Page 36 of A Secret Heart
Her nose burned with the threat of tears. “I can’t stay.”
Silence threatened again, and she couldn’t bear it. She spun on her heel to mount up Mabel. Rebekah gathered the reins in her hands and turned Mabel back toward the road. The catch in her heart meant tears any moment.
A glance back revealed Ed near the well, his shoulders slumped and head down. Why hadn’t he been angry with her for the deception? She’d sensed he was holding himself back, as if there were walls between them. But no anger.
Her tears were no longer willing to be held back. She prodded Mabel forward at a quick canter.
Moisture dripped down her cheeks and fell, even as she tried to make sense of her emotions. Why was she crying? She’d proposed to Isaac. If he felt as passionate about her as he’d written in his letters, soon she’d have everything she’d dreamed of.
But Ed’s reaction had shaken her.
The vision of him, standing near the well with his head down, pinged sharply in her chest. His old way of scolding her would have been more welcome than the distance he’d put between them. All the moments of that day together caring for the family flashed through her mind, along with the endless rides to town. He’d become a friend. Maybe her closest friend. And now she’d admitted to deceiving him and his family. Of course things couldn’t stay the same.
She’d made her choice. Nothing left to do but wait to see what Isaac decided.
* * *
“It’s time to settle this.” Ed’s thoughts spilled out. He stashed the letters Rebekah had written to Isaac in his saddlebag. In a fit of frustration, he’d hidden those other letters Rebekah had brought for Isaac in a drawer at Drew’s house, at least until he figured out what to do with them.
Lightning nickered as Ed swung into the saddle, as impatient to get going as his rider. Giving Lightning his head, Ed clung to the reins. His horse must have sensed his mood. They rode hard toward the mountain area where Isaac hid out in that old unfinished cabin. Along the path leading to the shelter, he watched for signs of his brother’s presence. Isaac didn’t always stay put. In fact, he seldom did anymore, but Ed aimed to find him today.
The sun on his back should have warmed him, but he shuddered as he passed a clearing in the woods. A rabbit skin hung to dry. Apparently, Isaac had time for hunting while avoiding all the chores back home. Lightning bobbed his head, sidestepping as Ed clenched his jaw. He fought to slacken his tight grip on the reins as he rode in the direction of Isaac’s cabin.
The roof was missing some shingles that still hadn’t been replaced. Shadows from the trees cast a dismal gray over the place. The door stood open, revealing the emptiness inside. The rough wooden exterior needed more chinking to fill the holes where light came through the logs. Why did his brother choose to live here?
Isaac had been here all right, but when? Not too long ago, if he judged right from the smoldering firepit, even if Ed was no scout like his brother. If Isaac got it in his head not to be found, he’d cover his tracks. But this fire hadn’t been stomped out.
As he approached, he thought he caught sight of a figure in the woods behind the structure. A twig snapped. This was no time for games.
“Isaac! Come out now!” he bellowed. If only the effort would release a bit of his tension, but it wound it tighter. A branch cracked behind him. He spun Lightning around.
A moment’s silence filled the space—all but the call of a distant bird.
“What do you want?” The deep rumble of Isaac’s answer came from beside the cabin. He hadn’t been there a minute before. Water dripped from his hair, and his face shone from a scrubbing, as if he’d been down to the creek. His figure appeared gaunt, eyes empty.
Isaac moved easily. His calm demeanor added oil to the fire inside Ed. Isaac’d been holed up here while Ed had given all he had to help keep the homestead going. This was the man Rebekah wanted? The man Ed had given her hope of winning with all those letters he’d written her?
His letters.
Ed nudged Lightning forward with his legs, sending him moving with the speed of a cutting horse. Straight toward Isaac only to swerve. Ed jumped off while the animal was still in motion and dropped next to his brother.
As he got close, he reared his arm back, swinging his punch at Isaac. The last time he’d swung at his brother had been long before he’d even left to become the great Marshal Isaac McGraw. Not usually one to be taken by surprise, Isaac almost missed ducking but moved out of the way at the last second.
“What was that for?” Isaac dodged another swing.
Ed swung again. This time he hit his mark. Isaac stumbled back, wiping at his lip. They circled each other, evenly matched. How was he managing to hold his own with this hero?
Sweat beaded on Ed’s brow. He stumbled a little as he circled Isaac. Those moments with Rebekah, caring for the family, calling their truce, flooded over him. “You weren’t there.”
At Ed’s words, a flash of surprise crossed Isaac’s expression. It was enough for Ed to land a punch in his gut. Isaac grunted. Anger flashed in his eyes. Guess he wasn’t dead inside after all.
“The whole family got sick.” Ed sidestepped a jab from Isaac, his breaths coming fast now. “Someone poisoned the well. Tillie—and Jo—they could’ve died.”
Ed landed another punch.
Isaac took a step back and held up one hand. “Stop.”
But a vision of Rebekah’s face, earnest and hurting—and wanting Isaac—slipped to the front of Ed’s mind. His heart squeezed, and he lost his composure, flying at his brother.
