Page 28 of Willing to Wed the Rancher
“They are indeed.” Did Clarabelle ever take the time to have fun? She was always working hard at one task or another when he was at the farm. Even when he was giving the children their lessons, she was busy baking or cooking or cleaning up after a meal or doing some other household chore.
Even though she’d agreed to let him teach her, she hadn’t yet taken the time to sit down with him when he’d offered. She always had one excuse or another. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to learn. She listened while he was teaching the children, and he could see that she thoroughly enjoyed all his demonstrations and illustrations and reenactments.
No, her reticence had more to do with him. Maybe she was hesitant to spend time alone with him.
As she fumbled to hold the laundering supplies, he set his axe down and reached for the tub and scrubbing board, relieving her of the burden.
She offered him a grateful smile—one that made her face even prettier. “Thank you, Franz. Your help has been such a blessing this week.”
“I wish I could do more.” Like employ several people to work the farm so that she didn’t have to do so much. He’d consideredthe option for after he returned to Germany, but he always came to the conclusion that he’d have to hire men, since women were in such short supply in the mountains. And hiring men was out of the question. Not when most seemed to want wives.
“You’re already doing more than is necessary.” She continued through the barn door, and he followed.
At the sight of them, the children raced to pick up their discarded shovels. She gently scolded them, letting them know that as a result of their negligence, their lessons would now be delayed.
They set right to work diligently, eager for their school time. And once they finished a short while later, Franz helped them hang their tools on the barn wall. Clarabelle was outside in the paddock with the horses, checking their shoes.
She was exceptionally good with horses, likely because she’d grown up around them on her family’s horse ranch.
“You like Clarabelle, don’t you, Uncle Franz?” Dieter stood beside him, staring out the barn door at Clarabelle too. Bianca was next to Dieter, feet spread and arms crossed the same way as her brother.
Franz glanced down at his own spread feet and crossed arms. Both children were imitating him.
He took a rapid step back into the barn before Clarabelle glanced their way and saw all three of them watching her like lunatics. Because that’s what he was turning into. A lunatic.
Even Dieter had noticed his attraction and had followed him into the shadows of the barn, watching him expectantly, waiting for an answer to his question.
He couldn’t admit the strength of his feelings for Clarabelle to the children. It wouldn’t be appropriate in the least. But he also couldn’t lie.
“It’s okay if you want to marry her, Uncle Franz.” Bianca was peering up at him with her petite face that never failed toremind him of Luisa. Even though seeing Luisa in her had been difficult at first, he’d realized it wasn’t Bianca’s fault and that she deserved his very best in spite of everything that had happened.
He’d hoped to use the journey to America to repair his relationship with Eric, but since he was too late for that, perhaps the journey was more about releasing the past and learning to let go of all the hurt.
“We already talked with Clarabelle about marrying you.” Dieter spoke the words solemnly. “And she said she would.”
“She did?” He couldn’t keep his gaze from finding her again, taking her in much too eagerly.
Dieter hesitated. “She said you wouldn’t want to marry her because you have an important job and because you’re twenty-eight.”
A spurt of indignation shot through him. “What does my age have to do with it?”
Dieter shrugged. “You don’t look too old to me, Uncle Franz.”
“That is because I am not too old.” He braced his shoulders, but as soon as he did, an ache in his lower back from chopping wood nearly buckled him over as if to taunt him that his youth was fading.
Maybe it was time to prove to Clarabelle, and even to himself, that he was still young enough to do anything he set his mind to.
He pressed a finger to his lips, the usual stance he took whenever he needed to think. Hadn’t he just been lamenting that Clarabelle worked too much? Perhaps it was time to insist that she take an afternoon off and have a little fun. He let his mind sift through all the possibilities.
Then he grinned down at the children. “Ready to go on an adventure?”
Bianca hopped up and down and clapped her hands. “Yes!”
Dieter cocked his head, as if trying to figure out how they’d gone from discussing Franz’s being too old to marry Clarabelleto going on an adventure. But he seemed to contemplate the dilemma for only a moment before grinning and nodding.
Franz wasn’t entirely sure of the connection himself, but he did know he was tired of holding back. For better or worse, he wanted to enjoy the day with Clarabelle and the children and deal with the repercussions another time.
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