Page 24 of A Secret Heart
“Do you know someone else who would do something like that?” His brother followed the movements of Ed’s hands with his eyes. “But we have no proof. No one saw who tossed that dead deer in the well.”
“Same old problem. You got any ideas?” Quade was skilled at keeping his nose clean. One of these days, the McGraws would catch Quade crossing the line. The man had wanted their land for the water rights for so long that the feud stretched back to their pa. Pa had spent a night in jail after the argument had led to drawn guns years ago. Quade just wouldn’t let it go. It had been too much to hope that the quiet they’d been having would last.
“Maybe you ought to tell Kaitlyn not to let the kids bring the dogs in at night,” Ed said.
Drew gave him a blank stare, then nodded. “We’ll have to dig a new well. Hauling water from the creek to boil takes too long. And it’s already shaping up to be a dry summer.”
Ed stepped away from the piece. He’d been thinking on the well situation himself. “I suggest we hire help for that. It’s a big job, and everyone is still a bit down from the poisoning.”
“Except our neighbors are all busy with their own chores. Trying to keep their farms running while Quade puts pressure on folks to sell. Not to mention the rumors of a rancher being attacked and the other farm that had that blaze.” Drew hung his head. “Not sure who to trust. Don’t know who might be on Quade’s payroll.”
An expectant silence filled the air between them.
“Which brings me to the point.” Drew rubbed the back of his neck again, looking for all the world as if he didn’t want to say what he was about to say. “Isaac’s still riding herd on the cattle, trying to eliminate the wolf threat. Can you dig the new well?”
Ed stood not a foot from his half-finished display case. The one due to the bakery in less than two weeks. All the extra duties, watching over Rebekah, and now this. Drew hadn’t even said a word about the case, not even a question. Just another request for Ed. He scrubbed a hand over his face. No way would he be able to finish in time for the bakery’s opening.
His eyes leveled on Drew, but his brother had shifted to focus out the window. To the ranch. Which needed fresh water. His family needed a new well.
“We need Isaac.” The words slipped out in desperation for another pair of hands. As they did, his gaze landed on the pressed flower. If they brought Isaac back from his hiding place, the letters would go to him. Isaac would have the privilege of writing to Ree.Why?Everything in Ed wanted to shout the question. Why did Isaac get everything he wanted? Just like when they were kids.
“I’d go for him, but Kaitlyn needs me here until Merritt can come stay for a few days. And Nick hasn’t recovered enough yet.” Drew stood, placing his hat back on his head.
There weren’t any other available men to hire. Even so, Ed opened his mouth, ready to tell his brother everything about the furniture, the letters, his own dreams.
“We don’t have time to waste. We need the well. Everyone’s counting on you.” Drew headed to the door, a sure sign he expected Ed up there digging at the first available moment.
Ed bit back his arguments. His family needed him. He watched through the open door as the golden hues of the sunrise all but engulfed his brother’s retreating figure, then he picked up the tarp in the corner, flipped it open, and spread it over the top of the cabinet.
With a sharp jerk, he scooped up his coffee cup from earlier. The liquid had grown cold, but he downed it anyway. It wasn’t half as good as the cup he’d shared with Rebekah the other night. Ed shook his head. What was she doing in the middle of his thoughts? One cup of coffee was, well, one cup of coffee. He’d apologized. They’d shaken on it. Their long-standing feud over and done. So why had that handshake given him so much grief in a different sort of way? He could still feel the rapid beat of his heart like that night.
Ed left his empty cup on the bench and hurried to put on his boots. There were chores to be done. A well to be dug. He didn’t have time to dwell on things he had no business thinking about. Like Ree’s letters that he wanted all to himself, when she’d been writing to Isaac. Or Rebekah’s handshake.
He hurried out the door, across the field, and into the barn. The shovel leaned against the side wall. He snatched it up and began shoveling the stalls even as he warred inside himself. He dug in over and over, scooping twice as fast, hoping to buy himself time he didn’t have. But all he managed to do was sling manure all over himself.
He halted, bracing his arm on the top of the shovel. If Rebekah were here, she’d raise her eyebrow before slowly letting out a clear, crystal laugh. Ed shook his head. She just had to get under his skin. A slow grin pulled at the corners of his mouth. Then he turned and dug the shovel back in.
Each scraping shovelful chantedYou don’t have time. You don’t have time.
Not for his furniture. Not for the girl in the letters. Not for Rebekah, now his friend.
* * *
“Nice work on that story, Rebekah.” The praise from Reverend Carson as he backed out of the newspaper office filled her with hope.
Rebekah waved goodbye before leaning over the layout for the ads, ready to start on the typesetting. She reached for her apron, tying it up to keep the ink from staining her clothes. Mr. Sullivan brushed past her as he shifted back to his desk. Maybe this would be as good a time as any to ask about the story on the candidates.
“That’s the third compliment I’ve heard.”
Rebekah eyed Mr. Sullivan. He didn’t even look up. “How was your daughter?”
“Oh, everything’s fine. The treatments seem to be working.” But he’d left town to rush to her side. Things must not have been as bad as he’d thought. Or he didn’t wish to share details.
“What did you think of my story?”
“Good enough.” His words were distracted as he ran his fingers down a ledger at his desk, then picked up a stack of invoices.
Rebekah smoothed the front of her apron. “Do you think it was good enough to give me a chance to write the bios for the candidates? The ones for the Cattlemen’s Association.”
