Jamison Valley, #1
The Coppersmith Farmhouse
by Devney Perry
Contents
Chapter 7
Overview
After Gigi’s hospital discharge, Jess deepens his caretaking role, coordinating help and bringing stability. Rancher Silas delivers barn cats to curb rodents and snakes, and he and Jess remove a rattlesnake from the barn. Rowen bonds with the kittens, and Jess spends the night platonically, strengthening trust as Gigi considers a real future with him.
Summary
Jess and Rowen pick up Gigi from the hospital with comfort food, and Bryant’s mention of a possible sleepover delights Rowen, easing the day’s earlier terror. At home, a black truck arrives: rancher Silas Grant, introduced by Jess, brings a mother cat and three kittens as barn cats to deter rodents and thus snakes.
Silas explains the kittens’ temperaments and the practical benefits. Gigi worries about snakes near the house, and Jess reassures her, promising to secure the barn the next day. Silas and Jess then investigate the barn and return with a dead rattlesnake on a shovel, disposing of it in Silas’s truck.
Rowen immediately bonds with the kittens and names the boy Captain Lewis. Jess offers to settle the cats for the night and feed them. After Rowen’s bedtime, Jess declares he is staying to prevent nightmares, kisses Gigi, and moves them upstairs, setting a firm boundary that they will not have sex until they have a night alone.
In bed, Gigi is anxious but relaxes as Jess holds her. They talk quietly: Jess reveals Bryant followed Gigi’s speeding car to the ER and alerted him. Jess calls Gigi and Rowen “my girls,” which Gigi welcomes. His steady care and lack of pressure lead Gigi to consider trusting him and the relationship, even as she acknowledges she needs more time.
The night ends with renewed calm: cats installed to keep rodents—and snakes—at bay, the rattlesnake removed, and Gigi soothed by Jess’s presence as she drifts to sleep.
Who Appears
- Gigi (Georgia) EllarsRecovering from a rattlesnake bite; accepts barn cats; wrestles with fear and begins to trust Jess’s steady care.
- Jess ClearyProtective and practical; coordinates help, removes a rattlesnake with Silas, stays the night platonically, calls them “my girls.”
- Rowen EllarsDelighted by kittens; names the boy Captain Lewis; comforted by Jess and excited about a possible sleepover.
- Silas GrantRancher who delivers a mother cat and kittens; helps Jess remove a rattlesnake from the barn.
- Deputy BryantAlerts Jess to Gigi’s ER visit; invites Rowen for a sleepover through his family connection.