’m gonna trailer them to a Salt Mountain slope east of here on Saturday morning. She and her two deputies will then ride and check them out under actual trail conditions.”
Shay sighed. “That’s incredible! What a great day, Noah.”
Noah gave her a slight smile. “Yeah, it turned out to be max, Shay. I don’t think there’ll be any problem trailing these horses on Saturday. Sarah asked me what I wanted for each one. I think she’s already made up her mind about it, but she wants to give them a test drive, which is fine.”
“What are you asking for them?” Reese wanted to know.
“For the App, I’m asking seven thousand. For the two quarter horses, five grand apiece. The color on the App, big black spots on his white rump, will give us more cash. The more colorful the App, the more money it brings.”
“Don’t you horse-trade a little on prices?” Reese asked.
Noah shrugged. “Well, let’s put it this way. I don’t quibble about the price of a well-trained horse. I figure-in the hours it took me to get that animal to that degree of skill. Sarah’s a smart woman and knows that when I set a price, it’s fair and honest.”
“Well,” Garret said, “it’s one thing to horse-trade, but you’re training them up to a high level of skill. Most people realize that and there’s no bargaining at that point. You get what you pay for, and I’m sure Sarah knows that, too.”
“Yeah, she does,” Noah said, pleased. “My price on each horse didn’t faze her. She comes from a ranching family, so she knows the worth of an animal.”
“Wow,” Shay whispered, smiling, “this is such great news!”
Noah held up his hand. “Don’t celebrate yet, Shay. I know you’re a giddy idealist by nature, but I’m a pragmatist. I won’t celebrate until that check is in my hot little hand.”