“Yeah.” Fox rubbed his hands together. “For a bit, they’ll be okay.”
“I saw a wolf just before you showed up.”
“If a wolf tried to mess with my dogs, Lucien would raise a ruckus.”
“Doesn’t your mother have a problem with you running your team when wild animals are around?” Aidan was beginning to have a problem with it himself.
“There are always wolves, bears, and moose around these parts. Uncle Lynx has kind of a pet moose—we call him BW—who’s caused some mischief. Don’t worry, I have a gun in the sled in case I need it. But I’ve never had a problem. Plus, what Mom doesn’t know, doesn’t hurt me, right?”
Aidan chuckled. Fox had gumption laced with good common sense. If Aidan had had a son who wanted to run all over the countryside, he didn’t know if he’d be as okay with it as Raven seemed to be. “Your mom doesn’t know you’re here, does she?”
“That’s what I kinda wanted to talk to you about.”
They entered the cabin.
“What happened?” Fox asked, looking around wide-eyed at the destruction.
And here, Aidan thought, he’d made good progress cleaning up some of the mess. “I take it the place didn’t look like this the last time you were in here?”
“No.” Fox walked around the area, staying to the path Aidan had cut. “Who would have done this? And why? Earl didn’t have anything worth—” A look crossed Fox’s face as he cut off what he had been about to say.
“Do you know something?”
“No.” Fox turned away.
The kid was lying. What did Fox know about Earl Harte that no one else did?
“How did they get past the booby-traps?” Fox asked.
“I don’t think they did. I found evidence of blood inside like someone had tried to doctor themselves up.”
“Mr. Harte was never one to mess with.”
Aidan put hot water on the stove to boil and prepared cups of hot chocolate. “So, if he wasn’t someone to mess with, like you said, what kind of relationship did you have with him?” Aidan had wanted the answer to that question from the moment he’d first met Fox.
“Another reason I wanted to talk to you.” Fox rubbed his hands together.
“Did your mother tell you to stay away from me?”
“Um…yeah.”
“I got the same lecture this morning.” Aidan smiled, hoping to relax the kid.
Anger flashed in Fox’s eyes. “It’s not fair that she would do that.”
“Don’t be mad at Raven. She’s trying to protect you.”
“But she doesn’t need to.”
“She sees things differently.” Always had. Aidan poured hot water into the mugs and stirred the lumpy powder. Then he handed Fox a cup and indicated he take a seat on the chairs Aidan had cleared off earlier. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”
Fox flushed. He set his cup on the table and tore off his hat, unzipped his jacket.
Aidan took a sip of his hot chocolate and waited.
“When I was about, uhm, seven, I was out with my small sled and my first two dogs that I started with. Back then, Mom made me stay closer to town. I was also told never to head this direction.”
“So, of course you did?”
Fox glanced up at him and gave a slight grin. “Yeah. I came across Mr. Harte. He was stuck. Truck off in the ditch and he’d hurt his arm. I helped him out.”
“Did he owe you his life too?”
Fox snorted and shook his head. “He scared the crap out of me. But when he found out who my mother was…he changed.” Fox paused looking around the cabin at everything but Aidan.
“Changed how?” Aidan frowned.
“I don’t know.” Fox shrugged. “Not happy, but kinda like he had one up on my family. It’s hard to explain.”
“No, I get it. He liked knowing things nobody else did so he could use it against them later.”
“Right, but he never did anything about me visiting him. I don’t think he ever told anyone either.” Fox glanced at the floor and then dragged in a deep breath.
“Just come out and say what’s bothering you. It’s the best way.”
Fox swung his gaze toward Aidan. “Are you sure?”
Aidan wanted to chuckle but kept the sound back. Fox seemed nervous enough. “Yeah.”
“Okay. Here it goes.” He rubbed his hands on his pants, looked Aidan in the eye, and then blurted out, “You’re my father.” He swallowed. “I’m your son.”
Time stopped. The sound of ringing rocked his ears. “W-what did you say?” He had to have heard Fox wrong.